"It's basically duck-shooting first, whitebaiting season second and then Christmas third," the Mosgiel man said.
The opening day of the game bird season is tomorrow and Mr Hodge is among more than 5000 Otago duck-shooters on weather-watch.
A cold and damp southwesterly crossing the region this week has left duck-shooters hoping for more breeze to improve on the below-average harvest of last year’s opening day.
Mr Hodge has been preparing to go duck-shooting with his son Mason.
He had been duck-shooting with his son every year for the past six years and first introduced him to the sport when he was just 2.
Mr Hodge started duck-shooting while living on a farm in Maniototo and he will head to a mai mai on the farm this year.
"It's a family tradition and we've just carried it on through the years.
"My father still shoots in the Maniototo every year, too, and I've got extended family that I grew up with, my stepfather also, he's been shooting for a long time."
Mr Hodge said the tradition outranked Christmas for his family and friends who would travel from around the country to take part.
The season was the only time of the year he would get to see much of his extended family.
"Some people still come out of the North Island from various regions.
"It's a great way to catch up, as opposed to the old Christmas catch-ups, where it's always busy.
"Plus we love hunting, we love harvesting ducks."
About 10-12 years ago, a good season saw duck-shooters taking home close to 100 ducks.
"Now, a good year for us is possibly shooting 20 [ducks] between about four or five people.
"But that's still a good year because it's easier to pluck 20 ducks than 200 and we can still give them away to people."
Duck numbers had dropped even more due to the irregular weather and effects of the dairy industry.
"A lot more of the ducks don't even live in ponds any more, as we've noticed. We shoot quite a few ducks on paddocks now because they feed on the dairy products."
He was not concerned too much about the drop in numbers.
"‘We don't shoot for numbers any more and we use and eat every duck we get — nothing's wasted.
"Everything we shoot, we either pluck or breast and we give away to family and friends or whoever wants to eat them."
