6 May 2013

Duck shooting season kicks off

10:26 am on 6 May 2013

The duck shooting season officially began at the weekend and thousands of hunters took to their maimais around the country in a bid to bag a bird.

Mack McMullen spent opening day on the banks of the Ruamahanga River just south of Masterton.

The forecast rain and wind never arrived, which meant the ducks flew high and had great visibility, and the number of ducks he bagged in the morning was low.

But Mr McMullen says opening day was as much about enjoying the company of his friends as it was about the shooting.

In some areas there were fears the drought would have reduced the duck population.

Concerns about the Mallard duck numbers led to authorities reducing the length of the season in some upper North Island regions.

But Mr McMullen said it was an excellent breeding season and a good grain season compared to last year when the grain was very late because of a wet summer.

He said a number of ducks were reported as having more than one clutch during the breeding season and all the drought did was to concentrate ducks into areas where there was water.

Meanwhile, duck hunters in Canterbury are being warned to avoid contact with an algae found in three of the region's lakes.

Medical officer of health Alistair Humphrey said the algae can cause irritation and allergy symptoms in people and can kill animals.

He said ducks can still be cooked and eaten if their gut has been removed, but people should wash their hands thoroughly after handling them.