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Duck hunting has been Jacob’s passion from as long as he can remember and it has now turned from a passion into an addiction. Like a lot of people duck hunting, for Jacob, it all started with his father Steve. Steve would drag Jacob out of bed in the early hours of the morning, they’d jump in the canoe and paddle out into the pitch black darkness and wait for the sun to rise and the ducks to start flying. Jacob was hooked! As he was not old enough to shoot, Steve would throw Jacob the duck call and give him the job of calling the ducks in. After 12 years of practice and a few tips along the way, Jacob can now convince most passing birds to commit to the decoy spread on a consistent basis. Jacob believes a duck call and in particular knowing how to use it, is the single most important weapon in a duck hunters arsenal (apart from the shotgun of course) and you won’t see Jacob out on a swamp without his lanyard and callers hanging around his neck.
Jacob’s preferred form of duck hunting is on big open water lakes, using a large spread of decoys and a lot of calling. He never tires of selling the illusion and seeing the ducks commit to the spread from 200m. Further, his favourite species to hunt would be the Hardhead. They’re fast flying and commit to the decoys at a frantic pace, often turning up over the spread quicker than you’d think. Aside from duck hunting itself, Jacob’s other passions are working his two year old labrador Angus, waterfowl photography and game cooking. Jacob says there is nothing better than enjoying beautiful meal you have harvested yourself!
Justin Azzopardi first went duck hunting at the young age of 8. Introduced to the passion by his father and older brother, Justin’s interest in waterfowling soon surpassed that of his family members and he then started venturing into the wetlands with close family friends that would take him along. Doing his apprenticeship early on through laying out decoy spreads and retrieving ducks, Justin then started actively hunting ducks at the age of 12. Through many years, and under the guidance of some very knowledgeable people, Justin took to the art of duck calling like a duck to water (pun intended!). Justin is also a big believer in the using the largest decoy spread possible as dictated by the habitat being hunted.
Justin’s favourite species of duck to hunt is the Pacific Black Duck. Arguable Australia’s premier game bird, its responsiveness to a well timed duck call is what makes this duck so enjoyable for him to hunt. Justin recently purchased his first Labrador, Tonka; younger brother to Jacob’s dog Angus. While only a young dog, Justin’s dedication to training and willingness to expose Tonka to a variety of hunting situations has the pair well placed for the many duck hunts they attend.
When not hunting ducks, you’re likely to find Justin walking a paddock for quail with his German Shorthaired Pointers or out fishing for a variety of species from squid, to snapper and blue fin tuna.
Sav Mangion first started hunting at the age of 12 under the watchful eye of his father. His first memories of duck hunting are sitting on the shady side of a tree at Lake Buloke, sharing a shotgun with his dad while sitting over a spread of 11 decoys. Duck Callers were not used, and duck hunting was a waiting game. That being said, a fire was lit, and an obsession was formed. When other kids at school were reading car magazines, Sav was looking over hunting ones, always looking for something new to try the next time he’d venture into the swamps with his father.
Sav was fortunate enough to be selected to participate in the Shotgunning Education Program in May 2012. This 9 day intensive course was delivered by Tom Roster, and specifically focussed on shotgun ammunition ballistics, steel shot ammunition and ways of becoming a better gamebird hunter. Sav is an official trainer for the Victorian Shotgunning Education Program and has also conducted Waterfowl Identification Tests and tuition for new entrants to the waterfowling world in the past. Sav believes that education is key in ensuring the success of waterfowl hunters, and is always happy to answer questions and talk waterfowling.
Sav’s preferred ducks to hunt are mountain ducks. The aerial acrobatics they display when committing to a decoy spread, both on land and water, are astonishing and their responsiveness to the call drives this.
Sav is patiently awaiting the arrival of his first Labrador puppy, having previously owned a German Shorthaired Pointer. If he isn’t hunting ducks, the next likely place you’d find Sav is out on the water fishing, another passion he thoroughly enjoys.
Embrace the obsession...
