Table of contents for Edition 89 in Australian Hunter

Walking into the Great American Outdoor Show on opening morning is somewhat overwhelming for those of us not accustomed to the grandeur of American guns shows. For nine days each February, the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex becomes a mecca for hunters, fishers and outdoor enthusiasts. There’s over 1000 exhibitors and a jam-packed schedule of demonstrations and events, drawing over 200,000 visitors. With nine halls of guns, archery, fishing tackle, boats, outfitters, clothing and equipment, navigating the show takes a little pre-planning. Thankfully the show’s website has an excellent interactive map to help plan the most efficient route through the complex. While a single day might be enough if you're ruthless in how you spend your time, to get the most out of the show - especially if you plan to…

Off to my left, a deer barked in alarm. I stopped my slow walk along the boundary firebreak. The deer could not have seen or heard me, and the wind was right. Something else must have disturbed it. The boundary ran by the edge of a long ridge, just a little off the top of the crest. The rim had a 50m-wide strip of thick scrub and lantana. There was a long, open glade of grass on the other side of the elevation, a likely spot to find deer just before sunrise. Then several deer barked in panic, from maybe 100m away, on the other side of the scrub line. My hopes leapt. Quite likely, the deer had been spooked by the wild dogs I had been chasing for months,…

The concept or idea that free-range hunting for big game and exotic species, and even the more common types for that matter, will continue and prevail for future generations is certainly something we all hope for. However, in reality, it’s not assured and opportunities are gradually shrinking. This is particularly so in countries where greater parcels of game habitat are being encroached on for human habitat, primary production and resource mining. Other factors include properties previously available to outfitters being taken over and the game, such as water buffaloes in our Top End, commercially harvested for export, outfitters finding it more difficult to obtain hunting concessions on private and Traditional Owners’ land, remaining allowances heavily hunted, departmental culling of certain species deemed vermin for the protection of flora and fauna,…

There’s no doubt many of us have been in the doghouse once or twice! However, a ‘Doghouse’ portable hunting blind from Ameristep is a more-welcoming proposition for any hunter. We can eliminate much of the human-shaped smell and movement from the equation to provide some additional action on pests and feral animals. The use of natural foliage to conceal the hunter is probably as old as hunting itself; there was likely more of a requirement for such concealment in the days when only bows and arrows and possibly spears were the main source of armament for the hunter seeking quarry. The ranges were, of course, much shorter. While visiting Europe years ago, I was fascinated by the number of permanent elevated blinds in the rural communities of several countries. The…

I was keen to try out my Winchester Model 70 short-action on feral game after having the barrel reprofiled and the chamber recut to give a shorter throat. I was using a new load in my .240 Page Souper Pooper that I had been testing at the SSAA range, consisting of the 90gr Sierra Tipped GameKing (TGK) and 51-grains of AR2213SC at 3240fps. Previously I was using the 90gr Swift Scirocco at 3350fps. The .240 Page Souper Pooper was the second of Warren Page’s 6mm creations back in the 1950s. It uses a necked-down 7x57 case blown out to remove much of the body taper and is given a 28-degree shoulder for good feeding and to reduce case stretching. You can also use 6mm Remington brass to form the cases.…

Knives come in all sizes, shapes and forms. They have been around for an exceptionally long time too, dating all the way back to the Stone Age. It’s therefore no surprise that many regions across the globe have deep-rooted traditions when it comes to manufacturing them. Unfortunately, most local traditions and producers have been swallowed up by large-scale operations or have ceased activities. Because of this, local industries that have persevered are often tucked away in remote areas. The knife industry of Taramundi is no exception. Taramundi can be found once you drive up the ever-winding mountain roads from the coast, well into the picturesque mountains of Western Asturias in the far north-west of Spain. As you head into the mountains, you can’t but appreciate the scenic terrain. At times,…

Without doubt the knife must rate as one of mankind’s most versatile implements. In its most basic form, the knife is a low tech, utilitarian tool. At its most sophisticated a precision instrument reflecting a form and function akin to a piece of art. Be it in the home or the workplace, the field or the factory, from the farm to the suburbs and both commercially and recreationally, there are few spheres of human endeavour which do not embrace the knife as a tool of the trade. More pertinently, the knife is an essential part of every hunter’s kit. Regardless of whether it’s a ‘universal’ camp knife capable of performing a range of tasks in a variety of circumstances, a more specialised blade designed for a specific usage, or one…

I like to get out for hunting reconnaissance in mid-February and put up a trail camera or two, to get a look at what may be around. But my first hunt was for two days in mid-March. It didn’t start like I had hoped it would either, with the property manager ringing me the morning before I was to go bush to tell me a team of contract musterers were going to hit the very paddock I intended to hunt on. This was certainly not good for deer hunting on that particular area. He told me that the paddock at the far end of the property had not been mustered for months, offering a workable alternative. When I arrived, the country was lush, green, and looked as it should for…

So much planning! My son Scott, from Far North Queensland, would join me during a Brisbane Valley roar. I’m long retired these days, but the lad finds extended time away from his employment somewhat hard to jag. Yet the timing of our hunts was exactly everything; we needed to have our feet on the ground, bows in hand when the red stags were vocal and on the job. With the landowner on side, Scott juggled family commitments, work and travel arrangements so we could lock in late March for our hunt. Scott and I have bowhunted deer and other game for over two decades. Way back when I was doing the single parent bit and he was in primary school, he tagged along with me to learn tricks of the…

Wild deer have been back in the news again, and for the usual reason. There’s far too many of them in some areas. This is nothing new to those of us who hunt them, but an ABC report claimed that recreational hunting isn’t making much of a dent in numbers. I can understand why. The problem, as I see it, is that some hunters have a trophy mindset when it comes to deer. One property owner told me that he had allowed a couple of blokes to come on his place to hunt deer. He dropped by their campsite and asked how they were going. They told him that they got a very nice trophy. He asked if they had shot any others and they said no, they didn’t want…

If there’s one thing interesting about getting on in years, it has to be the memories of times past. I can still recall necking down .250-3000 cases to form what was then known as the .22 Varminter. Today, it’s called the .22-250. Born of a time when ‘wildcatting’ was in its heyday, the .22-250 was one result of this sort of experimenting that really took off. We can credit a fellow called Captain Grosvenor Wotkyns with the early development of this round. He began back in the 1930s when experimenting with other cartridges using the .22 calibre bullet. Once he decided to use the .250-3000 case, the rest was history. He faced two hurdles though. One was World War Two and the other was Remington’s introduction of the .222 Rem.…

I had originally planned to hunt the deer rut with my good friend Gus. We had done this over recent years, but I received a call from the farmer that we as hunters all dread. Our hunt had to be postponed. Due to substantial amounts of rainfall, the farmer had pushed our intended dates back a few weeks because the property was literally flooded. They had almost half the annual rainfall in less than a week. Jumping forward those few weeks, I picked Gus up from the airport and we headed back to my house to pack the car and load the Polaris buggy onto the trailer. Driving three hours south, we arrived at the farm before mid-morning, instantly unloading all the gear. The weather was still quite cool, but…

Anybody in close proximity to shooting must protect their hearing. Among their many products, TSA Outdoors carry a range of hearing protection that includes Walker’s Razor rechargeable electronic muffs. These slim-line earmuffs are a great option for hunters, including being a good fit for kids. Walker’s Razor muff housings are constructed of sound-dampening composite rubber and when properly fitted are listed to provide 21 decibels (dB) noise reduction. But, more than that, these are electronic sound-augmenting earmuffs, with a higain omnidirectional microphone in each muff. They provide low noise frequency tuning for natural sound clarity while having 0.02 second sound-activated noise compression for the high dB discharge of a firearm. The volume of the electronically augmented hearing is controlled by a recessed control knob situated on the left side muff.…

With my rekindled interest in hunting small game, birds in particular, I am constantly on the look-out to go ‘small’ on the rest of my gear too. Less gear means less weight to lug on long hikes over rough terrain, and smaller knives are ideal for more delicate cuts. While I love fixed blades, folders have become a regular part of my rotation. Most are of a medium size but something a bit more compact as both a ‘small game knife’ and as an everyday carry was in order. Going through the Ruike catalogue, an almost diminutive, little folder popped up. My interest was piqued because of the use of titanium, which is relatively lightweight and easy to keep clean. The knife in question is the ‘Ruike M661-TZ Titanium Framelock’…

Licensed visitors to the Northern Territory will be unable to buy ammunition and will only be able to use their firearms under supervision of an NT licence holder unless they apply for and receive express permission. This remarkable regulation change has been made without consultation with the section of the community it impacts, and will restrict target shooting competition operations and the vast recreational hunting industry and tourism opportunities in the Top End. The changes have come about following a review of the NT Firearms Act and corresponding regulations by the Firearms Policy and Recording Unit and the NT Police Legal Branch. At no point was the law-abiding firearms community consulted or notified this change was coming, despite multiple attempts by the sector to have a working relationship with NT…

SSAA NT Conservation & Pest Management SSAA NT Conservation & Pest Management operates in the north of NT as part of the SSAA Conservation and Wildlife Management group, providing a free community service to government, pastoral properties and traditional landowners to assist with eradication of feral pest animals. Membership is open to NT residents who successfully complete a theory and practical assessment. All field activities comply with NT Parks guidelines for the destruction of pest animals, the Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals and the Model Code of Practice for the Destruction of Feral Animals. Each year there are six to nine one-week field operations on remote pastoral properties and National Parks, involving four to five members. Meetings to plan and coordinate activities are held as required…