Thread: River bed shooting

Hey all

I am new to shooting here and was told by many people you can shoot on river beds. Looking into it further it seems some you can and some you cant depending on who manages them as all public land is owned by the crown yet different parts are run by different organisations. I sent an email to LINZ and they stated land managed by them, no shooting was allowed. Some areas I have looked at states it's to be determined who manages it yet, so not very clear.
Yes if you don't know don't shoot. but this isn't the general belief I have heard.

It's always been a bit of a grey area.and public waterway and waterfowl is another can of worms. Like most things in life it really pays to be cautious and be prepared to justify your actions.

Ask fish and game about shotgun/gamebird shooting in riverbeds. It should be allowed, but rifle shooting is generally a no-no.

West coast riverbed shooting can't bet it

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and even in the DOC estate you can find that hunting in many river floors/margins is of limits as well.
This is often tied to tracks being next to the river and depends upon how popular the area is a swell.

To be really safey your best bet is to use the DOC maps viewer and turn on the open hunting layer. This shows you were you can shoot with a DOC hunting permit.

As you can see in this picture of the Te Waiti Hut (inland from Opotiki) area either side of the river is outside the hunting Zone.
This is typical when there is a track.
nb it is common for locals to spotlight the river floor at night.

However The Waipakihi River has no exclusions on it except for the private land on the lower southern side.

https://www.doc.govt.nz/map/index.html



Z

A few years ago I wanted to make sure I was doing things right for chasing the odd deer, a few rabbits, and geese in the Canterbury riverbeds. As well the occasional sighting in if needed. Tried Doc first, that was a waste of time. Then contacted LINZ cos DoC dont manage most of the riverbeds. Had a good long chat over the phone and then went to ChCh for a face to face. Had a great couple of hours talking BS and hunting and fishing. Cant remember who the guy was, but he was older and very knowledgeable. Basically I was told that they dont issue permits for riverbed or berms, not worth the effort. But they werent interested in policing it either, or charging anyone that was acting responsibly and not causing any nuisance. Told me to go have at it and just be responsible.

Key words,responsibly and Nuisance.Don't draw attention to yourself.

Thanks for all the helpful answers.

I wanted to get out with the kids for some Rabbits and feral Pigeons on the river beds so I called DOC, Fish and Game, EnCan, Kiwi Rail and the Council all had no problem at all as long as I was safe. Kiwi Rail at first objected as they thought I was going to be stood on the track haha but then, when I said I wouldn't be anywhere near the railway they said no problem as it had nothing to do with them.

I was just trying to cover all bases when someone suggested I contact LINZ. I sent an email and got this reply.

Thank you for your email. We do not allow Recreational Hunting on Crown Land managed by Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand.

That put a stop to that and I asked for a map if they had one and they sent me one

https://linz.maps.arcgis.com/apps/we...0e3a2f3f1ed216

So back on the lookout for some farm with Rabbits/Pigeons on for the kids.

Drive for 3 hrs down my way with a brick of ammo and a accurate 22.PM me if you are interested.Private land.

I had a similar experience to Husky and about 25 yr ago had axwritten letter saying I could hunt rabbits on the Selwyn river bed near SH1. Had many nice afternoons and shot a few rabbits then. A quarter century back …

Very relevant topic.. @gadgetman @Bob Da Browning

Our team also doing thorough review - of precise DOC boundaries adjacent to our Cantab sites. DOC good to deal with. We also attempted consultations with Police as to whether we can ever shoot legally onto our farmlands while driving remote back country roads - eg back of beyond in the McKenzie Country. Found it extremely hard to contact Police personnel, no success with calls to Firearms Officers Chch, no real answers from Firearms Authority NZ, referred back to and no answer again from Canterbury Firearms Authority personnel, and no answer from email to them!!! How the hell do we get 100% legal clarity?

Ended up having good talk with policeman in local Hornby copshop, and his advice - best he could cite - was don't risk anything from public roads. Said even if we inform neighbours within several kilometers of night shoot, there can still be that random visitor/camper who hears a shot and reports it, triggering a police enquiry process.

We've now got DOC boundaries 100% aligned, but best we could get is about 98% clarity with Police. Our decision therefore - no risks anywhere, anytime - including no shooting at any time from any public road - however remote.

We're also looking at making signs to hang on gates/fences on the roads into bigger areas where we'll be shooting. EG say 600x600 white, with bold black print and easily visible. Script something like "Caution, Pest control in Progress". Just to make sure not only neighbours but every visitor into site area informed - covering our arses!. Any suggestions as to quick easy sign build (waterproof) appreciated.

The key words are (public roads) mg,which can be used against you in any court.In the Mckenzie there will be campers every where you dont
expect them.
Good luck in your hunting.

Originally Posted by mudgripz

Very relevant topic.. @gadgetman @Bob Da Browning

Our team also doing thorough review - of precise DOC boundaries adjacent to our Cantab sites. DOC good to deal with. We also attempted consultations with Police as to whether we can ever shoot legally onto our farmlands while driving remote back country roads - eg back of beyond in the McKenzie Country. Found it extremely hard to contact Police personnel, no success with calls to Firearms Officers Chch, no real answers from Firearms Authority NZ, referred back to and no answer again from Canterbury Firearms Authority personnel, and no answer from email to them!!! How the hell do we get 100% legal clarity?

Ended up having good talk with policeman in local Hornby copshop, and his advice - best he could cite - was don't risk anything from public roads. Said even if we inform neighbours within several kilometers of night shoot, there can still be that random visitor/camper who hears a shot and reports it, triggering a police enquiry process.

We've now got DOC boundaries 100% aligned, but best we could get is about 98% clarity with Police. Our decision therefore - no risks anywhere, anytime - including no shooting at any time from any public road - however remote.

We're also looking at making signs to hang on gates/fences on the roads into bigger areas where we'll be shooting. EG say 600x600 white, with bold black print and easily visible. Script something like "Caution, Pest control in Progress". Just to make sure not only neighbours but every visitor into site area informed - covering our arses!. Any suggestions as to quick easy sign build (waterproof) appreciated.

real estate signs

Interesting as I'm sure it was always legal to shoot FROM a public road but not ACROSS it...eg it's your land or land you have permission to hunt,you can lean on fence post and shoot into paddock...it's bonkers if that has changed.

just be prepared if you are caught. otherwise all good