Table of contents for Edition 88 in Australian Hunter

My lovely wife Gina was riding shotgun with my hunting mate Neil and I in the front of the mighty Honda 700 Pioneer as we headed out in search of a freezer filler buffalo or a pig or two. After circumnavigating a large expanse of wetlands that showed abundant fresh sign and promise, but no results, we continued on to another likely spot. Twenty minutes later, on the property’s back fence line, a perfect meat-eater buffalo was sighted as it ambled among the light timber and casually picked at the lush, succulent shoots of green grass. As I eased my foot off the Honda’s stick pedal, we rolled to a stop and Neil stepped from the side-by-side with rifle in hand. Moments later, with the hard-hitting .300 shouldered, Neil worked…

War, as detestable a thing as it is, has always been a great inspiration for technical innovation and advancement. War gave us things like penicillin, radar and even computers, all inventions in daily use in modern society. Something else that also came about because of war, or at least the desire to arm the Kaiser’s troops as well as possible in case of the outbreak of conflict, is the German M98 Mauser bolt-action. The M98 was the brainchild of Peter Paul Mauser, born on June 27, 1838. It was by no means his first invention, though. That honour must go to the Mauser-Norris metallic cartridge rifle from 1867, a design that was advanced for the times but largely ignored by the powers-that-be in Germany. Success came in 1871 with the…

Hunting feral pigs within Australia is controlled by water, or most of the time, a lack of it. Australia is the driest continent on Earth, with a feral pig population of between 10 and 23-million, depending on the season and whether a drought is present. Pig hunting habitat varies from the dry inland to forests and farmers’ cereal croplands. The locale is widespread. Normal domestic animals arrived with the First Fleet and settlers in 1788. Many escaped forthwith and wild pigs were a problem in NSW by 1860. They have remained so ever since. The pigs exist wherever there is water, cover and feed. They are a continual problem for farmers and are estimated to cost the rural sector of the economy at least $100 million annually. Therefore, it is…

To my left, somewhere in the wall of dense scrub bordering the firebreak, came the call of a yearling red deer. I had already stopped in a patch of thick shade up against a protruding bush. I was on a long hike up kilometres of the eastern boundary of a large property, looking for troublesome wild dogs. In doing that, I walk slowly and stop regularly to assess my surroundings and any promising spots to sit and call. Whenever I stop, I seek a patch of shade up against a tree trunk, post or bush to help obscure my presence. The call came again, but closer or perhaps it was another yearling. The gentle, high pitched ‘moo’ was just a contact call and not an alarm. The breeze was in…

The regional areas of Australia have spawned many stories of people who have triumphed over adversity. It seems as though it’s born into us Australians, impregnated from birth. The floods across the country, and the stories of the way those impacted come out of them, are consistent with that legendary spirit. It’s impossible to tell every story, but my own personal experience with the Lismore floods in February of 2022 will be something I’ll never forget. There is a gunshop almost on the outskirts of the town that I’ve patronised for some time. As soon as the brown tide of floods subsided, I, like numerous others, went to see where I could help. Arriving at Prohunt Outfitters, the first person I saw was Kerena Baker, who is the wife of…

Photography is a major part of enjoying the outdoors. Photos support my hunting endeavours and I increasingly seek to photograph living, wild creatures in the bush. However, for a long time, I was wrestling with the problem of the noisy clickety-clack of the DSLR’s shutters on my wildlife outings. With wary animals like deer and wild dogs, blessed with great hearing, it is an instant show-stopper. The whirr of the DSLR device sends them running. Also, the bulky size of a Nikon DSLR and its 300mm lens gets in the way of hunting and can be left behind for that reason. This means missing some great photo opportunities. So, for the past few years I have been keeping a close eye on what is happening in the electronic shutter camera…

It has always been my belief that no matter what business you are in, you need to offer superior service to your clients and if you can do something different or innovative, then all the better. When I was in the safari business in South Africa, I was the first to introduce night vision quests over and above my normal sightseeing expeditions, which were in open vehicles and on foot. The reason for night vision was because in the Greater Kruger National Park you had to turn off spotlights at night just before a carnivore launched an attack on its prey. This is because the prey would be blinded by the powerful light but not so much the leopard or lions launching the attack. Lions, like most nocturnal mammals, have…

Ingredients: • Buffalo backstrap cut to fit in a 12V Travel Buddy oven• 1 pack low salt French onion soup mix• 2 punnets of Swiss brown mushrooms• Plain flour or gravy powder• Fresh garlic• 1 small onion• Salt and pepper• Red wine – optional Pie maker – cut shortcrust pastry sheets to size for the base and puff pastry sheets for the top. Use sesame seeds if you want to be fancy. Put the raw meat (from room temperature) in an oven bag with a pack of French onion soup mix. No need to add any liquid. Pre-heat the Travel Buddy (or similar) to 95°C and cook the buffalo for six hours, turning once to keep the meat sitting in natural liquid. Pour the meat and liquid into a large…

Unsurprisingly, hunters are introduced to the lifestyle in different ways. Most have probably been taught by family passing on the skill sets in which they were raised, others may have been introduced by friends on a camping trip. One way to attract newbies with zero hunting experience is through gaming. For many, their first hunting indulgence came from spending time at the local pub, where the bright orange shotguns attached to ‘Big Buck Hunter’ called out from across the room. Twenty-plus years after the initial release of the iconic arcade game, the appeal of hunting games has increased, although their size has dramatically decreased. These days, the fun fits right into your pocket and provides an excellent opportunity to keep the young ones busy or even the not-so-young when sitting…

Scott Heiman Ingredients: • 1 venison backstrap, trimmed.• Olive oil.• To taste: Your favourite herbs and spices. Conventionally you might choose sage, rosemary and thyme. For me it’s a little garlic, Murray River pink salt, dried Tasmanian pepper berries, a mix of native herbs, some finely diced dried shiitake mushrooms and flaked almond.• Sweet potato and vegetables of choice.• A little wine: Cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese or zinfandel depending on your herbs and vegetables. This time I paired the venison with a 2005 sangiovese from Lowe Wines in Mudgee. Method: Pat the backstrap with olive oil. Put garlic, herbs, salt, pepper berries, dried mushroom and almond in a mortar and pestle and grind them up. Scatter the ground herbs on a plate beside the oiled backstrap then roll it in the…

At the start of the roar, I harvested a plump red stag. He was in great condition and packed with fat. In the process of butchering him, I collected the eye fillets, the best cut on the animal. These deserved to be done as bacon-wrapped venison filet mignon medallions. It is a simple recipe with minimal ingredients. In advance of cooking the medallions, make herb butter and place it in the fridge to firm. Herb butter • 100g pure, salted butter• Pinch of finely chopped fresh rosemary• Some shallots, chopped finely• Pinch of mixed herbs• 1 clove garlic, crushed or finely diced Soften butter in microwave (only if required - do not melt). Mix herbs and garlic into the butter. Shape into a cylinder by rolling in baking paper. Place…

You are absolutely sure to have double-checked your gear before embarking on the trip. Everything was there. However, you were not even at your favourite campsite in the bush before the proverbial disaster struck. You stopped to make yourself a snack and the one thing you never forget was not there. Your knife! And, as we all know, a hunting trip without a knife is not great. Of course, Woolies stocks some blades, but not hunting knives or ones you want to depend on out bush. Fortunately, there is a camping (or fishing) store on your route, so you can drop into that on the way and pick something up. You search the place for something that is cheap, relatively well-made and suitable as a makeshift hunting knife. In an…

I’ve camped in all sorts of places over the years and considering the time I’ve spent sleeping either on the ground or at least not far off it, I suppose I can look back on the good and the not so good aspects of this. Camping has been classed by some who revel in 5-star accommodation as “paying to live like a refugee.” I take issue with that. For a start you never see a hunter camped in the middle of a city. Where we hunt there are no 5-star hotels. About the best we can usually hope for is to toss a swag down on the floor of a shearing shed. There’s nothing quite like the aroma of sheep pills and lanolin in the floorboards. I’ve camped on top…

In the infantry, footwear is a crucial bit of kit. A grunt can be loaded up with all the latest fighting technology but if their footwear isn’t top class, they won’t be able to function as required, be that a rapid advance or a hasty retreat. Similarly, recreational adventurers in the wilderness need good footwear to maximise their capabilities for success. I use two types of hiking boots for my hunting. If in rough country with lots of steep, rocky terrain and the prospect of backpacking out a load of meat, I opt for high-sided, heavy-duty alpine hikers. However, most of my hunting is bush-stalking game for either photos or the chance of a shot. In that application, lightweight, thin-soled trekking boots are the best choice. The style of boot…

The availability of brass cartridge cases may no longer be a matter of simply going to your local gunshop and picking up what you want. For several years we have suffered a shortage of brass and other components. You often have to shop around to access supply and premium brass comes with a cost to match. It could become progressively more difficult to obtain the brass you want. Converting brass can be a time-consuming job but in some cases, it’s the only way to continue to shoot older rifles. Just remember that no matter how well you treat brass it does have a finite life, so do not attempt to try and extend that beyond sensible limits. Since I began to anneal cases after every firing cycle, I no longer…

Hunters are always looking to streamline their kit and carry less gear. I don’t pack light but in terms of my actual in-the-field kit, I am always looking to reduce weight and find items with multiple uses. The concept behind the Eliminator range of laserscopes by Burris aims to do just that. It is a riflescope, laser rangefinder, windage indicator and ballistic calculator all in one unit. We couldn’t wait to see how it performed in the field. Features and improvements: • Improved ballistics calculator, which accommodates centrefire, rimfire, muzzleloader and slug gun loads.• Wireless remote for laser activation.• X96 reticle displays a 16kph wind value to designate wind hold-off for your specific cartridge at the indicated range. Other features include a 50mm objective, which increases the ability to take…

Sometimes you need to carry different loadings for your hunting rifle. For decades I have used a Nikko pen to colour the bases of any ammo that I want to differentiate. If you are in a hurry to swap loadings, or needing to do so in the dark, the coloured bases make it much easier to select the correct ammo. This is a particular issue for hunters like me who use single-shot rifles, or doubles. When I was hunting buffaloes and scrub bulls, I used that trick to distinguish my 500gr solid ammo from my 500gr soft-points. I do not shoot heavy calibres any more, but still have a need to colour code my .243 Win ammo for two different loadings. I hunt regularly, often kitting-up in the dark before…

Sometimes it can be advantageous to modify the barrel on your hunting rifle to optimise certain characteristics. For example, you may have decided to run some very pointy high ballistic coefficient (BC) bullets in your hunting rifle. But the throating of the chamber is too long to see them close to the rifling for accuracy while still staying within magazine length. Or you may have replaced your factory stock with a lightweight carbon fibre/graphite version only to find that your hunting rifle is now way too muzzle heavy for good handling. The solution can be to modify your barrel. Changes may take the form of alterations to the muzzle end, the breech end or the entire length of the barrel. The following are some of the modifications I have had…

The links between hunters being able to enjoy a healthy lifestyle to maintain their ambitions in the great outdoors are expertly examined in the book Your Hunting Healthspan. Penned by US academic Linden Loren, the work dissects the relationship between upholding a wholesome state of being and the ability to retain the capacity to hunt. Linden is described as the ideal blend of avid hunter and science geek. He is a professional strength and conditioning trainer with a degree in exercise and sports science from Oregon University, so is well qualified to discuss the topic. At the core of Linden’s doctrine is the desire to be a better husband for his wife, diligent father to his son and deliver significant assistance to outsiders. The sub-heading to the book’s title reads…

Any day at the SSAA range with loads to test is preceded for me by much research involving both the powder and projectile to be used, normally for a specific purpose. In this modern age, while cases, powders and primers are more or less static, the choice of projectiles and what each is capable of has literally hit new peaks. It is no longer a simple case of selecting a soft-point, a round nose or a solid to hunt with. You can virtually load a particular type of projectile to be aimed at an exact type of animal. For me, this began in the early days, researching a long-range rifle. The cartridge eventually was a .22-284 firing an 80gr low-drag JLK projectile with a boat-tail. None were available within Australia…

When hunting for food, our ancient ancestors ensured that it was not just the animal’s meat that was used in a meaningful way. Highly respected and treated as a wellspring of life, a harvest would have multi-purposes – whether as food, shelter, clothing or relics. In this vein, the practice of displaying skulls for decoration, or even as structural components of dwellings, can be traced back to Cro-Magnon man’s use of mammoth bones 25,000 years ago. Significant too, 11,000-year-old spiritualised deer masks have been discovered at a Mesolithic archaeological site in North Yorkshire, England. These artefacts are thought to be the oldest traces of shamanic and religious behaviour in the world. In more recent history, the Native American culture is renowned for its skull art painting and petroglyphs carved onto…