Duck shooting season will kick off this Saturday, May 23. Opening weekend is normally widely celebrated, so many hunters were left disappointed when it was postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The season will run from May 23 to June 28, 2020. 

All hunters will have to comply with the restrictions of alert level 2 while hunting and travelling to their hunting spots. 

“This includes hunting with your bubble if possible; keeping it local, no non-regional hunting; keep your social distancing if hunting outside your bubble, no overnight trips, travel in your own vehicles and limiting your exposure to people outside your bubble”, says Fish & Game New Zealand Chief Executive, Martin Taylor.

The Firearm Safety Council Aotearoa New Zealand is urging hunters to focus on safety while harvesting ducks for their family dinner table.

“Safety with shotguns should be a priority for all duck hunters this season”, Firearm Safety Council spokesperson Bill O’Leary says.

“Unfortunately, each year there are incidents resulting in shotgun injuries, ranging from minor to serious and tragically, even death. This need not happen – this year we want a safe and incident-free game bird season”, he says.

So if you're planning on heading out this weekend, have fun, but make sure you brush up on the rules and safety tips, which can be found here.