Duck hunting Victoria 2021: Bag limits increased on release of new aerial survey data

Duck hunting restrictions have been eased in Victoria, following the release of a pilot aerial survey that estimated more ducks than previous methods indicated.

The 2021 duck season will start on May 26 and last 20 days. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Bag limits have been increased from two to five game ducks per day for Victoria’s upcoming 2021 duck hunting season that will start near the end of next month.

The geographic restriction on hunting teal species will also be removed.

The changes come as the Game Management Authority released findings of a pilot aerial survey to estimate the total number of game ducks in the state.

It found an estimated total population of almost 2.5 million game ducks, which GMA said was much higher than previous methodologies indicated.

GMA said the new helicopter survey was the largest and most comprehensive aerial survey of game ducks undertaken in Victoria and the first time that an accurate estimate of the total number of game ducks has been possible.

It was conducted by experienced wildlife consultants in November last year who counted the number of game ducks from a helicopter on over 650 waterbodies, including wetlands and farm dams.

Satellite imagery was then used to determine the amount of water in the landscape and the actual number of ducks counted was then multiplied to estimate the total number of ducks present at that time.

Before this, the Eastern Australian Waterbird Survey was used for setting duck season arrangements for nearly 40 years, which estimated from a proportion of the total population.

A team of researchers would fly in a fixed-wing aircraft along ten survey bands stretching from central Queensland down to southern Victoria, counting over 50 species of waterbirds on up to 2000 wetlands.

RSPCA Victoria, who want to see duck hunting banned in the state, expressed concerns over the survey data, saying it was not as rigorous as it could be.

“It is truly disheartening to see that this pilot program has overridden the previous decision to heavily restrict the season based on genuine concerns for duck species abundance in Victoria,” RSPCA Victoria chief executive Dr Liz Walker said.

The 2021 season will start on Wednesday, May 26, and will last 20 days, closing 30 minutes after sunset on Monday, June 14.

Hunting start times will be delayed until 8am for the first five days.

Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh said the changes were long overdue but called for the Victorian Government to open the season immediately rather than wait until May 26.

“Victoria’s hunting community proudly takes a leading role in the conservation of our wetlands and environments to ensure the sustainability of wetland species,” Mr Walsh said.

“But year after year they’re punished by a Labor Government that is willing to ignore the science in its efforts to stamp a legal, legitimate recreational activity that generates $356 million for our state, out of existence.”

More on the duck season arrangements can be found at gma.vic.gov.au

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