As clouds cleared after last week’s storm, ducks were not easy targets for hunters when duck-shooting season opened on Saturday.
Central South Island Fish & Game Council senior officer Rhys Adams said the ‘‘pleasant’’ weather was nice to be out in, but made for challenging hunting.
Fish & Game had a team of rangers in the Mid Canterbury on Saturday, including the Pendarves area.
They found bags were mixed, most hunters having harvested ‘‘a bird or two’’ by lunchtime.
‘‘Preliminary data from the game bird harvest survey indicates hunters harvest about nine mallards and three paradise shelduck each for the weekend on average,’’ Adams said.
Rangers checked on 23 hunters. Three were found to be breaching the law.
This included two without a licence and one in possession of lead ammunition within 200m of open water.
The main game bird season is open until July 27. Game birds may be hunted between the hours of 6.45am and 6.30pm.
One-day game bird hunting licences are on sale from May 12.
Waterfowl species classed as game bird and their daily bag limits for the central South Island region are: mallard/grey duck, 50; paradise shelduck, 25; Australasian shoveler duck, 2; black swan, 5; and pukeko, 10.
