Duck shooting injuries in Southland, New Zealand

Duck shooting is a common sport in New Zealand. The opening weekend is anticipated and celebrated, often with significant alcohol intake which is cause for concern, and potentially very dangerous. Hunters are annually warned about the dangers. There have been few duck shooting incidents which lead to injury or death. In the last decade two duck shooters in New Zealand have been killed, while 16 suffered non fatal gunshot injuries. We present a series of injuries identified during the 2012 duck shooting season in Southland Province.