Hunting skills - tips & traps anyone?

[bladeracer]

Hey there BBSS,, when looking at the pic of the open country I'd have to say,,,,, If you don't already have a good thermal,, save up and get one.
With a good thermal you can pick up game day or night from zero out to 1,600 meters.

And that open country would be ideal for that.
Then you wouldn't have to waste time and energy "walking" it looking for sign.
Much better to get get em while they are there rather than checking out where they've been 6 hrs or 2 days after they've been there.

If there's game there,, at least you know straight away,, and if not you can head to somewhere different and look again.
If you've traveled the long distance to get there, the last thing you need is to waste time walking especially if there is no game at the time.

I think you are leaning more toward culling pests than a day or two of hunting in the bush. Hunting is not just a matter of shooting something, hunting is about being in the bush, with the animals, and if you go home empty-handed you get to do it again sometime.

[Member-Deleted]

Trouble is I’m so scared of loosing it 2500 bucks worth. ... Too much tech detracts from the primitive earthy aspect of why we go bush in the first place .... I do like the idea of useing them to check dams for pigs in summer time prior to putting in the walk there

I like the idea of a drone and a thermal scope too but the upfront costs and the risk of breakage out bush turns me off.

Plus, like you and Bladeracer have said, even if you come back empty handed, you've still had a good day out in the bush.

[Stix]

Trouble is I’m so scared of loosing it 2500 bucks worth. ... Too much tech detracts from the primitive earthy aspect of why we go bush in the first place .... I do like the idea of useing them to check dams for pigs in summer time prior to putting in the walk there

I like the idea of a drone and a thermal scope too but the upfront costs and the risk of breakage out bush turns me off.

Plus, like you and Bladeracer have said, even if you come back empty handed, you've still had a good day out in the bush.

I also think when youve found very fresh sign of whatever youre hunting & dont see or hear a dam thing, that the wonder & curiosity of how close you actually came is a big driver to getting out there again...

Couple years ago on a farm i shoot, i was chasing a fox...same tracks, same territory for 2 years...
One morning I was on his tracks that were so fresh & i knew his territory from cameras & seeing him (or her) at night, & the fact the tracks werent there an hour prior, i knew i had to be on top of him, but that he'd probably already seen me from within the adjacent mallee scrub...

I stopped & whistled a couple of times...but no show...i put a good hour or so into the (at a guess) 400 sq metres area i thought he had to be in...

Next thing i decide to pop my head out on the track side of the strip of scrub & there he is maybe 60 odd yds in front & casually trotting away from me--completely oblivious to my presesne...
Bugger me man, my heart couldve jump started a big hospital back-up deisel gen-set...!!!
Was tempted to whistle & i raised the rifle to let one rip up his clacker, but i wanted the pelt, & the shot wouldve been unlikely to hit the target anyway given how quick that moment played out... but he ducked back into the mallee, so i thought ill clobber him on the other side as he emerges in the paddock...

Well he vanished...literally into thin air...!!!

After waiting patiently for what seemed 3 days...i gave up & started walking back to camp, only to see him out in the paddock trotting back into the mallee with a face full of live tensed up rabbit...

I never saw him again that day & as best i know, he didnt see me either...
I waited some more, but had no luck...

Never got that fox--that i know of anyway...he was probably a victim of the neighbours baiting program in the buildup to the next lambing season....but by-jingo was i pumped to nail him/her/it...
I had a great amount of footage of it--it always sniffed my bait, but never took it--was a smart one... ...I came face to face with it once on foot under light at night & i fired a 22lr sub right over his head while he stand there looking at me wondering what i was...a clean miss at prob 15 yds...
Came face to face with him again one morning right as i took the round out of the chamber on a morning walk & let another 2 desperate shots go at him on the run at over a hundred yds with the 204 that kicked a heap of dirt up under his back legs

God knows how many times he saw me on those morning walks without me knowing...no doubt heaps...its great fun, & although i never got him, those few encounters & the wonder of him outsmarting me are some very fond memories, & among the best i have on that farm to date...!! .
And that fox is a legend in my books...

Sorry for the little tale... ...makes me want to get out there now...!!!

[Die Judicii]

What an incredibly stupid thing to say...

The OP has asked for ideas on how to find game...& you are saying checking out where they have been is a waste of time...
He has already stated that he drives that country & doesnt walk it, yet you say with a thermal he wouldnt waste time walking... ...

It comes as no surprise to me, that you rely on thermal to find game,,,none what-so-ever....because that attitude reflects your knowledge about hunting & finding game....and ive no doubt every single experienced hunter is laughing at you now.

I get that you want to patronise me--i do--because youre like that, but why you insist on making yourself look so stupid by saying things like that is beyond me...

Never-the-less, its most amusing...especially given i continually point it out & you continue to do it...

Now that important things are dealt with I will respond, and type slowly so you can understand.

"What an incredibly stupid thing to say"

The OP had asked for ideas on how to find game,,,,,,, Which is precisely what I had provided.

"He has already stated that he drives that country"

And so looking at the pic, there is ample cover for foxes and rabbits etc,,,,,, so a quick scan with a thermal could reveal them if they are there, so would save time,,,, as I suggested.

"It comes as no surprise to me, that you rely on thermal to find game"

If you do some research (that you obviously do when it suits you) and enlighten yourself if possible,,,, I have many posts showing that I also hunt during daylight hours without thermal technology.

And,,,,,,,,,, I see no indication that "every single experienced hunter is laughing"

SO WHAT IS YOUR PRECISE ANGLE STIX ??????

I have simply provided EXACTLY what the OP had asked for.

I see no other possible explanation,, after seeing your pointless and childish snide comments and futile attempts, to belittle some of my posts.
Excepting,,,,, to bring to light for all members who have noticed such.
However,,,,,,,,,, in 2018 when you picked up on the fact that I was planning a trip that would have involved passing through Adelaide.
At that time you (professing to be a real nice guy) via PMs expressed a keen interest to catch up and do a hunt together etc, etc,

Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond my control, the final part of that trip never eventuated.

There are other (current) members here that were to be included in that trip ,, and are aware of what eventuated and they are OK with what happened.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, But, for some reason that evades common sense,,, you, seem to have taken exception to the outcome,, and have done nothing but have negative and snide comments to / about most of my posts since then.

I really don't know or much care what your issues are.
So, as I've posted previously (whatever floats yer boat) but you continue as if I have done you an injustice.

So,,,,,,,,,,, as of now I will simply block anything from you, and hope as some others here do, that you simply f#ck off into the sunset and do us all a favor.