Well folks I finally got away for a hunt this year near Mingoola , 5 hours Sth West of home in the New England ranges near the Queensland / New South Wales border. Cant say it was a resounding success in terms of bags of game taken but I managed to relax properly for the first time probably this year and had a bloody ball anyway . My mate Gary and I froze our backsides off - minus 5 celcius just after sunup yesterday morning and minus 3 on Saturday morning . Not cold by your winter standards fella's but brisk enough .
We arrived friday late afternoon and wasted no time inspecting the Rabbit warren just outside the old station house the Cocky so kindly lets hunters stay in . Next job was to get the wood fired heater running in the old farm house and settle down over a cup of tea . Talk about toasty warm , when we first started hunting on this property back in 03/04 it did not have the heater and it got so cold one night that it froze my 2 litre water bladder in my hydration pack I foolishly left in the ute one night . I found that it had burst the bladder half way up Silvergate hill when body heat melted icy water started running down my back in minus 10 temperatures - certainly woke me up . Very Invigorating !
We were looking to fill our freezers with Rabbit or Goat meat and perhaps a stray pig or Fallow deer . I wanted to blood the 2 rifles I've bought this year , a Browning BL22 and a Rossi Model 92 .357 mag so I left my bow at home . bsrecurve you will be disgusted to learn I took my 12 gauge and did not take it out of the case .
We went spotlighting friday night with the BL22 and over 10 kilometres of track only saw a handfull of Kangaroo's which we left alone as we do not have permits to cull them and the .22 is not an adequite or legal calibre for them and 1 lonely Rabbit . Naturally it stopped in the spotlight in a position where it was easier for me to hand Gary the rifle than to get out of the ute and risk spooking it . Gary shot the first Rabbit for the freezer and the first kill with my rifle
Good on him ! The grass was nearly a metre high at the western end of the property and half that at eastern end so in the low riding 2 wheel drive ute vision was severly restricted in the spotlights beam .
Saturday dawned and we had a rabbit in a trap set the previous night . We decided to hit the valley on the eastern side of Silvergate hill hoping to catch a mob of Goats or a stray pig warming themselves in the morning sun after glassing all the slopes and hill tops bathed in sun on the Nth eastern side of the valley with no game sighted. We trudged up the steep slope to the Prickly Pear patch but the fruit was nearly done so no fresh pig sign .
We scouted around the side of the hill until the breeze forced a change in tact and we followed the gullies down the hill and into the sun drenched creek bed and grassy knolls where we had gotten onto a lot of game in previous trips . No luck after a few more hours walking but we checked out a dam that was lousy with pig sign , be it 2 weeks old - Bugger ! A bit later we discovered a promicing unknown dam and gully system that could be worth checking out come summer time .
Saturday arvo's hunt was quite an easy walk as we meet up with the property owners son who suggested we try yet another patch we had not hunted before that also held a dam with a large clearing nearby that he said was a good chance of finding game near . Great looking spot but no Goat sign at all and yet again week old pig sign
We did not go spotlighting again Saturday night as the Cocky's son informed us he and some mates where going dogging after pigs in the area we planned to hunt and we thought it best to be safe . I did cook up a great roast seasoned flour coated Rabbit with onions , spuds , bacon and 1/2 a can of beer for moisture in the camp over - mmmmmmtasty
Sunday morning dawned , you could say it was crisp , we both wore several layers of cloths . We drove right up the top of the property as I insisted it had been a productive spot in the past and Gary being the mate he is just smiled in a knowing way at me . Nothing but cattle and more old pig sign . I did find a very cold and lethargic Beared Dragon lizard that tried very hard to puff up and put on a show for us but he didn't have the body temp to do much at all .
We returned to camp after a fruitless morning pleased to be out bush and to unload some of our city troubles . I also have a theory that I am convinced is right - hunting during a full moon phase is not productive , can any of you folks back this up . For interest folks I have posted a picture of the old slab hut that I am sure the property owners father built around 1930 . The house we camp in was built in front of it . I love poking around the ruins and in the newer house looking for old artifacts . The house has a old kero fridge we would love to clean and see if it works and a wonderfull old wood stove
regards Jacko
