Fishing and hunting
Permits
Fishing and hunting activities both require permits in addition to any permission required for land access.
Contact Fish and Game New Zealand or the various regional Fish and Game Council for permit information.
Land access
Except where an easement or other legal access exists, there is no legal right of access either to private land or across private land to public land for the purpose of sports fishing or game hunting. Landholders do not have any special rights to fish or hunt on their property, except that, unlike other anglers and hunters, they do not need to hold a current fishing or hunting licence.
The right to carry firearms or to take dogs depends on the existing access rights. For example, if the access is by way of an unformed legal road, then people using that access will be able to do all of the things that are lawful on a public road. That would generally include the right to carry a firearm but may not include the right to use a firearm. Other forms of legal access may have more restrictions on carrying and using guns.
Carrying a gun and hunting
Even though you may have a legal right to carry a firearm in a particular place, recognise how others may feel:
- Get permission before shooting
- Always observe the Firearms Safety Code
Sports fishing is governed by the Conservation Act 1987, and hunting is governed by the Wildlife Act 1953. These statutes prohibit the sale of sports fish and game and the sale of sports fishing and game hunting rights. Regulation 19 of the Freshwater Fisheries Regulations 1983 says that having a licence to fish does not give a right of entry upon the land of any person.
A hunting licence does not give the licence holder authority to hunt or kill game on any land without the landholder’s consent.
Hunting requires both the carrying and use of firearms, which are two separate issues. The safe use of firearms is controlled by the Arms Act 1983, which the New Zealand Police administer. The law generally relates to being reasonable and safe.
Offences include:
- Careless use of a firearm, airgun, pistol or restricted weapon
- Discharging a firearm, airgun, pistol or restricted weapon in or near a dwelling house or public place to endanger property or to endanger, annoy or frighten any person
- Carrying a loaded firearm (whether in its breech, barrel, chamber or magazine) in or on a motor vehicle, on the road or in any place to which members of the public have a right of access.
The Arms Code is a firearms safety manual issued by Firearms Safety Authority Te Tari Pūreke.
Firearms Safety Authority Te Tari Pūreke
Firearms safety (Mountain Safety Council)
To carry a firearm, you need to know the public access rights associated with the land you are on. WAMS maps show the public access areas (PAA) on various land types and easements. Each type of PAA has different rights of access associated with it. Some provide for walking only, others for other access types, such as the right to carry a gun or hunt.
Carrying a gun (Herenga ā Nuku)