Gun City Dunedin manager John Simpson said while ‘‘shooting was the name of the game,’’ the real fun was getting out and spending the weekend with friends and family.
‘‘It’s bloody good fun in that respect.’’
Duck-shooting was a unique sport for the fact it could attract more than 50,000 participants in one weekend.
Mr Simpson said while the most important part of the season was to have fun, shooters should also remember to keep safe.
‘‘The one tip that will probably get me told off by just everybody is just keep off the booze until the guns are gone.’’
His other tips were to treat every gun as if it was loaded, and if you were not sure, do not shoot.
‘‘Especially when you’ve got the young ’uns around; you’ve got to keep an eye on them as well.’’
With duck-shooting and the roar so close together, the store had been busy as customers stocked up on supplies, especially with most
‘‘Kiwi blokes leaving things to the last minute’’.
‘‘It’s mainly duck licences; a few shotguns have been sold, ammunition, replacing faded decoys that maybe didn’t get brought in last time, some clothing ... all those little bits.’’
While he was missing out on opening weekend this year for the first time in a while, Mr Simpson said he would head out later in the season.
Otago Fish & Game officer Bruce Quirey said the season was shaping up to be a strong one with record numbers of paradise shelduck and favourable breeding conditions.
The bag limit for paradise shelduck was increased from 12 to 15 birds following the highest moult count on record.
For the past few years, shooters have been taking relatively few paradise shelduck — this year’s moult count recorded nearly 26,600 birds, well above the management range of 16,000 to 23,000.
‘‘Harvesting parries — alongside mallards — helps manage the duck population and provides a great source of free-range protein.’’
