More wetlands closed to duck hunters

Victorian duck shooters have now been shut out of 16 wetlands with the closure from Saturday of Lake Bookar State Game Reserve in the state’s west.

UPDATE, MAY 19: Victorian duck shooters have now been shut out of 16 wetlands with the closure from Saturday of Lake Bookar State Game Reserve in the state’s west.

A survey of the lake, north of Camperdown, last week found more than 1300 threatened Hardhead ducks at the site.

The Game Management Authority said authorised officers would patrol the wetland to ensure compliance by shooters.

The Hardhead duck and Blue-winged Shoveler are two native species which cannot be shot. Both are listed as threatened.

Lake Connewarre, south of Geelong, was closed on Friday because of the release of critically endangered orange-bellied parrots.

As well as the 16 closed reserves, Reedy Lake near Kerang is partially closed.

The five-week duck-hunting season began on April 26 and will end on May 30.

The 2023 bag limit is four birds a day.

Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell is calling for total ban on duck shooting and said the Lake Bookar closure reflected the migratory nature of the birds.

“There are 1300 ducks there one day and they could be at another location on another,’’ Ms Purcell said.

Shooters Fishers and Farmers Victoria MP Jeff Bourman said the government had used “outlandish reasons” to restrict the duck-hunting season and that the current restrictions were based on an anti-science agenda.

Georgie Purcell from the Animal Justice Party attends the opening of the duck hunting season. Picture: Brad Fleet

EARLIER, MAY 10: Protected animals and non-game species have been killed as the duck hunting season launches, a wildlife protection agency has said.

Wildlife Victoria provided veterinary tents at some hunting sites and said they had found “overwhelming evidence” of non-compliance on day one.

They say at least five protected ducks and three non-game species were killed on Wednesday.

Four blue-winged shovelers and one hardhead were brought to the Wildlife Victoria veterinary triage tent either dead on arrival or with lethal gunshot wounds.

Both species are listed as threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 and are illegal to shoot.

One of the birds arrived at the tent “semi-butchered” with wings removed and its chest skinned.

“It’s sad to see a threatened species that has been one, shot, and two that despite this, they have still proceeded to do this to the animal,” Wildlife Victoria veterinarian Alisdair Eddie said.

In addition to the ducks, three non-game species were caught in the crossfire.

Activists said there was “carnage” on the first day of the season, with residents seeing endangered birds falling from the sky and some reported hearing gunshots before the season officially started.

But hunters argue the practice is a sustainable and ethical alternative to meat purchased at a supermarket.

The Andrews government earlier this year resisted calls to ban the practice, opting to approve a shortened hunting window with daily bag limits of four birds. 

A complete ban on the activity would have brought Victoria into line with Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia.

Instead, a parliamentary inquiry was established to consider the future of recreational native bird hunting. 

The Game Management Authority has long copped scrutiny for being soft on enforcing hunting laws and wildlife advocates say they are “terrified” after the start to the 2023 season.

Patho resident Glenys Mahler witnessed a dead swan fall out of the sky, reportedly flying into power lines after hearing gunfire, on the first day of duck shooting season. Picture: Supplied

Glenys Mahler, a wildlife activist, said she saw a black swan fall from the sky at Gunbower Creek, near Echuca, less than two hours after the start of the season.   

Although the swan had “no bullet hole”, Ms Mahler said she saw the bird fly into a power line and break its neck, reportedly after bullets startled it. 

“It was terrible … It’s really shaken me up. It’s horrible,” Ms Mahler said.

“Where they’re shooting is a beautiful area with lots of different birds and I’m sure that one way or the other, a lot of them get caught up in the crossfire.”

Hunting regulations allow hunters to kill four birds each per day.

Wildlife rescuers will patrol known hunting areas for injured animals. Picture: Brad Fleet

Torrumbarry resident Tuesday Browell, who lives near Richardons Lagoon, said locals were “devastated”.

“Many of us are still living in caravans because the floods destroyed our homes — before that we had Covid — and now this,” he said. 

“This is what we have to put up with every year. I’ve been here 26 years and it’s just carnage.

“It’s like being at war … they’re shooting towards you, around your house.”

She was fearful for the upcoming weekend, which would see an influx of shooters coming to the area.

One hunter at Lake Connewarre admitted he had breached the daily bag limit, revealing that he shot more than four birds but didn’t retrieve them all.

Wildlife Victoria were presented with many threatened species of ducks and other non-game species who had been killed and injured during day one of duck hunting season 2023.

Regional Victorians Opposed to Duck Shooting advocate Kerrie Allen said it was “impossible” to get wetlands closed to hunters, even when there were endangered species present.

“Why do less than one per cent of the population who like to fire shotguns at little birds need to be permitted to do so at countless public sites, so many they can’t possibly be monitored?” she said. 

On Wednesday there were reports shots could be heard as early as 7.30am — half an hour earlier than the allowed start time — at Anderson’s Inlet despite this area being closed to shooters due to the presence of critically endangered orange bellied parrots.

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There were also reports of shooting starting before the legal time in Gippsland at Jones Bay.

In the state’s west, threatened species such as Hardheads have reportedly been found on Hancocks Lake while a dead floating duck at Walkers Lake which the nearby duck shooter made no attempt to retrieve.

Another shooter was caught failing to retrieve a wounded bird because he couldn’t find where the animal had landed, according to Go-Pro footage taken by a duck rescuer.

Under the Game Management Authority’s rules, hunters must retrieve all wounded birds or make every possible attempt to find the animal.

Hunters are excited for the opening of the duck hunting season. Picture: Brad Fleet

But activists and shooters alike argue it’s an impossible task to find injured birds that land in the swamplands.

Geelong duck rescue volunteer Natalie Kopas said activists would patrol the wetlands over the hunting window in search of downed birds.

“If we’re not out here there’s no one looking after our native wildlife,” she said.

“There’s people out here shooting animals for fun. They’re wounding animals and not retrieving them, and that’s not ok.

“Police and the authorities are managing a water based activity from the shore. The only people who are out there looking after our wildlife are a bunch of volunteers who take time off from work and their lives to do this.”

Shooter Patrick Rollinson said hunting ducks was a sustainable and ethical alternative to meat purchased at a supermarket.

“It feels good to supply your own meat in a humane kind of way,” he said.

Mr Rollinson said rule changes to hunting regulations needed to based on evidence rather than politics.

“I’m happy to follow rules, but when rules are in place that go against the actual science of hunting, it doesn’t really make sense,” he said.

Already the parliamentary inquiry has received 1700 submissions from community members wanting to have their say about duck hunting.

Committee chair Ryan Bachelor said the duck hunting debate had long divided the community.

“Duck hunting is clearly a contentious issue here in Victoria,” he said.

Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Jeff Bourman said there was no justification for a ban on the activity.

“Duck hunting in Victoria is one of the most regulated activities that you can possibly do,” he said.

“The people that hunt ducks keep these wetlands in its pristine state, and you won’t find that from the so-called rescuers.”

But Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell said this season must be the last.

“It’s time that we ban it. It’s disgracefully cruel,” she said.

The shortened season began at 8am on Wednesday and will close 30 minutes after sunset on May 30.

Wildlife Victoria said all evidence of non-compliance, including x-rays of threatened species riddled with gunshot wounds would be handed over to GMA, according to Wildlife Victoria CEO Lisa Palma.

“I find it extraordinary that in the first few hours of the first day of duck hunting, with a public inquiry looming, we have once again found substantive evidence of non-compliance with duck shooting regulations.

“It’s clearly time for the Victorian Government to end this practice once and for all.”

A GMA spokesperson said officers were patrolling public land and private properties to ensure shooters were complying with the law.

“All reports of illegal or irresponsible behaviour are taken seriously, and there are significant penalties for hunting protected species,” they said.

“Any claims of illegal hunting behaviour should be immediately reported to the Game Management Authority.

“There are penalties for hunters and protestors who fail to comply with the law.”