A goose hunter has fought off a crocodile by wrestling it and poking it in the eyes, police say.

The 20-year-old man was hunting geese on in the wetlands near the remote community of Peppimenarti, about 320km south-west of Darwin, Australia.

He had waded into the water to retrieve a goose he had shot when a two-metre crocodile launched itself at him, latching onto his right arm and attempted to drag him underwater.

"Like a true territorian, he wrestled the crocodile and was able to shake it off finally by poking its eyes," Duty Superintendent Louise Jorgensen said in a statement on Saturday.

The man waded back to shore and received first aid before being taken by quad bike to Wudaduk Outstation "where further first aid in the form of Carlton Dry was administered", she said.

Police and clinic staff arrived to find him in a mildly intoxicated state, and took him to the clinic to clean his wounds before sending him to Darwin for more treatment on his numerous puncture wounds, tears and claw marks to his arm and back.