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Wildlife Act 1953

General provisions - Infringement offences

70H: Taking game in contravention of Act or notification

You could also call this:

"Hunting game: follow the rules or you might break the law"

If you want to hunt game, you must follow the rules. You cannot trap or take game unless the Act or the Minister says you can. You are not allowed to set traps or use devices to catch game. You cannot put oil on water to catch game or stop them from landing on the water.

When you hunt game, you cannot use certain things like lights, live decoys, or special devices in the water. You also cannot use vehicles or boats with motors to chase game, unless you are just travelling to or from a hunting spot. There are some exceptions, like using a boat to camp or pick up game you have already killed.

If you break these rules, you will commit an infringement offence. Some words in this section have special meanings, which you can find in section 18(2).

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS149761.

Topics:
Environment and resources > ConservationCrime and justice > Criminal law
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"Don't hunt, keep, or harm protected animals without permission"

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70I: Failure to comply with condition of authority to take or kill wildlife, or

"Breaking the rules of a wildlife permit"

Part 5General provisions
Infringement offences

70HTaking game in contravention of Act or notification

  1. A person must not, if not expressly authorised by this Act or a notification given by the Minister,—

  2. trap game in any manner or take game by any means; or
    1. erect or set any trap, net, snare, or other device for the purpose of taking game; or
      1. spread oil on any water for the purpose of hunting or killing any game or for the purpose of preventing game from alighting on that water; or
        1. use, for the purposes of hunting any game,—
          1. any light; or
            1. a live decoy; or
              1. a cylinder, mudhole, or similar device in any lake, lagoon, pond, river, estuary, or other open water (whether natural or artificially constructed) unless the sides of the cylinder, mudhole, or device project 60 centimetres or more above the surface of the water; or
                1. any aircraft, motor vehicle, or other vehicle propelled by mechanical power; or
                  1. on any lake, lagoon, pond, river, estuary, or other water (whether natural or artificially constructed) any vessel (other than a row boat) in driving, chasing, unduly disturbing, putting to flight, or stalking game; or
                    1. any unmoored floating stand, hide, shelter, maimai, or louvre, or any unmoored boat artificially dressed or covered in any way.

                    2. Subsection (1)(d)(iv) and (v) does not apply to—

                    3. the use of a vehicle or vessel for the purpose of travelling to or from a place where the person intends to hunt game; or
                      1. the use of a vessel for the purposes of—
                        1. camping; or
                          1. retrieving game that has been killed or wounded; or
                            1. in the case of a moored vessel, shooting from the vessel (unless prohibited by another provision of this Act).

                            2. A person who fails to comply with this section commits an infringement offence.

                            3. In this section, decoy, row boat, and vessel have the meanings given in section 18(2).

                            Notes
                            • Section 70H: inserted, on , by section 69 of the Conservation (Infringement System) Act 2018 (2018 No 61).