NSW duck survey: more than a million birds revive hunters hopes

The Riverina’s duck population has exploded to more than a million birds – reviving hunters’ hopes for a normal season but concerning rice growers.

In 2012 ducks ate out this Carrathool rice crop. Rice growers hope they don’t see more of the same this season.

NSW’s Riverina duck population has exploded to more than a million birds, reviving hopes of a return to a normal 12-week duck season across southeast Australia from March to June next year.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries 2021-22 late winter aerial survey found waterfowl populations has more than doubled from the 460,000 they counted last year.

While the final NSW Waterfowl Quota Report detailing the survey results is yet to be released, both Field and Game Australia and the Rice Growers Association have been briefed on the results, confirming the waterfowl numbers had surged to more than a million birds on the back of good rainfall across the southern Murray Darling Basin.

“We know waterways that are breeding meccas are full and (given) the count has doubled we should get a full (12 week) season in 2022,” Field and Game Australia chief executive Dean O’Hara said.

Duck hunters’ optimism follows a disastrous 2021 season in Victoria, which was cut to just 20 days on the back of a gloomy spring 2020 Eastern Australia’s aerial waterbird survey, which found the Murray Darling Basin was still recovering from almost three years of drought.

The survey results also bode well for South Australia’s and Tasmania’s seasons, given the migratory nature of waterfowl.

Rice Growers Association environment officer Neil Bull said the Riverina’s growers had already been briefed on the population surge.

NSW DPI normally sets the Riverina cull quota at 10 per cent of the population, which means hunters should have access to more than 100,000 ducks this season.

But growers won’t be able to draw on the regular pool of hunters from Victoria, South Australia or even some parts of NSW, due to Covid restrictions.

Mr Bull said growers should be able to draw on shooters from within the border bubble, but he had no idea whether duck shooters from further afield could gain access to the Riverina, given the ever changing state of border rules.

In the meantime he said more than half the rice crop was set to be deep drilled into paddies, out of the reach of hungry ducks.

But he said aerial sown rice was still at risk from ducks over the next two months.

“There’ll be a big window for sowing for different varieties from October to some short season varieties in November,” Mr Bull said. “The critical thing is there’s a range of deterrents devices (growers can use) – lights, scare guns.”