__NOTOC__ Howard Springs Hunting Reserve is a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

in the Northern Territory of Australia located in the locality of Howard Springs. The hunting reserve occupies land in section 4076. This land is part of a larger parcel of land under the protection of the ''Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act'' and extends from the reserve’s south to its immediate north and east and ultimately to the shoreline of

Shoal Bay In oceanography, geomorphology, and Earth science, geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank (geography), bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body o ...

. The land to the south has been gazetted as the

Howard Springs Nature Park Howard Springs Nature Park is a protected area located south of Darwin, Northern Territory. A suitable habitat for waterfowl of the Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of ...

while land to the north and the east has been gazetted as the

Shoal Bay Coastal Reserve Shoal Bay Coastal Reserve is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is situated approximately east of Darwin and protects a large area of eucalypt woodland and saline wetlands. The area is bounded by the Howard River to ...

. The land on which the hunting reserve and neighbouring protected areas are located on is part of area called the ''Howard Sand Plains'' which is considered by the Northern Territory Government as a ''Site of Conservation Significance''. The hunting reserve was established in 1984. It was managed in conjunction with the Howard Springs Nature Park from 1992 to 2016. The right to hunt particular bird species within the reserve is available only to permit-holders usually during the fourth quarter of the calendar year (i.e. October to December), but may change from year to year. Hunted species is limited to

Grey teal The grey teal (''Anas gracilis'') is a dabbling duck found in open wetlands in Australia and New Zealand. Description It can be identified due to the presence of a crimson coloured iris in its eyes.Winter, M. (2018). Grey Teal. Wilderness Mag ...

, Hardhead duck,

Magpie goose The magpie goose (''Anseranas semipalmata'') is the sole living representative species of the family Anseranatidae. This common waterbird is found in northern Australia and southern New Guinea. As the species is prone to wandering, especially wh ...

Maned duck The Australian wood duck, maned duck or maned goose (''Chenonetta jubata'') is a dabbling duck found throughout much of Australia. It is the only living species in the genus ''Chenonetta''. Traditionally placed in the subfamily Anatinae (dabbling ...

, Pacific black duck,

Plumed whistling duck The plumed whistling duck (''Dendrocygna eytoni''), also called the grass whistling duck, is a whistling duck that breeds in Australia. It is a predominantly brown-coloured duck with a long neck and characteristic plumes arising from its flank ...

, Pink-eared duck and

Wandering whistling duck The wandering whistling duck (''Dendrocygna arcuata'') is a species of whistling duck. They inhabit tropical and subtropical Australia, the Philippines, Borneo, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. Taxonomy There are three subspe ...

. Firearms and weapons used for hunting are restricted to

lever-action shotguns file:Winchester 73 open.JPG, The toggle-link action used in the iconic Winchester Model 1873 rifle, one of the most famous lever-action firearms Lever-action is a type of action (firearms), action for repeating firearms that uses a manually opera ...

and bows. The use of lead shot in shotgun cartridges is illegal in the Northern Territory. Research as early as 1991 found that magpie geese in the hunting reserve and nearby sites had toxic lead concentrations in their livers due to the indigestion of lead shot. The hunting reserve is categorised as an

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

Category VI protected area.

References

External links

Official webpageWebpage on the Protected Planet website
{{Protected areas of the Northern Territory, state=collapsed Protected areas of the Northern Territory Protected areas established in 1984 1984 establishments in Australia Game reserves of Australia Sport in Darwin, Northern Territory

See also

References

External links