Hunting on game reserves
Please note there are camping and access limitations for flood-affected Riverland and Murraylands Game Reserves.
Period of season declared for hunting
Duck open season begins 30 minutes prior to sunrise on Saturday 18 March 2023 to 30 minutes after sunset on Sunday 25 June 2023. Hunting is only permitted on specific dates at Chowilla, Morook and Loch Luna Game Reserves (details below).
Times permitted for hunting
Hunting is permitted between 30 minutes prior to sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset on the permitted days.
Specific restrictions applicable to each game reserve are listed below. Maps of each Game Reserve showing any exclusions will be available in early February with links below.
Bool Lagoon Game Reserve
Bool Lagoon Game Reserve is located in south-east South Australia, around 17 km south of Naracoorte. It is a seasonal lagoon and is listed as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention and national importance under Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia.
Open season restrictions: Closed to hunting for the entirety of the 2023 duck open season. See map.
Bucks Lake Game Reserve
Bucks Lake Game Reserve is located on the Limestone coast approximately 37 km south-west of Mt Gambier. The coastal lake is seasonally inundated by flows from Lake Bonney SE and is home to 52 recorded native bird species.
Open season restrictions: General open season conditions apply. See map.
Chowilla Game Reserve
Chowilla Game Reserve is on the River Murray in South Australia. Covering over 17,000 hectares the reserve shares a border with New South Wales and Victoria. It forms part of the Chowilla floodplain and is a Ramsar wetland of international significance and a ‘nationally important’ wetland.
Open season restrictions: date restrictions and area restrictions apply in addition to the general open season conditions. See map.
Open season dates
Hunting is permitted between 30 minutes prior to sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset on the following open season dates:
- Saturday 18 March 2023
- Sunday 19 March 2023
- Saturday 25 March 2023
- Sunday 26 March 2023
- Saturday 1 April 2023
- Sunday 2 April 2023
- Saturday 6 May 2023
- Sunday 7 May 2023
- Saturday 13 May 2023
- Sunday 14 May 2023
- Saturday 3 June 2023
- Sunday 4 June 2023
- Saturday 17 June 2023
- Sunday 18 June 2023
- Saturday 24 June 2023
- Sunday 25 June 2023.
Area restrictions
The open season applies to the whole reserve, subject to the following exclusions:
- for safety reasons, all of the area within a 500 metre radius centred upon the Chowilla Homestead, shearing shed, Lock 6 on the River Murray, the Chowilla Creek Regulator, Pipeclay Weir, Slaney Weir and Coombool Outstation (homestead) including any portion of creeks or waterbodies within 500 metres of these sites.
Currency Creek Game Reserve
Currency Creek Game Reserve is adjacent to the River Murray channel on the outskirts of Goolwa, approximately 90 km from Adelaide. Currency Creek Game Reserve is a coastal freshwater lake and forms part of the Coorong, Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Ramsar Wetland.
Open season restrictions: General open season conditions apply. See map.
Lake Robe Game Reserve
Lake Robe Game Reserve is located 5 km south of Robe on the Limestone Coast next to Little Dip Conservation Park. The Reserve includes Lake Robe a hypersaline lake and is host to a diverse range of waterbirds. It is listed as a wetland of national importance under the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia.
Open season restrictions: General open season conditions apply. See map.
Loch Luna Game Reserve
Loch Luna Game Reserve is a wetland area located in the Riverland north of Cobdogla. The reserve is around 2,000 hectares in area and consists of small waterways and lakes.
Open season restrictions: date restrictions and area restrictions apply in addition to the general open season conditions. See map.
Date restrictions
Hunting is permitted between 30 minutes prior to sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset on the following open season dates:
- Saturday 18 March 2023
- Sunday 19 March 2023
- Saturday 25 March 2023
- Sunday 26 March 2023
- Saturday 1 April 2023
- Sunday 2 April 2023
- Saturday 6 May 2023
- Sunday 7 May 2023
- Saturday 13 May 2023
- Sunday 14 May 2023
- Saturday 20 May 2023
- Sunday 21 May 2023
- Saturday 27 May 2023
- Sunday 28 May 2023
- Saturday 3 June 2023
- Sunday 4 June 2023
- Saturday 17 June 2023
- Sunday 18 June 2023
- Saturday 24 June 2023
- Sunday 25 June 2023.
Area restrictions
The open season applies to all creeks and associated backwaters of the reserve, subject to the following exclusions:
- a 500 metre radius of any house or outbuilding, and within 300 metres of any road or bridge
- a 500 metres radius of the homestead (E 442325, N 6216583) of Section 706 McIntosh Division Hundred of Cobdogla Irrigation Area.
All lines are geodesics based on the Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994 (GDA94).
Moorook Game Reserve
Located in the Riverland on the River Murray floodplain near Cobdogla, Moorook Game Reserve includes a medium-sized lake called Wachtels Lagoon. This is a permanent wetland filled by the river. Moorook Game Reserve is about 220 km from Adelaide and 70 km from the Victorian border.
Open season restrictions: date restrictions and reserve area restrictions apply in addition to the general open season conditions. See map.
Date restrictions
Hunting is permitted between 30 minutes prior to sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset on the following open season dates:
- Saturday 18 March 2023
- Sunday 19 March 2023
- Saturday 25 March 2023
- Sunday 26 March 2023
- Saturday 1 April 2023
- Sunday 2 April 2023
- Saturday 6 May 2023
- Sunday 7 May 2023
- Saturday 13 May 2023
- Sunday 14 May 2023
- Saturday 20 May 2023
- Sunday 21 May 2023
- Saturday 27 May 2023
- Sunday 28 May 2023
- Saturday 3 June 2023
- Sunday 4 June 2023
- Saturday 17 June 2023
- Sunday 18 June 2023
- Saturday 24 June 2023
- Sunday 25 June 2023.
Area restrictions
The open season applies to the whole reserve, subject to the following exclusions:
- the western boundary of Sections 474, 475 and 476, Hundred of Moorook, County of Albert, adjacent to the Kingston-Loxton Highway
- an area of Wachtels Lagoon being the land and water contained within and bounded by a line commencing at E 442748, N 6210926, then south-easterly to E 443079, N 6210458, then south-easterly to E 443268, N 6209307, then westerly to E 442454, N 6209208, then north-easterly to E 441377, N 6209958, then north-easterly to the point of commencement.
All lines are geodesics based on the Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994 (GDA94).
Mud Islands Game Reserve
Mud Islands Game Reserve is comprised of 10 small islands in Lake Alexandrina. It forms part of the Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Ramsar Wetland and is located around 19 km from south-east of Goolwa. It is only accessible by boat.
Open season restrictions: General open season conditions apply. See map.
Poocher Swamp Game Reserve
Poocher Swamp Game Reserve is a small reserve west of Bordertown near the South Australia / Victoria border. Filled from Tatiara Creek, it typically fills 7 years out of 10 and is one of the last remaining permanent river red gum wetlands in the upper south-east of South Australia.
Open season restrictions: General open season conditions apply. See map.
Tolderol Game Reserve
Approximately 80 km from Adelaide, Tolderol Game Reserve is located on the north-western shores of Lake Alexandrina. Tolderol Game Reserve is a freshwater wetland and includes 19 artificial ponds that are managed for waterbird use. It is a Ramsar listed wetland of international importance and a ‘nationally important’ wetland.
Open season restrictions: Area restrictions apply in addition to the general open season conditions. See map.
Area restrictions
The open season applies to the whole reserve, subject to the following exclusions:
The area of Tolderol Game Reserve being the land and water west of a line commencing at E 332052, N 6084977, south to E 332014, N 6083738.
All lines are geodesics based on the Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994 (GDA94).
