Season opens on waterfowl
Northern Territory News, Page 1. Wednesday, 2 September 2009
The explosive crack of shotguns opened the start of the waterfowl hunting season yesterday morning as hunters hit the wetlands.
About 50 cars went through the police checks for hunting licences at Harrison Dam, about 70km southeast of Darwin, before 6am.
The men and women equipped with shotguns, ammunition and adrenaline had waited nine months for the season to start.
“This is the first day that we’re allowed to come here to shoot magpie geese or ducks,” aviation coordinator Kelly Dalton, 35, said.
“I really enjoy the goose shooting especially the early morning, waiting for the sun to come up. It’s really quite peaceful.
“I enjoy the challenge and making sure that every shot counts.”
The waterfowl hunting season has been extended to four months ending on December 30 after last season saw an above average nesting of magpie geese across the Northern Territory.
An estimated three million magpie geese are in the Territory of which 200,000 birds are expected to be shot within the season.
Hunters are restricted to a bag limit of seven geese and seven ducks each day.
The Environment Department introduced several new rules, including the ban of lead and zinc shot and the removal of carcasses, where possible.
Director of conservation and wildlife Brett Easton said the department would police the rules through education.
“We’re going to police it through education and just talking to people,” he said. “If we see cases where people are piling up carcasses for waste then we act on that. But I think the hunting community is very responsible.”
Waterfowl hunting will be allowed in four Top End reserves, including Harrison Dam, Howard Springs hunting reserve, Lambells Lagoon and Shoal Bay.
Each hunter will have to provide a firearm licence and waterfowl hunting permit.
Aboriginal people can hunt on their traditional land without having licences.
Home > Media monitoring > 2009 > Season opens on waterfowl