As part of the sustainable management of Victoria's duck and quail hunting season, the Game Management Authority (GMA) will begin its annual survey of Victoria’s game duck population on Tuesday 21 October 2025. The survey will be conducted by wildlife biologists who will record the presence, species, and number of game ducks at more than 850 waterbodies across Victoria, including wetlands, farm dams, sewerage treatment plants, streams, and rivers. The survey will also include ground counts where helicopter access is not possible. Satellite imaging will be used to determine how much water is in game duck habitats in Victoria, which informs an estimate of the total abundance of each game duck species in the state. The GMA is continuing this research as part of the Victorian Government’s Sustainable Hunting Action Plan. The results from the survey will be used as one of the key inputs to support the adaptive harvest management model for setting sustainable duck hunting arrangements each year. GMA research principal Jason Flesch said regularly collecting data was critical to understanding what drove the abundance and productivity of game duck populations. “Results from this survey will help to accurately estimate total game duck abundance, based on the environmental conditions at the time,” Dr Flesch said. “This research is the most comprehensive survey of game ducks undertaken in Victoria. "It benefits wildlife conservation by increasing our understanding of the ecology of Victoria’s game duck populations and the health of their habitats.” The 2025 survey is scheduled to take place from Tuesday 21 October until Saturday 8 November, inclusive. The flight schedule may change from day to day, depending on weather conditions or other factors. Residents in surveyed areas may see a helicopter flying at low levels for a short time and for no longer than is necessary. Disturbance to livestock will be minimised or avoided. The safety of people and livestock will remain a priority. The results of the survey will be published on the GMA website in 2026. A map of the proposed flight path can be found at gma.vic.gov.au/research/duck-research
