It won't just be the ducks with a target on them during the new season's opening weekend - with game bird hunters in the Fish & Game Eastern Region being given the unique opportunity to target hen pheasants which are not normally huntable.
Senior Fish & Game officer Matthew McDougall says they "have an obligation to try to increase the opportunities for game bird hunting".
"For some time now we have considered that a small hen harvest would be sustainable. It also gives an opportunity for the young hunter or dog to get a pheasant under their belt."
Under the regulations, a hunter can harvest one hen pheasant on each day of opening weekend, he says, in addition to five cock pheasants.
"So we urge hunters to take up the opportunity - make the most of it."
Matthew says they are aware some hunters will want to stick with the traditional approach of targeting cock pheasants only.
He says it's always a tricky decision to balance long-held traditions and the desire to conserve breeding stocks against taking a pragmatic approach in overall management. But they believe after research that the limited harvest of hen pheasants is practical and realistic.
The pheasant hen is the only female of the nine game bird species in the Eastern Region that hunters have not previously been able to harvest and this year they'll only be able to hunt them on opening weekend.
Hunters are also being urged to target other species such at pukeko and swan on the Rotorua lakes.
"We are continuing to get lots of complaints from gardeners, horticulturists, and farmers about pukeko, and encourage hunters to make the most of the longer season and 10-bird limit for this species."