More than 5000 duck shooters across the region were practising their duck calls, baking bacon-and-egg pies, and making last-minute repairs to their hides.
After a below-average harvest of mallard ducks last year, hunters were eager for a better season, Mr Quirey said.
Mallard ducks constitute almost 70% of the harvest, with paradise shelduck comprising more than 25%.
"Otago’s average game-bird hunter harvests fewer than 13 mallards during the whole three-month season — less than the legal daily bag limit of 25.
"It’s important that hunters buy their game bird licence and follow the regulations and bag limits, to ensure sustainable practices and protect wildlife populations," he said.
Mallard numbers in Otago are stable despite this year’s aerial trend count being below average. There is an average duck-breeding season apart from heavy flooding in Central Otago and Southern Lakes districts early in spring.
While the region is greener following a drought, April’s rainfall hasn’t made a huge difference to water levels in many ponds and wetlands.
"Central Otago is looking dry and some ponds are very low, but this will concentrate the ducks on bigger water bodies," Mr Quirey said.
Otago bag limits are the same as last season.
A significant change this season is that, after a 20-year phase-out, all shotgun ammunition for waterfowl hunting must be non-toxic, including .410 subgauges.
Fish & Game rangers will be patrolling throughout the region to conduct compliance checks on hunters on private and public land.
Senior Constable Graham Perkins, of Alexandra, said people should keep firearms safety uppermost in their minds.
Finish shooting before drinking alcohol, do not shoot from boats and make sure children were wearing hearing protection around guns, he said.
Remember to look after the dogs too as they do a lot of the work retrieving fallen birds. Make sure they are warm and fed during the day.
