Vic duck hunting is off to a wonderful start... 
I just found this awful photo via Birding Aus:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152952688623125&set=o.32799215298&type=1&theater
(Warning: Dead birds)
I could swear I had read something about this kind of thing being uncommon, and that the wetlands were going to be better policed than ever, and this this was going to be a *wonderfully* controlled season. Seems not...
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/hunters-urged-to-get-ducks-in-a-row-via-video-20140322-35adf.html
"The tally of dead and wounded Freckled Ducks stood at 100 and counting"
Hi lachlan and BIBY members,
This topic really angers me as lots of the hunters don't know which duck is which and anyway these are beautiful creatures that deserve their life as much as we do. It is extremely sad to hear that 100 freckled ducks are dead as they will never be coming back and condiserding their overall population is around 10,000 this is a decent portion in one week and with a season of almost 2 months long this would mean at this rate 800 will be killed which is equivilant of around 10% of the population
. I was extremely surprised to see them listed as of Least Concern Nationally, however they are endangered in victoria which is where they are rarest. Hopefully these hunters will get some sense knocked into them and they will stop hunting amazing creatures.
Thanks Babybirdwatcher
'...News of the revamped video comes 12 months after the so-called Box Flat massacre, in which 800 ducks were shot near Boort in the state's north-west, along with dozens of other endangered birds and non-game species, such as coots, black swans and whistling kites.
Many hunters gathered at Box Flat on the opening day of duck season last year when the shootings took place, but to date, no one has been found responsible, prompting claims of a cover-up'
Sure sounds like the issue is being taken seriously by the authorities...
Remember these hooligans & their supporters in government at the ballot box. Their mis-speaking of the truth, once known as lying, is rampant. (What????? Me angry???)
Government aside, I just think it's sad that every year people just keep on shooting endangered ducks.
Slap them across the face with a field guide, preferably one of those hard-covered ones... although, I doubt they'll do anything with it.
Tell the hunters to go to south-west Queensland... kangaroos are in plaugue numbers.
Brandon (aka ihewman)
Why don't they just go and hunt some introduced birds instead of endangered Freckled Ducks. That would actually be good for native birds. Stop hunting endangered Ducks!
Well said, Timothy. It's passing strange that we can bring to the bring of extinction our native birds but we can't do the same for introduced birds.
Also, I'm wary about referring to animal species being in "plague numbers". When natural conditions change to favour population explosions of native species then those species do what they've done for aeons in Australia. They breed like....I almost said rabbits, shame on me....they breed vigorously to provide a gene pool to tide the species over until conditions are favourable once more. However, if unnatural conditions occur to favour population increases e.g., graziers' provision of watering points, then perhaps it's appropriate to refer to "plague numbers".
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/hunters-want-to-target-rebuilt-numbers-of-freckled-ducks/story-fnkfnspy-1226865101490
Even the 7+billion Homo Sapiens, Woko?
Shorty......Canon gear
Canberra
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawshorty/
Now there's an epidemic of plague proportions, Shorty! It'll be interesting to see at what point Earth decides to give up on supporting Homo sapiens.
That's the second time I've read that article, and the first time it didn't have a ridiculous comment blaming the death of the Freckled Ducks on "Greenies".
According to NGO estimates, we're already well past the point of sustainability. But, as usual, no one cares and business proceedes as usual. It's going to take a major screw up before the dominant paradigm on the planet changes. I can't see how grassroots movements and individuals can be successful on the diminishing timescale we have. Malthus wasn't wrong, simply a few hundred years off. Unless consumerism is saved by another 'miracle' like the Agricultural Revolution (also known as the 'Green Revolution'
) it's going to get extremely messy. 
The government has effectively banned scrutiny on these imbeciles, so we can expect more massacres.
- soakes
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
Victorians could set up their own scrutiny. Start an agency of volunteers to monitor shooting parties (make sure you are also armed) anyone who shoots a endangered species gets immediately dispatched in a similar manner.