SSAA NSW

20 Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc. In 2017 SSAA NSW were, along with several other organisations, invited to participate as a recognised stakeholder in a Game Bird Hunting Awareness Campaign. The campaign officially launched on Friday 1 December 2017 at the SunRice Headquarters in Leeton NSW with a clear objective to promote safe, legal, responsible and ethical duck hunting in NSW. In NSW we have a Native Game Bird Management Program where the primary focus is that of damage mitigation by protecting crops, predominantly rice. That is not to say that game birds shot are not being fully utilised from paddy to plate, but rather that ducks are considered a localised pest that can significantly impact farm productivity, resulting in substantial financial losses. One of the major differences that we come up against in NSW as compared to Victoria is the fact that we don't have a recreational duck hunting season. 95 years of tradition was stamped out when way back in 1995, under the then Carr government, a Bill was passed which inhibited open seasons from being declared. Last year we saw increased media coverage of the opening season in Victoria, where unfortunately it would appear that there were some individuals who exhibited unacceptable and unlawful hunter behaviour and poor hunter ethics. These actions, even by a minority, reflects poorly on all hunters and undermines the great work that many organisations do to educate and promote the safe, ethical and lawful practices undertaken by its members, not to mention their conservation efforts and restoration of wetlands. This is especially disappointing and concerning as our friends in the south have a duck hunting season to lose. It has also been debated that Victorians who shoot the rice in NSW have been identified as a possible contributor to some of the issues in Victoria. Shooters head north of the Murray, prior to the season commencing, and get into the mindset of shooting everything because ducks are a pest. They then go back to Victoria for the duck season and don't appreciate the difference or the purpose of bag limits. There are 4 cornerstones of being an effective game bird hunter in NSW: 1. Be Licensed and Legal – Know and follow the rules and regulations when hunting native game birds in NSW. 2. Know your game birds – Always correctly identify your target species and if you're not sure – don't shoot! 3. Be Ethical – Learn and practice shotgun techniques, know the limitations of your hunting equipment and your personal skill level. 4. Be Responsible – Always be safe and respect the hunt. How to get involved… To participate in the NSW Native Game Bird Management Program, you must: • hold a current Category A or B firearms licence endorsed for Recreational Hunting/Vermin Control • pass the Waterfowl Identification Test (WIT). • hold a current NSW General or Restricted Game Hunting Licence that is updated for game birds ('GB' must be printed in the special conditions section on your licence card). • only hunt on properties that are covered by a current Native Game Bird Management (Owner/ Occupier) Licence. • have the express authority of the landowner or manager to hunt on their land. • carry the NSW Native Game Bird Hunter Diary and enter each property's quota before you hunt and the number of birds harvested after your hunt. • submit a harvest return within 14 days of hunting. The Waterfowl Identification Test is based on information in the DuckWISE DVD which can be sourced from the NSW Department of Primary Industries Game Licensing Unit (GLU) or alternatively online via the Victorian Game Management Authority YouTube channel. There is also a practice test that only takes about 10 minutes to complete which is a great introduction to target identification. WITs are only scheduled when there are sufficient expressions of interest received by the GLU so don't delay and make sure you have submitted yours. For more details head to the DPI website (https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/hunting/game-and- pests/native-game-birds) or email gamelicensing.southern@dpi.nsw.gov.au Native game bird species The following species can be hunted under the NSW Native Game Bird Management Program, as long as there is a current State-wide quota as well as a property quota for them. Australian Shelduck or Mountain Duck Australian Wood Duck or Maned Duck Black Duck or Pacific Black Duck Blue-winged Shoveler or Australasian Shoveler Chestnut Teal Grass Whistling Duck or Plumed Whistling Duck Grey Teal Hardhead Duck or White-eyed Duck Pink-eared Duck Water Whistling Duck, Wandering Whistling Duck or Whistling or Wandering Tree Duck Source: Department of Primary Industries Don't Wing It Be An Effective Game Bird Hunter

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