Both Barrels June 2024 - Southland

Fat Southland mallards

Photo Above: A successful harvest on a willow-lined river backwater. 

Through chatting with hunters across the province and participating in a few duck hunts ourselves, one thing is clear: this season, mallard condition has been exceptional. Unlike typical years, where hunters might wait until the end of the season to see mallards in such prime condition, this year’s mallards were already in excellent shape as early as mid-May.

Photo Above: Mallard condition in Southland has been exceptional this season

One of the key reasons for the standout mallard condition this season has been the early presence of pre-season surface water (puddles) which was around well before opening day. As all Southland hunters can appreciate, it sure has been wet! The abundance of puddles has provided an excellent supply of protein-rich worms, which has enabled our mallards to bulk up and build significant fat reserves much earlier than usual. For hunters, this presents a fantastic opportunity to harvest some of the best eating mallards available.

Photo Above: Plucking a fat Southland mallard

It's worth noting that mallards are a sought-after game species worldwide, and renowned hunters and chefs love the opportunity to harvest and cook wild mallards. For instance, Steven Rinella, the host of the well-known hunting show Meat Eater, has hunted game across the globe but declares mallards as “one of his most favourite pieces of game meat.” You can see him extol the virtues of mallards as a food resource here.

A quick search on YouTube will also reveal countless chefs from around the globe demonstrating their techniques for cooking wild mallards, all thrilled with the opportunity to work with such a high-quality ingredient.

To ensure you make the most of your mallards, particularly when it comes to cooking the perfect duck breast, check out this helpful video. Following the simple instructions in this video will ensure you do culinary justice to your mallard.

Given the exceptional condition of mallards this season, now really is the time to get out there and take advantage of this fantastic resource. We encourage you to get your hunting crew together and harvest some of the best tasting game meat on the planet – your taste buds will thank you for it!

Hunting willow mallards

As we've just passed the mid-season mark, now is an opportune time to be scouting for mallards that utilise willows along our rivers and streams.

During the night, mallards will be feeding up large on worms out in the water soaked paddocks. Once satiated, many will take flight in the early morning and gather on patches of willow-lined riverbanks to loaf for the day, digesting their meal, and soaking up some sun if they can. With some effort, hunters can intercept these mallards as they head back to the willows in the morning.

The key is to scout out a duck camp the day before you intend to hunt. Look for a camp of 20 or more mallards and once spotted, quickly survey the area to identify a safe and effective hunting position before leaving undetected. If all goes well, the mallards should return to that area the following morning, especially as they really begin to settle into their movement patterns as the season progresses.  

The following morning, arrive at the hunting site early, while it is still dark, and set up with a few decoys—10 to 12 should be sufficient. Find some cover, camo-up, sit still, and wait. Keep your calling to a minimum because you are intercepting mallards that already plan to use this area. If there are 20 mallards using the spot, you should have ten opportunities to shoot at decoying birds, as they often arrive in pairs later in the season.

This approach can lead to some exciting and rewarding hunts. The excitement comes from the fast-paced action, and the reward from the effort you’ve put into scouting.

One additional factor to note is the influence of weather. So far, with all the rain we have had this season, we haven't had consecutive frosty days. When these frosts do arrive, this will be the ideal time to target willow mallards, as they will be pushed off the frozen paddocks and onto the rivers more than they have been so far this season.

Warm barrels,

The team at Southland Fish & Game