Hunt Reports

[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]

IMG_20171020_095014-1216x684.jpg

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.

Resized_20171208_194723.jpeg (288.02 KiB) Viewed 5981 times

[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?

[Stix]

I Got access to a new property through a farmer i already shoot for...
I havnt seen bunnies like this for 20 years...
The first night there i arrived at 7.30 & didnt realise i was wasting time along a very long mallee lined track to the farm house...it was riddled with rabbits, so i was slowly picking off the ones that would sit long enough.
From 40yds with the .22, 110+ with the .204 & i got first blood with the new Sako 22-250 at 208yds with a fireforming load-i still hadnt checked the elevation for zero @200 (all i remember was it being slightly high at 100, but i couldnt remember by how much).

The bunny was facing directly away from me with no wind to speak of so this was the perfect target (short of paper) to set the elevation on...so i gave the turret a couple of clicks up & held firm on the back of the bunnies lower head/upper neck, squeezed off & heard that lovely "pop"...

Bingo..!!...good guess on the elevation...! & she's now zero'd...!
Here's that bunny...

First blood Sako 22-250

2017-12-18 00.42.47.jpg (541.5 KiB) Viewed 6030 times

Im pretty happy with that...!

The next night i had a blast with the 204, but it was too much for that little gun.
Went to a different spot & didnt have to move..i sat there at sunset/dusk & shot 30 odd rabbits...it was (almost) getting boring & i needed 2 more rifles to let barrels cool in between 'groups'...infact the .22 Hornet i dont own yet would have been an ideal challenge.
Here's a 204 bunny...they do look pretty spectacular through the scope dont they...!!!

.204 32z gn Zmax 110yds

2017-12-18 00.39.48.jpg (498.1 KiB) Viewed 6030 times

Love a view like this...

2017-12-18 19.32.45.jpg (378.47 KiB) Viewed 6030 times

Here's some from evening 2...with the .22 & .204.

A fruitful sunset...

2017-12-18 00.37.42.jpg (550.36 KiB) Viewed 6030 times

The population are in pretty good nick...most are adolescents but the adults are prime too...chech out the fat on them... (not common around here).

In good nick...

2017-12-18 19.36.08.jpg (341.94 KiB) Viewed 6030 times

With the exception of this one...think i did it a favour...

Not so good nick...

2017-12-18 00.39.17.jpg (555.32 KiB) Viewed 6030 times

Not so good nick...

2017-12-18 00.38.41.jpg (441.41 KiB) Viewed 6030 times

The .204 again...a real tool of anatomy...

.204 110 yds

2017-12-18 19.35.17.jpg (395.7 KiB) Viewed 6030 times

All in all had a great time, even if i was by myself...
Here's some of the harvest...

Some of the harvest.

2017-12-18 00.34.24.jpg (1.31 MiB) Viewed 6030 times

Under the built in verandah of the old farm house we stay in, there is a resident sleepy who emerged for a feed while i was dressing out the last mornings kill...i like to meet & share with the locals.
So i gave him a prime cut of heart & lung, & esophagus...

Sharing fruits of the harvest with the locals...

2017-12-18 00.48.01.jpg (193.3 KiB) Viewed 6030 times

I know its only boring bunnies, but i had a cracker of a time...hell they are great fun to shoot, especially when they are in such numbers that you can pick & choose.

Gotta love lightning warnings on a mine sight...im stuck in the crib room & cant get to the vehicle to get underground for work...
Instead i have to sit here drinking coffee posting stuff on enough gun...

[Hoot]

Looks like a hell of a good time to me Stix, you keeping the meat to make some stews out of?

[winton]

I know its only boring bunnies,

Awesome report Stix. Not boring now that Calici-virus's being released.

[marksman]

good job stix
and I really like that stock mate, great fiddle back

[Bigjobss]

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?

Two weeks ago 8/12 after the cold and wet snap that was hyped up.
Still plenty cold at 1800m anyway!

[Stix]

Looks like a hell of a good time to me Stix, you keeping the meat to make some stews out of?

Yea mate i kept all of that meat...
I have/will give a heap away to people/friends that want some...
Ive run out of freezer room for now so the ol'man takes the excess & joints it up, discards the ribs & can store it in his butchers freezer.

There was only 2 full size bucks & one milky doe in that lot, & weren't old at all--thet still skun out like babies...
5 full grown in total, so most of the meat is young juicy & tender.

Good for frying, baking, or anything really when its that young.

Ive already crumbed 2 of them--was good eatin...!
Ill probably bone a couple out too...

[Stix]

I know its only boring bunnies,

Awesome report Stix. Not boring now that Calici-virus's being released.

Thanks winton...yes the virus has played a part...ive not been lucky with access to bunnies like this since before the original virus was released, so it was like xmas for me...
And although i missed a few shots, the misses were full misses, so not one bunny got away with even a graze...
Cheers mate.

[Stix]

good job stix
and I really like that stock mate, great fiddle back

Thanks marksman...

Yes the stock is a nice one. Its a shame it doesnt have any great figure in it also, but having ssis that im not complaining...in fact im quite fond of it.
Cheers marksman.

[YoungBuck]

Been at my relo's house for a few nights over Christmas, they own 650 acres which I was pretty wrapped with

Below is what I ended up with from 2 nights of hunting. The other shooter who was with me also got another 2 hares, didn't get a photo of them.

[Stix]

Good on ya...!!

Im jealous though...im stuck 1km underground for 12 hrs a day while you get to go shoot'n...!

What you bowl them over with...?

[YoungBuck]

The Ruger American Rimfire in .22 Mag mate. The night we got 3, the wind was blowing like crazy and they came in pretty easily. Went out 2 nights later and it was a clear and still night, ended up seeing 6 or 7 foxes under the light but just could not get them within 100m.

[Oldbloke]

Good one YB.
I haven't seen a fox last three jaunts. But most of my spots are near towns. Should get out Monday. Will venture further north next week. You know where. Heres hoping.
Nothing like a dead fox to lift the spirits.

[Bent Arrow]

Paddock to plate. Home-made goat burgers with chips and salad from our veggie garden. This is why I hunt.

_20171229_215544.JPG (393.71 KiB) Viewed 6590 times

_20171229_215631.JPG (335.29 KiB) Viewed 6590 times

_20171229_215705.JPG (731.38 KiB) Viewed 6590 times

[Gwion]

Goat burgers... there's an idea i might have to try.

[Bent Arrow]

Goat burgers... there's an idea i might have to try.

My kids love them

[Stix]

The Ruger American Rimfire in .22 Mag mate. The night we got 3, the wind was blowing like crazy and they came in pretty easily. Went out 2 nights later and it was a clear and still night, ended up seeing 6 or 7 foxes under the light but just could not get them within 100m.

Bummer...you may have put the shi(t)s up them the first night.
Im a fan of 22-250 for foxes (although its over kill-a .222/223 is more than ample), but one day get yourself a 22 cal c/f & you'll bowl them all over...

[Stix]

Hey bentarrow...this is a hunt report thread--not a white goods sales thread...! (PS-i have the same toaster but mine is a blue one)

Now i have to go buy a mincer to convert some of this goat stock to mince...thanks for the further expense...!!!

20kg's of goat-vaccuum packed.

2017-12-30 10.33.54.jpg (349.63 KiB) Viewed 6562 times

Seriously though, do you have a recipe...?
...add other meat like pork...?
...or just all goat meat...?
...im keen to see how it goes in bog sauce...you tried that...?
Also, have you tried older billy...?
I kept the back legs of a big 4 tooth billy to experiment with (he didnt smell too bad at all...!) & i havnt decided what to do with it yet--probably curry--but mincing might be an option too...
Sorry for 20 questions...

[Bent Arrow]

I like the look of your freezer. I'm having what Steve Rinella calls a meat crisis at the moment. Must get out and fill it up again but he boy is hooked on smacking bunnies with the air rifle at the moment.

Those burgers are pretty plain: 1kg mince, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 2 eggs, medium chopped spring onion, salt, pepper, table spoon of Worcestershire sauce. Add any spices you like if you want some zing. Make the patties, roll them in a bit of plain flour so they don't stick to each other and stick them aside in the fridge for a couple of hours. Chuck em on the BBQ and your good to go.

I was going to make spag bog tonight but the boy has asked if we can have burgers again......

When you buy the mincer, get a pie maker as well. Goat pies are fantastic

I never bother taking meat from billies for human consumption, I generally target younger nannies. The farmer is averaging $100 per goat so I leave the billies alone as they are bigger and worth more to him alive than they are to me in my freezer......keeps everyone happy.