2023 duck hunting season arrangements

24/02/2023

The Game Management Authority has today announced the arrangements for the 2023 duck season including changes to the start times, daily bag limit and game duck species that can be hunted.

The Game Management Authority has today announced the arrangements for the 2023 duck season including changes to the start times, daily bag limit and game duck species that can be hunted.

The 2023 season will start at 8:00 am and will close 30 minutes after sunset each day from Wednesday 26 April 2023 to Tuesday 30 May 2023 (inclusive). The bag limit is four (4) birds per day.

It is prohibited to hunt Blue-winged Shoveler and Hardhead across Victoria as both species were recently listed as threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.

While the interim harvest model has been run to inform the settings for the 2023 duck season, the outputs of this model have been modified to provide a more precautionary approach to concerns regarding the rates of wounding of ducks, poor behaviour by some hunters, and the fact that waterbird abundance, breeding and habitat availability, all show long-term declines.

Hunters and the general public are urged to report irresponsible behaviour as well as any illegal hunting to the GMA through its website www.gma.vic.gov.au or the Customer Service Centre on 136 186 or by contacting Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or Victoria Police. Examples of illegal behaviour include:

  • hunting, taking or destroying threatened wildlife
  • hunting, taking or destroying protected wildlife (i.e non-game species).
  • hunting in prohibited areas
  • shooting early during open season
  • use of toxic shot
  • failing to immediately retrieve a downed bird
  • failing to immediately dispatch a downed bird

All licensed hunters must pass a Waterfowl Identification Test before being permitted to hunt ducks. All hunters must have a valid game and firearms licence when hunting.

Details of the 2023 duck season, including any wetland closures, will be regularly updated on the GMA website www.gma.vic.gov.au.