Morning Folks, I have not posted here for Ages and I thought I'd post about a Hunt I just arrived back from out near St George which is about 700 Kilometres West of Brisbane Queensland. I was Hunting with my good Mate "Evil Dave". Now Evil shoots a Compound and is the best and most knowledable Hunter I have ever seen. He teaches me something each and every Hunt !!!!!!!!!
The Weather was a little funny for this time of Year !!! There where Thunder Storms in the Days Prior to the Hunt which lead to High Humidity. It got Hot enough Saturday Arvo that I felt Crook from the Heat and my Heart was not in the Hunt, walked away from Shot opportunities. It got "Cold Cold" about 3.30 every Morning, a little Rain while we where in a back Paddock. Full Moon so bright you could see Colour, The Wind Blowing steady 20 Knots most of Sunday Night and Monday until mid afternoon which had the Game on Edge and in thick cover - no point Hunting. The Wind was Gusting to 30 Knots.
When we left for Home at 5.30 am Yesterday– naturally it was perfect Weather for Hunting in the semi Desert conditions. There was also Fires in the district. There had until we decided to go Bush been a bit of a Poor Season but the Storms had Green Pick sprouted everywhere and Water Pooled on the Ground in all the Paddocks. The Tracks where Sloppy enough to restrict our access Saturday morning but dried enough by the Arvo that we could access enough of the property and not tear up the Tracks.
Attachment:
Hunt New Year 2013 002 - Copy.JPG [ 191.68 KiB | Viewed 28 times ]
Attachment:
Daves Billy.JPG [ 181.33 KiB | Viewed 28 times ]
The Storms had brought on a Rut and it was not hard to find the Goats, just stand and listen. As you can see from the photo’s we shot a couple of respectable Goats, sadly small Bodied and the Horns looked Bigger on the Hoof than they Scored when they hit the Ground, mine went 31 1/2 Spread, just under 91Douglas Points. First Arrow through the Heart at 10 metres and 2 more unnecessary Arrows as he ran quartering away, he made it 15 Yards. No great shakes with a stalk, basically I marched up to Him using minimal Cover, stood still for a few minutes waiting for a Shot as he gave a smaller Billy a Hiding who had Challenged his Authority.
I did not bring the Horns Home as I have a Rule to try not to shoot anything smaller than Australian Bowhunting Association Trophy Class for Goats of 95 Douglas Points unless I’m going to eat it. I was not looking for a Skin. It was the Rut and this was the Boss Billy in the Mob and all the testosterone charged Teenagers where challenging Him in-between Raping Nanny’s and he would have been Rank.
After Hunting for 20 Years with Selfbows I am impressed with my new Grozer Magyar Bio Composite Asiatic Recurve. It is Sinew Backed and has a Horn Belly. It zapped Arrows through that Goat like you would not believe a 45# Traditional Bow capable of !!. I used my Hand Planed Queensland Quandong Barrelled Shaft, Vented Black Stump Broadhead 540 gr Mass.
As for Dave’s Goat It took us 45 minutes to sneak into a Mob of 400 plus Goats scattered about a lightly Wooded Clearing. I bailed as it was getting too risky with so many Eyes. As I sat under a Shady Tree and watched Daves progress at times Goats fed / walked or Rutted only a couple metres from where I was sitting. A Billy soorly tempted me with an easy Shot but I let him be as I judged him about the same size as the Billy I shot earlier.
Daves Billy was Running from Nanny to Nanny, picking Fights, fighting of Challenges and the whole time keeping an Eye on Dave. Eventually after a hard and Skillfull Stalk Evil shot his Goat through the front of the Chest. This was the biggest Goat we saw on the Trip, had a 33 1/2' Spread and due to his deep Curles Green Scored near 96 Douglas Points.
We shot them about 2 Kilometres apart in the same Paddock. I shot mine Sunday Morning and Dave’s Monday Arvo. I shot my Billy slightly uphill from where Dave shot his. As you can tell from the Buffel Grass and Herb Ground Cover the low part of the Paddock copped better Rain during the Storms.
Attachment:
Hunt New Year 2013 014 - Copy.JPG [ 135.02 KiB | Viewed 28 times ]
We saw Echidna’s on Sunday Morning and Monday Arvo at different ends of the Property, only ever seen 1 or 2 others in 30 Years of Hunting. If you look closely you can see the Echidna sneaking a Look. Those bits sticking out are it's hind Legs. We could not access the Pig Paddock until late Sunday due to the Wet and only saw 5 or 6 Pigs for the Weekend, unfortunately no luck
regards Jacko
