In this analysis we discuss recreational Duck shooting in three states, Victoria, the most egregious, all too often violent and out of control, South Australia and Tasmania. The numbers do not include other reasons for killing birdlife, including commonly used ‘mitigation' permits.

New South Wales also permits recreational shooting of protected Australian duck species on private land although duck shooting in the state is ‘banned’ and probably accounts for the death of an additional 30,000 - 40,000 or so Ducks per annum’ as does the Northern Territory which has an ‘official’ season accounting for another 200,000 or so ducks each year  

The scale of it all is shocking. The standards of governance in Victoria in particular are appalling and need special mention.

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Another bad day for Manfred Zabinskas OAM, threatened by arrest, in a very bad week: From the Victorian Parliament, 20 March 2026

“Rescuers are being targeted because they carrying something to help, not harm wildlife, the Game Management Authority (Victoria) is now using a technicality under the wildlife game regulations to remove licence rescuers because they carry a net instead of a gun and a net is not an approved hunting weapon. Shooters not only illegally shot early at Lake Leaghur (a Ramsar wetland), they failed to retrieve wounded birds which plunged into dense vegetation before shooting more. For wounded birds death is guaranteed but wounded birds are also often still highly mobile and a net is required to capture them. When Manfred, a licenced rescuer and wildlife carer reported this illegal activity by shooters to the Game Management Authority, they instead confiscated his net and suspended his licence”. Georgie Purcell MP

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In Victoria we imagine, that when it comes to knowledge and law, there might be some idea of how democracies work. Too many Victorians are finding out the hard way that this idea is a very long way from the truth.

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Victoria

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Estimate kill in 2026 -  350,000

“After a marathon three-hour meeting on Monday, cabinet rejects a recommendation from a Labor-led parliamentary inquiry to ban the divisive practice, which would have brought the state into line with New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland” Guardian 30 January 2024.

In 2026 Duck shooting in Victoria began at 8am on Wednesday 18 March and will close 30 minutes after sunset on 8 June.

Shooters are allowed to kill a maximum of nine ducks per day.

Shooter are not allowed to kill the ‘protected’ Blue-winged Shoveler.

Hunting is allowed between 8:00am until 30 minutes after sunset for the first five days (18-22 March, inclusive), then from 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset for the remainder of the season.

Seven ‘protected’ Australian duck species are being killed for ‘recreation’ in 2026. These are:

• Black Duck
• Mountain Duck
• Chestnut Teal
• Grey Teal
• Pink-eared Duck
• Wood Duck
• Hardhead.

The Blue-winged Shoveler cannot be hunted.

“Regulations require hunters to make all reasonable efforts to immediately retrieve all downed game ducks and to salvage at least the breast meat from all harvested ducks”. Victorian Government

When the gloves really came off. The Wildlife (Game) Regulations were remade in September 2024 and resulted in some changes to how duck hunting occurs in Victoria. Changes include:

• The season opens on the third Wednesday in March each year (mid-week opening) to diffuse the impact of protests.
• The hunting start time for the first five days of each season is 8:00am.
• The horrific locking up of public land including Ramsar Sites: Changing the hours that non-authorised people are prevented from entering specified hunting areas to 11am for the first five days of the duck season to prevent protest and rescue.
• Two new gundog breeds may be used for duck hunting, including Wirehaired Slovakian Pointer and Murray River Retriever.
• Exemptions allowing the use of lead shot for duck hunting in Damascus and twist-barrelled shotguns have been removed. Lead shot must not be used for duck hunting in Victoria.

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South Australia

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Estimate kill in 2026 – 30,000

The 2023 South Australian Parliamentary inquiry into native bird hunting recommended continuing recreational duck shooting, despite acknowledging significant animal welfare issues and public opposition. The report favoured tightening regulations over a ban, rejecting findings from a similar Victorian inquiry. The state government continues to permit the killing of ‘protected’ Australian Duck species in the state.

Duck shooting began at sunrise on Saturday 21 March 2026 (the day of writing) and will end at sunset on Sunday 28 June 2026. Some ‘Game Reserves’ have restricted dates for the 2026 open season.

In the dryest state in Australia, several Ramsar-listed wetlands in South Australia are designated as or contain game reserves allowing duck shooting to occur. These are Chowilla Game Reserve within the Riverland site, Bool Lagon Game Reserve and several reserves within the Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert site, including Tolderol, Mud Islands and Currency Creek Game Reserves.

Shooting is allowed between sunrise and sunset on any given day of the open season at approved locations.

In 2026 the following  five protected Australian species can be shot in South Australia are:

• Grey Teal
• Chestnut Teal
• Pacific Black Duck
• Australian Mountain Duck
• Wood Duck

The protected Australian species in South Australia which cannot be shot in 2026 are:

• Pink-eared Duck
• Hardhead
• Blue-winged Shoveler

One wonders what they think when the South Australian Government’s public servants comes up with this nonsense ‘The taking of eggs of any duck species during the open season is prohibited”.

Dead ducks cannot look after eggs or their ducklings so it might be best to stop the killing.

Bag limit: 8 ducks per day per shooter.

Protected Australia Ducks can be shoot in Game Reserves, on some unalienated Crown land and on private land or dedicated Crown land with the written permission of the landowner.

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Tasmania

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Estimate kill in 2026 – 55,000

“Each February since 1985 the Department carries out a state-wide count of waterbirds with assistance from the Parks and Wildlife Service and many volunteers. These counts are not an attempt to count all of the Ducks in the state but rather to get an index of trends in the populations”. Tasmanian Government

Duck shooting commenced 7 March 2026 and ends 8 June 2026.

Protected Australian Duck species that can be shot in Tasmania in 2026 are:

• Black Duck
• Grey Teal
• Chestnut Teal
• Mountain Duck
• Wood Duck

All other species must not be shot.

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