Shooting season: Whanganui duck hunters happy, though bags light

A maimai in the Waverley area is ready for duckshooting action. Photo / supplied

Ducks found safe places to sit out the opening of this year's game bird hunting season - but Ruapehu, Whanganui and South Taranaki hunters shot enough to be happy, Taranaki Fish & Game field officer Allen Stancliff said.

For South Taranaki shooters the weather was calm and overcast on Saturday. In Ruapehu it was calm and sunny. In both areas birds found wetlands with no hunters and they sat tight, "nice and safe".

South Taranaki had a summer drought this year. Paradise ducks were in low numbers, but there were reasonable numbers of mallards.

Across the region hunters bagged enough birds to keep them happy. They were also following the rules, Stancliff found.

He ranged the Waverley area on opening day with two teams of helpers, each with two vehicles, and backing by Whanganui police. They checked about 70 hunters.

In 2016 Fish & Game officers confiscated eight shotguns from people who had no gun licences or were using lead shot. It wasn't like that in Waverley on Saturday.

"Their compliance was very good. In fact we didn't issue a single offence notice. The hunters were pleased to see us," Stancliff said.

The season for duck hunting ends on July 8, and the season for pheasant, quail and pukeko hunting ends on August 26.