Shooters ask for education and tolerance this duck hunting season

The duck season will only run for 20 days with a limit of two ducks per day per shooter.

J and A Shooting Supplies Bill Jorgensen said it's a tradition many families continue and the season often brings in tourists to the area.

"It's very disappointing. Everyone looks forward to going out and going to the opening day. There are a lot of people who are very disappointed but at least we have a season," Mr Jorgenson said.

A game shooting license is required for duck shooting.

"You have to have a game license to shoot ducks, we have to pass a WIT test. Not anyone can go out and shoot ducks. It has to be for responsible people. You sit the test and take a class to be certified" Mr Jorgensen said.

A WIT test is a Waterfowl Identification Test which is important for duck hunters to identify ducks they can and cannot shoot.

"You need to use steel shot and you must be able to identify the duck before you shoot. There are endangered species they list and you just have to obey the rules," Mr Jorgensen said.

Mr Jorgensen said though shooters are disappointed, they are glad they have a season.

"At the end of the day hopefully this tradition can continue. We don't want to see it fade out," he said.

"The misconceptions around duck hunting is that we are a bunch of rednecks.

"We're hunting for food as well, we eat what we hunt."

Mr Jorgensen said people may not realise ducks are often not counted in a lot of areas.

"They only count certain lakes. There are a lot more ducks out there than people realise," he said.

Mark Little has been duck shooting for 47 years, he and his brother, nieces and nephews will go together and shoot ducks. It's a seasonal family event and also Mr Little does to go offline from the world.

"Duck hunters are quite surprising conservationists, they do not want to put any pressure on duck numbers. If there is a reason for a limit, they will be the first ones to put their hands up and say we need to reduce numbers.

But this season there are a large number of ducks in through eastern Australia," Mr Little said.

"It's not a season of extraordinary environmental conditions yet they have imposed the most restrictions ever outside a complete ban."

Mr Little is concerned over the amount, he said he and his family pass along the game to family and friends.

"I provide a lot of wild game to the local Aboriginal community. Everyone is missing out and if it was for good reason, we would accept that," he said.

Mr Little explained as someone with Aboriginal heritage, it's a tradition.

"My ancestors have been hunting for 40,000 plus years. When they were hunting, they enjoyed the provision of food but they enjoyed it," he said.

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Mr Little is a former Commonwealth Games and World Champion shooter, so he doesn't have much trouble getting in a good shot but shooters need to be educated on the proper distance to shoot properly.

"Most hunters can shoot for a humane kill, the problem is the once a year shooter that can't estimate distance, if people shot at ducks at 35 metres there would be no wounding issue," he said.

"It's an education thing for hunters to shoot within their range."

He said it's important for hunters to practice shooting on clay targets outside the season to reduce injury rates.

Mr Little has been a member of the Field and Game association for many years, previously working as a conservation officer.

He is passionate about continuing the duck's habitat.

"The whole family will do wetland restoration work. We lobby for water for the wetlands," Mr Little said.

"If you want numbers of ducks, you have to get the habitats right."

Mr Little said people outside duck hunting should be tolerant of other people's lifestyles and especially more cautious when protesting near hunting, which can be dangerous for everyone involved.

"Hunters and their organisations need to do proactive work to educate people, so they don't listen to emotion but listen to facts," Mr Little said.

"The number of hunters doing the wrong thing is so small, but unfortunately the impact is huge.

"If a hunter breaks the law, the Game Management Authority will prosecute and if a protester breaks the law, they will prosecute."

The duck hunting season will begin on May 26 and close on June 14.

The Game Management Authority and partner agencies, including Victoria Police, will be patrolling both public lands and private properties to ensure compliance with hunting, animal welfare and public safety laws.