National plan sought to manage camel population
A senior scientist with the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission says a national strategy is urgently needed to manage the growing camel population in Australia.

Dr Glenn Edwards estimates there are 700,000 feral camels in Australia and says the number will double in eight years if the population continues to grow unchecked.

Representatives from Government agencies in South Australia, the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland are meeting in Alice Springs during the next two days to look at ways of dealing with the problem.

Dr Edwards says camels are already used in the live export trade and he says other commercial possibilities should be explored.

"Some people use camels for tourism on a small scale...we have a camel farm or a couple of them set up around Alice Springs for example...people ride on the camels and things like that so I guess there's a number of commercial opportunities for camels and of course the leather is quite good as well," he said.

"The population of feral camels is doubling every eight years and currently we may have as many as 700,000 camels Australia wide.

"They basically live in a camel paradise out there in our deserts because they've got plenty of food, usually plenty of water."

Dr Edwards says feral camels are causing damage to property on cattle stations and also pose a threat to some plant species in central Australia.

He says the workshop will explore commercial uses for feral camels such as in the live export trade and tourism.

And some people say there's no sporting use for a .50 BMG...


Okie John

Where and how can one hunt camels ??

As I recall, the hunts for camels I have seen advertised at the conventions (SCI and DSC)and in the hunting magazines were something like $300 a day and a $5,000 trophy fee. Seems kinda high if there are so many around.

If the gov't was smart they would sell hunts in the national parks to sporting hunters to hunt camels.

A mate of mine regularly does it (but not national parks). He has access to large areas of desert up near the SA, QLD, NT border.

He does it for free of course.

RBHunt ,
I think some Aussie safari operators make a lot of money out of wealthy U.S. hunters .
Locals usually expect to pay from $600 - 700 Australian per day for guided hunts . Trophy fees mainly apply to game shot on aboriginal land . Most station owners would be happy to let you shoot them for free I reckon as they're a bloody nuisance .
Camels hang out in some pretty isolated and largely uninhabited country so need a bit of time up your sleeve .

There ain't nothing nice that can be said about a Camel but if worse comes to worse in my line of work it's back up to Maree & start on a Pet food /human consumption contract So I'm all for the Gov letting sporting shooters clean em out once & for all

Where can one do it for a LOT cheaper than 5k ??

PC anywhere along the edge of the simpson desert ,Top end ,Top of the Nullabour Plain ,& from memory (Bushchook help me out here ) from the Gold fields in WA & nthwards! It's all hard country though Mate!

quote:

Originally posted by deciple-of-keith:
... but if worse comes to worse in my line of work it's back up to Maree & start on a Pet food /human consumption contract ....

DOK

My wife has a cousin who have a large station near Maree. Are camels as far South as Maree? I'll have to ask and find out which property is theirs. Tried several times to get the 'family' to re-make contact but ....

PC,

Try contacting Bob Penfold of Hunt Australia, PTy. Bob ran a successful cull shooting program and catered to U.S. hunters for feral donkey and camel in N.T. I heard recently, that he may have sold his outfitting business. However, if so, his successor should know. I've hunted with Bob many times. Bob used to charge a "trophy fee" for camel of U.S. $100, by popular demand. His favorite areas were the stations of Kirkimby and Limbunya. It was unlimited shooting of donks without "trophy fees".

Geoff

I would like to shoot some camles and donkeys one day !!

NITRO Maree is the "home" of the camel in AUZ. That's where I've been hiding for a little while .As My beloved Wife has put her foot down & ordered me back to work .So It looks like unless I get some tags very soon I'm off on Camels again .So if you can get to have a look around Maree. do A broken down shooter a favor shoot every damn Camel you see before I get sent there again

Maree.........what state is that in, SA or NT DOK.

I phoned that Bob Penfolds a couple of years back and he was very $$

PC Maree is in SA Nth of leigh creek (about 120kms) fairly good Rds! not a bad Pub & friendly people!(very strong Afghan influence in the area due to the Camel Drivers that were based there)

I am hooked. When I save enough for my next trip down under - gotta shoot a few camels! Maybe a couple of hoggies.

quote:

Originally posted by RBHunt:
As I recall, the hunts for camels I have seen advertised at the conventions (SCI and DSC)and in the hunting magazines were something like $300 a day and a $5,000 trophy fee. Seems kinda high if there are so many around.

I'd expect that of SCI. After all, they are a rich man's club.

quote:

Originally posted by deciple-of-keith:
There ain't nothing nice that can be said about a Camel but if worse comes to worse in my line of work it's back up to Maree & start on a Pet food /human consumption contract So I'm all for the Gov letting sporting shooters clean em out once & for all

Disciple

I would dearly love to whack a camel ... I am seriously thinking of heading to Oz in 2006 and trying to get a representative buffalo and after that, heading to camel country.. If anyone wants to go with a grizzled Canadian in July or August drop me a line .. I think that Muckadilla had some reasonable prices for buffs but can't find their e mail address ... (I surely can not afford $5,000 for a camel hunt, however ... I'm a teacher)

Muckadilla Safaris email- muckadilla@optsnet.com.au

Thanks, amigo ! I shall e mail them tonight ...

Bob Penfold is retired as far as I`m aware. he recently (last year) held an auction for all of his trophy heads & the newspapers reported he was a changed man. His interview stated that he was not interested in hunting anymore, or keeping any of the trophies (superannuation) he`d acquired over the years.

Touching stuff from a bloke who`s made a living from hunting with rich foreigners for over 30 yrs.

Cheers Morton

Matt Graham is now doing the guiding for Hunt Australia.

Top_Predator ... that e mail for Muckadilla Safaris did not work ...???

Richard Powell ,
Muckadilla e-mail is muckadilla@optusnet.com.au .
You left out a "u".

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh..... I do this sort of stuff all the time ...

Now that I remembered to put a missing 'u' in the email I shall have better luck hopefully. I think that it would be great to go over to Oz and hunt up in the Northern Territory for a buffalo .. and then go down south and experience camel hunting in the big desert. Another saga for the grandchildren ... and to keep my savage soul somewhat appeased ...

From '69 - '71 I lived in a small village in Iran (Peace Corps). the local butcher occasionally slaughtered a camel and, for a couple of days (No refrigeration), the village ate camel meat. It was quite good as I remember it.

A timely warning for those who wish to shoot Camels! At the presant time I'm sporting a couple of Broken Ribs as I was out shooting Camels this week (under grievence I might add! ) I was having a unbeliveable run my score was 35 for me 0 for the dirty smelly stinkin Camels! then the tables turned on #36! I must of just stunded it as !on getting ready to trow a chain aroun it's back legs.It did a Larzuris on me & returned from the "dead" I had made the near fatal mistake of approching from the belly side of the courpse & not lent over it's back.So I wore a kick for my efforts!The learning curve was having shoot a camel (very Pissed I might add) From the ground at a range of about 2'& then drive myself about 100miles across country to get medical assistance!Of course I had to admit having done all the wrong things.which was almost as embarissing as having to ring the wife & explain what had happened ! A couple of little hints! When in doubt put in another shot & never approch a large animal from it's belly side where it can get you as its struggling to get up!

Sorry to hear that DOK. Hope you get better soon.

Cheers Mate! in the words of Montey Python Ive had worse .Be about a month before I'm going to be alowed to play again though!

Ouch ! Sorry to hear about the wreck... Broken ribs are bad. One year, for Mother's Day, I bought my wife a black bear hunt - on horseback .. I knew that she loved horses. So I got on this one pony .. and threatened its very life if it hurt me.. My wife calmly started getting on her nag which bolted, and only partially on she was thrown and had a rib or two busted. The nurse, in the emergency room an hour or so later asked what had happened. We explained about the gift. She allowed as how she would have preferred flowers or chocolates !!! Anyways, sorry about the accident, amigo. I'm sure it is much too late for a specific camel, but if I can make it down to Oz next year I would love to buy you a beer and maybe even take out a camel or two (from a distance) ....

Lucky he never got you in the gonads DOK

Lucky he never got you in the gonads DOK Frowner
Your not wrong there brother! I( think the unemployed get enough stick with out getting kicked! But two good things came out of it (A) I can tell everybody quite truthfully .That I might look bad but you want to see what I did to the other Guy!!!!! (B) it's taking my mind of my hemoroids! But Jeez it hurts to laugh

Hope you downunders dont get the same shit split we got here in the USA. Came to be where we ended up with the Wild Horses and Burros Act: protected as a part of western heritage.

The hay burners beat out sheep, deer, and other wildlife at waterholes, graze, etc. and the fines for shooting or even harassing one is outrageous.

We used to tattoo the ears in our newborn dairy calves. We'd kneel on their necks from the spine side. As we'd press the needles through the ears the calves would wildly swipe at our heads, if one got hit in the face it would really hurt. I can't imagine what a thousand pounder would be like. Although I did have a 1300 lb cow step on my belly as I was knocked on my back under her. You're lucky to be alive, think if the camel had hit you in the head!