A Federated Farmers board member has used the start of the game bird season as an opportunity to shoot a few barbs at the Fish and Game Council.
Fish and Game issues licences for people hunting and fishing on farmers' land, and uses the proceeds to protect waterways that nurture the birds that hunters will be trying to shoot for the next two months.
In the course of that protection, Fish and Game took Horizons Regional Council to court in March, seeking a ruling around council rules on protecting water quality.
Mr Allen said Fish and Game was seeking a new definition of wetland in Hawke's Bay that would restrict farmers' ability to farm wet paddocks.
Many farmers are tired of being blamed for New Zealand's poor water quality, and they often say so - Mr Allen said it has been "open season" on them for the past few years.