Go find your own patch.

Varminting and vertebrate pest control. Small game, hunting feral goats, foxes, dogs, cats, rabbits etc.

Go find your own patch.

Post by Elmer » 01 Dec 2019, 4:16 pm

Well,
For ten years now I have been very fortunate to have free access to about 10,000 acres of wabbit country, the best part is I've had it all to myself.....NOT ANYMORE.
The owner has given permission for some other guys to go on there as well, that's all very well and good BUT these blokes have really moved in.
Not only do they go spotlighting but they have decided to turn a patch of about 400 acres into a car and motor bike rally track...ALL IN THE MIDDLE OF PRIME WABBIT COUNTRY.
Talk about making yourselves at home............
These wankers have really moved in, and have even set up a shed and BBQ area for them to play in right where there was a lovely group of large warrens.
I have also noticed the rabbits have become quite skittish due to increased hunting pressure and there a a lot less of them.
On average they go out spot lighting every few weeks, the first night they got over a dozen roos ....Hmm I wonder if they have permits???
Yes I'm pissed off about it ( its like someone finding your favorite gold prospecting patch) but the fact that they have just moved in and taken over really s**ts me off.
Sorry about the rant guys...Has this ever happened to you?
Cheers,
Sean.
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by Die Judicii » 01 Dec 2019, 5:44 pm

I feel for ya Mate.
I am fortunate that I have sole access (legally) to my main hunting property,,, but have twice now caught other people in there
that have just simply driven in and helped themselves.
The owner doesn't approve of these "help themselvers", and we are making plans on how to deal with them.

The very first time was quite funny (for me) as I was sitting in a camo hide right along side a vehicle track in complete
darkness and using only the thermal scope.
Some spotlighters came in and were blasting anything that moved almost.
I waited until their vehicle was virtually alongside of me, and emptied a magazine of .308 into an earth embankment.
I heard a few choice words come out of their ute as it sped off, did a u turn and sped off in pursuit of the front gate.

Being in total darkness and well hidden myself,,, they had no idea where the shots came from.

I reckon their first stop after leaving the property would have been a laundromat. :lol:
I do not fear death itself... Only its inopportune timing!
I've come to realize that,,,,, the two most loving, loyal, and trustworthy females in my entire life were both canines.
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by Blr243 » 01 Dec 2019, 6:08 pm

Reluctantly, I have to share my best place with others but they are all ok and at the end of the day they were there before me. I would hate to have to have to share the place with idiots ..... sometimes I have to hunt in close proximity to a roo shooter. He is always safe because he always has lights on and I always know where he is. But I ride my quad in the dark without lights And I walk the paddocks in the dark without lights. So he has no idea where I am. At times it makes me very nervous. I just hope he is an extremely good shot,
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by sungazer » 01 Dec 2019, 6:20 pm

I try and give poaches a safer but still hopefully threatening encounter by getting out the laser and lighting them up. I have heard back via stories that it has worked very effectively both as in not pleasant to the eyes and on what may follow.
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by Die Judicii » 01 Dec 2019, 6:35 pm

Hey there Elmer,,,,, hopefully Mr Farmer will see the error of his decision, and reverse things.
However,,,,, he sounds like a miserable pr!ck anyway seeing as he never chucked any ammo or fuel money your way
in return for your services over the years.
I do not fear death itself... Only its inopportune timing!
I've come to realize that,,,,, the two most loving, loyal, and trustworthy females in my entire life were both canines.
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Post by bigrich » 01 Dec 2019, 6:59 pm

some folks i know have had big issues with poachers and tresspassers . i don't have a lot of respect for those types :thumbsdown: . as for elmer's situation , i feel for ya . they sound like a bunch of yahoos , sounds like a real shame . at least you've had some good years with the place to yourself .
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Post by bigrich » 01 Dec 2019, 7:01 pm

Die Judicii wrote:Hey there Elmer,,,,, hopefully Mr Farmer will see the error of his decision, and reverse things.
However,,,,, he sounds like a miserable pr!ck anyway seeing as he never chucked any ammo or fuel money your way
in return for your services over the years.


+1 :thumbsup:
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by Elmer » 01 Dec 2019, 7:08 pm

Die Judicii wrote:I feel for ya Mate.
I am fortunate that I have sole access (legally) to my main hunting property,,, but have twice now caught other people in there
that have just simply driven in and helped themselves.
The owner doesn't approve of these "help themselvers", and we are making plans on how to deal with them.

The very first time was quite funny (for me) as I was sitting in a camo hide right along side a vehicle track in complete
darkness and using only the thermal scope.
Some spotlighters came in and were blasting anything that moved almost.
I waited until their vehicle was virtually alongside of me, and emptied a magazine of .308 into an earth embankment.
I heard a few choice words come out of their ute as it sped off, did a u turn and sped off in pursuit of the front gate.

Being in total darkness and well hidden myself,,, they had no idea where the shots came from.

I reckon their first stop after leaving the property would have been a laundromat. :lol:

LOL, mate I would have loved to have seen that...
Yeah, they s**t me alright, not only is their shed there but also 6 beaten up old cars with car bits strewn across the paddock and old tyres used for barriers
These clowns found out about the property when they bought a used motor bike off the farmers son...and the rest is history.
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by Elmer » 01 Dec 2019, 7:11 pm

Blr243 wrote:Reluctantly, I have to share my best place with others but they are all ok and at the end of the day they were there before me. I would hate to have to have to share the place with idiots ..... sometimes I have to hunt in close proximity to a roo shooter. He is always safe because he always has lights on and I always know where he is. But I ride my quad in the dark without lights And I walk the paddocks in the dark without lights. So he has no idea where I am. At times it makes me very nervous. I just hope he is an extremely good shot,

Sounds like they're good about it , at least they haven't turned your patch into a rally track.
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Post by Elmer » 01 Dec 2019, 7:14 pm

sungazer wrote:I try and give poaches a safer but still hopefully threatening encounter by getting out the laser and lighting them up. I have heard back via stories that it has worked very effectively both as in not pleasant to the eyes and on what may follow.

LOL , sounds like a great idea, I might borrow the industrial laser from work and administer some temporary blindness. :lol:
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by Elmer » 01 Dec 2019, 7:18 pm

Die Judicii wrote:Hey there Elmer,,,,, hopefully Mr Farmer will see the error of his decision, and reverse things.
However,,,,, he sounds like a miserable pr!ck anyway seeing as he never chucked any ammo or fuel money your way
in return for your services over the years.

True mate I have never seen 1cent offered ...I have spent hundreds of dollars on ammo and fuel, keeping his bunny problem at bay...makes me think.
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Post by Member-Deleted » 01 Dec 2019, 7:19 pm

I find even up here some farmers don't treasure the shooter doing it for them free I had one place where I had shot many wild dogs over the years and chased them all hours of the night all of a sudden there is a camp on the creek full of piss heads so I ask what's going on the info was farmers son was mates with them and gave them permission for future shoots as well I asked the farmer and his answer was there's plenty of land for everybody my answer was they could have it to them selves then one year later he has been in contact with me dogs are increasing there now because the others were too useless to get any so my answer to the farmer $170 per dog nobody on the place while i'm there he refuses to pay for the dogs but will keep the people out but bite me once and that's it I told him there's plenty of land for all and I've found some elsewhere sorry , all the other farmers have been watching and listening to this saga with him and have taken notice from it and tightened up their act as well mind you there was only a couple I have found that let others on but it has since stopped following my episode with that other farmer I won't shoot dogs for farmers if others are shooting there also if something gets shot accidently then it was me but I won't be blamed for some others stupidity as I would never accidently shoot anything I don't shoot unless it clear and safe to do so. I feel your pain Elmer and you do some awesome posting hope you have other properties if not just show them some of the videos you do and I don't think you'll be looking for long Cheers :thumbsup:
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by Elmer » 01 Dec 2019, 7:20 pm

bigrich wrote:some folks i know have had big issues with poachers and tresspassers . i don't have a lot of respect for those types :thumbsdown: . as for elmer's situation , i feel for ya . they sound like a bunch of yahoos , sounds like a real shame . at least you've had some good years with the place to yourself .

Thanks rich, quite true.
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Post by sungazer » 01 Dec 2019, 7:37 pm

Bit of a downer from your point of view Elmer nut I assume Mr Farmer doesn't see maintaining a sustainable mob of rabbits as the thing to do. He probably would like total eradication. The viruses have certainly been very effective in some climates/areas and not so in others. Where I am there are virtually none but I believe just 20km away they are at real problem levels. But now shooters are keeping info to themselves. I met one at the GS and when discussing them I asked innocently Oh where and I got the im not bloody telling you. like it was his sacred deer spot or something. In the end he told me roughly where which I had already heard of as it is near me.
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by AZZA'S HJ47 » 01 Dec 2019, 7:48 pm

Its hard mate i lost my patch when my mate broke up with his mrs. Seens as i was good mates with him I've been black listed too
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Post by Ferrisweil » 01 Dec 2019, 10:18 pm

I find this topic interesting in that every property I go to, the owner will strictly forbid anyone else on there at the same time. I’m amazed they’d let multiple “shooters” on a block at once.
Poachers aside, seems like common sense to me. We use all NV and thermal so no torches. Makes me nervous sometimes even when you see spotlights on the neighboring blocks.
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Post by Stix » 01 Dec 2019, 10:27 pm

Elmer...
Thats gotta burn...!
I feel for you mate...!!

I too am lucky & consider myself privileged to have access to a similar amount of bunny filled land...so lucky infact, ive never even met the owner...lol...(access is gained through trust from a fellow farmer who is a family member).
Although, im guessing i have to travel a lot further than what you do (thats a guess of where i think your patch is based on the terrain in your vids)...mine is so far its an overnighter unless you like driving--i usually try for atleast 2 nights, if not 3...(i actually need 4 nights to cover all the territory properly with a spotlight for a dedicated fox knocking exercise)

Where i shoot, best i know, im the only one who shoots there--with the exception of his employees...there was another bloke shooting there on occasion & im unsure if he still goes there with his mates.
However, there are poachers that go there & stir the beegeezuss out of the bunnies...Ive come car to car with them & wanted to chase them out, but there was a fence between us & i had to shut a gate, so they got away...

The bunnies are so skittish if they see a light they are gone...period--& even the young fresh kittens are taught that so it is regularly shot.
And when it comes to what we both love--the dusk sniping--you only get one per warren as they wont come back out again untill dark, if shot at in daylight... :thumbsdown: ...that makes for a lot of wasted driving time while the sun rapidly approaches the horizon... :(
There are only a few warrens where the bunnies come out before dark.& they are so far apart, that if they come out late & i miss, that might be my first & last shot for an hour or more...

It is painful i know...i went there once last year shortly after a brief trip out there only a couple of weeks prior, the earlier trip had revealed there were squillions of young'ns that needed attention & i should make an effort to show some payback & respect for letting me come & go as i please, so i had the intention of coming back with my 90 odd litre car fridge full of jointed up 3/4 grown little tender beauties, & leaving a good amount of crunchy tucker for the dogs...i was so disheartened when i got there for the 3 day & night sniping wipeout...it had already been decimated & i had no hope of shooting anything...you'd never seen rabbits run like that--not even back in the day having had the 5 rounds from a 12 semi emptied at one's back feet...

I respectfully expressed my disappointment to the farmer, & acknowledged its none of my business anyway...

I was lucky enough to find another population on his block--so thick i took 7 out of it last time with leaving another 7 for next visit ...

The day will no doubt come when ill encounter what you are experiencing...well in some form anyway...whether it be another shooter or change of owners...& i dread that day...but until then, hearing stories like yours, ill just be grateful for what ive got...

And people dont realise its hard because we ( well i do anuway) develop an emotional attachment to the land we shoot...one property ive been shooting on for over 30 yrs now has as good as nothing--one or 2 bunnies that breed & then get shot as fast as they breed, & a bit of a roo problem at present, but i still go back there...i say to myself "ive gotta get out there & check on the place"...
I went there for the first time in nine months, last weekend & told the farmer i felt bad cos i was out of touch with his crop rotations now... :lol:

Anyway...i hope you get something sorted...maybe you could go dump a stolen car & a pile of drugs out there & get them in trouble for it... :unknown: :lol:
(just kidding 8-) )
:drinks:
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by Diamond Jim » 02 Dec 2019, 3:10 am

My take is that I'm privileged to be permitted to shoot on any land I don't actually own. That includes farms that have been my family for over 50 years - but I don't actually own them. I'd never criticise a landowner for permitting others to shoot on their land. Disappointed, yes, but it's their property, their decision. Unauthorised shooters are a completely different matter.
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by deye243 » 02 Dec 2019, 3:35 am

I find even up here some farmers don't treasure the shooter doing it for them free I had one place where I had shot many wild dogs over the years and chased them all hours of the night all of a sudden there is a camp on the creek full of piss heads so I ask what's going on the info was farmers son was mates with them and gave them permission for future shoots as well I asked the farmer and his answer was there's plenty of land for everybody my answer was they could have it to them selves then one year later he has been in contact with me dogs are increasing there now because the others were too useless to get any so my answer to the farmer $170 per dog nobody on the place while i'm there he refuses to pay for the dogs but will keep the people out but bite me once and that's it I told him there's plenty of land for all and I've found some elsewhere sorry , all the other farmers have been watching and listening to this saga with him and have taken notice from it and tightened up their act as well mind you there was only a couple I have found that let others on but it has since stopped following my episode with that other farmer I won't shoot dogs for farmers if others are shooting there also if something gets shot accidently then it was me but I won't be blamed for some others stupidity as I would never accidently shoot anything I don't shoot unless it clear and safe to do so. I feel your pain Elmer and you do some awesome posting hope you have other properties if not just show them some of the videos you do and I don't think you'll be looking for long Cheers :thumbsup:


Could not have said it better myself ...... I won't shoot on a property unless I have exclusive access, l have my reasons and when they see the job I can do they have no trouble agreeing ......
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by siddeeky » 02 Dec 2019, 5:35 am

Diamond Jim wrote:My take is that I'm privileged to be permitted to shoot on any land I don't actually own. That includes farms that have been my family for over 50 years - but I don't actually own them. I'd never criticise a landowner for permitting others to shoot on their land. Disappointed, yes, but it's their property, their decision. Unauthorised shooters are a completely different matter.


I'm in the same boat mate. I'd never expect payment or ammo, because let's be honest, whilst farmers get a benefit from having rabbits/pigs/foxes shot, for most shooters just being there is a huge upside. Farming land is a livelihood for farmers, and in most cases also a family asset with strong sense of generational belonging. Being allowed there unsupervised is a huge gesture of trust by a farmer, and they owe me nothing further, not do I expect or ask for it.
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by Bill » 02 Dec 2019, 8:29 am

Sounds like you had a good run :drinks:

but as usually these thing always come to an end.

Time to get off ya butt, be more proactive, make new friends or buy ya own ranch :lol:
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by flutch » 02 Dec 2019, 9:47 am

hate white ants, sad to say a lot of people I could take shooting I don't purely as they will definitely white ant/termite their way in to the place and then next thing the floodgate will be opened resulting in no one either enjoying the property and or no one being allowed after one or more do the wrong thing. had it happen too many times before and a whole generation of blokes and blokettes saying the same thing arent wrong. sadly there is a habit in aussie culture where the old overkill bill adage rings very true.
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by Member-Deleted » 02 Dec 2019, 10:36 am

I can understand Diamond Jim what you're saying but it all depends on the situation if you have a verbal contract with the farmer then both sides have to work to an understanding either way yes the owner has the final say then you decide whether you are going to do the job but if you are chasing a troublesome dog the last thing you need is strangers galloping all over the country side I to shoot for nothing at times and don't want my time wasted by others especially when I've invested weeks to nail this dog for zero $ a farmer has every right to let others in to shoot but that depends on how serious he is on removing problem dogs or ferals nobody has suggested that the farmer should only let one person in by all means let people in but it is a well known fact that if one person is doing the job properly then its best left at that because dogs and ferals will spook and become skitty the killing doesn't stop but the catches do and that's bad for a farmer this is why I don't shoot dogs or ferals on properties that let others in it turns out to only be a camping trip not a life saver for the farmer there are many different opinions out there and mostly the ones that say others should be let on are those that mostly want some where to shoot or owners not a shooter dedicated to their job but all up if all is serious about culling ferals then I can safely say 95% of serious feral cullers would want to be the only ones allowed on that property but on saying that the shooter has to keep up their end of the bargain or loose the property to others :thumbsup:
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by bigrich » 02 Dec 2019, 4:31 pm

when it comes to access, ya gotta take what ya can get , when ya can get it ;) as stated by others , it's at the owners discretion . their block , their rules . when i'm a guest on someones property, i consider myself lucky to be there .

when i win the lotto and buy 10 000 hectres, your all invited :D

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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by bigrich » 02 Dec 2019, 4:35 pm

flutch wrote:hate white ants, sad to say a lot of people I could take shooting I don't purely as they will definitely white ant/termite their way in to the place and then next thing the floodgate will be opened resulting in no one either enjoying the property and or no one being allowed after one or more do the wrong thing. had it happen too many times before and a whole generation of blokes and blokettes saying the same thing arent wrong. sadly there is a habit in aussie culture where the old overkill bill adage rings very true.


i've heard that story before , a fella i know let a fella go on his block down at deep water in NSW as a freindly gesture . weeks later he hears from the neihbours this guys bin back nearly every weekend with all his mates . that property is now locked to everyone ......... :cry:
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by Blr243 » 02 Dec 2019, 6:54 pm

The only person I take to my hunting blocks is my dog. I trust him completely that he will never go back behind my back.......Have you ever seen a boxer staffy cross drive a hilux 600 k without being stopped by the cops ?
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by on_one_wheel » 02 Dec 2019, 7:36 pm

While I do understand how it feels to loose the freedom of being the only shooter on the property because I've been there, and I also get annoyed at people who degrade patches of land with little on no care for it or the owner. One thing I always remind myself is that it's not my land. It's the very thing that drives me to keep investing to be able to own my own patch soon.

I've also done countless hours, loads of diesel, thousands of rounds, several spotlight globes, steaked tyres and gallons of beer in the pursuit of eradicating pests on other people's properties with little praise and no reward other than the joy of getting out for a shot... That's generally the name of the game unless your doing it for a profession.

All that said, I do have one property owner who has me as his only shooter, he has given me 2 pillow cases full of shotgun cartridges and quenches my thirst while telling how much he appreciates what I'm doing.

His contact details are in the following link.
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by Elmer » 03 Dec 2019, 10:00 am

sungazer wrote:Bit of a downer from your point of view Elmer nut I assume Mr Farmer doesn't see maintaining a sustainable mob of rabbits as the thing to do. He probably would like total eradication. The viruses have certainly been very effective in some climates/areas and not so in others. Where I am there are virtually none but I believe just 20km away they are at real problem levels. But now shooters are keeping info to themselves. I met one at the GS and when discussing them I asked innocently Oh where and I got the im not bloody telling you. like it was his sacred deer spot or something. In the end he told me roughly where which I had already heard of as it is near me.

True mate, a good property with free access is a little gold mine and like fishing holes they are to be guarded jealously....I havent seen calici where I go but the occasional outbreak of myxo happens but cos its so dry the viruses dont get a chance to take off.
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by Elmer » 03 Dec 2019, 10:02 am

AZZA'S HJ47 wrote:Its hard mate i lost my patch when my mate broke up with his mrs. Seens as i was good mates with him I've been black listed too

Thats a s**t...good ol relationships :roll:
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Re: Go find your own patch.

Post by Member-Deleted » 03 Dec 2019, 10:11 am

Yes Elmer at the end of the day you have to respect the farmers wishes but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt loosing the property
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