Detective Sergeant Paul Slater, Queenstown Police:

Police would like to speak to a group of men involved in a duck shooting incident earlier today.

At around 11am two women walking along a track by the Clutha River in Alexandra sustained minor shotgun pellet injuries.

One was injured in the lower leg and the other in the shoulder.

The shots were fired by a group of men duck shooting from a boat in the river.

The men responsible spoke to the injured women when they realised what had happened and offered assistance, however they left the scene in their boat and have not yet been identified.

Police were notified of the matter after the women arrived at the Alexandra Medical Centre, where their injuries were treated.

Officers investigating the incident would like to speak to the men, and we ask them to get in touch as soon as possible by calling 105 quoting P046364839.

Anyone else who may have seen the incident is also asked to get in contact.

This incident is an important reminder for people to stay vigilant about safety when hunting this game bird season.

Anybody handling a firearm should always treat it as loaded; that means always pointing the firearm in a safe direction and checking your firing zone.

When your firearm is not in use, Police would encourage people to take chamber flags with them and insert them in the breach.

We also want to remind people of the Seven Basic Firearms Safety Rules:

1. Treat every firearm as loaded
2. Always point firearms in a safe direction
3. Load a firearm only when ready to fire
4. Identify your target beyond all doubt
5. Check your firing zone
6. Store firearms and ammunition safely
7. Avoid alcohol and drugs when handling firearms.

More hunting safety information can be found here.

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