Despite less-than-ideal weather conditions, it was a great opening day for many local duck shooters on Saturday – even if some of them didn't quite make their limit.

Among them was Tauranga hunter Adam Rayner, who took his kids down to the Kaituna wetland to try out a new spot.

'Fish & Game have been very helpful in providing an amazing spot, but unfortunately with the weather gods not playing ball, we didn't do too well numbers-wise,” he says.

No wind and clear blue skies might have suited almost everyone else yesterday, but for duck shooters it doesn't get much worse.

'The ducks weren't heading out into the peripheries – they were really just heading into the centre of the wetland. A bit of wind and low cloud would have been perfect. But there were still a lot of birds about.”

Adam says he runs the New Zealand duck calling championship as well, so even if his shotgun was quiet, he still had a good time.

'Duck calling is a massive part of it for me too. I've had two of my young fullas out there duck calling, and they've got better, so that's what it's been about for me – getting out with the kids and having fun with them.”

He says the secret to a successful duck call is simply to sound as much like a duck as possible.

'But that being said, when you make some alternative sounds, different to the normal hailing calls and greeting calls, ducks can really respond to those too.”

He built the new maimai himself, with materials supplied by Fish & Game, who he says have done an amazing job for hunters.

Te Puke duck shooter Marc Bedford agrees. He and Adam both helped with banding prior to the season.

'Anything we can do to look after the stocks and encourage the sport has got to be a bonus for the next generation of hunters. Fish & Game are doing great job – can't knock them at all,” says Marc.

He and his friend Regan Dovaston didn't have great expectations going out either on Saturday morning, due to the weather.

'Usually you pray for a bit of rain and a bit of wind, as that encourages them to come in to land. But we got down there pretty early and the ducks started pouring in at about 6.15am. We got our limit – eight each – by about 8am.”

They were in the same general area as Adam, so it goes to show when it comes to this sport, a prime position is key – plus a little luck.

With plenty of birds, Marc says he probably won't need to go out again anytime soon.

'Eight birds is quite a few, I don't really need any more than that. A big thing for me is utilising, sharing and eating the birds. So when I start running out is when I'll go hunting again.”

Adam Rayner's stepson Luke, attempting a duck call. Photos: Adam Rayner.

Theo the dog.