Wanaka duck shooters are itching to get to their mai mai on Saturday (May 23) and enjoy a national tradition some hunting families treat like Christmas.

The COVID-19 pandemic level four lock down forced deer hunters and anglers to stay at home from March 25.

Level three restrictions since April 27 opened up limited opportunities to hunt deer on private land or to go fishing, and now hunting has returned to the national agenda with the step down to level two.

The Otago duck hunting season has been delayed about three weeks. But for COVID-19, it would have opened on the first weekend of May.

The season is scheduled to close on July 26 for mallards and grey ducks and August 30 for paradise shelducks.

Fish and Game field officer Paul Van Klink, of Wanaka, said he sympathised with hunters who have had to wait for their recreation.

“Opening day is the one that everyone looks forward to,’’ he said.

A family pursuit: Wanaka locals enjoying duck hunting in the Matukituki Valley in 2018, from left, Reece Cameron, Cade Cameron (aged 12 when photo taken), and Ryan Cameron. PHOTO: Paul Van Klink

“I am absolutely pleased. Everybody is. I am a deer hunter, not so much a duck hunter, and I was itching to get out in the hills and into angling. I went deer hunting on private land as soon as level three came in, though for me it wasn’t about killing anything. It was about being able to go for a walk in the hills.’’

Retailers have been closed during levels three and four but outdoor shops and hunting outfitters reopened at level two on Thursday (May 14).

Southern Wild owner Mark Sanders said Thursday was a busy day at his Helwick Street shop.

Seeing people back shopping locally was good for the town, he said.

Mark has been working online from home during levels three and four and was pleased to meet customers face-to-face again.

“We’ve done some Facebooking and we have a newsletter, Going Wild. We have been keeping locals up to date. It is very exciting. It is like being in a candy store. We’ve been allowed out! I think the partners and wives are telling hunters “Go. Go!’’

Three unnamed characters dressed for duck shooting in Central Otago, from a previous season. PHOTO: Paul Van Klink

Mark said he did not get a chance to hunt at level three because of his commitments to working from home.

However, he felt lucky to have had a chance to hunt on Stewart Island in the days before lockdown, though his group had to leave the island quickly, a day before level four came in.

“We got out in time, all panicky, but I did get a little bit of a hunt, so I was lucky,’’ Mark said.

Paul said the Fish and Game Shop at Cromwell would also be busy licensing hunters in the lead up to opening day.

“It is a big part of our revenue. It is how we fund our organisation.’’

During level four, Paul also worked from home, writing work plans.

At level three, he could go into the field and check anglers were complying with licencing rules.

“I’ve been driving around talking to farmers and anglers. There’s lots of ducks out there in Otago. If the weather is all right I think people will do well on opening day. What makes opening day more successful is everybody hunting at the same time. It keeps the birds moving,’’ he said.

There are several duck hunting areas around Wanaka but most hunters tended to head to Central Otago or Southland, Paul said.

Non-contact rules mean most honorary rangers would not be required this year.

Small teams of mostly Fish and Game staff would do compliance and licencing checks, Paul said.

“Our goal this year, because of COVID-19, is just to be out there and have a presence, but let hunters have a really good show of it.’’

The biggest offences were shooting without a licence, using lead shot over water and shooting protected species such as teal or scaup.

Paul didn’t expect too much trouble. “Everyone knows the rules.’’

The COVID-19 ranging plan means contactless licence checking, which Paul said would be “really easy’’.

“I’ve already been doing that with fishing. We stand three metres to four metres away. They hold up their licence and read the number off the back. If we have to go into a mai mai, we will ask hunters to move out first. We will wear gloves. Generally we are just looking for lead shot or birds over the bag limit [25 in Otago].’’

Otago Fish and Game communications officer Nigel Pacey said a combined sigh of relief could be heard through duck hunting communities when hunters learned they could travel to their favourite hunting grounds.

“Many nervous game bird hunters were waiting to hear if nationwide travel and the use of boats would be permitted,” Nigel said.

Travel by air, road and boat is now possible. Staying overnight is also okay as long as hunters “Play it Safe”.

“Playing it Safe” means hunters must still maintain social distancing from people they don’t know, but they can share a mai mai with family and friends, Nigel said.

Hunters must also keep a record and contact details of everyone they hunt with.

With the delay to the season, birds were likely to be “well-fed and in great condition,” Nigel said.

Licence sales had been steady with a boost expected in the coming days as hunters get organised, he said.