Some info on the South Australian Duck & Quail Season

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Duck season criteria set for 2006

Above average wetland conditions across the majority South Australia will see a return to a full bag limit of 12 ducks per day for the 2006 Duck and Quail Hunting season.

For the past three years, most regions of South Australia have received average rainfall. The South East of the State is an exception where low rainfall has been recorded over the last year. As a result, Bool Lagoon, Bucks Lake and Poocher Swamp Game Reserves are experiencing low water levels and will be closed for the 2006 season.

The closure of Bool Lagoon was endorsed at a recent meeting with representatives of South Australia’s hunting organisations.

Scientific monitoring of duck species has shown that the Blue-winged Shoveler numbers are low and therefore will be excluded from them game list.

However, Wood Duck numbers have dramatically increased and as a result there will be no restrictions on their numbers.
A statewide bag limit of 25 birds will apply for quail.

Duck season will open on 18 February and close Sunday 25 June. Quail season will open at the same time but close on Saturday 30 July.

Game reserves including Lake Robe, Mud Island, Tolderol, and Currency Creek will be open all season. Chowilla, Loch Luna and Moorook Game Reserves will be open for seven weekends during the season.

A hunting permit is required to hunt ducks in South Australia. To quality for a permit, shooters must pass a Waterfowl Identification test and have a current firearms permits for the appropriate shotgun.

Hunters are reminded that non-toxic shot must be used at all times.

Permission must be sought from private landholders before activities are conducted on their land.

Refer to the DEH website http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/ for further information.