Mark: The "mango geese" didn't really materialize for me this year.
There seemed to be bugger-all birds around until the early rain started, by then the mangos were pretty-much finished.

Loving the plumed whistle ducks though.
Managed a full bag of them yesterday morning, plus seven geese.
Stinking hot when the sun gets up a bit, over 35 degrees C with humidity 79%. Shirt is totally saturated by 8am, very uncomfortable.
Can't wait to get back out there!

Looking a bit bogan with the open shirt but it was bloody hot!

Daryl: My chambers are 2 3/4 inch, and I have become a big fan of Remington Nitro Steel, in UK #1 for geese and UK #3 or #4 for ducks.
They are 34 gram loads, used to be roll-crimped with 35 grams of shot BC (before covid). These cartridges are made in Italy.
Truth is, we are bound to availability in these uncertain times and I have had to use Eley 32 gram loads of #3 or #4 for ducks this year.
They're high quality shells, but I really miss the extra 2 grams of pellets in the pattern!

Three pellets on this little guy, plus a broken wing.

John:
Always dry-pluck ducks so I can singe the "fur" and tighten the skin before gutting.
Love the taste this gives them, reminiscent of my childhood days with a hunter-gatherer Dad.
Geese are partially skinned though, to facilitate removal of the breast fillets and thigh meat, plus giblet, heart etc if so inclined.
...and I keep well away from the water's edge these days: too many lizards!
Wing-shooting under flight paths and dropping birds on dry land at your feet is far more gentlemanly than "wearing the Marrakai socks"!
(sticky black-soil mud above the knees out on the Marrakai Flood-plain)