Duck season arrangements
The Victorian Government announced the following arrangements for the 2025 duck hunting season:
Season length
Season open – 8.00am on 19 March 2025
Season closes – 30 minutes after sunset on Monday, 9 June 2025
Bag limit
Daily bag limit of nine (9) game ducks per day for the 2025 season.
Start and finish times
The hunting start time is 8:00am until 30 minutes after sunset for the first five days (19-23 March, inclusive), then from 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset for the remainder of the season.
Game duck species permitted to be taken
Seven game duck species are permitted to be hunted during the 2025 season. Species permitted are Pacific Black Duck, Mountain Duck, Chestnut Teal, Grey Teal, Pink-eared Duck, Wood Duck and Hardhead.
The Blue-winged Shoveler cannot be hunted.
Retrieval of downed game ducks
Regulations require hunters to make all reasonable efforts to immediately retrieve all downed game ducks and to salvage at least the breast meat from all harvested ducks.
Other arrangements
Only non-toxic shot can be used to hunt ducks anywhere in Victoria. Lead is not permitted.
The Wildlife (Game) Regulations were remade in September 2024 and resulted in some changes to how duck hunting occurs in Victoria. Changes include:
- The season opens on the third Wednesday in March each year (mid-week opening)
- The hunting start time for the first five days of each season is 8:00am
- Changing the hours that non-authorised people are prevented from entering specified hunting areas to 11am for the first five days of the duck season
- Two new gundog breeds may be used for duck hunting, including Wirehaired Slovakian Pointer and Murray River Retriever
- Blue-winged Shoveler has a year-round close season and may not be hunted
- Exemptions allowing the use of lead shot for duck hunting in Damascus and twist-barrelled shotguns have been removed. Lead shot must not be used for duck hunting in Victoria.
For more information on the new Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2024, please visit the DJSIR website at Game Hunting | Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions:
Hunters are reminded to review our education material to ensure accurate identification of waterfowl, humane dispatch methods and responsible hunting techniques.
Please monitor the GMA website before and during the season to see if wetlands have been closed to hunting or hunting has been further regulated.
Hunters are reminded to hunt responsibly at all times.
Blue-winged Shoveler (Spatula rhynchotis) cannot be hunted . In 2021, the species was listed as threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. The information below will remind you of the key distinguishing features to look out for in the Blue-winged Shoveler.
Importantly, if you are NOT SURE, DON’T SHOOT. The penalties for illegally shooting protected species include a substantial fine, imprisonment or both.
Appearance
The Blue-winged Shoveler is a distinctive species with a slender build and broad, blue-grey bill. Male and female Shovelers have different plumage, with the male being more colourful than the female.
When in breeding condition, the male has a shiny blue-green head, white face crescent in front of a yellow eye, black back, blue patch on the upperwing, a distinct white patch on the rump and deep chestnut-coloured flanks and belly. Outside the breeding season, this colouring fades and becomes dull. The male also has bright yellow/orange legs and is the only native duck to do so.
The female Shoveler lacks the bright colouring of the male and is predominantly brown with a fawn-coloured belly. Females also have the blue patch on the upperwing. They also have yellow/orange legs which may be more drab in colour than the males. Immature birds resemble females.
In flight
The Blue-winged Shoveler flies quickly, erratically and often in tight formation when flying in a flock.
It has very quick wing beats with a distinctive whirring sound. In good light, the upper wing patch is obvious in both males and females and is fringed with white. Beneath the wing, the front feathers are white and clearly contrast with its darker rear feathers and belly.
The Blue-winged Shoveler has a distinct profile with a relatively short tail and long bill and head, which gives it a front heavy appearance. At relatively close range, you can clearly see the distinctive wedge-shaped bill of the Shoveler.
On the water
On the water, the Blue-winged Shoveler is a medium-sized duck which floats low. The large shovel-shaped bill, which gives the bird its name, finishes flush with the top of its head making it wedge-shaped in appearance. The male also has a white patch on its rump.
Habitat and distribution
The Blue-winged Shoveler is an uncommon duck which is distributed throughout south-eastern and south-western Australia.
Shovelers prefer permanent, well-vegetated freshwater or saline wetlands with areas of open water and are usually found in inland cumbungi swamps and coastal tea-tree swamps.
Blue-winged Shovelers are seldom heard but do have a soft chatter when flying.
To see high definition video footage of the Blue-winged Shoveler and other waterfowl species, visit the GMA website and go to the Education section to find the DuckWISE education videos (www.gma.vic.gov.au/education/duck-hunting-education/duck-wise-education-video)
Tips for identifying Blue-winged Shoveler
- Quick and erratic flight
- Large shovel-shaped bill
- Blue patch on upper wing
- White underwing
- Yellow/orange legs
- Male has a yellow eye
- Found in well vegetated freshwater or saline swamp.
