Well, I'm waiting for my rifle and at the end of September I may (work allowing) be joining my ADA branch for a sambar hunt in Bright. What's everyone else doing?

Plenty of wet weather here recently so limited opportunities to be out and about. I bought a Ruger American Rifle, Predator, .243W which I am working up loads for so have been at the range as weather allows.
Have had a couple of fishing trips though so at least bringing some fish home.

Deer hunting and photographing.

Packing up our place in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire which we believe we have sold. With the useless English system you never know if a house is sold until the money's in the bank. Much against my will but not worth a divorce. For the last 14 years we spent half the year in NZ and half here. Much easier hunting here than NZ, we only have 4 Ha but I take one Roe buck and any number of Muntjac every year off it. Last month I took my best Muntjac ever, in exactly the same spot as I shot a gold medal buck a few years back but this one makes that one look small. If there is something boring on TV that my wife wants to watch i just wander 100m up the woods out the back and watch the deer instead.
In NZ I have to walk 400m to watch my Fallow but they are behind a fence so it's not the same.
Back in NZ in 2 weeks if all goes well bringing 3 guns on Emirates. Winchester 70 in .375 to replace my old FN .375, a newish .243 for a grandson and a pretty English sidelock 12g.
Hopefully there wont be too much hassle at Heathrow. They dont like guns!

I thought hunting was more tightly controlled in the UK. Thats interesting you said the hunting is easier.

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Originally posted by Bakes:
I thought hunting was more tightly controlled in the UK. Thats interesting you said the hunting is easier.

On less than ten acres of course its much easier.

Whats the limit in Vic? I believe in QLD it has to be 40 acres to use a firearm.

quote:

Originally posted by Bakes:
Whats the limit in Vic? I believe in QLD it has to be 40 acres to use a firearm.

Dont know any limits,i`m on a few 1000 surrounded by a few million acres and dont look into it lol.

It's difficult for Antipodeans to understand the sheer density of the populations of the smaller deer species in the UK. On my mates 10acre apple orchard I often see mobs of 20odd Fallow and on my own 10 acres of woodland the Roe and Muntjac have quite small territories. This morning I got up for a pee and there was a Muntjac buck feeding outside the window about 4m away. I wandered up to the top of our hill and saw a buck and a doe Muntjac and 4 Roe deer.
It takes a lot of effort to see that many deer in the NZ bush.
There are close seasons for Red, Fallow, Sika, Roe and Chinese Water deer but not for Muntjac.
Access to hunting is easy for overseas visitors so long as you are willing to pay. I am fortunate in having access to more free hunting than I can really cope with. For UK residents the limiting factor is getting a Firearms certificate. Most county police forces have a policy that you must have a shotgun certificate for 5 years before you can apply for a firearms (rifles) certificate. Deer can only be shot with a rifle of .243 or larger calibre. (Centrefire .22 is OK for Muntjac)
I was lucky to have a firearms certificate 50 years ago before I emigrated to NZ so when we bought this place to live in during the UK summers I could get a firearms certificate straight away.
Now we have sold the place and should be back in NZ next week I will have to get used to really working for my venison again!

When I first started to hunt Tassy with my good old local mate the numbers might surprise you Pom.
Connorville had an est 30,000 wild fallow,Beaufront 25,000,Windfalls,Hanleth and so many other sheep stations all had wild fallow in the tens of thousands.
Mobs counted in the 100`s were all over the joint.I have hunted places on the mainland with fallow counts of 1000`s that were choppered...numbers are still high in many places.

So I have heard Gryph, but Tassie is a big place with only 1/2m people. It's not exactly a fair comparison! When hunting there you dont have to take into consideration that there is someone's house within 300m in any direction. I have taken Sika, Fallow, Roe and Muntjac off this 10 acres. While you get a few roos and Wallabies in the densely populated suburbs of Sydney you cant shoot 4 species of deer there. The only part of the UK in any way comparable with Tassie is Scotland which is a bit larger than Tas but has ten times the human population. Estimates vary but there are at least 600,000 Red, Sika and Fallow in Scotland not to speak of the smaller species.
I'm only trying to point out how easy the hunting is in southern England. It may not be to everybodys taste but when you get older there is something to be said for only having to carry a 30kg deer 200m compared with a 70kg stag 5km off a mountain like I used to have to do!

I`m sure that hunting mobs of 20 fallow on a 10 acre block is more about shooting than actual hunting. In that I will agree that it is 'easier' to shoot something on 10 for sure.

Btw Tas is a little place lol.

quote:

Originally posted by the Pom:
So I have heard Gryph, but Tassie is a big place with only 1/2m people. !

And they are all related to each other...

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30.06king
posted 07 September 2022 09:26
Plenty of wet weather here recently so limited opportunities to be out and about. I bought a Ruger American Rifle, Predator, .243W which I am working up loads for so have been at the range as weather allows.

A nice evening a couple of days ago so went walking for a couple of hours with the Ruger. Shot this young Hare and Rabbit in the same small gully, 77 and 88 yds. One shot on the Bipod, one shot over my knees. Shooting Hornady V-Max 87 gn which really minces the off side exit area. Then moved over the top to a bigger gully and glassed. Found a bigger Hare up a large slope feeding away at 214 yds. He was in a little hollow and I could see only his ears and spine. Held the scope on him for ages as it got darker and darker. Eventually he came out and sat broadside. I must have stiffened up staying positioned prone so long as I pulled the shot and missed. He skipped away but came closer until he thought he was safe again at 183 yds but I was ready. Heard the satisfying sound of the connecting bullet and he was down on the spot. The bullet really made a mess so no pic of that Hare. It was dark now so headed back to the truck and home. Great little outing.

Saw your post Grant, and decided Id better join you. Took the 223 out last night and got 4 hares in a 45 minute walk. good fun.

Using my old .22 LR i`m knocking a few over quite often,head shooting only. Skinning,cleaning,freezing all give aways.
A lazy 8 a few evenings ago.

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Another half a doz.

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Nice shooting Gryph. Hope you left enough to keep your lawns trimmed

quote:

Originally posted by 30.06king:
Nice shooting Gryph. Hope you left enough to keep your lawns trimmed

Honestly there are too many here,I keep telling myself to get thew Swift out and start misting them. I counted 40 new kittens on just a few burrows the other day.

Took the boat offshore for the first time. Scored this nice flathead, a squire (Snapper) that my mate caught and HEAPS of Gurnard. My mate dropped a bigger Flathead at the boat