Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Wildlife Act 1953

Game

15: Open season for game

You could also call this:

"When You Can Hunt Game Animals in New Zealand"

Illustration for Wildlife Act 1953

You need to know when it is open season for game. The Fish and Game Council makes a draft notice for this. They send it to the Minister for approval. The Minister can approve the notice or ask for changes. When the notice is approved, it gets published under the Legislation Act 2019. You can find the notice and any changes to it. If you hunt or kill game during a close season, you commit an offence. You can be liable for a penalty, which is set out in section 67E(3). The notice is like a law, and it must be published in a certain way, as outlined in the Legislation Act 2019. The Minister is in charge of the notice, and it is published as if they made it. This means the Minister has control over the notice and any changes to it. You can check the Legislation Act 2019 to learn more about how notices are published.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM277289.

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"How to make and approve plans to manage animal populations"

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16: Notification as to conditions on which open season declared, or

"Rules for Hunting During Open Season"

Part 2Game

15Open season for game

  1. Every Fish and Game Council shall, through the New Zealand Fish and Game Council, recommend for approval by the Minister a draft set of conditions it considers should be included in the notice of an open season for game for its region under subsection (4).

  2. The New Zealand Fish and Game Council shall, if satisfied as to the form of the notice, submit it for the Minister's approval.

  3. The Minister may—

  4. approve the Council's draft notice; or
    1. require the Council to amend the draft notice in such manner as the Minister may specify.

      1. As soon as practicable after the draft notice is approved by the Minister, the New Zealand Fish and Game Council must arrange for it to be published under the Legislation Act 2019.

      2. At any time before or during an open game season declared under subsection (4), the notice published in respect of that season may in like manner—

      3. be amended; or
        1. be revoked and be replaced by a new notice.

          1. Every person who hunts or kills any game during a close season commits an offence against this Act and is liable on conviction to the penalty set out in section 67E(3).

          2. A notice under this section is secondary legislation (see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements).

          3. The Legislation Act 2019 applies as if—

          4. the Minister were the maker of the notice; and
            1. the notice were made by the Minister approving it.

              Notes
              • Section 15: replaced, on , by section 4 of the Wildlife Amendment Act 1996 (1996 No 2).
              • Section 15(1): amended, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).
              • Section 15(4): amended, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).
              • Section 15(5): amended, on , by section 165 of the Statutes Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 74).
              • Section 15(6): replaced, on , by section 8 of the Wildlife (Penalties and Related Matters) Amendment Act 2000 (2000 No 43).
              • Section 15(7): inserted, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).
              • Section 15(8): inserted, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).