LEARNING CLEVER WAYS TO ENHANCE YOUR WATERFOWL HUNTING EXPERIENCE

Want to be a better hunter? I’ve got a secret. Watch birds at rest. Last season I parked my truck and sat back and watched a flock of about 30 geese in a melon paddock in the midmorning.

At first the birds were mildly alarmed at me being there.

Shortly after, they settled down and accepted my presence and returned to feeding.

Most of birds in the centre of the flock were head down feeding on melons and grass seed.

The flock had sentry birds posted around the perimeter of the group, heads up looking for danger. The ratio was about six feeders to each sentry bird.

The flock moved into the wind slowly as one, picking over the ground.

The sentries swapped roles with feeders but the ratio remained constant.

Their calls were calm and mooted chatter until other birds flying were spotted by the sentry birds. Then these birds called to the flying mob and they in turn responded.

When the flying geese got close, the calls from the feeders changed to what I can only describe as a welcoming chuckle — a little like the call made by Burdekin duck. I call it the “Love Chuckle”. The flyers alighted next to the feeders and after introductions blended in and became feeders too.

This new mob was slightly off to one side of the originals and when all new birds came in to land with others they filled the void between the two groups.

It seemed the two groups were leaving a landing strip for new friends.

I learned a lot that day about how to set my decoys. I need to set myself up according to where the wind is coming from. I need the wind at my back and the rising sun, so all birds land in to the wind out in front of me.

I now set up at least two groups of decoys with the landing strip in between. I adjust the heads on my Fold Up Decoys (FUDs) to replicate the feeder and sentry ratio I noted that day and run most of them into the wind. A few I have off on slight angles just to show a little more body shape to the incomers.

I have enlisted an electronic calling app that plays through my smart phone to a Bluetooth speaker. It resembles the calm feeding sounds and then with a store-bought Canada goose call, I do the hail call and follow up with the Love Chuckle on the final approach.

All this really enhances my hunting experience. I am using everything I have learned from years in the field to help feed my family. I never blunder out into the reserves with just hope and a shotgun. I plan it all from the time I wake and check the BOM for wind direction, storms and showers to find the place that will best allow me to talk the birds into flying to me. The NT Field and Game range is open for practice from 9am till noon every Sunday in the lead up to the waterfowl hunting season, while weekly Friday night practice continues at Mickett Creek Shooting Complex, Brandt Rd, Knuckey Lagoon.

There are now two grounds with the token system in operation. The ranges will be open from 3pm on Fridays for those who plan ahead and pre purchase ammo and tokens. The sales desk normally opens at 5pm.

Join Field and Game, www.fga.net.au Join SSAA, www.ssaa.org.au Join Australian Deer Association www.austdeer.asn.au Like NT Field and Game on Facebook. Email: ntfieldandgame@gmail.com Or fnflodge1@bigpond.com.