2025 duck hunting season arrangements

The Victorian Government has announced the 2025 duck season will open at 8:00am on Wednesday, 19 March 2025 and close 30 minutes after sunset on Sunday, 9 June 2025.

The hunting start time is 8:00am until 30 minutes after sunset for the first five days, then from 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset for the remainder of the season.

The daily bag limit is nine game ducks per day. Seven game duck species may be hunted. The Blue-winged Shoveler cannot be hunted and has a year-round close season.

All hunters must have a valid Game Licence and Firearms Licence before hunting ducks in Victoria. All new game bird hunters will have to successfully complete education modules and a knowledge test, including Aboriginal cultural awareness training, before being allowed to hunt during the 2025 duck season. Please see Licensing and Renewals for more information.

GMA Game Officers, Victoria Police and Authorised Officers from partner agencies will patrol wetlands across Victoria to ensure hunters and protestors act in a safe and responsible manner.

The GMA and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action will monitor wetlands in the lead up to and during the season. Where warranted, some wetlands may be closed to hunting to protect concentrations of threatened species or breeding waterbirds.

Hunters are reminded to regularly monitor the GMA website for updates to wetland closures and other management actions.

Details of the wetland management process are available at Wetland management actions. Details of the 2025 duck season are available at 2025 duck season arrangements.

The Victorian Government has also released its Waterfowl Wounding Reduction Action Plan and the Victorian Game Duck Harvest Strategy. For more information visit - Game hunting in Victoria.

The Waterfowl Wounding Reduction Action Plan aims to ensure hunters are informed, educated and tested on the hunting practices and methods that will reduce the likelihood of wounding birds.

The Victorian Game Duck Harvest Strategy sets the framework for Adaptive Harvest Management and will be reviewed regularly alongside the monitoring and modelling program.