NECK BANDS THE BEST WAY TO KEEP TABS ON MAGPIE GEESE
THERE was a bit of a turn up in the bag the other week when two rare species were drawn together in a chance meeting.
A rare tourist hunter, hardly seen this season following Mossy’s madness of the three-bird bag limit and eight-week season picked up an equally rare magpie goose with a leg band. Magpie geese are not rare at all, there are at least one million of them flying around the Top End right now and probably another four million holidaying interstate. But this special goose was wearing a pretty little anklet.
She appeared to be a very young female bird and was only recently banded some weeks earlier. She was most likely banded close to where she was shot in the Acacia Hills area where CDU are studying the affects of magpie geese on fruit crops.
NT Field and Game welcomes this study, but is calling for more.
Traditionally bird banding has been used to determine the movement and life span of birds. The problem with leg bands is they are usually only recovered by hunters.
The NT is the only place in Australia that permits hunting of magpie geese, so it is unlikely any bands will ever be recovered from geese banded that move across the NT border. I propose that the boffins put highly visible neck bands with large numbers so that those birds can have their movement monitored by birdwatchers all around Australia. It doesn’t require the bird to be shot to gain data and it is much cheaper than GPS tracking. If our scientists really want to know more about where our geese have gone this seems to be a no-brainer. But I haven’t got letters after my name, so it will probably be laughed off.
I can hear them now saying the neck banded birds would be targeted by hunters. I think NT Field and Game could ensure the opposite by alerting all hunters through this column not to shoot at the neck banded birds, purely so that research can continue.
NT Field and Game would gladly provide the labour to trap and band the geese and I am sure all the bird watchers around Australia would be chuffed to spot, record and return the data to the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme.
Damo from Coolalinga Guns and Ammo reported that birds were leaving the mangoes now with all the fruit gone. They are back at Harrison Dam and out with their ducky friends at Shoal Bay. “Beware the rangers are on the prowl. So don’t be naughty, just be nice”, he warned.
Grant at Fishing and Outdoor World said Harrison Dam was really firing, especially on the west side. He shot the east side on Sunday arvo and while there were birds flying they were often just out of range. “Shoal Bay reports are sensational with geese and duck everywhere, but you’ll get wet feet to eat”. He urged hunters to fill in the surveys as soon as the goose season ends and return them to Parks and Wildlife, especially if they didn’t get a goose or go hunting at all. They are the most valuable survey returns of all because they balance those that like to brag.
Weekly rainfall recorded to Thursday morning: Gunn Point 6mm, Howard Springs Nature Park 4mm, Shoal Bay 13mm and Middle Point 26mm.
Friday practice at NT Field and Game is finished for the year and will resume on January 12 with the first competition 50T event on Sunday, January 21 from 8am. Join Field and Game, www.ntfieldandgame.com.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