Magpie geese daily bag limits to remain at seven this hunting season
MAGPIE geese daily bag limits for the upcoming Waterfowl Hunting Season have been revealed after surveys found population numbers across the Territory have fallen slightly.
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THE magpie geese daily bag limits will remain at seven during the Waterfowl Hunting Season this year after surveys found population numbers across the Territory have fallen slightly.
The 15-week season will start on September 23 and end on January 4, 2021 with the same daily bag limit as last season of seven magpie geese and 10 ducks per person per day.
Permitted waterfowl hunting on private land, primarily for pest mitigation, can start on August 17.
The Territory Government’s annual aerial waterfowl survey across the Top End’s flood plains from the Moyle River to Arnhem Land in May and June this year has estimated the 2020 magpie goose population as 1,435,905 – a 3 per cent decrease on last year’s estimate.
MORE ON HUNTING IN THE NT
Environment and Natural Resources Minister Eva Lawler said work was also well progressed into identifying a new hunting reserve for Top End hunters.
Territory Field and Game Association president Dan Cox said he hoped the early onset of this year’s wet season would keep magpie geese in the Top End for longer this year.
“It wasn’t bad but the birds came early and left early because of the sporadic rains,” he said.
“Hopefully that will be better this year because the Bureau of Meteorology are predicting a little a bit earlier onset of the Wet,” Mr Cox said.
“We have hundreds of hunters who are looking forward to getting out there again.”
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Hunters in possession of a valid waterfowl permit can hunt on Parks, Wildlife and Heritage hunting reserves, designated Crown Land provided they also have a permit and Private property (which includes Aboriginal land) if you have the prior written permission of the landholder and can meet the setback conditions under the Firearms Act.
There are about 2500 permitted hunters in the Northern Territory.
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