Fish & Game rangers are disappointed at the number of hunters breaking the rules after the opening weekend of the game bird season.

The season officially started on Saturday morning with more than 40,000 passionate duck hunters enjoying the highlight of the hunting calendar throughout the country.

Eastern Region Senior Fish & Game officer Matthew McDougall (right) and honorary ranger Mike Jarvie spent the opening morning of the game bird season patrolling the Kaituna wetlands in Bay of Plenty. Photo: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Journalism.

Eastern Fish & Game officers and honorary rangers checked nearly 300 hunters during the weekend, using Google Earth and other mapping technology in a coordinated, targeted ranging operation.

Covered areas including Bay of Plenty coastal reserves, parts of the Waikato River and Reporoa, forests including Rotoehu, and the Gisborne-East Coast district officers found 13 hunters not complying with rules.

Eight were found hunting without licences; three were using lead shot in 12-gauge shotguns within 200metres of open water and two shot over their limits.

Fish & Game officer Anthony van Dorp says they are disappointed with the level of non-compliance during the weekend, a higher level than previous years.

'Guys might think it's worth taking the risk but they've got to weigh up whether they could give up their expensive shotgun, any ducks they've shot and other hunting gear just for the sake of a $90 hunting licence.”

Anthony says those who do not buy a licence are just riding on the back of those conscienscious hunters who contribute directly to Fish & Game's management of game bird habitats and resources.

Fish & Game staff also teamed up with police ensuring firearms regulations were being followed and found a number of hunters consuming alcohol against the ‘guns and alcohol don't mix,' advice and laws.

'Most hunters have got the message to leave the beers until hunting is over and the guns are secured away but we still need to get it through to a small majority.

'They're putting themselves and anyone nearby at risk.”

While the drought was broken with heavy rain in the last month, the Eastern and Auckland/Waikato regions are limiting their season to four weeks with low water levels resulting in ducks flocking to larger rivers, lakes, harbours and estuaries.

Upland game birds including pheasant and quail, paradise shelduck and black swan have a longer season extending into July and August depending on the species.

Results from the opening weekend supported indications mallard numbers were down across the region, although many hunters managed to collect their limit of paradise ducks, especially in the Eastern Bay and East Cape areas, while officers also reported excellent numbers of pheasants in some areas.

'We saw flocks of paradise ducks as thick as flies in parts of the Gisborne and East Coast area and there were large flocks in paddocks out the back of Whakatane,” says Anthony.

'Even though overall bags were only average or below average, most hunters we spoke to were happy with the opening weekend and had thoroughly enjoyed themselves, especially once the weather front came through when the ducks were generally a bit more mobile and flying lower.”

Photo: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Journalism.

New Zealand Mountain Safety Council acting firearms and hunter safety programme manager Tracy Wakeford says there have been no reported incidents of careless use of shotguns during the weekend and is hoping it remains throughout the season.

'The message is that all incidents can be avoided if duck hunters maintain responsible shooting behaviours and follow the seven basic and common sense rules of the Firearms Safety Code.”

A handful of banded birds were seen by Fish & Game officers who want to hear from any hunters who harvested more by contacting them with the details of the bird and its band number.

They also want information on any birds shot which have a radio transmitter fitted, as part of an earlier tracking study.