Fine, calm, and warm conditions enabled Taieri gamebird hunters to dispense with thick camouflage jackets and reach for their sunglasses on Saturday, the first day of the three-month duck-shooting season.
Otago Fish & Game operations manager Ian Hadland said it was one of the warmest opening days he could remember.
There were good numbers of ducks around the Taieri but with water levels so low the bags were mixed, he said.
"Some chaps along the lower Taieri River had the best opening ever, while hunters in other areas which had traditionally shot well were left wondering where all the ducks had gone.
"But it can be a bit fickle like that.''
Rangers checked 20 mai mais around Lake Waipori and along the Taieri River and noted everyone was fully compliant.
"We have a couple of offenders from other parts of the region that we will be following up ... for unlicensed hunting and possession of banned lead shot but otherwise the hunters we met everywhere were very well behaved.''
