Some pics from my last hunt. Cape York October 2003. 4 scrub bulls and a few brumbies over 4 hunting days. Good test for the new rifle. I'm now a confirmed fan of the 9.3x62!
That last one was a bit interesting. Found the bugger feeding out in the swamp. Nothing for it but to get in there after him. I did have visions of snakes in the water and me with my boots off. In the end didn't even get leeched.
Posts: 1210 | Location: Zurich | Registered: 02 January 2002
Didn't have a saw with me and didn't take any horns home. Actually I'm a bit transient these last few years. Guess you know something about that yourself. Last thing I need are trophies to have to ship around from place to place. Photos are great for now.
-Stu
Posts: 1210 | Location: Zurich | Registered: 02 January 2002
Great stuff, Stu. Friend of mine just bought a full custom job in this chambering, but only had time for one hunt with it before posting out of the Territory. Nailed a nice boar, his best for the NT, day before he left (literally)!!
Any bullet recoveries...?
Posts: 243 | Location: Darwin, Australia | Registered: 12 April 2003
I was using Norma factory 286(?) gr Plastic Tips. Recovered two bullets from the off-side hide. Didn't go digging around for anything burried, and there were a couple of pass-throughs as well. I'll see if I can borrow a d-camera to take pics of the recoveries. I'm working off memory here but one was about 180 gr and the other about 220 recovered weight.
Two of the four bulls went down with one shot each. I walked up and put finishers into both, but the the first shots were killing shots. One of the other bulls I ended up shooting 7 times before the life left him. I know one shot busted his shoulder but don't know how far it penetrated after that, one shot was bad and grazed his side, and one I tried to use a finishing neck shot but missed the spine. That still left at least 4 good solid shots through the heart/lung area. The forth bull took more than a couple of good hits before he went down as well. Gave me at bit more respect for these bulls and I'm not sure I'd use that ammo again except for pigs. Hard to say really but I've got myself a supply of brass and Woodleighs to try out on the next hunts.
Posts: 1210 | Location: Zurich | Registered: 02 January 2002
Hi, Nice bulls mate, do you cut out the fillets or are even they too tough? Do different stations have different horn size depending on what breed of stock the scrub bulls emerge from? Fromwhat I understand all scrub bulls were born from a tame cow, but were missed in a roundup and thus not castrated. How come you never hear of this happening to cows? BTW, which would you consider more dangerous of the 3, scrub bull, banteng or water buffalo??
Posts: 2360 | Location: London | Registered: 31 May 2003
I have a guiding mate (Tony) that rate scrub bulls as tougher than Buff. But I suppose any animal that size would be a tough critter.
Quote: How come you never hear of this happening to cows?
Because nobody hunts cows! I hunt on a place with wild cattle, there is no such thing as a tame cow on the big stations, they are all pretty wild, the main breed up this way is Brahman and those buggers can get nastie. I was helping a bloke yard his cattle (these were quite cattle) and a big horned cow put me over the yards Everyone had a good laugh at that one. One station near my place is 1 million square acres. They only use 3 40,000 acre paddocks. Anything that escapes from those paddocks is written off as it's to expensive to muster them.
Posts: 8112 | Location: Bloody Queensland where every thing is 20 years behind the rest of Australia! | Registered: 25 January 2001
Bobs work is First rate, I have had two projects completed by him to date and he is building me a .404 J on a 1909 at the moment. I am lucky as now I only am 10 minutes away !! That could be bad for my wallet
Your rifle is awsome.
Posts: 7505 | Location: Australia | Registered: 22 May 2002
Are the paddocks where the stock is kept permanently? If so what is the rest of the land used for? BTW do you ever have trouble telling if the animal in your sights is a scrub bull or not??
Posts: 2360 | Location: London | Registered: 31 May 2003
Yeah but they need use all of it, their in the desert!!
That was told to me by the manager "Squirel"(never found out his real name ) We approached him to use his property to do some dog training and camp on the part of the Katherine river that runs through the place. I think the place is owned by either Packer or Homes-a-court, not sure which one. Big place, shares a boundry with the RAAF base.
Quote: BTW do you ever have trouble telling if the animal in your sights is a scrub bull or not
In my area the stations run pure brahman's that are de horned,ear taged and branded. Most of the scrub bulls still have horns, no tags BUT thats not fool proof. Best way is to ask the manager where he's running cattle.
The rest of the property is just spare I suppose
As Squirel said whatever gets out of the paddocks is written off the books.
Posts: 8112 | Location: Bloody Queensland where every thing is 20 years behind the rest of Australia! | Registered: 25 January 2001
Stu it appears from your posts that you didnt take either horns, meat or ballbags mate,now that seems to me to be bloody unethical hunting.Now i`m sure that yes you were doing the world a favour by ridding Oz of some feral cattle but was it ethical? Couldnt there have been an Aboriginal community that would have gladly taken directions to the carcases (so you wouldnt get your hands dirty)maybe station dogs etc! whatever a couple of proud hunter pics dont seem much after nailing several tons of meat. Actually i`m suprised that no one else has mentioned it either on the board.
Posts: 87 | Location: Queensland Australia | Registered: 07 September 2002
Interesting take on things. I�d be interested to know if you�d feel the same way if these were pigs, or donkeys, or rabbits.
I guess we could debate the ethics of hunting for quite some time. No, I didn�t take the horns or such. I�m really not too sure that having a set of horns on my wall is ethically any different to having a photo on my computer hard drive to look at once in a while. Both are used to remember the hunt and the experience.
Also - don't really appreciate the jibe about not getting my hands dirty.
-Stu
Posts: 1210 | Location: Zurich | Registered: 02 January 2002
Everyone had a good laugh at that one. One station near my place is 1 million square acres. They only use 3 40,000 acre paddocks. Anything that escapes from those paddocks is written off as it's to expensive to muster them.
