Safety-first is paramount for game bird hunters as the new hunting season opens next month with new gun laws in force, says Fish and Game New Zealand
It is crucial that hunters treat the safe transport and handling of their shotguns with the "utmost care and sensitivity" when the season opens nationwide on May 4, Fish & Game's chief executive Martin Taylor said.
"Every single hunter out in the field is urged to focus on safe gun handling by each person in the party, and be fastidious about checking firing zones to make sure it's safe to fire."
Taylor said this will be the first season under the reformed gun laws which have made most semi-automatic firearms illegal, he said.
"Fish & Game supports these changes to these gun laws and believes that good decisions have been made for both game bird hunters and the community," Taylor said.