NZ Duck Shooting 4 May 2024

This weekend is the start of the 2024 duck shooting, game bird hunting, season in New Zealand, the annual hunting season commences on Saturday 4 May 2022. Every autumn in New Zealand, duck hunters head for their favourite hunting spots around waterways and wetlands. They build maimais or blinds, to camouflage themselves, and have decoy birds, duck callers and dogs to fetch the ducks when they fall in the water.

The duck hunting season requires the hunters to purchase an annual licence from the Fish and Game New Zealand Association. There are strict laws which govern the number of birds which can be shoot daily and can vary between provinces. The birds must be shot in flight, not on the water or ground, unless a mercy shot if the bird is injured from the initial shooting.

I found details about the rules and restrictions on this internet link.

Game birds hunting: What to hunt (doc.govt.nz)

Game birds hunting

• Saturday 4 May 2024 is opening day.

Waterfowl, including paradise shelduck, mallard, grey and shoveler duck and black swan can be hunted in DOC managed areas.

Upland game such as pheasant and quail can also be hunted.

Licence and permit

To hunt game birds on public conservation land, you need both:

• a game bird licence from Fish & Game New Zealand, and

• a game bird hunting permit from DOC

Game birds are managed by Fish & Game New Zealand, while the habitat that game bird hunting occurs on is managed by DOC.

To hunt game birds on your own property, Fish & Game New Zealand has more information.

Game Bird Season Information - Fish & Game NZ (fishandgame.org.nz)

Do’s:

• Carry hunting and firearms licence at all times.

• Be safe with firearms and on the water - know the seven rules for safe firearm handling

• Be an ambassador for hunters - hunt ethically & responsibly.

• Clean your game bird harvest quickly to ensure the best quality meat for your table.

• Bury waste after cleaning your birds.

• Follow the rules.

Don'ts:

• Don't drink & hunt.

• Don't leave rubbish at your stand.

• Don't be unethical – respect your quarry and the hunting regulations.

Duck Shooting Season NZ 2024 - Fish & Game (fishandgame.org.nz)

This web page has details of game bird shooting season dates for each New Zealand region, and you can find the latest information on season length and game bird bag limits etc.

The duck shooting season is said to help control the number of ducks, such as the mallard ducks, but concerned groups protest this annual event. There are always concerns that endangered and restricted birds are also shot, also the cruelty of injured birds suffering.

I have read that in Australia three States have banned recreational duck shooting, Western Australia in 1990, NSW in 1995 and Queensland in 2005. There is always the concern that thousands of native water birds are killed.

But in some other Territories and Tasmania duck hunting season is still a recreation sport. This internet link below details Victoria, Australia regulations. This year the Victoria duck and game bird shooting season started on 10 April and ends on 5 June 2024.

Duck season arrangements - Game Management Authority (gma.vic.gov.au)

Norfolk Island does not have a duck shooting season, and I often wonder if the number of ducks at the Kingston wetlands or the Mission Pool increase as the shooting season arrives across in New Zealand and Australia. I remember when I grew up in New Zealand that the ponds at local park had an increase of ducks during the hunting season, they seemed to know that they were protected at the town parks.

This weekend the peaceful waterways and wetlands in New Zealand will once again be awoken to the sound of gun shots, and the hunters will hope to bag the birds and the ducks will hope to survive the annual autumn event.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuEb8Ns7_nU

This is a New Zealand Classic video of Billy T going Duck Shooting

Betty Matthews

3 May 2024