A well earned rest after a hard day's
hunting

If you want to hunt with dogs on public conservation land (with or without a firearm), you will need to get a dog permit (free) and find out about the dog restrictions for the area.

Permits are issued from the DOC visitor centre or office nearest to the area you plan to hunt in. 

Dogs must be kept under control and not used for hunting until well within the hunting area. Poorly trained dogs can kill native bird species.

Some areas run kiwi aversion training which  reduces the number of kiwi killed by dogs. Hunters are encouraged to undergo kiwi aversion training, and it is a requirement in some regions.

Aversion training can be arranged through DOC, and if regularly reinforced, can be an effective method of training dogs to avoid kiwi and other native species.

Contact your local DOC visitor centre or office for details.