Horses culled by SSAA Hunting party

[deanp100]

Probably had the horse paddock on some good water. The crime scene ( for want of a better term) was 4 km from house.Not real far away.

[marksman]

not a fan of the ssaa but l'm calling BS as well,
if these guys had been shooting illegally their feet would not have touched the ground on there way to the clink
on big properties like this you are given maps and very clear instructions where and where not to shoot

Which part is bulls... the part where it happened, the part where they were ssaa, the part where they went where they shouldn’t have or the part where a ssaa shooter got 30 hits in a row. It happened, they were ssaa cull members , they went where they shouldn’t have and they shot a lot of horses.

to answer your question just read my post again if the police can charge you with an offence they do it especially if it is cut and dry
it all comes out in the wash and l agree with the sporting shooter article that Blade put up something smells fishy about the whole story,
read Blades second post

[Kelsey Cooter]

"29 horses, there were. It was the SSAA’s NT branch, who had an arrangement with the station to rock on down and shoot. Pigs, not horses. The shooters were shown a map with the station in the middle, in the centre of a circle with a 10km radius. Told there was to be no banging inside the circle, to which they agreed.

They found the horses 4.4km from the station centre, shot them all and then tried to drag some of the carcasses away and hide them before giving up, going back to the station and telling them they ‘maybe shot some horses they shouldn’t have’."

[Kelsey Cooter]

I'm really interested too hear more about this when all the actual facts and events are available. It sounds like there is alot of emotion caught up in the story at the moment.

It sounds to me like it really did happen, as even ssaa Darwin has commented, but it's all being a bit exaggerated at the moment because horses are involved.

Even if the shooters had no idea what they were doing, the stupidity involved is incredible.

I think either way the ssaa farmer assist program is finished

This is a better story to read
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.abc.ne ... e/12703984

[Farmerpete]

Being stock horses they would be trained not to bolt at loud sounds, the last thing you want when cracking a whip or putting down a cow is the horse bolting and you being left to enjoy the walk back to the homestead.

[Bill]

Being stock horses they would be trained not to bolt at loud sounds, the last thing you want when cracking a whip or putting down a cow is the horse bolting and you being left to enjoy the walk back to the homestead.

Yeap this, there is also a perception that unless a horse can run fast then they dont have alot of value. Bloodline, training etc all immensely increase a horses value. My boss daughter poured her heart n soul into a young horse that had a knack for jumping fences, sold it for $4 million a few years back.

Id imagine the grief the station family is going thru would be tremendous

[Grandadbushy]

Sounds like these horses had just been put out to spell after the seasons muster, cut manes and bob tailed , these shooters would have known these horses were working horses just by sight, correct me if i'm wrong but this sounds like just indiscriminate shooting and it's correct what the lady said these horses ''Working horses'' are the friends and life blood of a station. It doesn't matter what is possible , what isn't possible when and if shooting animals domestic or otherwise, these idiots have stood on the very foundation of what all gun owners are trying to up hold, the ssaa also failed in their duty in allowing these idiots to participate in the program, and on saying this i hope for the sakes of shooters, gun owners, property owners and the like, these idiots and the ssaa are made an example of so as to show that we as a body will not tolerate this kind of stupidity in no way shape or form

[TassieTiger]

I had a very open mind on this and like many - more questions...having now read GDB posts with his advanced experience - I’m starting to agree...very strange.
Do we know if feral meant horses or other or combination of ?
Either way - if you’ve got ppl shooting and there is even a remote chance of your favourite pet wandering near by - you just wouldn’t do it...

[animalpest]

The post says that the horses were not humanely killed. So you can assume some were shot anywhere but in a kill zone.

Horses running, bullets hitting anywhere. And we are assuming the choice of calibre etc was appropriate but who knows.

This could be a case of blazing away, just as some "sporting" shooters do. As a person who has culled thousands of horses and other large herbivores, I can tell you that mental attitude is almost everything.

[deanp100]

The comp horse was gut shot, allegedly. The Abc podcast said they were shot around a trough, which would explain why they were all in a group.

[mchughcb]

The post says that the horses were not humanely killed. So you can assume some were shot anywhere but in a kill zone.

Horses running, bullets hitting anywhere. And we are assuming the choice of calibre etc was appropriate but who knows.

This could be a case of blazing away, just as some "sporting" shooters do. As a person who has culled thousands of horses and other large herbivores, I can tell you that mental attitude is almost everything.

Are you a pro?

[Grandadbushy]

deanp100 yes you are exactly right mate , if they were de shod ,bang tailed and manes cut then they would have been put out to spell as the lady said and around water and unfortunately they ''horses'' would be at their quietest for the season and easy pickins. ''THERE IS NO PLACE FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN'T TELL DOMESTIC FROM FERAL ANIMALS IN FERAL SHOOTING '' if your not sure then ''DON'T FEKEN SHOOT IT'' simple you only have to have a single digit IQ to know that so it says something for those blokes and the SSAA for choosing them. ''Nuf said''

[Grandadbushy]

Just take it a little easy there animalpest ,this type of shooter is very rare lets not start naming ''sports'' shooters or any other type of shooter for that matter those that do this are individuals and will remain so now, because i doubt they'll ever own a gun or licence again and if things don't go their way ,they won't be able to afford one.

[TassieTiger]

The post says that the horses were not humanely killed. So you can assume some were shot anywhere but in a kill zone.

Horses running, bullets hitting anywhere. And we are assuming the choice of calibre etc was appropriate but who knows.

This could be a case of blazing away, just as some "sporting" shooters do. As a person who has culled thousands of horses and other large herbivores, I can tell you that mental attitude is almost everything.

I’ve not seen any shooters just blaze away, other than vids from USA...most of ppl I see are calculated and calm.
We don’t really know enough about this...speculation is all we have.

[Member-Deleted]

Not to step on toes or get anyone in trouble.... but this sounds like an insurance job...

Probably through SSAA insurance.. But what do I know.. I'm probably very wrong and nobody involved should pay attention to me and shouldn't take this comment seriously.

[RUGGA]

The horses ive shot in the NT were very docile. Some even came back to the scene while i was collecting meat. I guess it's all hunting/shooting pressure,

In my limited experience (50 or so animals) I wouldn't expect station horses to act too different from ferals when being shot. If these blokes have had access to Parks and stations through the NT pest management programs, culling hundreds of horses a day that often just milled about could be normal for them.

Being in the wrong area, shooting animals that clearly have had a clean up and trim, and specifically being told there are station horses to avoid.....is a massive F up.
So many checks to make before pulling a trigger.

[TassieTiger]

Not to step on toes or get anyone in trouble.... but this sounds like an insurance job...

Probably through SSAA insurance.. But what do I know.. I'm probably very wrong and nobody involved should pay attention to me and shouldn't take this comment seriously.

IF it is, then I’d expect those whom are paying SSAA $35 a year for firearm insurance to be paying a bit more post this lol

[Member-Deleted]

Not to step on toes or get anyone in trouble.... but this sounds like an insurance job...

Probably through SSAA insurance.. But what do I know.. I'm probably very wrong and nobody involved should pay attention to me and shouldn't take this comment seriously.

IF it is, then I’d expect those whom are paying SSAA $35 a year for firearm insurance to be paying a bit more post this lol

I wouldn't :p maybe it was a favour to the station owners who do favours for SSAA, wouldn't surprise me if stuff like this is more common than is reported :p SSAA may need to put some more rules in their farmer assist program but that'd probably be it.

[TassieTiger]

My bad. I see your point now - yes, a distinct possibility.
“Hey fellas, whilst your out there, can you knock a few of those over as well as they are worth more dead than alive...”
“Err - sounds dodgy, what’s in it for us?
“Well...You want to come back shooting here dont you ? Look, you short em, I’ll maybe whinge for a week or two, crying how bad you bastards are, will all blow over and I’ll buy half doz cartons once dust settles, you in?“
Click, clack, of the bolt action lol.

[Member-Deleted]

My bad. I see your point now - yes, a distinct possibility.
“Hey fellas, whilst your out there, can you knock a few of those over as well as they are worth more dead than alive...”
“Err - sounds dodgy, what’s in it for us?
“Well...You want to come back shooting here dont you ? Look, you short em, I’ll maybe whinge for a week or two, crying how bad you bastards are, will all blow over and I’ll buy half doz cartons once dust settles, you in?“
Click, clack, of the bolt action lol.

Exactly :p or they could put in a good word and convince other farmers to get on board the farmers assist program.

[Farmerpete]

I highly doubt the insurance would cover it, they didn't have permission to shoot where they shot making their actions illegal or highly questionable at least, insurance companies are notorious for finding any way out of paying up. If this was a scam you'd make sure that the horses were in the target area.

[Blr243]

Finding new hunting blocks just got a lot more difficult allover Australia

[trekin]

OK, now everyone knows that horse's will sometimes stand around in a situations like this, and sometimes they will do the bolt. But, how many of you know that horses, like all herd animals will, and can, turn and attack someone/thing that they perceive as a danger or threat? I can say from personal expierence that 15-20 horses with the lust up, and determined to protect their own are not detered by .308's being fired into the air, or over their heads. They'll keep charging the threat down trying to trample, bite, kick the threat to death, or until you tree yourself long enough that the horses believe the threat is no longer, and that can be a very long time.

[eddievic]

The other thing is what time were they shot. Dure i can see well during day, but at night time i dunno if nighvision shows up the well done main.

Don't stop the fact they were shooting in the wrong area

[Grandadbushy]

Well to me there's still something not right with this goings on , these idiots ,to me would or must have been asked to dispose of some horses further out and accidently got in too close and shot the wrong ones, otherwise why would they shoot horses when horses weren't the target, there is some stupid people out there but christ nobody is that stupid, it's going to be interesting to find out what actually happened , I agree with Farmerpete, I doubt insurance if that's the case would pay out , it pays on loss or damage to property not on stupidity, whether accidental or otherwise, i'll tell you something though i wouldn't like to be in the SSAA or the 2 idiots boots at the moment but anyway best just sit back and see what eventuates and actually happened , and i'm surprised there wasn't more about it on the media they usually run with stuff like this, anyway nuff said for now.

[Skinna]

Well, i may as well join in with a speculative comment...but given there isnt enough factual info available, that all it is, speculation from my point.

On the surface, it looks to me as if a couple of trigger happy blokes have got a farmer assist job & had it in their heads that they can go shoot anything...
Its easy to get disorientated with distance when out in those vast areas, especially if youre not accustomed to it.

Not that the mallee region of SE Aus is comparable to station country, but as an example, I shoot on some paddocks in the mallee, that are as big as most farms the average once or twice a year bunny & fox plinker get to shoot on in close-ish proximity to the cities. Take those guys out in that terrain & they get lost in the first stubble paddock, loose all sense of direction & distance, dont know boundaries & have a hard time grasping that it may take me 2 hrs to loop one half of a property with a spotlight, provided we dont shoot anything...you may be a "good shooter", but if youre not familiar with vast areas getting out of place is easy done.
And in this case, 4km away from a homestead would seem an eternity to those only or mostly used to hunting the typical 400-1000 acre lots.

So if these blokes are a couple of shooters who landed a job, & who have heard all the tales of "shoot anything", along with being inexperienced at shooting in wide open & vast territory, not to mention, (as it sounds may be the case), not have experience in culling horses or be in harmony with their behavior, this disaster could easily happen..!
So they may well call themselves "seasoned shooters", but that doesnt mean they are good at what they were doing.

But, as marksman says...they obviously werent deemed to be breaking the law--or they would already be locked up & the story would have hit the media in a bigger way with 'illegal shooting' & 'firearms offenses' being the slogans driving the headlines.

Anyway...this type of thing happens more than we think...it is just kept quiet...

Maybe in this case someone isnt happy to be "appeased".

It'll be interesting to see what the story is & what happens about it.

[animalpest]

mchughcb - yes I am.
If you looked at the bottom of my post you would see I am. 40 years experience and a former government firearms instructor for an agency that shot tens of thousands of animals per year. And I was responsible for control/management of feral horses, camels, pigs etc for the whole State so I have seen, heard and investigated many terrible reports.

I have seen too many shooters get over excited when there is a mob of animals to shoot to know that some people just start blazing away when the action starts.

The report of inhumane deaths, gut shot animals (if true) are examples of that. You may expect charges of Animal cruelty may be added.

Whilst there are fine examples of hunters and shooters doing great work, there is vast differences in real life experience of shooting animals. This one of the problems with SSAA Farmer Assist - life's like a box of chocolates

In large scale or mass culling programs that require rapid shooting of animals, the old saying of "everyone has a plan until the first shot is fired" can be very real.

[mchughcb]

Okay understand where you are coming from. Must be terrible to have to investigate all those cases where the "pros" have been to find out they were really amateur's. What we need is more professional training to bring up the standard.

[Bill]

I lost access to 100,000 acres of arguably some of the best Pig country in NW NSW after an idiot spotlighting put a couple of 223 rounds into a prized Bull that was bedded down behind a log. Either way actions of a few idiots can fark it up for all.

[bladeracer]

Take those guys out in that terrain & they get lost in the first stubble paddock, loose all sense of direction & distance, dont know boundaries & have a hard time grasping that it may take me 2 hrs to loop one half of a property with a spotlight, provided we dont shoot anything...you may be a "good shooter", but if youre not familiar with vast areas getting out of place is easy done.

I had a look at a place yesterday where I estimate it would take me more than an hour to travel 600m