Hunting in Northland
76 DOC permit areas, 7 huts, 5,182 unformed legal roads — and what each of them means before you go.
What has been recorded here
- Wild turkey 1,390
- Peafowl 792
- Brushtail possum 158
- Rabbit 69
- Feral pig 29
- Feral goat 11
- Brown hare 8
Most of these are logged by the public rather than by hunters, so a cluster is a real sign the animal is about and out where it can be seen — it is not a record of where people hunt. But records follow tracks, roads and campsites, so empty country usually means nobody has walked it with a phone rather than that there is nothing there. Presence, not density.
Occurrence data from GBIF.org.
Where you can hunt
DOC files 76 hunting permit areas in Northland. Public conservation land needs a permit, and each area carries its own conditions and closures — which are DOC’s to set and worth reading for the block you pick.
5,182 unformed legal roads run through the region — public roads that were surveyed and never built. Many cross private farmland, and you may pass along one without asking anybody, though the paddocks either side stay private.
Balloted and restricted blocks here
- Rayonier Matariki ForestsBy permit Forest access · run by Matariki
- Juken forestsBy permit Hunting, through clubs and iwi · run by Clubs and iwi
1080 in Northland right now
6 DOC operations are in their caution period in Northland. Baits and carcasses can still kill a dog, and the caution period is the recorded minimum rather than an all-clear.
- Pukenui Forest Trust - Predator Control - 2026/27 caution to 2027-06-30
- TLC - Pest Control Operation - 2026 caution to 2027-04-01
- Whangarei Kiwi Sanctuary 2026 caution to 2027-01-21
- Whangarei Kiwi Sanctuary 2026 caution to 2027-01-21
- Whangarei Kiwi Sanctuary 2026 caution to 2027-01-21
- Possum Free Whangarei Heads caution to 2026-11-08
Every recorded operation, and what it means for dogs
Shows operations recorded by DOC from March 2022 onward. This is not a statement that 1080 is or is not present now. Always follow on-site warning signs and check DOC for the authoritative position.
Huts
7 across 7 parks and conservation areas. 2 you can simply turn up at, and 0 of those have a fire.
Hut locations and facilities: Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0), via the DOC open data hub.
Bream Head Scenic Reserve1 hut
- Peach Cove HutBook aheadMattressesWaterToilet
Cape Brett and Whangamumu area1 hut
- Cape Brett HutBook aheadMattressesWaterToiletCooker
Motukawanui Island Scenic Reserve1 hut
- Motukawanui HutBook aheadMattressesWaterToilet
Puketī and Omahuta Forests1 hut
- Puketī Forest HutBook aheadFireMattressesWaterToiletCooker
Tangihua Forest1 hut
- Tangihua HutTurn upMattressesWaterToilet
Waimā & Mataraua Forests1 hut
- Frampton's HutTurn upWaterToilet
Whangaroa area1 hut
- Lane Cove HutBook aheadMattressesWaterToilet
Before you walk in
This is a snapshot of DOC’s hut dataset, not a live feed — DOC last refreshed it in April 2026 and has flagged it for replacement. Huts close, burn down, get booked out and get alerts put on them. Before you commit to sleeping in one, open its DOC page and check.
“Turn up” means first come, first served — carry a Backcountry Hut Pass or tickets, and expect company. The rules about firearms and carcasses near huts are the same everywhere and worth reading once.
Asking for private land
Most of Northland is somebody’s farm, and that is where the animals a landowner wants fewer of usually are. Find the block on the map and we work out the postal address without ever showing you who owns it; you print one page, they scan the code and answer.