Hunting

Wetlands previously closed to hunting

To help hunters plan their duck hunting trips, the table below contains information about wetlands where rare and threatened species have been regularly sighted, the potential risk to the species from duck hunting and, if applicable, the year in which the wetland was closed or further regulated since 2009.

Hunters are encouraged to have a ‘plan b’ in place as wetlands can be closed at short notice during the duck season and an alternate hunting location is required. And don’t forget, if you’re NOT SURE, DON’T SHOOT.

Wetland nameRare or threatened speciesRiskYear wetland closed and/or further regulatedi since 2009

Andersons Inlet

  • Orange-bellied Parrot

Disturbance during flocking

2023, 2024

Bartlett’s Swamp 

  • Freckled Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

2014

Big Reedy Lagoon 

  • Great Egret

Disturbance

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

2017, 2024

Booroopki Swamp 

  • Freckled Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

 

Box Flat Swamp 

  • Freckled Duck
  • Blue-billed Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

2013

Browns Lake

  • Blue-billed Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

2018

Bradys Swamp 

  • Great Egret
  • Musk Duck

Disturbance
Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

 

Bryan Swamp 

  • Brolga
  • Great Egret
  • Musk Duck

Disturbance during flocking. Disturbance
Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

2022, 2023

Buffalo Dam (Lake Buffalo) 

  • Great Egret
  • Musk Duck

Disturbance
Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

 
Bullrush Swamp
  • Brolga

Disturbance during flocking

2024
Cundare Pool
  • Brolga

Disturbance during flocking

2024

Deep Lake (Derrinallum) 

  • Brolga

Disturbance during flocking

 

Doctors Swamp (Murchison Swamp) 

  • Great Egret

Disturbance

 

Dowd Morass

  • Colonial breeding waterbirds’

Disturbance

2022

First Marsh (Koorangie SGR) 

  • Great Egret

Disturbance

 

Freshwater Swamp SGR 

  • Freckled Duck
  • Latham’s Snipe
  • Musk Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)
Disturbance
Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

 

Gaynor Swamp

  • Great Egret

Disturbance during flocking

2023

Green Lake 

  • Brolga
  • Great Egret

Disturbance during flocking
Disturbance

2024

Green Swamp 

  • Brolga

Disturbance during flocking

2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Harnath Swamp 

  • Musk Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

 

Heywoods Lake 

  • Blue-billed Duck
  • Great Egret
  • Musk Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification). Disturbance. Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

2016

Hird Swamp 

  • Australasian Bittern
  • Freckled Duck

Disturbance
Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

2014, 2018, 2024

Hollands Landing Lagoon 

  • Curlew Sandpiper

Disturbance

 

Hospital Swamps (part of Lake Connewarre State Game Reserve) 

  • Freckled Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

2014, 2019

Johnsons Swamp 

  • Australasian Bittern
  • Freckled Duck

Disturbance. Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

2016

Koorangie State Reserve 

  • Blue-billed Duck
  • Freckled Duck
  • Breeding waterbirds

Mistakenly shot (misidentification). Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

2017, 2018, 2024

Kow swamp

Wildlife sanctuary

 

2024

Krause Swamp 

  • Brolga

Disturbance during flocking

2015

Lake Bolac 

  • Musk Duck
  • Blue-billed Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification). Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

2018, 2019, 2020, 2024

Lake Bookar

  • Hardhead

Disturbance

2023

Lake Buloke

  • Freckled Duck
  • Blue-billed Duck
  • Blue-winged Shovler

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

2023, 2024

Lake Buninjon 

  • Great Egret
  • Musk Duck
  • Blue-billed Duck
  • Blue-winged Shovler

Disturbance

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

2024

Lake Colac 

  • Freckled Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

2014

Lake Cooper 

  • Freckled Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

2017

Lake Colongulac

  • Freckled Duck
  • Blue-winged Shovler

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

2024

Lake Connewarre

  • Orange-bellied parrots

Disturbance

2022, 2024

Lake Corringle 

  • Great Egret
  • Musk Duck

Disturbance

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

 

Lake Cullen

  • Blue-winged Shovler

Disturbance

2024

Lake Curlip 

  • Musk Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

 

Lake Elingamite

  • Musk Duck
  • Blue-winged Shoveler
  • Magpie Goose

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

2023

Lake Elizabeth 

  • Musk Duck
  • Freckled Duck
  • Blue-billed Duck
  • Blue-winged Shoveler

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

2016, 2019, 2023

Lake Fyans 

  • Great Egret
  • Musk Duck

Disturbance

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

 

Lake Cullen

  • Blue-winged Shoveler

Disturbance

2024

Lake Goldsmith

  • Blue-winged Shoveler
 

2024

Lake Linlithgow 

  • Blue-billed Duck
  • Freckled Duck
  • Musk Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

2017, 2018, 2019, 2024

Lake Lonsdale 

  • Musk Duck
  • Freckled Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

2018, 2019, 2020, 2024

Lake Goldsmith
  • Blue-winged Shoveler
  • Freckled Duck

Disturbance to threatened species

2023, 2024

Lake Martin 

  • Curlew Sandpiper

Disturbance prior to migration

2018, 2024

Lake Modewarre

  • Blue-winged Shoveler

Disturbance

2024

Lake Muirhead 

  • Brolga
  • Blue-billed Duck

Disturbance during flocking

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024

Lake Murdeduke 

  • Curlew Sandpiper

Disturbance prior to migration

2024

Lake Murphy

  • Freckled Duck
  • Magpie Goose

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

2019, 2023

Lake Natimuk

  • Freckled Duck
  • Blue-winged Shoveler

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

2014, 2017, 2023, 2024

Lake Round 

  • Freckled Duck
  • Latham’s Snipe

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

Disturbance

 

Lake Stewart

  • Brolga

Disturbance

2024

Lake Struan 

  • Musk Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

 

Lake Toolondo 

  • Freckled Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

2016

Lake Tutchewop

  • Blue-billed Duck

Disturbance

2024

Lake Wat Wat

  • Great Egret
  • Blue-winged Shoveler

Disturbance

2024

Lake Wongan 

  • Brolga

Disturbance during flocking

2024

Little Lake Meran 

  • Brolga

Disturbance during flocking

 

Lough Calvert 

  • Brolga

Disturbance during flocking

 

McGlashins Swamp 

  • Blue-billed Duck
  • Freckled Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

 

Moodie Swamp

  • Brolga

Disturbance during flocking

2024

Pine Lake 

  • Freckled Duck
  • Musk Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

2019, 2024

Reedy Lake (part of Lake Connewarre State Game Reserve) 

  • Great Egret
  • Australasian Bittern
  • Curlew Sandpiper
  • Grey-headed flying foxes

Disturbance

Disturbance

Disturbance prior to migration

2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024

Reedy Swamp 

  • Great Egret

Disturbance

 

Richardson’s Lagoon  

  • Great Egret
  • Musk Duck

Disturbance

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

2024

Round Lake (Lake Boga) 

  • Blue-billed Duck
  • Musk Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

2014, 2015, 2016, 2019

Second Marsh (Koorangie SGR) 

  • Musk Duck
  • Freckled Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)
Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)

 

Toolondo Reservoir 

  • Freckled Duck
  • Musk Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification, flies in mixed flocks)Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

2016 (East Lake)

Tower Hill State Game Reserve

  • Blue-billed Duck
  • Musk Duck
  • Blue-winged Shoveler

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024

Walker’s Lake 

  • Blue-billed Duck
  • Musk Duck

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)

Mistakenly shot (misidentification)