Dunedin man Peter Lee dubs the camouflaged Beavertail flat-bottom boat the "ultimate boys' toy", and it is easy to see why.
By the opening morning, he and his fellow duck-shooters had bagged 25 ducks, and said some birds were even flying into the maimai, which was able to float into previously inaccessible areas.
"These were designed for swamps, so they have been very successful," Mr Lee said.
Cameron Moore, of Christchurch, said the beauty of the boat, which came with its own flip-over camouflaged blind, lay in its motor.
The specially designed outboard was able to power through the weeds and mud of their privately owned wetlands.
And it was worth every cent of its $25,000 price tag, with the group importing from the United States the only three boats in New Zealand. The group holds a licence to market them in Australia and New Zealand.
With the boats based in Dunedin, Christchurch and Nelson, they were beginning to attract the attention of other outdoor enthusiasts.
He also had been approached by a group wanting to use the vessel for commercial eeling, Mr Moore said.
Conditions for duck-shooting were good, but "more wind would have been nice".
Asked if he was going to forgo duck-shooting on Mother's Day, Mr Moore was unequivocal.
"No. I have got a full weekend pass, so I have to make the most of it."
Despite the duck-shooting season starting well for the group, they were left counting the cost after $10,000 worth of mechanical equipment - including an outboard motor and weed eaters - was stolen from a locked container at their base near the Sinclair Wetlands.
