The Victorian Government has now partially closed a section of Lake Bolac south of Willaura for duck hunting due to the presence of a significant number of threatened birds.
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The northern section of Lake Bolac will close to duck hunting due to the presence of a significant number of Freckled Duck.
The rest of Lake Bolac will remain open to hunting, however, hunting hours will be restricted to between 8am and 5pm from Saturday May 11 to remove the risk of Freckled Duck being misidentified by hunters during low light conditions in the morning and evening.
Hunting from boats at Lake Bolac is still prohibited due to the presence of a large number of threatened Blue-billed Duck which tend to reside in the middle of the lake. However, hunters are permitted to use non-motorised boats to retrieve downed birds hunted from the shoreline.
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Game Management Authority chief executive Graeme Ford said regularly monitoring Victoria's wetlands helps to ensure that threatened species are protected and duck hunting remains sustainable.
"Government officials monitor open and closed wetlands throughout the season. The hunting status of these wetlands may change if circumstances change," Mr Ford said. "Changing hunting times or methods such as prohibiting hunting from boats also helps to ensure that threatened species are better protected, and duck hunting remains sustainable. As always, hunters should be on the lookout for protected species and clearly identify their target before shooting."
Victoria's 2019 duck season closes half an hour after sunset on Sunday 19 May.
For more information on the duck season visit www.gma.vic.gov.au
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