When duck hunting, there are two crucial things to think of – stay out of sight and encourage the ducks to think your place is safe.

While camouflage clothing and thick vegetation can provide the necessary cover, often it will be necessary to build a hunters' hut – a maimai – to escape the weather and for better concealment. Try to blend the maimai into the local area by using similar vegetation, but don't remove this from its immediate surroundings. Build it well before the season so the ducks get used to it. For more information, visit www.fishandgame.org.nz.

Another alternative is a portable maimai that you take with you. These range from a camo net and a few poles, to purpose-built collapsible systems available from hunting retailers. Once you are confident you can keep out of sight, selecting a good site is important. This requires consideration of prevailing wind – ducks prefer to land and take off into the wind – flight paths, rising and setting sun.

When building a permanent maimai, you should consider the following points:

• You must be able to get in and out easily.

• It should provide enough shelter for you, a companion and dogs.

• A suggested size is 2x2m.

• It must allow you to shoot comfortably and safely.

• Incorporating a dog port.

• Any maimai has to be part and parcel of the immediate surroundings and well camouflaged.

• Don't clear the surround area of vegetation and don't use vegetation unnatural to the area.

• Pegging and claiming a maimai or stand:
On public land you will need to ‘peg' or ‘claim' your maimai, and your licence explains how to do this. Pegging day is usually at least four weeks before opening weekend, so you will need to purchase your licence before this date. On private land, pegging is not necessary, but you still need a licence.
Often there will be someone else's maimai present at a choice spot. You can set up 90 metres or more away from an existing maimai if there's free space. You can use any maimai on public land for the remainder of the day if it is unoccupied after 7:30am. After the first week of the season, many such spots are vacant, often with ducks right in front of them!

• A person, following purchase of a 2012 Whole Season game bird hunting licence, can reclaim the stand claimed during the 2011 Game Season at any time prior to 10am on April 15, 2012 in all Fish & Game regions.

• Otherwise, unclaimed stands can only be claimed any time after 10am on April 15, 2012 in all Fish & Game regions.

• A stand may be claimed by planting on it a stake, having either a board or identifying label attached, plainly identifying the name of the claimant and the number of his/her licence. The hunting stand claim tag provided must be completed with the name of the claimant and affixed to the board identifying the label.

• The licence holder claiming a stand must be present in person at the stand when marking it up. No one can claim more than one stand.

• A stand cannot be claimed closer than 90m to a stand already claimed by another person without that person's consent.

• Any stand not occupied by the claimant within one hour after the opening of hunting, on any day, can be occupied by another licence holder for the remainder of the day.