The Victorian Game Management Authority released 2022's duck hunting season arrangements, which will begin on March 16 and end on June 13.

Changes from 2021's season include an additional three days of hunting and an increased bag limit of four game ducks per day.

The electorate of Lowan has 1074 licensed duck shooters, or 2.48 per cent of voters, representing a high proportion compared with the rest of the state.

Hunting group Wimmera Duck Pluckers member Tom said shooters were happy with 2022's rules and would like to see an additional bag limit increase.

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"Very happy on the season we have been given this year compared to last year's season, this year allowing us three extra additional days to hunt on top of a full-length season," they said.

"Although we are confused on the hunter's daily bag limit, considering the amount of rain central and eastern Victoria; which has caused a large breeding boom in the last 12 months."

Two species excluded from this year's hunt were the blue-winged shoveler and the hardhead, which were both listed as protected species due to population decline.

In 2021, the duck hunting season was moved into a partial hiatus due to the state's COVID-19 restrictions.

Victorian Game Management Authority said the full-length season was recommended based on modeling from two experts in waterfowl ecology and population dynamics.

The experts advised that reducing the bag limit was a more effective way to reduce the overall harvest of game ducks rather than reducing season length.

In 2022, the duck hunting season has been met with vocal opposition from a variety of animal rights and ecology groups.

An open letter advertised in newspapers across the state saw almost 70 community groups and organisations call for an end to the practice

The group behind the letter, Regional Victorians Opposed to Duck Shooting Inc. argued hunters have become a small minority and the activity was longer deemed to be acceptable to most in the community.

A spokesperson for the group said the letter, which received support from a wide range of community voices, represented an unheard majority wanting to end duck hunting.

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"You have 70 organisations, and there was a mix of first nations clans, environmental groups, business groups and unions representing hundreds of thousands of Victorian voters that are all wanting duck shooting stopped in this state for different reasons," the spokesperson said.

"Unfortunately, they are all feeling ignored.

"It is a bit of a mystery why, in 2022, the Victorian government is still allowing this minority recreation."

The spokesperson said duck hunting, conducted on lakes, rivers, wetlands and reserves across the region would drive-off much-needed tourist traffic to the Wimmera's natural landmarks.

"A lot of these waterways are not signposted as shooting areas, nor are they monitored. The implications safety-wise of unknowing tourists going into these areas is significant," the spokesperson said.

"There are one in four Victorians that now live in regional areas. Quite often they are near these public waterways where shooting is allowed to start from before sunrise and go all day every day for 90 days.

"It is horrific, and unless you live with it a lot of people don't realise what it is like - to have gunfire all day near your home."

Regional Victorians Opposed to Duck Shooting has also brought attention to new findings from Tourism Research Australia about the economic contribution of birdwatching tourism.

According to the Tourism Research Australia report, there were 1.4 million tourists who birdwatched in Australia and spent $2.88 billion for the year ending in December 2019.

The group said the financial gains from tourist acitivity such as birdwatch far outweigh the economic contribution duck shooting brings to Victoria.

"The Parliamentary Budget Office last year reported that duck shooters contributed just $4-10 million to Victoria," the spokesperson said.

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"This miniscule amount does not account for the cost to taxpayers of law enforcement, lost tourism, the inability for folks to work from home because of shooting, trespass issues, stock running scared through fences.

"Independent economists suggest that duck shooting has a negative economic impact to rural communities."

However, hunter Tom said the majority of duck shooters he knew obeyed the rules and were interested in sustaining the region's bird numbers.

"As a duck hunter we don't just go out to shoot up wetlands or kill protected species," he said.

"We use this time to harvest permitted birds, bag limits and to enjoy our backyard.

"I would also like to mention that 99 per cent of duck hunters get a bad rap because the minority 1 per cent does not do the right thing. We as the majority condone their behaviours and actions."

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