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Duck and Quail Hunting in 2004

General Open Season Information
A restricted duck and quail hunting season has been approved for South Australia in 2004.

In South Australia, rainfall for the past 12 months has been average or above average right throughout the State. This follows an extended series of poor seasons over south-eastern Australia during 2001-2002. Most waterfowl species have responded favourably to climatic conditions during 2003, and many have successfully raised more than one clutch of young.

An open season for a limited number of duck species has been approved from Saturday February 14, 2004 to Sunday June 27, 2004. The bag limit is 8 birds per day with the exception of Wood Duck for which there is no bag limit.

The open season for stubble quail will run between February 14 and July 31, 2004 and a bag limit of 25 quail per day applies.

To shoot duck and quail in South Australia a permit is required. In order to obtain a permit, shooters must have passed a Waterfowl Identification Test and have a firearms permit for a shotgun. More information is available at the fauna permits website.

Individuals hunting on private land are required to have the written permission of the landowner.

Duck

Black Duck
(Photo: Jason van Weenan)
The open season for duck throughout the State is from 6:25 am on Saturday February 14 until 5:35 pm on Sunday June 27, except at Chowilla, Loch Luna, Moorook and Poocher Swamp Game Reserves, which have specific open days during the hunting season. (see below).

With the exception of Wood Duck, a total bag limit of 8 duck per day applies.

For the 2004 hunting season, there is no bag limit on Wood Duck.

Closed Season on the following duck species:

Australasian (Blue-winged) Shoveler (Anas rhynchotis)

Hardhead (White-eyed) Duck (Aythya australis)
The Blue-winged Shoveler has a limited distribution in South Australia and has experienced a series of poor seasons in which breeding opportunities have been extremely restricted. Whilst seasonal conditions have improved Blue-winged Shovelers have responded slowly and may require a longer series of favourable seasons for recruitment. Blue-winged (Australasian) Shovelers have been removed from the game list for 2004.

The Hardhead, is a diving duck which predominately breeds in deep, inland, fresh water swamps. Rainfall determines the breeding season of this species, with breeding closely aligned with flooding events. During the past 18 months, Hardhead have been displaced into southern parts of Australia where wetland conditions have been more favourable.

Stubble Quail

The open season for stubble quail (Coturnix pectoralis) throughout the State is from 6:25 am on Saturday February 14, 2004, until 5:35 pm on July 31, 2004, between the daylight hours from sunrise to sunset.

Total bag limit - 25 Stubble Quail per day.

Game Reserve Opening Times

Chowilla Game Reserve
Moorook Game Reserve
Loch Luna Game Reserve

Saturday February 14 and Sunday February 15, 6:25 am until 8:35 pm
Saturday February 28 and Sunday February 29, 6:35 pm until 8:20 pm
Saturday March 13 and Sunday March 14, 6:55 am until 7:55 pm
Saturday May 1 and Sunday May 2, 6:30 am until 6:00 pm
Saturday May 22 and Sunday May 23, 6:45 am until 5:40 pm
SaturdayJune 5 and Sunday June 6, 6:55 am until 5:35 pm
Saturday June 19 and Sunday June 20, 7:00 am until 5:35 pm

Loch Luna Game Reserve
The open season applies to all creeks and associated backwaters of the Reserve north of the marked navigation channel of Chambers Creek, excluding a 500 metre radius of any house or outbuilding, and within 300 metres of any road or bridge; and for safety reasons, the open season does not apply to all of the area within 500 metres radius of the homestead of Section 706 McIntosh Division Hundred of Cobdogla Irrigation Area.

Note: Access to Loch Luna is mainly by boat - all hunters should be aware of dangerous quicksand in a number of areas.

Moorook Game Reserve
The open season applies to all the Reserve, other than the strip of land 100 metres wide on the western boundary of Sections 474, 475 and 476 Hundred of Moorook, County of Albert, adjacent to the Kingston-Loxton Highway.

Tolderol Game Reserve
Currency Creek Game Reserve.
Mud Islands Game Reserve.
From 6:25 am on Saturday February 14 until 5:35 pm on Sunday June 27.

Poocher Swamp Game Reserve
Saturday February 14, 6:25 am until 12:00 pm
Saturday February 28, 6:35 am until 12:00 pm

The Director, Department for Environment and Heritage may close a Reserve by posting a notice to that effect at any commonly used entrance to that Reserve, where it is in the interests of conservation to do so.

Hunting on Unalienated Crown Lands

Hunting on unalienated Crown land is approved for the 2004 hunting season, with the exception of the following locations:

Pieces 9 & 10 Deposited Plan 49150 Hundred of Cadell (Cadell Evaporation Basin)

Lot 103 Deposited Plan 46453, Chaffey Irrigation Area (Cooltong Evaporation Basin)

Allotment 2 Deposited Plan 34467 Hd Waikerie (Hart Lagoon)

Pieces 2 & 3 Deposited Plan 4661 88 Cobdogla Division, Cobdogla Irrigation Area (Cobdogla Evaporation Basin)

Section 388 Hundred of Holder (Riverfront Reserve) adjacent to Maize Island Lagoon Conservation Park

Sections 23, 172, 247, 295, 296 Hundred of Gordon (Thieles Flat)

Section 1781, 1784 Allotments 3, 4, 5 in Deposited Plan 23536, Berri Irrigation Area (Berri Evaporation Basin)

Allotment 99, Deposited Plan 26809 Hundred of Ettrick

The waters of the River Murray within 150 metres either side of any lock or weir structure.

Allotments 1 to 4 in Deposited Plan 23394 Hundreds of Hindmarsh and Riddoch (Lake Leake)

Section 725 Hundred of Caroline (Eight Mile Creek)

Section 710 Hundred of Baker

Pieces 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 Deposited Plan 60311 Hundred of Santo (Morella Basin)

Section 583 Hundred of Waterhouse (Lake Eliza) and environs

Section 582 Hundred of Waterhouse (Lake St Clair) and environs

Section 80 Hundred of Lake George (Lake St Clair) and environs

Sections 679, 680, 681, 686, 687, 688, 693, 694, 695, 697 Hundred of Port Gawler (Port Gawler)

Sections 2349, Allotment 60 in Deposited Plan 27952 and Allotment 72 in Deposited Plan 28222, Hundred of Wallaroo (Wallaroo Mines)

Allotments 10 and 11, Deposited 52109 Hundred of Goolwa (Goolwa)

Sections 261 82, 261 83, 261 84, 261 86 Hundred of Kondoparinga (Bullock Hill)

Section 537, Hundred of Nangkita (Cox Scrub)

Allotments 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, Deposited Plan 36415, Hundred of Seymour

Allotment 500 in Deposited Plan 2761 81 Hundred of Koolywurtie (Porter's Scrub)

Allotment 1 in Deposited Plan 30461 8 Hundred of Carribie (Gleeson's Landing)

Allotment 2 in Deposited Plan 29815 Hundred of Carribie (Gleeson's Landing)

Allotments 10, 13, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27 in Deposited Plan 31429 Hundreds of Clinton and Cunningham (Wills Creek)

Allotment 10 in Deposited Plan 37980 Hundred of Lake Wangary

Allotment 2 in Deposited Plan 34847 (Finniss Springs)

Block 422 in Deposited Plan 832300 Hundred of Kopperamanna (Tirari Desert)

The Port Adelaide River estuary and Barker Inlet contained within the following described area:-

Extending westerly to the line of longitude 138 degrees, 25' 0'' E, extending northerly to a line of latitude 34 degrees 39'0"S, extending southerly to a line 34degrees 51'0"S and extending easterly to the medium high water mark of the hundreds of Port Gawler & Port Adelaide.
On Land within 2km from the medium high water mark of the hundreds of Port Gawler & Port Adelaide
General Hunting Information

Hunting Near Barrages
No hunting or fishing is permitted within 150 metres either side of any barrage structure (River Murray Waters Act 1971).

Approved Shot

Hunting with non-toxic shot
Lead shot must no longer e used for duck hunting in South Australia. Nor may you have it in your possession while hunting. Several wetlands in South Australia are known to have high densities of spent lead shot in the surface mud of the areas favoured for hunting. This lead is ingested by some types of waterbirds and can cause varying degrees of lead poisoning.

Hunting with Steel Shot
Hunters should take care with the guns they use, as not all guns are suitable for steel shot. You should check with the firearm manufacturer or distributor before using steel shot.

Hunting with bismuth
Bismuth may be used in any shotgun that can use commercial lead shot.

Safety for Shooters
Please respect the rights of other hunters. It is generally accepted that the first hunter to a position has precedence and no hunter should approach closer than 50m without the other hunter's permission. Avoid accidents - please don't shoot low.

Important Information

Duck shooting is prohibited from half an hour after sunset to one quarter of an hour before sunrise the next day during the open season.

You will need a hunting permit endorsed for the hunting of protected game. You are required to carry the hunting permit with you at all times and produce it on the demand of a warden.

Observe the bag limit.

It is unlawful to use pump action and self-loading shotguns for the purpose of hunting.

Duck and quail may only be taken with a smooth bore firearm that has a bore not exceeding 1.9cm (12 gauge) firing shot no larger than BB (4.1mm in diameter).

Shooting is not permitted on any Reserve other than a Game Reserve.

Lead shot must not be used in the taking of ducks throughout this State. Non-toxic shot such as steel or bismuth is to be used.

Pre-feeding of hunting grounds for the purpose of enticing ducks into the area is prohibited.

Any person entering a Game Reserve must not have lead shot in his/her possession.

Shooting or taking any protected bird, mammal or reptile other than the species listed is prohibited.

You will need written permission to hunt from all landowners for all land, including Crown Land. This includes the backwaters of the River Murray where it floods private land, and the lakes of the Southeast. The Minister for Environment and Conservation has not approved hunting on some unalienated Crown Lands.

Hunting without a current hunting permit and/or failing to obtain the written permission of the landowner prior to hunting on any land may incur a penalty of up to $1000.

The penalties for the illegal taking of, or possession of protected fauna range from $2,500 and six months imprisonment, up to $10,000 and two years imprisonment, depending on the type of animal involved. Therefore, please identify your species before shooting and do not exceed bag limits.

A penalty of up to $1250 applies for being in possession of lead shot or shot containing lead whilst within any Game Reserve, or for possession of lead shot whilst hunting waterfowl anywhere in the State.

Duck shooting is prohibited from a boat that is moving or under way.
Hunters must have passed the Waterfowl Identification Test to go to duck shooting. Contact DEH, telephone (61 8) 8124 4803 for details.

Further Information

Hunters can obtain additional information from the offices below:

Fauna Permit Unit
Department for Environment and Heritage
1 Richmond Road
Keswick, SA 5035
Australia
Phone: (61 8) 8124 4972

Department for Environment and Heritage
9 Mackay Street
Port Augusta, SA 5700
Australia
Phone: (61 8) 8648 5300

Department for Environment and Heritage
75 Liverpool Street
Port Lincoln, SA 5606
Australia
Phone: (61 8) 8688 3111

Department for Environment and Heritage
Penola Road
Naracoorte, SA 5271
Australia
Phone: (61 8) 8762 3412
Office hours only, Monday to Friday

Lake Robe Game Reserve
Department for Environment and Heritage
Robe Street
Robe, SA 5276
Australia
Phone: (61 8) 8768 2543

Tolderol, Currency Creek and Mud Islands Game Reserves
Department for Environment and Heritage
Princes Highway
Meningie, SA 5264
Australia
Phone: (61 8) 8575 1200

Chowilla, Moorook and Loch Luna Game Reserves
Department for Environment and Heritage
28 Vaughan Terrace
Berri, SA 5343
Australia
Phone: (61 8) 8595 2111

Department for Environment and Heritage
SGIC Building, 11 Helen Street
Mount Gambier, SA 5290
Australia
Phone: (61 8) 8735 1111

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John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"