Duck hunting
Duck Hunting Permits are not currently available. For more information about permits see Hunting permits.
An open season for duck hunting has been declared for South Australia in 2025.
This page provides a summary of important information on duck hunting including permitted species and areas for hunting, what restrictions apply and links to permit information.
Season dates
The open season begins at sunrise on Saturday 22 March 2025 and ends at sunset on Sunday 29 June 2025.
Important: some Game Reserves have restricted dates for the 2025 open season.
Season times
Shooting is permitted between sunrise and sunset on any given day of the open season at approved locations.
Duck species
For the 2025 open season, the protected species permitted for duck hunting are:
- grey teal (Anas gracilis)
- chestnut teal (Anas castanea)
- Pacific black duck (Anas superciliosa)
- Australian shelduck (mountain duck) (Tadorna tadornoides)
- maned (wood) duck (Chenonetta jubata).
Non-permitted duck species:
For the 2025 open season, the protected species not permitted for duck hunting are:
- pink-eared duck (Malacorhynchusmembranaceus)
- hardhead (Aythya australis)
- Australasian (blue-winged) shoveler (Anas rhynchotis).
The taking of eggs of any duck species during the open season is prohibited.
Daily bag limit
On any day of the open season, a person must not take more than six (6) ducks of the permitted species listed above, including not more than two (2) of the following species:
- Australian shelduck (mountain duck) (Tadorna tadornoides).
Hunting locations
Duck hunting is permitted:
- on Game Reserves explicitly declared in the open season notice, see Game Reserves.
- on some unalienated Crown land. See details of areas of excluded unalienated Crown land.
- on private land or dedicated Crown land with the written permission of the landowner. Use this landowner permission template to seek permission.
Hunting is not permitted within:
- all reserves and sanctuaries constituted under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 (except for specified game reserves),
- all wilderness protection areas and all wilderness protection zones constituted under the Wilderness Protection Act 1992, and
- all sanctuary zones within any marine park established under the Marine Parks Act 2007
- an area within 150 metres either side of any barrage structure.
Humane hunting requirements
Any hunting of game birds during open season must comply with the Code of practice for the humane destruction of birds by shooting in South Australia. This document outlines the minimum standards and most appropriate, humane method of destroying native animals to minimise pain and suffering.
Firearms
Duck can only be taken with a firearm that:
- has a smooth bore diameter of 19 mm or less (12 gauge)
- can be raised and held at arms’ length and fired from the shoulder with no other support
- has a capacity of three (3) cartridges or less or has a plugged magazine preventing more than three (3) cartridges from being loaded.
The permit holder is only permitted to use break action, bolt action and lever action shotguns. Lever release shot guns are not permitted.
Ammunition
The following must not be used to hunt duck in South Australia:
- shot of a diameter more than 4.1 mm
- lead shot (nor may you have lead shot in your possession while duck hunting).
Several wetlands in South Australia are known to have high densities of spent lead shot in the surface mud of the areas favoured for hunting. This lead can be ingested by some waterbirds and can cause varying degrees of lead poisoning.
Bismuth, steel or molybdenum shot may be used for duck hunting in South Australia. Bismuth may be used in any shotgun that can use commercial lead shot. Hunters should take care with the guns they use, as not all guns are suitable for steel shot. You should check with the firearm manufacturer or distributor before using steel shot.
Permits
A Duck Hunting Permit is required to hunt or assist someone to hunt protected duck species in South Australia upon the declaration of an open season.
To ensure that duck hunters have the necessary skills to identify game and non-game waterfowl, all first-time permit applicants are required to pass the Waterfowl Identification Test (WIT) prior to obtaining a permit.
Waterfowl Identification Tests (WIT) are managed nationwide by the Victorian Game Management Authority (GMA). GMA have advised that from 17 February 2025 WITs will move to an online unsupervised system. Permit applicants who wish to take the WIT will need to create a My Game Licence (MyGL) account and complete the online test via the Game Management Authority website. The online test will include a mandatory 90-minute training component.
GMA have advised that there will be no alternative manual option available for individuals who do not have access to the internet. The department encourages those who need assistance to complete the WIT process, to reach out to a friend or family member who can assist with internet access, contact their local hunting organisation, or attend their local library.
Permits are not currently available. Permit applications will be available prior to the opening of the season.
For more information about permits see Hunting permits.
Mandatory Hunting Survey
Open season hunting permit holders are required to complete a hunting survey within 30 days of the conclusion of the open season. This survey provides useful information on species populations and distribution valuable towards the declaration of future open seasons.
Duck hunting in Game Reserves
Duck hunting during a declared open season is permitted on some Game Reserves. See below for maps and specific restrictions applicable to each game reserve.
Maps are also available for use on your smartphone or other handheld device through Avenza Maps. Install the app and search for and downloaded the map you need. The map will show your real-time location within the reserve on your device and can be used without a network connection.
Game Reserves
Open season restrictions: Closed to hunting for the entirety of the 2025 duck open season. See map.
Open season restrictions: General open season conditions apply. See map.
Bucks Lake Game Reserve is located on the Limestone coast approximately 37 km south-west of Mt Gambier. The coastal lake is seasonally inundated by flows from Lake Bonney SE and is home to 52 recorded native bird species.
Open season restrictions: date restrictions and area restrictions apply in addition to the general open season conditions. See map.
Chowilla Game Reserve is on the River Murray in South Australia. Covering over 17,000 hectares the reserve shares a border with New South Wales and Victoria. It forms part of the Chowilla floodplain and is a Ramsar wetland of international significance and a ‘nationally important’ wetland.
Open season dates
Hunting is permitted between sunrise and sunset on the following open season dates:
March 2025 - Saturday 22, Sunday 23, Saturday 29 and Sunday 30.
April 2025 - Saturday 5 and Sunday 6.
May 2025 - Saturday 3, Sunday 4, Saturday 10, Sunday 11, Saturday 17, Sunday 18, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25.
June 2025 - Saturday 14, Sunday 15, Saturday 21, Sunday 22, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29.
Area restrictions
The open season applies to the whole reserve, subject to the following exclusions:
- for safety reasons, all of the area within a 500 metre radius centred upon the Chowilla Homestead, shearing shed, Lock 6 on the River Murray, the Chowilla Creek Regulator, Pipeclay Weir, Slaney Weir and Coombool Outstation (homestead) including any portion of creeks or waterbodies within 500 metres of these sites.
- Within Chowilla Game Reserve, all of the area within a 100 metre radius of the shorelines of Werta Wert wetland and Coombool Swamp, including the Werta Wert wetland and Coombool Swamp themselves.
Currency Creek Game Reserve is adjacent to the River Murray channel on the outskirts of Goolwa, approximately 90 km from Adelaide. Currency Creek Game Reserve is a coastal freshwater lake and forms part of the Coorong, Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Ramsar Wetland.
Open season restrictions: General open season conditions apply. See map.
Lake Robe Game Reserve is located 5 km south of Robe on the Limestone Coast next to Little Dip Conservation Park. The Reserve includes Lake Robe a hypersaline lake and is host to a diverse range of waterbirds. It is listed as a wetland of national importance under the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia.
Open season restrictions: General open season conditions apply. See map.
Loch Luna Game Reserve is a wetland area located in the Riverland north of Cobdogla. The reserve is around 2,000 hectares in area and consists of small waterways and lakes.
Open season restrictions: date restrictions and area restrictions apply in addition to the general open season conditions. See map.
Date restrictions
Hunting is permitted between 30 minutes prior to sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset on the following open season dates:
March 2025 - Saturday 22, Sunday 23, Saturday 29 and Sunday 30.
April 2025 - Saturday 5 and Sunday 6.
May 2025 - Saturday 3, Sunday 4, Saturday 10, Sunday 11, Saturday 17, Sunday 18, Saturday 24, Sunday 25 and Saturday 31.
June 2025 - Sunday 1, Saturday 14, Sunday 15, Saturday 21, Sunday 22, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29.
Area restrictions
The open season applies to all creeks and associated backwaters of the reserve, subject to the following exclusions:
- a 500 metre radius of any house or outbuilding, and within 300 metres of any road or bridge
- a 500 metres radius of the homestead (E 442325, N 6216583) of Section 706 McIntosh Division Hundred of Cobdogla Irrigation Area.
All lines are geodesics based on the Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994 (GDA94).
Located in the Riverland on the River Murray floodplain near Cobdogla, Moorook Game Reserve includes a medium-sized lake called Wachtels Lagoon. This is a permanent wetland filled by the river. Moorook Game Reserve is about 220 km from Adelaide and 70 km from the Victorian border.
Open season restrictions: date restrictions and reserve area restrictions apply in addition to the general open season conditions. See map.
Date restrictions
Hunting is permitted between 30 minutes prior to sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset on the following open season dates:
March 2025 - Saturday 22, Sunday 23, Saturday 29 and Sunday 30.
April 2025 - Saturday 5 and Sunday 6.
May 2025 - Saturday 3, Sunday 4, Saturday 10, Sunday 11, Saturday 17, Sunday 18, Saturday 24, Sunday 25 and Saturday 31.
June 2025 - Sunday 1, Saturday 14, Sunday 15, Saturday 21, Sunday 22, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29.
Area restrictions
The open season applies to the whole reserve, subject to the following exclusions:
- the western boundary of Sections 474, 475 and 476, Hundred of Moorook, County of Albert, adjacent to the Kingston-Loxton Highway
- an area of Wachtels Lagoon being the land and water contained within and bounded by a line commencing at E 442748, N 6210926, then south-easterly to E 443079, N 6210458, then south-easterly to E 443268, N 6209307, then westerly to E 442454, N 6209208, then north-easterly to E 441377, N 6209958, then north-easterly to the point of commencement.
All lines are geodesics based on the Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994 (GDA94).
Open season restrictions: General open season conditions apply. See map.
Mud Islands Game Reserve is comprised of 10 small islands in Lake Alexandrina. It forms part of the Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Ramsar Wetland and is located around 19 km from south-east of Goolwa. It is only accessible by boat.
Open season restrictions
General open season conditions apply. See map.
Poocher Swamp Game Reserve is a small reserve west of Bordertown near the South Australia / Victoria border. Filled from Tatiara Creek, it typically fills 7 years out of 10 and is one of the last remaining permanent river red gum wetlands in the upper south-east of South Australia.
Open season restrictions
Closed to hunting for the entirety of the 2025 duck open season, see map. This is due to construction activities being undertaken as part of the Healthy Coorong Healthy Basin project.
Hunting on unalienated Crown land
Hunting on unalienated Crown land is only permitted during a declared open season to hunt native game birds and with a relevant open season hunting permit. Hunting of any other animal is not permitted on unalienated Crown lands.
Open season hunting on unalienated Crown land is approved during 2025. Check the below list by region for where hunting is not permitted.
Regional exclusions
- The waters of the River Murray within 150 metres either side of any lock or weir or barrage structure.
- Allotment 82, Deposited Plan 115255, Hundred of Cadell.
- Pieces 17 and 18, Deposited Plan 115702, Hundred of Cadell (Cadell Lagoon).
- Sections 698 and 710, Hundred of Baker.
- Sections 23, 172, 247, 295, 296, Hundred of Gordon (Thieles Flat).
- Sections 146, 386, 387, 426, 479, Hundred of Cadell.
- Allotments 101, 102, Deposited Plan 132417, Hundred of Holder (Maize Island).
- Allotment 1, Deposited Plan 33283; Allotment 12, Deposited Plan 78511; Allotment 82, Deposited Plan 115255; Allotment 101, Deposited Plan 55181; Piece 17, Deposited Plan 115702, Hundred of Cadell.
- Piece 18, Deposited Plan 115702, Hundred of Cadell (Cadell Lagoon).
- Allotment 2, Deposited Plan 34467, Hundred of Waikerie (Hart Lagoon).
- Allotment 2, Deposited Plan 26481; Allotment 101, Deposited Plan 28223; Allotment 201, Filed Plan 50403; Allotment 13, Deposited Plan 61131; Allotment 100, Deposited Plan 72725; Allotment 90, Deposited Plan 81505; Allotment 16, Deposited Plan 113848; Allotment 44, Deposited Plan 113849; Allotment 40, Deposited Plan 113850; Allotment 8, Deposited Plan 113851; Allotment 40, Deposited Plan 120886; Pieces 5 and 6, Deposited Plan 88864; 23, 24, 25, 26, 56, 57, 164, 168, 170, 175, 176, 180, 289, 305, 309, 310, 324, 419, 454, 455, and 456, Hundred of Paringa;
- Allotment 4, Deposited Plan 35957; Allotment 801, Deposited Plan 71116; Allotments 38, Deposited Plan 74947; Allotments 9, Deposited Plan 74948; Allotment 11, Deposited Plan 75393; Allotment 501, Deposited Plan 75723; Allotments 58, 59 and 60, Deposited Plan 133784; and Sections 40, 418, 525, and the Pike River channel bordered by the aforementioned land parcels, Hundred of Paringa (parts of the upper and lower Pike Floodplain).
- Pieces 5 and 6, Deposited Plan 48756, Cobdogla Irrigation Area (Cobdogla Evaporation Basin).
- Allotments 10, 11 and 12, Deposited Plan 57239, Hundred of Baker (Coorong).
- Allotments 200 and 202, Deposited Plan 68309, Hundred of Kingsford (Billiat).
- Sections 469, 470, 474, 540 541 and 542, Hundred of Nangkita (Mundoo Island).
- Allotments 10 and 11, Deposited Plan 129483; and Sections 708 and 734, Hundred of Burdett (Sunnyside).
- Allotment 55, Deposited Plan 114031; Allotment 2, Deposited Plan 114453 (Lake St Clair), Hundred of Waterhouse.
- Allotments 1 to 4, Deposited Plan 23394, Hundred of Hindmarsh (Lake Leake).
- Section 725, Hundred of Caroline (Eight Mile Creek).
- Section 80, Hundred of Lake George (Lake St Clair).
- Section 225, Hundred of Bray (Lake St Clair – CP).
- Section 583, Hundred of Waterhouse (Lake Eliza).
- Section 925, Hundred of Caroline.
- Section 925, Hundred of Macdonnell.
- Sections 398 and 399, Hundred of Waterhouse (Lake Hawdon North).
- Allotments 107 and 108, Deposited plan 76978; Section 89 Hundred of Ross (Lake Hawdon North).
- Section 173, Hundred of Bray (Lake Hawdon North).
- Allotment 1, Deposited Plan 61151; Sections 406, 411, 632 and 633, Hundred of Kongorong
- Allotment 2, Deposited Plan 74030; Allotment 12, Deposited Plan 75893; and Sections 428 and 442, Hundred of Benara
- Allotments 6 and 7, Deposited Plan 24914; Allotment 4, Deposited Plan 73335; and Sections 248, 413 and 449, Hundred of Mayurra
- Allotments 17 and 18, Deposited Plan 116262; and Allotment 22, Deposited Plan 116317, Hundred of Port Adelaide (Port Adelaide).
- Allotment 1, Deposited Plan 23558; and Piece 112, Deposited Plan 119236, Hundred of Port Gawler (Port Gawler).
- Allotments 102, 103, and 105, Deposited Plan 44233; and Allotments 3 to 5, Deposited Plan 50216, Hundred of Port Adelaide.
- Allotment 53, Deposited Plan 54498, Hundred of Willunga.
- Pieces 571 and 572, Deposited Plan 68116, Hundred of Port Adelaide.
- Allotment 509, Deposited Plan 71009, Hundred of Adelaide (Thorndon Park Reservoir).
- Allotment 22, Deposited Plan 76309, Hundred of Port Adelaide (Mutton Cove).
- Allotment 21, Deposited Plan 79457 in the Hundred of Waitpinga.
- Allotment 1, Filed Plan 30401, Part Para Woodlands Reserve.
- All of the Crown land parcels within the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary including Sections 314-316, 320-330, 337, 506-510, 512-515, 535, 615; Allotment 104 Deposited Plan 50216, Hundred of Port Adelaide.
- Sections 803, 805, 806 and 2115, Hundred of Willunga.
- Sections 703, 705-707, 809, 825, 827, 829 and 830, Hundred of Port Gawler.
- Section 743, Hundred of Encounter Bay.
- Sections 395 and 396, Hundred of Waitpinga (Cape Jervis).
- Allotment 12, Deposited Plan 125788 Hundred of Waitpinga (adjacent Deep Creek NP).
- Section 679, Hundred of Encounter Bay (adjacent Hindmarsh Valley NP).
- Allotment 100, Deposited Plan 117037, Hundred of Carribie.
- Allotment 60, Deposited Plan 27952; Allotment 63, Deposited Plan 48781; and Allotment 72, Deposited Plan 28222 in the Hundred of Wallaroo (Wallaroo Mines).
- Allotment 103, Deposited Plan 92164, Hundred of Bright (Bright).
- Sections 128 and 131, Hundred of Carribie (Point Annie).
- Sections 49 and 50 Hundred of Hallett (Hallett).
- Sections 105, 108, 137 and 144 Hundred of Mongolata.
- Sections 47, 52 and 318, Hundred of Tomkinson (Caroona Creek).
- Sections 59, 583, 584, 585, 628, 629, Hundred of Clinton (Clinton).
- Section 458, Hundred of Hanson (Porter’s Lagoon).
- Sections 609, 648, 650, 651 and 652, Hundred of Cameron (Bumbunga Lake).
- Allotment 53, Deposited Plan 75877, Hundred of Howe (Beetaloo Reservoir).
- Allotment 410, Deposited Plan 60745, Hundred of Lake Wangary.
- Section 229, Hundred of Wrenfordsley (Cape Blanche).
- Piece 23, Deposited Plan 86605, Hundred of Wookata.
- Allotment 72, Deposited Plan 125221 and Section 176, Hundred of Rounsevell (Shag Rock).
- Block 422, Hundred 832300, OH (Kopperamanna) (Tirari Desert).
- Allotment 10 in Filed Plan 219154 (Lake Eyre (North) Kati Thanda).
- Allotments 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 115, 116, 117, 118, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 135, 136, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 196, 200, 201 Town Plan 831601; Allotments 51 and 52, Deposited Plan 84007; Allotment 54, Deposited Plan 84009; and sections 791, 1081, 1082, 1083 and 1084, Hundred Plan 831600 (Innamincka town common).
- Allotment 1, Deposited Plan 76540; Allotment 42, Deposited Plan 91868; and Section 507, Hundred of Dudley (Pelican Lagoon).
- Section 175, Hundred of Cassini (Lathami).
- Section 50, Hundred of Duncan (Stokes Bay).
- Allotment 171, Deposited Plan 22929, Hundred of Winninowie.
- Allotment 1, Deposited Plan 69184; Allotment 15, Deposited Plan 31182; Allotments 1 and 2, Deposited Plan 33131, Hundred of Lake Wangary.
- Sections 123, 511, 512, 517, 518 and 519, Hundred of Lake Wangary.
- Allotment 2, Deposited Plan 33127.
- Allotment 1, Deposited Plan 33129, Hundred of Clinton.
- Piece 3, Deposited Plan 33745, Hundred of Tiparra.
- Allotment 1, Deposited Plan 35927, Hundred of MacGillivray.
- Allotment 204, Deposited Plan 38929; Allotment 29, Deposited Plan 41664, Hundred of Wrenfordsley.
- Sections 158, 159, 175, 237, 240, 241 and 242, Hundred of Wrenfordsley.
- Piece 1, Deposited Plan 73266, Hundred of Wrenfordsley.
- Allotment 507, Deposited Plan 47651; Allotment 500, Deposited Plan 53874, Hundred of Jenkins.
- Section 123, Hundred of Jenkins.
- Piece 110, Deposited Plan 56246, Hundred of Poynton.
- Allotment 201, Deposited Plan 74635, Hundred of Dudley.
- Sections 458, 511 and 556, Hundred of Dudley.
- Pieces 6 and 7, Deposited Plan 78588, Hundred of Menzies.
- Section 438, Hundred of Menzies.
- Allotments 103, 106 and 109, Deposited Plan 80464, Hundred of Wallanippie.
- Section 95, Hundred of Wallanippie.
- Allotment 529, Filed Plan 55177.
- Sections 631, 685, 686, 687, 688, 689 and 745 all in the Hundred of Melville.
- Sections 702, Hundred of Port Gawler.
- Sections 756, 757 and 771, Hundred of Myponga.
- Section 320 of the Hundred of Yankalilla.
- Section 547 of the Hundred of Tiparra.
- Sections 999, 1086, 1087, 1154, 1155, 1156, 1157, 1158, 1226, 1227, 1228, 1246 and 1247, Hundred of Pirie.
- Section 233, Hundred of Baroota.
- Sections 972, 1047, 1209, 1210, 1230, 1231, 1232 and 1233, Hundred of Davenport.
- Pieces 9 and 10, Filed plan 219623, Hundred of Crozier.
- Sections 347, 348 and 349, Hundred of Hutchison.
- Section 189, Hundred of Warrow.
- Section 311, Hundred of Playford.
- Section 245, Hundred of Copley.
- Section 390, Hundred of Way.
- Section 70, Hundred of Poynton.
- Sections 123, 407, 489, 490 and 493 all in the Hundred of Randell.
- Sections 47, 48, 58 and 59, Hundred of Bartlett.
- Deposited Plan 132561; parcel 706, Hundred Moule
Note that: maps showing the location of Marine Park Sanctuary Zones can be found at: http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/marineparks/maps-and-coordinates
Contact us
For more information about duck hunting, please contact the Fauna Permits Unit.
