Duck hunters have been encouraged to brush up on their knowledge and skills ahead of the 2016 season.
Just two weeks from the March 19 opening, Game Management Authority (GMA) Chief Executive Officer Greg Hyams urged all hunters to ensure both their Game and Firearms licences were valid.
The daily bag limit has been reduced to eight birds on the first day of the season and four birds per day thereafter. Blue-winged Shoveler must not be hunted in 2016.
Greg encouraged all hunters to read the 2016 Victorian Hunting Guide and watch the Duck WISE video on GMA’s website to refresh their bird identification skills before heading out on opening weekend.
“The Duck WISE video has valuable information on how to accurately distinguish game from non-game species, including how to identify key characteristics that set game species apart,” he said.
“Hunters should ensure they are hunting in legal areas and only during the legal hunting times.”
Wetlands along the Murray Valley may be affected by blue-green algae this season, so hunters have been encouraged to be on the lookout. The algae should be avoided as it is potentially toxic and can be dangerous to both people and dogs if ingested.
“Blue-green algae blooms can be common at this time of the year as high water temperatures, high light intensity and little rainfall create the perfect environment for the algae to grow,” Greg said.
“The blooms may be visible across the water surface ranging in colour from dark-green to yellowish brown, and algae may be present on the water surface that can look like a green paint or thick scum.”
Hunters should be aware that boiling algal water does not remove toxins from it. Anyone experiencing symptoms related to exposure to blue-green algae such as skin irritation and rashes, gastroenteritis, headache, fevers, muscle weakness, seizures and respiratory failure, should seek medical help immediately.
GMA Game Officers, other authorised officers and Victoria Police will be active throughout the State during the season to ensure hunters act in a safe and responsible manner.