Canterbury
Find DOC places to go hunting in Canterbury.

You need a permit to hunt wild animals on public conservation land in Canterbury.Your permit will cover all open hunting blocks in the Canterbury Open Hunting Area, from Hanmer in the north, south as far as Twizel, and west to the main divide.

View the Canterbury hunting permit map (PDF, 4433K)

The Lewis Pass National Reserve hunting block is surrounded by Lake Sumner Forest Park, with SH7 running through the centre of the reserve.

The Nina hunting block is on the true left of the Doubtful River and Nina Catchment. Pigs, red deer and chamois are present in low to moderate numbers.

The Boyle River hunting area is part of Lake Sumner Forest Park. Pigs, red deer and chamois are present.

Waiau Faces hunting block is in the Hanmer Range, on the true left of the Waiau River. Pigs, red deer and chamois are present.

This is a large hunting area between Hanmer, the Waiaui River and the Waiau Faces hunting block. The area between Dillon Stream and Jollies Pass is closed to all hunting.

The Carlyle hunting area is part of Lake Sumner Forest Park. It adjoins Glenhope Station and Poplars Station. Pigs, red deer and chamois are present.

This hunting area covers the Doubtful Range between the Hope and Doubtful Rivers. Pigs, red deer and chamois are present in low to moderate numbers.

This area is bordered by Lake Sumner, Lake Sumner Forest Park, Lakes Station in the south and Poplars Station in the east. Pigs, red deer and chamois are present in low to moderate numbers.

This hunting area is part of Lake Sumner Forest Park. Pigs, red deer and chamois are present in low to moderate numbers.

The Blue Mountain and Four Peaks Range Conservation Area hunting block has wallabies and red and fallow deer.

Red deer, tahr and chamois can be found in the Ahuriri hunting block, which is part of Ahuriri Conservation Park.

Hunt tahr, chamois, red deer and the occasional pig all year round.

Pigs, red deer and chamois are present in low to moderate numbers in the Hurunui hunting block.

Recreational hunting for tahr and chamois is permitted all year round in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.

An 823 hectare hunting area north of the Hanmer range in the Rangiora district.

A 36,707 hectare hunting area in the Spenser mountains in the Rangiora district.

An 8229 hectare hunting area along the Hope River in the southern alps.

A 2760 hectare hunting area along Waiau Toa/Clarence River in the Rangiora district.

A 4964 hectare hunting area near Lake Tennyson in North Canterbury.

A 4251 hectare hunting area near the Organ range in the Rangiora distrct.

A 1954 hectare hunting area near Boyle Village in the Rangiora district.

An 8,335 hectare hunting area in the Burnett mountains near Aoraki Mount Cook.

The Lake Sumner RHA encompasses part or all of the Nina, Doubtful Range, North Hurunui and Hurunui Restricted hunting blocks.

The Jollie Brook hunting area now includes the former Mt Mizar and Lower Jolliebrook hunting blocks. Pigs, red deer and chamois are present.

Pigs, red deer and chamois are present in low to moderate numbers in the South Hurunui hunting block.

Arthur's Pass National Park straddles the main divide—the 'back bone' of the South Island—between Canterbury and the West Coast. Pigs, red deer and chamois are present.

The hunting area encompasses the conservation land in the headwaters of the Puketeraki Forest and Seaward catchments. Pigs, red deer and chamois are present.

Lochinvar hunting block is located 80 km north west of Christchurch, between the Puketeraki Range and Arthur's Pass National Park. Pigs, red deer and chamois are present.

Arthur's Pass National Park straddles the main divide—the 'back bone' of the South Island—between Canterbury and the West Coast. Pigs, red deer and chamois are present.

This hunting area is located 75 km north west of Christchurch between Oxford and Loburn, on the northern side of Lees Valley. Pigs, red deer and chamois are present.

This hunting area is located 100-120 km west of Christchurch between Lake Coleridge and the Wilberforce and Rakaia rivers. Pigs, red deer and chamois are present.

Craigieburn Forest Park lies alongside Arthur's Pass National Park. Pigs, red deer and chamois are present. The eastern faces of the Craigieburn range are excluded from hunting.

The Ben Ohau Range consists of open tussock country, within Ruataniwha Conservation Park. Tahr and chamois are found in this block.

Red deer, chamois and tahr are present in low numbers. The hunting season is open all year but with prohibited areas.

This 1000 ha block is located 40 km north of Christchurch between Rangiora, Loburn and Amberley. Pigs and red deer are present.

Oxford Recreational Hunting Area (RHA) encompasses both the Oxford Forest Conservation Area and the Mt Thomas Conservation Area.

Mt Thomas Forest is located 50 km north west of Christchurch, between Loburn, Oxford and Lees Valley. Red deer and pigs are present.

Oxford Forest is 60 km north west of Christchurch between Oxford, Lees Valley and the Waimakariri River. Red deer, pigs and chamois are present.

Hunt pigs, red deer and chamois. Located 70 km west of Christchurch between Porter's Pass, Broken River and the Waimakariri River.

13 Mile Bush hunting block is part of Korowai Torlesse Tussocklands Park. Pigs, red deer, goats and chamois are present in low to moderate numbers.

Hunt fallow deer and wallabies.

The majority of this hunting area consists of beech forest located within Ruataniwha Conservation Park. Red deer, tahr and chamois are found here.

A 628 hectare hunting area on the shores of Lake Coleridge in the Rangiora district.

Hunt tahr and chamois in the Gamack Range, extending south from the Liebig Range bordering Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park.

Red deer, chamois and tahr can be hunted all year in the Clyde/Lawrence hunting block.

A 42,566 hectare hunting area west of the Crimea range in the Rangiora district.

You can hunt possums in this area if you have a hunting permit.

A 1,463 hectare hunting area in the Benmore range of the Mackenzie country. Please note that firearms are not permitted on access tracks.

A 5472 hectare hunting area in the Hanmer range in Rangiora district.

This area lies north of Lake Tekapo and between the Godley River and Two Thumb Stream. Tahr and chamois are found here.

Hunt red deer, thar and chamois in the Havelock.

This range sits between the Godley and Cass rivers northwest of Lake Tekapo and incorporates the western side of the Hall Range and all of Haszard Ridge. Tahr and chamois are found here.

The Kaumira/Mount Nimrod hunting area is about 32 km west of Timaru. Species found to hunt here are wallaby and the occasional pig, red and fallow deer, chamois and tahr.

The Hopkins and Huxley valleys is a mixture of beech forest, open tussock tops and scree and rock slopes. Red deer, tahr and chamois are found here.

Hunting is allowed all year with the main species being wallaby and the occasional goat and pig.

A 2118 hectare hunting area near Omarama in the Mackenzie country,

This Jollie-Cass hunting block is open year round and is subject to tahr control and recovery operations.

Open season all year for red deer, chamois, pigs and goats.

A 1111 hectare restricted hunting area in the Mackenzie Country. Firearms are prohibited on access tracks.

The Mount Dobson hunting block has wallaby, red and fallow deer. Chamois and tahr can be present though in low numbers.

This region is in the western Hakataramea Valley north of Kurow and has wallaby, chamois and red deer.

Mt Haper/Mahaanui is open all season. Red deer, chamois are present in low numbers and also the occasional tahr and pig.

Hunt red deer, tahr and chamois in the mountain range north of Lindis Pass.

The reserve covers an area of 142 ha. The main species hunted here are wallaby, fallow deer and the occasional pig.

The East and West Manuherikia river valleys are generally gentle, rolling tussock country. Red deer and pigs are found here.

Mount Peel/Waikari Hills area has mountainous terrain, with steep slopes running down to deeply incised gullies. Hunting is open all year for tahr, red deer, chamois and pig.

This area consists of beech forest remnants and open tussock country, with red and fallow deer, tahr and chamois all present.

The Mt Studholme/Kaiwarua block is in the southern part of the Hunter Hills, 15 km northwest of Waimate. Species found here to hunt include wallaby, pig and the occasional red and fallow deer, chamois and tahr.

The Ruataniwha Conservation Area hunting block is on the northern end of the Ben Ohau Range.

North Opuha Conservation Area is about 31 km north of Fairlie. Tahr, chamois, red and fallow deer and the occasional wallaby are present.

This area is situated beside the north branch of the Waihao River. It has a reasonable number of wallaby, a few wild goats and the occasional red deer and wild pig.

This hunting area covers open, rocky ground southwest of Kurow. Red deer, chamois and pigs are present.

Open hunting area all year with chamois, red deer and the occasional tahr.

22 km from Geraldine the reserve is mainly regenerating podocarp forest with alpine herbs, shrubs and tussock above the bush-line.

Red deer, tahr and chamois are found in the Temple and Maitland valleys, north of Lake Ōhau.

Hunt wallaby and pigs in the 125 hectares of Pioneer Park.

Hunt deer and wallaby in The Hunters Hills.

All year season for hunting red deer, chamois, and the very occasional thar.

This region covers the range east of Lake Tekapo and south of Two Thumb Stream. The area carries tahr and chamois.

This area with tahr is open for hunting all year.

The Scotsburn block is just west of Blandswood at Peel Forest. There are red deer, pigs and the occasional fallow deer present in this area.

This block covers the eastern faces of the Two Thumb Range sloping down towards the upper Rangitata catchment. Tahr, red deer, chamois and wallaby are the key recreational hunting species present.

A 17,596 hectare hunting area in Canterbury.

Hunting here for wallabies is open season for 11 months of the year, within the fenced area.

Tenahaun area forms part of the Moorhouse Range, which is just north of the Rangitata River gorge. Hunt for chamois, red deer and pig.

Wainono Lagoon is a game bird hunting block near Waimate.

A 372 hectare hunting area in the Geraldine district.

A 231 hectare hunting area in the Geraldine district.

A 258 hectare hunting area near Geraldine.

A 139 hectare hunting area near Geraldine.