The start of the duck shooting season on Saturday coincides with the arrival of a large area of high atmospheric weather over most of the country, bringing with blue skies and light winds – and high flying birds.

Hunters usually prefer low clouds, a bit of drizzle, even a few showers of rain, to bring the ducks nice and low and in range of their guns.

But three days of widespread rain is not expected across the Bay of Plenty until Tuesday - and by next weekend the skies are expected to be clear again.

There's going to be lots of ducks because Eastern Region Fish & Game has been counting them. The April issue of the online magazine Both Barrels says they are expecting a better hunting season than the eastern region has experienced in the last seven years.

The numbers are based on duck numbers trapped over summer and banding data collected over the last 20 years, says Fish & Game senior officer Matthew McDougall.

'We trapped 1500 ducks in total this year which is more than we have in any of the preceding years of trapping and banding.”

Trapping and population modelling tells them there are 'lots of ducks around in reasonable condition, and we're predicting that this opening could be one of the best in years,” adds Matthew.

Fish & Game research, which includes aerial flyovers to estimate bird numbers, indicates a mallard population in the order of 350,000 to 450,000 birds.

Their harvest regulations are set according to estimated duck numbers, and this year's region wide estimate falls into the intermediate zone in which a six week season and daily bag limit of eight birds applies.

One area where duck numbers are of concern is Reporoa. Eastern Fish & Game Council has decided to impose more restrictive conditions there, with a shorter season which runs from Opening Day on May 6 to June 5, with a daily bag limit of only four mallards.

There is still a lot of water around in some areas and the ducks are not in their normal haunts. Staff advise that hunters may have to change how they hunt and be prepared to move out into paddocks where the birds are congregating to feed.

Hunters need to note changes to the regulations. This season a three-shot rule applies and hunters are required to plug their shotgun magazines so that the gun holds no more than two shots in the magazine and one in the breech, three shots in total.

Hunters are encouraged to report any banded birds they might harvest to Fish & Game along with their contact details, the band number, and location and date it was recovered. This will assist mallard research programmes, and sustainable management of the species.

FISH & GAME IN FEDERATED FARMERS' CROSSHAIRS

Federated Farmers has published an open letter to all anglers, hunters and farmers today warning that some Fish & Game licence holders may not face a friendly welcome by their 'farmer friends” this year.

With duck hunting season opening this Saturday, May 6, the organisation has taken issue with Fish & Game's treatment of farmers over water quality issues in an open letter titled 'Stop the open season on farmers'.

Federated Farmers national board member Chris Allen warns that some Fish & Game licence holders may not face a friendly welcome this year.

Chris says in some regions the Fish & Game licence revenue has been used to make the life of landowners 'that much more difficult.”

'In the Horizons region, for example, Wellington Fish & Game took the regional council to court on a legal technicality - ignoring the wishes of the wider community and in the face of the fact that improvements in water quality are being achieved. This move will simply add cost for dubious environmental benefit.

‘In the Hawke's Bay your local Fish & Game Council is seeking an extremely broad definition for a wetland that will severely restrict farmers' ability to farm wet paddocks.”

Chris says many farmers are 'over” the constant claims that New Zealand has terrible water quality and farmers are largely at fault 'when in fact 80 per cent of New Zealand's waterways are stable or improving and all communities - across rural and urban - are part of the problem and therefore need to be part of the solution.”

He says farmers, often in partnership with Fish & Game, have spent significant time and money creating and restoring wetland habitats.

The open letter calls on Fish & Game licence holders to support farmers, and speak louder.

'Please acknowledge the great fishing and shooting experiences you enjoy and work with farmers to identify and address water quality issues where they exist.

'We urge all Fish & Game licence holders to support the men and women who support you in providing access to great fishing and hunting experiences and encourage their organisation to work with, not against, the farming community. Don't let the opportunities be lost by undermining farmers' generosity.”

- Additional reporting from newsie.co.nz