The RSPCA has released footage is says shows ducks being shot but not immediately killed by hunters near Beachport, in South Australia's south east, ahead of a parliamentary inquiry into the sport.
Members of a group called South Aussies for Animals purportedly filmed the hunters at Lake George on the first day of the state's duck hunting season on Saturday.
Some in the video can be seen walking around with the ducks and keeping one alive around an unrestrained dog.
Duck hunters are meant to humanely kill birds that do not immediately die when they are shot.
RSPCA South Australia spokeswoman Carolyn Jones said that did not seem to be a priority for the hunters in the footage.
"Indeed, it seems they are quite happy to shoot or go and retrieve decoy ducks — do anything but retrieve those wounded birds and put them out of their misery," she said.
National Parks and Wildlife Service executive director Mike Williams said staff ran patrols at popular hunting locations over the weekend and most hunters were following the conditions of their duck hunting permits.
"The department is aware of footage showing some duck hunters acting in a manner potentially contrary to the requirements of relevant South Australian legislation and the conditions of a duck hunting permit," he said.
"The department encourages anyone who believes they are shown in that footage to contact the department to discuss the matter.
"Hunters should be aware that the Department for Environment and Water treats alleged hunting offences seriously and investigates all complaints it receives."
Seagull killed by hunter
South Aussies for Animals is preparing witness statements before handing its footage to the department for breaches of duck hunting permit conditions and the RSPCA for potential prosecution over animal cruelty offences.
One of the scenes from the video shows a hunter stomping on what appears to be a wounded seagull — a protected species.
Suzanne Pope from South Aussies for Animals said a member of her group found the seagull buried later in the day.
"We took it to a vet in Adelaide who X-rayed and, yes, indeed, there was a pellet in the throat of the seagull," she said.
Inquiry investigating duck hunting
Submissions are open ahead of a parliamentary inquiry looking into whether duck hunting should continue in South Australia.
Duck hunting is banned in Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland.
The RSPCA has been lobbying for South Australia to also ban it.
Ms Jones said the footage made it clear duck hunting was inhumane.
"It is inevitable that birds will be wounded instead of killed outright and they fall from the sky at enormous numbers," she said.
"There is a very, very high level of wounding — 40 per cent of birds that fall from the sky are estimated to be wounded and not killed outright — so that is causing a great deal of unnecessary pain and suffering to these birds."
Conservation and Hunting Alliance of South Australia vice president Rob West said the RSPCA was "completely incorrect"; that it was impossible to make duck hunting humane.
"Look, sure, we're not disputing the fact that we do get wounding when we hunt ducks with a shotgun," he said.
"However, we know that with good training, practice and a number of other things that we can significantly reduce the amount of wounding that we have, and once you’ve got a wounded bird it’s how effective you are at disposing of or dispatching it.
"They’re the key things – there’s definitely not an issue there at all."
He said the alliance's submission to the inquiry would include details of a wounding reduction action plan.
