Sounds hunting

Located in the Marlborough region

The Sounds Area encompasses public conservation land between Arapawa Island, D’Urville Island, Rai Saddle and the crest of Richmond Range. Hunting for red deer, fallow deer, goats, and feral pigs is popular throughout much of the area.

Habitats range from coastal lowland broadleaf/podocarp forests to tussock covered alpine tops.

Hunting for red deer, fallow deer (isolated populations only), goats, and feral pigs is popular throughout much of the area with pigs being particularly common in the Marlborough Sounds.

The area can be reached by Cook Strait ferry from the north and State Highways 1 or 6 from Blenheim in the south or Nelson in the west. Many of the hunting areas in the Sounds have boat access only.

Climate

The Sounds area is generally blessed with a warm temperate climate. Marlborough is well known for its high sunshine hours and much of the Sounds are frost free. However there can be extreme exceptions at any time of the year. There is the possibility of snow in winter/spring in the Sounds at above 500 metres and at any time of the year in the Richmond Range. The close proximity to Cook Strait can lead to severe gales. Heavy rainfall events can quickly make streams and rivers impassable.