Hunt Reports

[Pythonkeeper]

This is just my observation over the years, so I could be way off, but allot of animals whether they be mammals, reptiles, birds or fish behave this way during the breeding season, where they'll feed less frequently, change diet preferences or even shut down from feeding completely, they also become more cautious and on edge.

[bigfellascott]

"theyre less likely to come to a whistle but they still need to pee poo and eat and drink."

Correct, and that's what's puzzles me. Why not come into the whistle?

Must be the vibe.

They're paired up through the winter and more interested in loving than eating so although they still have to eat they may not feed as regularly or may be more cautious to get around in daylight hours, males like to stay close to their ladies and can be less inclined to come to the whistle, spring becomes more productive.....in saying that though I've had multiple pairs come in to the whistle on the odd occasion, other (most) times they'll leg it full pace without looking back as soon as you let a call out.

Correct

[YoungBuck]

Good to know. Won't waste my time trying to hunt them for the next few weeks, winter is just about over fortunately.

[bigfellascott]

I had 2 shagging in the middle of the road about a mth back, we'd been out spotlighting the night before, seen SFA and as luck would have it here I am driving home after picking the daughter up from work and come across 2 knotted in the middle of the road, one was trying to run one way and the other the other direction which was never going to work for them anyway one has more pull in it and managed too drag the other one in it's direction

Also out camping about 6wks ago and each night we heard barking and each morning around 5am I'd stick my head out of the swag and sure enough there were foxes wandering by, even surprised 3 one morning but sadly no firearms with me on this trip

[scotty87]

My first successful state forest hunt, looking for fallow deer sign but forest only seems to hold roos and a healthy population of rabbits, was some old goat sign(piles of dry s**t on the fire trails) and very little pig sign, still be a nice place to camp for some early morning bunnies, seems an established area with warrens under piles of old fenceposts and rubble.

this little fellow looked to be in pretty good condition all things considered. shot at about 60yrds with the BRNO fox 2 .222 with hand load 50gr SP

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pretty fun hunting, flush them out of cover and track with the scope on lower power hoping they stop, will take the .22 next time though and try to get some to eat.

[Oldbloke]

Goodonya. Nice looking Brno. Wanted one for yonks. Got a marlin ba now though.

[bigfellascott]

My first successful state forest hunt, looking for fallow deer sign but forest only seems to hold roos and a healthy population of rabbits, was some old goat sign(piles of dry s**t on the fire trails) and very little pig sign, still be a nice place to camp for some early morning bunnies, seems an established area with warrens under piles of old fenceposts and rubble.

this little fellow looked to be in pretty good condition all things considered. shot at about 60yrds with the BRNO fox 2 .222 with hand load 50gr SP

IMG20170920074949.jpg

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pretty fun hunting, flush them out of cover and track with the scope on lower power hoping they stop, will take the .22 next time though and try to get some to eat.

Sounds like a nice spot mate, shame you didn't smack em in the head, still you could take the back legs and make a good feed out of that.

[scotty87]

Yeah next visit I'll have to take a sharp knife and some ice

[bigfellascott]

Yeah next visit I'll have to take a sharp knife and some ice

Yeah too right mate - we found a few running around today whilst out cutting wood so will get the ferrets out soon for a bit of a run.

[Oldbloke]

Which ferret Scott?

[bigfellascott]

Which ferret Scott?

The mates - he's got 3 or 4 of em.

[Stix]

Which ferret Scott?

The mates - he's got 3 or 4 of em.

Id be taking the shotty...!!

[gazza]

I saw this cat take a free bait on the trail camera. They're pretty easy to trap.

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[YoungBuck]

Now thats a big ginger

[Oldbloke]

Great. A dead cat is a good cat.

[Member-Deleted]

Has anybody seen my ginger cat it hasn't been home for a feed for awhile ? lol

[RoginaJack]

Whoops!

[winton]

You guys seen any snakes out and about now in Victoria?

Where abouts?

[Stix]

Not in Vic so cant say...
Have seen none near vics eastern border tho...think they might still wiping their eyes...

Fox pups are bigger/earlier than same time last year in this spot though...
Wacked this one with a mates new .22lr cz on the weekend-first blood for the rifle.

Saw a few more scootin around same size so hopefully have a bit of fun over next few months...

[winton]

Not in Vic so cant say...
Have seen none near vics eastern border tho...think they might still wiping their eyes...
.

Well, it must be warmer up there, so thats still a good sign for Vic.

I really hate snakes.

[MalleeFarmer]

Seen Bloody heaps couple have been unlucky enough to cross the road whilst ive been driving..

[MalleeFarmer]

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Went for a walk with the slug gun for something different this morning.
It was pretty blowy up the farm but I managed two bunnies from 6 shots, doubt I'll bother with it again though.

Thatll learn ya for not taking a 12g. My preferred bunny buster takes 28gr of BM2 and travels at 4000fps

[sungazer]

Yesterday was bloody windy good going. I put off trying some loads out due to the wind. Nearly as bad today.

[YoungBuck]

Got this young vixen this morning in SF west of Melb. I see more bloody foxes by finding them foraging than I do calling them in with the whistle.
I'm either a brilliant stalker or a sh!# house caller!

[Bigjobss]

I posted the mount in another thread but here is the story behind it.

Knocked off work early on Friday after a week of watching the cold and wet weather forecast for the Alpine NP, last chance at a stag for 2017.
Setup camp whilst I nearly stood on a copperhead and around 5pm threw on my gear and went for a look.
Wind was favourable, damp underfoot, about an hour in a solid brown block between a couple trees about 70m away stopped me in my tracks, me out in the open.
I stared at it for ages remembering I had been fooled by tree stumps before, but the colour was wrong.
Put the rifle up, oh s**t a fuzzy stump! No legs or neck visible, dead still and probably aware of my presence but not my location, fark what do I do?

Spotted a tree 10m to my left, if I could make there I would get cover, gun rest and hopefully and angle to ID and a shoot.
Crept about 5m, watching for movement, stopped and put the gun up just in case, he moved suddenly in full view of me now, broadside with his neck craned looking down right at me

My crosshairs were already on his shoulder, adjusted slightly to the left and squeezed, wham he took off downhill, stumbling a bit.
Made it over to where I saw him last and immediately found a chunk of flesh and some frothy blood, marked the spot on my gps, sat down and waited 15 mins before following the trail for 50m and found the spot he dropped dead.
Autopsy showed heart and lungs with a shot through both sides. Boned out his legs, neck and backstraps out and packed out a couple loads, suprisingly wasnt a big bodied animal and me being an idiot left the camera so only got a photo back near camp.

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[juststarting]

Congrats!

[Oldbloke]

Fantastic. Well done.

[Daddybang]

I posted the mount in another thread but here is the story behind it.

Knocked off work early on Friday after a week of watching the cold and wet weather forecast for the Alpine NP, last chance at a stag for 2017.
Setup camp whilst I nearly stood on a copperhead and around 5pm threw on my gear and went for a look.
Wind was favourable, damp underfoot, about an hour in a solid brown block between a couple trees about 70m away stopped me in my tracks, me out in the open.
I stared at it for ages remembering I had been fooled by tree stumps before, but the colour was wrong.
Put the rifle up, oh s**t a fuzzy stump! No legs or neck visible, dead still and probably aware of my presence but not my location, fark what do I do?

Spotted a tree 10m to my left, if I could make there I would get cover, gun rest and hopefully and angle to ID and a shoot.
Crept about 5m, watching for movement, stopped and put the gun up just in case, he moved suddenly in full view of me now, broadside with his neck craned looking down right at me

My crosshairs were already on his shoulder, adjusted slightly to the left and squeezed, wham he took off downhill, stumbling a bit.
Made it over to where I saw him last and immediately found a chunk of flesh and some frothy blood, marked the spot on my gps, sat down and waited 15 mins before following the trail for 50m and found the spot he dropped dead.
Autopsy showed heart and lungs with a shot through both sides. Boned out his legs, neck and backstraps out and packed out a couple loads, suprisingly wasnt a big bodied animal and me being an idiot left the camera so only got a photo back near camp.

Resized_20171208_194723.jpeg

Nice work!! but I gotta say he looks a bit skinny!!!

[Bigjobss]

Cheers

[winton]

Knocked off work early on Friday after a week of watching the cold and wet weather forecast for the Alpine NP, last chance at a stag for 2017.

Wow, when was this? tail end of winter?