Tintin
AH elite
Just back from a week in the Northern Territory with @Marrakai .
I wasn't sure whether to bother with a write up on this trip, but @Ivorygrip 's great report of his outstanding NT adventure inspired me.
Primary mission objective was waterfowl, specifically Magpie Geese (Anseranas semipalmata).
These are a very interesting critter, not really being geese per se, but a primitive relative of modern waterfowl, and belonging to their own ancient, monotypic family.
They are 'polygamists' of sorts, with a male taking a couple of females and all three adults sharing a nest and incubating, feeding and raising responsibilities.
There's an annual season in the Territory, for magpie geese along with some other species.
Due to life getting in the way of hunting, a condition that sadly afflicts many of us, our window for this trip became pushed back later in the year that might have been ideal, increasing the risk of the wet season hitting and reducing / removing hunting opportunites.
But we rolled the dice.
If the weather got us, Plan B was hanging out, watching hunting videos on YouTube, planning future trips to Africa and cooking up hair brained schemes for new fireams that we could convince ourselves we 'needed'.
Day one morning saw us up early and into the action just after 0600 openinig time.
Lots of fresh buffalo sign on our walk in. We were carrying Rottweil Brenneke 486 grain defensive slugs should the need arise.
We had each taken our bag limit of whistle ducks and a few magpie geese by the time most flying activity had wound down, on account of the heat, about 0900.
The heat and humidity hit me as hard as our 36 gram #2 12 bore loads had hit the geese, so it was home for some rehydration and a lunch of pan fried fresh goose medallions.
Then the work began ...
No sooner was the processing underway, than the Forest Gump 'big old fat rain' hit.
We had dodged the weather bullet on day one. Would our luck hold?
More to follow.
I wasn't sure whether to bother with a write up on this trip, but @Ivorygrip 's great report of his outstanding NT adventure inspired me.
Primary mission objective was waterfowl, specifically Magpie Geese (Anseranas semipalmata).
These are a very interesting critter, not really being geese per se, but a primitive relative of modern waterfowl, and belonging to their own ancient, monotypic family.
They are 'polygamists' of sorts, with a male taking a couple of females and all three adults sharing a nest and incubating, feeding and raising responsibilities.
There's an annual season in the Territory, for magpie geese along with some other species.
Due to life getting in the way of hunting, a condition that sadly afflicts many of us, our window for this trip became pushed back later in the year that might have been ideal, increasing the risk of the wet season hitting and reducing / removing hunting opportunites.
But we rolled the dice.
If the weather got us, Plan B was hanging out, watching hunting videos on YouTube, planning future trips to Africa and cooking up hair brained schemes for new fireams that we could convince ourselves we 'needed'.
Day one morning saw us up early and into the action just after 0600 openinig time.
Lots of fresh buffalo sign on our walk in. We were carrying Rottweil Brenneke 486 grain defensive slugs should the need arise.
We had each taken our bag limit of whistle ducks and a few magpie geese by the time most flying activity had wound down, on account of the heat, about 0900.
The heat and humidity hit me as hard as our 36 gram #2 12 bore loads had hit the geese, so it was home for some rehydration and a lunch of pan fried fresh goose medallions.
Then the work began ...
No sooner was the processing underway, than the Forest Gump 'big old fat rain' hit.
We had dodged the weather bullet on day one. Would our luck hold?
More to follow.
).
