Hunter Derek Larson said he went duck-shooting with two mates and his son, Jordon McDowall, near Berwick on the first morning of the duck-shooting season on Saturday.
He had hunted every season since he was 10 years old but it was his son's first time duck-shooting and he fired three shots on Saturday and killed two ducks, he said.
''You can't complain at that.''
The group hunted from dawn to dusk on Saturday and most of the 25 ducks they bagged were shot between 7am and 10am, he said.
Opening day was on a par with past seasons but the group went out again yesterday and their shots missed the few ducks which flew past the mai mai, he said.
''We had three [ducks] come in this morning and we had three leave,'' he said with a laugh.
Otago Fish and Game operations manager Ian Hadland said duck-shooters made the most of the unexpected fine calm weather on Saturday but only the ''hardy few'' braved the cold wind and rain yesterday.
The wind and low cloud was ideal for keeping birds low and within range on Saturday, he said.
The greater number of ducks this season meant some shooting groups had bagged more than 50 ducks by midmorning, he said.
Most hunters who braved the ''atrocious'' weather yesterday were rewarded with more ducks, he said.
The five rangers working in Otago had found most hunters to be in compliance with regulations.
''We range in some very remote places, the sort of places that hunters think they will never be seen, but nearly everywhere we have turned up we have found fully compliant and happy hunters.''
However, a Maniototo hunter ''faces prosecution'' for not holding a hunting licence and for firing banned lead shot, he said.
Hillend, in the Clutha district, was a ''non-compliance hot spot'' again this season with another two offenders found firing lead shot.
''We intend to keep popping in on the hunters in that area until we cure that but, overall, it has been a great start to the three-month season.''
