HUNTERS have stayed away from the duck hunting season opening in droves.
Anti-hunting protesters outnumbered hunters by a margin of about five to one at Cullen’s Lake, north-west of Kerang.
The decision of authorities to start the season at 9am rather than the traditional start around dawn is believed to have deterred many hunters.
The opening time on Sunday was 8am. For the rest of the season, hunting times will revert to the standard regulated times, allowing hunting to occur from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset.
A number of hunters at Cullen’s Lake who managed to shoot game birds were under scrutiny from drones as Game Management Authority personnel worked to enforce a regulation requiring hunters to immediately retrieve downed birds.The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning used drones to survey wetlands to monitor the behaviour of hunters and protesters.
DELWP operations manager, Glenn Sharp said the drones would allow staff to efficiently survey large masses of land.
“It will mean we can put staff where they are needed and respond quickly to illegal activities,” he said.
“This is a trial to see if this type of surveillance provides increased efficiencies at large scale events such as duck hunting opening weekend and other recreational activities on public land.
“The drone has the capability to specifically identify people on wetlands from great distances and is unlikely to be seen or heard during flight. It uses cameras and infra-red technology relayed live for immediate on-ground response.”
