Strong winds and clear skies brought good fortune for duck-shooters on Otago’s coast in what was a "really successful" opening weekend for game-bird season, Otago Fish & Game said.
Fish & Game officer Bruce Quirey said rangers from across the region had been reporting decent conditions for duck-shooting, although some areas had benefited more from the winds than others.
He said many inland areas had experienced milder breezes, resulting in fewer ducks taking to the skies.
Mr Quirey said the region’s duck-shooters had been experiencing a "mixed result" in terms of duck numbers, which was no different from any other opening weekend.
"I checked a mai mai yesterday, mid-afternoon, where 59 birds had been shot between three hunters down here on the Taieri.
"Most people were getting birds, but sometimes in low numbers."
He said Fish & Game rangers had noticed some duck-shooters making "simple mistakes" that could have been costing them a chance at bagging more birds.
"Just simple mistakes with setting out the decoys or not camouflaging their mai mais properly or parking their vehicle nearby without covering it up."
Mr Quirey said Fish & Game was very pleased with the high compliance among more than 5000 duck-shooters in Otago, but confirmed two duck-shooters had been caught without an appropriate licence.
"They’ve been issued offence notices and their guns have been seized for now."
