The Mountain Safety Council says fundamental safety rules were broken when two people were shot following the start of the duck-shooting season.
A 44-year-old was shot in the elbow while hunting in Wairarapa, while another man in his 40s received minor injuries following an incident in Glenorchy, near Queenstown.
They are the first duck shooting injuries reported since 2011.
The Mountain Safety Council says basic safety rules, such as making sure the firing zone was clear, were broken.
It says it is the shooters responsibility to enforce the rules.