walking hunts, what to take?

Game hunting and large prey. Deer stalking, hunting with hounds. Boar, pigs etc., large prey, culling, hunting large feral animals.

Re: walking hunts, what to take?

Post by sungazer » 04 Apr 2018, 5:11 pm

Yes location, location, location. In Vic we dont really have any problems with ticks much more likely to get leaches so its good to know your area and go prepared accordingly.

PS I have been a GPS geek from the day they were available. I used them at work. I ended up getting a standalone Bluetooth device many years ago and then had Oziexplorer loaded on a windows phone. You had to scan your own topo maps and calibrate them.
I bought all the 60-70's maps for Cambodia, Viet Nam, and Thailand and exported a bike over there and rode some great places that were only on old maps great stuff.
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Re: walking hunts, what to take?

Post by Rod_outbak » 04 Apr 2018, 6:04 pm

I dont do the sort of hunting trips people are discussing here...

My idea of a hunting trip is I generally drive out, see something pokkable, pokk it, and drive on.
Night time; Drive out, switch on shooting spotlights, drive, see something pokkable, pokk it, and drive on.
Some days, I open the front door, see something pokkable, pokk it, and then drag it away so it doesnt stink the house out.

So, what I take out with me tends to be more immediate gear like 2-way radio, water, sunscreen, extra ammo, pliers, knife, etc.
Different story if I ever needed to base myself somewhere, and walk to hunt.

A few years back, we bought a set of Garmin Rino 650 combo UHF radios & GPS.
If you have few people with these units, you can have them 'chirp' each other, and update locations on their map(s).
[They send an update via UHF radio every few minutes].
They can also send text messages between units as well.
Another neat feature was they can have 'Birdseye' satellite imagery loaded onto the GPS, and so you have a satellite image underneath whatever other map you have in the SD data slot. If you had a Topo map as your plug-in map, you have a VERY nice navigation tool. Barometric altimeter and electronic magnetic compass as well.
The Li-Ion battery runs the unit for over a day, but you can also fit an alkaline battery pack, which gives you the option of using AA batteries instead.

We thought they would be brilliant for when we are fighting bushfires; if a few neighbours also had these units, we could keep tabs on each other, despite being on the other side of the fire at night.
However, it turns out Garmin bastardized the setup of the UHF radios, when it came to updating location. Initially, Garmin had the Rino's set so they wouldnt talk in Simplex mode AT ALL, on any of the dedicated duplex channels. This meant that you couldnt make a simplex transmission on any of the 32 (out of 80) repeater send/receive channels.
The thing is; Garmin were adamant that they were simply complying with federal communications laws, but as we pointed out, Simplex operation is only banned on those channels when there is a repeater operating in that area.
We also pointed out that no other UHF radio is crippled in this fashion, and that the choice to use the radio in Simplex mode REALLY had to be the responsibility of the user.
Garmin didnt care... Apparently the FCC laws in the US were like this, and so Australia was too...
At about the point when I was boxing the units to send back to the (very apologetic) supplier, we get a firmware update, which removes the restriction.
However, they still refuse to allow the units do the location update 'chirps' on any of the repeater channels, so they havent ended up being any real use for firefighting in the way we envisaged. When we are fighting bushfires, we use the UHF channel of the property the fire is located on, and so we cant pick & choose the UHF channel without confusing a lot of people.
I downloaded satellite imagery for the homestead here, and when I tested it outside between 2 sheds, my location on the image was right to within a few feet.

They havent been the best for what we wanted, but as a navigation tool for walking/hunting, I reckon they would be freaking awesome. Always handy to keep a map and compass as backup, but I'd happily take one of the Rino's as my primary Nav-Aid.
I think the latest model is a Garmin Rino 750, but I havent looked at one in the flesh.
I bought mine through Johnny Appleseed GPS; he was very good to deal with, and I have bought a number of GPS units through him over the years.
https://www.ja-gps.com.au/Garmin/rino-7 ... -handheld/
Not cheap; $750!
They do also seem to sell a monochrome screen version; a Rino 700, which is around the $430 mark. Dont know what the satellite imagery would look like on that screen, though.

Food for thought, anyway. If I was doing a lot of walking, this is a pretty handy piece of gear.

Cheers,

Rod.
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Re: walking hunts, what to take?

Post by sungazer » 04 Apr 2018, 7:11 pm

The Oziexplorer is hands on hard work. you have to get the map scan it which may have to be done in 6-8 sections then joined in photoshop ect. then calibrated and loaded on to your device. The good points are it operates on a PC, windows CE phones, Android haven't checked other platforms. so it is for the enthusiast with a bit of knowledge. However you can use any map of any scale. Anyway enough off topic. I tend only to walk a short distance from base camp these days so it is a very light pack.
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Re: walking hunts, what to take?

Post by Rod_outbak » 05 Apr 2018, 6:17 am

You can buy a micro SD-card product called TopoDude, which gives a detailed topo map of each state($69/state).
It seems the Topodude product is compatible with OziExplorer.
They also sell an Australia-wide version for $199.

Apparently NOT compatible with Garmin or Magellan GPS units.

Garmin also sell a product called Garmin TOPO Australia NZ MicroSD V5 Maps($179), which is pretty much the same thing for Garmin GPS units.

Again; IF I was doing a lot of these sorts of hunting trips, I'd reckon the combined features of the Rino(UHF radio with messaging functions, combined Topo/Satellite Map GPS, barometric altimeter and electronic compass) would make it a handy addition. As always; map and compass would be handy backup.

My 2 cents.

Cheers,

Rod.
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Sharing the extreme love with cats in Outback QLD
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Re: walking hunts, what to take?

Post by Archie » 05 Apr 2018, 10:35 am

Rod_outbak wrote:You can buy a micro SD-card product called TopoDude, which gives a detailed topo map of each state($69/state).
It seems the Topodude product is compatible with OziExplorer.
They also sell an Australia-wide version for $199.

Apparently NOT compatible with Garmin or Magellan GPS units.

Garmin also sell a product called Garmin TOPO Australia NZ MicroSD V5 Maps($179), which is pretty much the same thing for Garmin GPS units.

Again; IF I was doing a lot of these sorts of hunting trips, I'd reckon the combined features of the Rino(UHF radio with messaging functions, combined Topo/Satellite Map GPS, barometric altimeter and electronic compass) would make it a handy addition. As always; map and compass would be handy backup.

My 2 cents.

Cheers,

Rod.


I regret not buying the Rino when I bought my GPS. I sometimes take a UHF handheld but it's just another piece of kit to cart around, combined features make sense.
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Re: walking hunts, what to take?

Post by Bigjobss » 05 Apr 2018, 7:21 pm

The garmin topo maps are great, amazing detail on them.

If you are on a budget look at:
http://shonkylogic.net/shonkymaps/
Google shonky maps, nothing shonky just a guy that has created free maps you can download, they are pretty popular. Not bad for free but lacking some detail, I used them for a while.
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Re: walking hunts, what to take?

Post by Littlegem » 05 Apr 2018, 9:02 pm

Rod_outbak wrote:Dealing with ticks:-
A recent visitor discovered he had returned home with a whole crop of tiny seed ticks attached(crawling around in the dirt at one stage). By the time he had realised what the itch was about, he had scratched the area a few times, and it was beginning to look like a war zone…
His wife is a pharmacists assistant, and suggested using the cream they use for the treatment for Scabies.
Scabies is a TINY burrowing parasitic mite, which can end up infesting most of your skin, if left untreated.

Well, it turns out the Scabies mites are closely related to ticks…

Reccommendation is to use a cream containing PERMETHRIN, such as "Lyclear Scabies Cream". The instructions(for Scabies) detail covering your whole body with the stuff, but for treating ticks, you just apply it to the tick bite.

Reports are the ticks were all dead and dropping off(complete with head) inside 10 minutes, and the cream even halts the maddening itch of the bites where you scratched the tick off, and the head remains.

The cream received the BIG thumbs-up from my visitor.

A tube of the Lyclear Scabies Cream is around $15 from your chemist, and doesn’t require a doctors script.

Just be warned; there is another treatment option for Scabies, which I believe is a lotion, with Ivermectin in it.
Ivermectin is used as an external parasitic treatment on cattle, and while I'm sure it works just as well on humans, I read that a lot of people suffer reactions to the Ivermectin-based lotion.
(Mind you; that is when treating Scabies over large areas of skin, so maybe not as obvious when treating individual ticks).

Plan C, is if you own cattle, go backline yourself with a shot of Paramax, and ride it out…

And now, I have to go and scratch like crazy, because talking about ticks just makes me start itching…

Flies:-
If you were walking around here at present (Western QLD), you'd be squirting insect repellent directly into your eyes, in the futile hope that you might stop the black flies from annoying the phuk out of you.. I noticed that they are much more intense in the trees along the creeks at present.
I had 3 different brands of tropical strength repellent on the other day, and the bloody flies were still crawling into my eyes.
Might be worth having a fly-veil tucked away somewhere (Not really knowing if flies are a problem in your part of the world...).

Water:
I'd also suggest water purifier tablets. Rainwater tanks can easily have something in them that gives you a guts-ache for days, so I'd be treating any water I used along the way.

A few spare plastic garbage bags are extremely handy. A small roll of them weighs next to nothing, they can be used as padding to make a pack quiet, and there are million things you can use them for in an emergency.

My 2 cents.

Cheers,

Rod.

Thats some pretty in depth info and I'll def have to pick up some permthrin just to keep around definitely good too know
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Re: walking hunts, what to take?

Post by Littlegem » 05 Apr 2018, 9:04 pm

sungazer wrote:Yes location, location, location. In Vic we dont really have any problems with ticks much more likely to get leaches so its good to know your area and go prepared accordingly.

PS I have been a GPS geek from the day they were available. I used them at work. I ended up getting a standalone Bluetooth device many years ago and then had Oziexplorer loaded on a windows phone. You had to scan your own topo maps and calibrate them.
I bought all the 60-70's maps for Cambodia, Viet Nam, and Thailand and exported a bike over there and rode some great places that were only on old maps great stuff.

In nsw mate but I'm more curious what people carry, and what they have learnt over the years, I'm only new to all this so trying to soak in as much as possible
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Re: walking hunts, what to take?

Post by Littlegem » 05 Apr 2018, 9:09 pm

sungazer wrote:The Oziexplorer is hands on hard work. you have to get the map scan it which may have to be done in 6-8 sections then joined in photoshop ect. then calibrated and loaded on to your device. The good points are it operates on a PC, windows CE phones, Android haven't checked other platforms. so it is for the enthusiast with a bit of knowledge. However you can use any map of any scale. Anyway enough off topic. I tend only to walk a short distance from base camp these days so it is a very light pack.

I use ozi and hema explorer on phone and tablet for all my 4wd mapping, agree its great when you learn to use it but takes a bit of time.

Also want to thank everyone again even though I'm not responding individually etc i am reading all the comments and love your works gents thanks for the info
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Re: walking hunts, what to take?

Post by winton » 09 Apr 2018, 12:05 pm

Archie wrote:This plus just highlighting that the GPS device is compulsory and you need to have the allowable zones map loaded on to it.

And personally I reckon enough ammo is about 10 rounds but I guess it varies on what you are hunting. Call it one full magazine plus enough that if you drop your gun you can check your zero (which is technically not allowed in state forests but anyway...).
.


A few questions for Archie:
1st) How do you load the allowable zones into your satnav? Can you get these for garmin?
2nd) How would anyone tell the difference between you checking zero and you firing at game?


What do you guys do about leeches here in Vic?
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Re: walking hunts, what to take?

Post by Archie » 09 Apr 2018, 12:50 pm

winton wrote:
Archie wrote:This plus just highlighting that the GPS device is compulsory and you need to have the allowable zones map loaded on to it.

And personally I reckon enough ammo is about 10 rounds but I guess it varies on what you are hunting. Call it one full magazine plus enough that if you drop your gun you can check your zero (which is technically not allowed in state forests but anyway...).
.


A few questions for Archie:
1st) How do you load the allowable zones into your satnav? Can you get these for garmin?
2nd) How would anyone tell the difference between you checking zero and you firing at game?


What do you guys do about leeches here in Vic?


1/ You can download the data files from the NSW DPI website when you log on using your r-licence. They do have the right files for garmin. Once you load them onto your laptop you can transfer the file to your Garmin once you have plugged that into the USB. You then need to enable it in the garmin, which you do via selecting active maps, same as you switch the topo map on or off. If that isn't clear I will write something in more detail but I'm away for a few weeks so don't have access to my garmin till i get back
2/ Look... realistically, they probably can't. If they just see you shooting they'll never be able to be sure you weren't shooting at game that they couldnt see. But if you put out a target or fire off ten rounds and keep adjusting your scope in between I reckon it'll give them a clue. In the vast majority of cases when you hunt in a state forest you never see another person, so it'll probably never be an issue anyway.
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Re: walking hunts, what to take?

Post by winton » 08 Aug 2018, 12:11 pm

did anyone leave out Gaiters, or has it already been suggested?
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Re: walking hunts, what to take?

Post by RoginaJack » 08 Aug 2018, 6:20 pm

++ spare batteries.
Boom, Boom! Tikka, Tikka, Boom! Shoot first, video later.
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