Hunting

Important information about hunting in the Akatarawa Forest

Hunting is currently permitted in the Akatarawa forest. However, the park will be closed to hunters for a period of time in the coming months. This is for health and safety reasons while we complete a possum control operation. This applies to existing permit holders for this area, as well as those seeking new permits.

Existing permit holders will be notified 2 weeks prior to park closure. For more information visit our Akatarawa forest page.

Good news! You can now get your hunting permits instantly.

Permits can now only be applied for via our website and are no longer available in paper format or from the Upper Hutt office. Just click on "Apply for hunting permit", set up or log in to your MyGW account, select the permit you want, and your permit will be emailed back to you within minutes. 

Please remember that you must have your permit on you at all times within the designated area. To make things easier for you, you can simply take a screenshot of your permit and keep it on your phone. Then you can show the Ranger if you are asked so there is no need to print it out if you don’t want to.

GWRC welcomes hunters to selected parts of our parks. A hunting permit is required. 

There are several species available for hunting across the park network, and some only in certain locations at certain times. The table below summarises hunting by location and species on GW land. 

		Deer	Pig	Goat
Akatarawa Forest	Native
	Plantation		See map area
Pakuratahi Forest	Native
	Plantation
Kaitoke Regional Park	North of Hutt River
	South of Hutt River		See map area
Hutt Water Collection Area
East Harbour Regional Park		Ballot	May-Oct
Wainuiomata Water Collection Area		Ballot

Hunting in East Harbour Regional Park is seasonal for pigs and done by ballot for deer, and all hunting in Wainuiomata Water Collection Area is done by ballot.

Apart from those cases, where hunting is allowed in a regional park it is allowed year-round. 

Duck hunting is allowed in Parangarahu Lakes and Baring Head/Ōrua-pouanui, and you can get your permit for this from Fish and Game New Zealand. 

 Hunting permits

You need a permit – they are free of charge and are valid for 12 months (unless specified), and you must show this permit if asked by a Greater Wellington Regional Council authorised officer, so remember to print out your permit or save it to your phone.

There are different kinds of permit for hunting different animals in different places, but for your convenience we've put these all together in one form, which you can access below. The Akatarawa, Kaitoke and Pakuratahi areas have one permit to cover all these hunting areas.

(Not accessible on Internet Explorer)

Carefully read your permit conditions. Be familiar with the map and terrain of the area and stay within it – you can find all maps in the side panel. 

You must be at least 200m away from roads, tracks, and boundaries with private land, and obtain permission from landowners if you’re going to cross private land.

All kills must be in the permitted area but 50m away from roads, tracks and boundaries with private land and only in the designated hunting area.

Firearms: only centre-fire rifles of calibre .222 Remington or larger may be used for hunting, or crossbows and bows with a minimum drawing factor of 18kg (40lb). Shotguns, air rifles and rimfire rifles are not permitted.

Loaded firearms are forbidden outside the designated hunting area.

East Harbour pig hunting

• Permits are available between 1 May and 30 September
• Guns and bows are prohibited
• Dog registration/microchip numbers are required, with a maximum of three dogs
  • Keep dogs under control
  • Report any lost dogs to the GWRC Upper Hutt office as soon as possible
  • Each dog must have a tracking collar

Motorised access in Akatarawa

• Motorbikes and quads can be used in Akatarawa Forest - a permit for this is required
• Entry via Karapoti Road (Upper Hutt) or Maungakotukutuku (Kāpiti)

 Hunting Ballots

Update 26/3/20: Hunting ballots are no longer going ahead. Thank you for your understanding.

You can find further information, maps, and FAQs about hunting ballots here.

East Harbour ballot

• Open 28 March – 30 April
• Maximum of 2 hunters in the area at a time
• No hunting on Wednesdays

Wainuiomata ballot

• During April each year
• Hunting Friday-Sunday

Hunters not following the terms and conditions of the permit will have it revoked and also risk being trespassed.

 Hunting Safety

Please keep in mind that a lot of people use our regional parks:

• Identify your target beyond any doubt
• Treat every firearm as loaded
• Always point firearms in a safe direction
• Load a firearm only when you are ready to fire
• Check your firing zone
• Avoid alcohol and drugs when using firearms
• Store firearms and ammunition safely 

 Safety in the outdoors

Many hunting areas are isolated, rugged and exposed to high winds. There may be few formed tracks or market and maintained routes. We live in Wellington so we shouldn't need to remind you that weather conditions in our parks and forests are changeable. Remember to:

• Take a wind and waterproof jacket and wear layers of clothing that can be taken off or on as you need. Always carry enough clothes for cold conditions
• Take ample high-energy food, drinking water, map, compass or GPS and a first aid kit. Take a phone but be aware that you may not get mobile phone coverage everywhere in our parks. We recommend carrying an emergency locator beacon
• Do not attempt to cross flooded streams. Be prepared to wait if conditions become dangerous
• Let someone know where you are going and what time you intend to be back - they can raise the alarm if you don't arrive as expected
• Check weather forecast before leaving

 Taking care of the park

Take your rubbish home with you.

Keep rivers and streams clean. Bury toilet waste in a shallow hole well away from waterways. Dispose of carcasses and offal at least 50 metres away from streams.

Do not remove, disturb or damage native plants or animals.

Don't light fires and take care with portable stoves, matches and cigarettes.

Park your vehicle clear of gateways and don't block access roads.

Please don't interfere with any markers, plot pegs, monitoring devices, baits, carcasses traps or bait stations. Pay attention to any warning signs posted.

Seeds and fragments of weeds can easily be accidentally carried into places where it could be harmful, so please search for and remove all seeds and plant fragments from clothing, equipment, vehicles and dog fur before entering the catchment.