Hundreds of improperly abandoned magpie goose carcasses have been discovered at a popular recreational hunting area near Darwin, barely a week into the hunting season.

Warning: This story contains graphic images

Lambells Lagoon is a conservation reserve and hunting spot south-west of the city, and the new waterfowl hunting season has a bag limit of five magpie geese per person per day.

But recreational hunter Russell Hall estimated that he found 300 carcasses and large amounts of rubbish scattered through bushland during a short walk in the reserve.

"Just turned up and look at the absolute disgrace that I found — carcasses, rubbish, hundreds of birds," he can be heard saying in a viral video.

Map Lambells Lagoon

Despite permit guidelines that state breast and thigh meat must be collected, Mr Hall told ABC Radio Darwin's Michael Murdoch that many of the birds were untouched.

"It was phenomenal. I've never seen that many bird carcasses in all the times that I've been shooting," he said.

Bart Irwin from the NT Field and Game Association visited the site and described a "disgraceful scene" that he hoped would not have ramifications for the wider hunting community.

"This is the work of a few hooligans that are not law-abiding hunters," he said.

"It's not indicative of the vast majority of hunters, and that is backed up by the miniscule number of infringement notices handed out in the past by rangers."

Prosecution for dumping unlikely

Hunting permits require their holders to dispose of carcasses by spreading them five metres apart in bushland, where they're generally left for scavengers.

Breaches can fetch fines ranging from several hundred dollars to more than $7,000, but Parks and Wildlife said in this instance their options for prosecution were limited.

"Unfortunately, unless we get specific details there's not a lot we can do to follow up on individual instances," acting chief wildlife ranger Peter Ross said, calling the incident "a disgusting waste and a great example of unethical hunting".

This year's waterfowl hunting season runs for 13 weeks with a daily bag limit of five magpie geese. (File photo) ( ABC News: James Purtill )

A government waterfowl survey showed magpie goose populations had increased 27 per cent to 918,000 this year, after purportedly hitting their lowest ever numbers last year following successive poor wet seasons.

The Government reduced daily bag limits from seven to three magpie geese and shortened last year's waterfowl hunting season to allow populations to recover — but shooters weren't happy.

"With ongoing careful management alongside favourable seasonal conditions, we expect numbers to continue to recover in future years," a government press release said in June.

With populations already under scrutiny, hunters hope the abandoned carcasses won't impact the coming season.

Several groups will take to the reserve this weekend to clear the rubbish and properly dispose of the carcasses.