Strange things that happen on hunting trips...

[Wapiti]

I was just thinking about some of the weird - and sometimes hilarious, things that have happened to me when going on hunting trips. Even the trip out itself can make for some interesting memories that can pop up from time to time.
A mate Craig came out and helped me do some two-person jobs out in the paddock this week (damn hay shed construction!) and for some strange reason we were talking about hunting and some of the crazy things that we have experienced when we have been hunting together. One in particular just makes us burst out laughing when we talk about it.
First though, a bit of background as to how we got in that position in the first place.
We'd drive from our place to some friends joints, where for some reason the topography favoured some huge pigs, which we were most interested in at the time because we'd been busting these boars smashing ewes to knock them around enough so they couldn't protect their lambs. Consequently they'd take the lambs and munch on them. We'd track where they were coming from through fence holes, spot the wool-filled droppings and pretty much figure out their patterns. We spent long nights sitting over oat paddocks waiting for these clever old buggers to come out from the scrub.
During the day, instead of sitting in the quarters we'd sit on a few hills we had distances recorded for some heavy rifles we had set up for this purpose. These rifles were a 300RUM and a 300WM, not with target bullets but 165 to 180gn hunting bullets that we knew shot very accurately and hit really hard at distance, because these boars had shoulder shields up to 50mm thick. I'm not talking about some of the crazy stuff on the internet, this was max 400m, a distance we set ourselves as maximum.
This wasn't hunting, we'd do that with lighter rifles before dawn and until dark, with that in-between.
These hills overlooked dams where the pigs would emerge from holes in the fence between say, 11am to 2pm, to cover the about 500m from the scrub to the dam to have their mid-day drink, as pigs have to do especially when it's hot. The sows with suckers and younger boars were always wary, testing the wind along the way for danger, but the big boars we were after were something else. They would stand in the edge of the scrub for ages, sniffing and just "feeling": if everything was normal first. If anything was up, they'd never come out.
We used to put baits out to attract them, to pull them up so we could take a shot if it was what we were targeting. We'd use cull roos, goats or whatever, always fresh animals from the day before, as you do. The sows and younger males would stop no worries, especially the sows who were always desperate for a feed from the little piglets sucking the life out of them. But the old boars, no way. If they smelled a fresh kill on the way across open ground to get to the water, they'd just bolt as if someone belted them with a stick.
We thought, maybe it's our scent on the kill, the bait isn't stinky enough to mask our scent, or the smell of diesel fumes, we tried everything to keep that off the bait but it would drive them off and they would remember too. Because we didn't have a lot of time, we didn't have old smelly baits to use.

So we thought, what about roadkill? We were keen that's for sure, nothing was too much trouble.

So, on the Bruxner Hwy between Tenterfield and Bonshaw, in the middle of the night, from 10pm because we couldn't get out any earlier, we'd hit the picks if we saw a "midrange" (age wise) roadkill roo that was big enough. Sometimes we'd stop for nothing, they'd be too rotten to hang on the ute's rear rack, they'd tear through the hooks. Anyway, as silly and crazy as it sounds, we got some good pigs with these baits. We didn't go anywhere without blue rubber gloves.

So that's the explanation as to why we were doing this. Anyway, to the funny part.
This one night, it was winter, clear and bloody cold, and probably 11pm. We'd stopped, and were lifting this big roo up to the hooks when a vehicle came over the rise with spotties on just as we were doing it. That occasionally happened and the vehicles kept on past, god knows what the occupants thought. Two guys with blue gloves on, loading roadkill, wearing head torches and the roo-rack floodlight on.
Anyway, this time, this vehicle stopped, not behind us, but stayed in the left lane, with the passengers door window lined up with the back of the ute. It was then we saw the super reflective sign all along the doors, POLICE.
We look at the two coppers inside, lit up with our headlamps. They squinted, but didn't say anything straight away. This is how it went.
"G'day guys" The cops said, "G'day" back.
"How are you going?" "Yeah, pretty good"
One copper says, "You blokes alright?"
"Yeah, we're good thanks. Just about to get going again".
"OK then, just watch where you pull up, make sure people coming up behind you can see you for plenty of distance, use your hazard lights".
"Ah yeah, good tip. Thanks for that"
OK then, have fun fellas" And they drove off.

We pissed ourselves laughing, and still do. I wonder what discussion they had after they drove off. Because they never asked. True story.

Now, that was almost exactly the same spot where at least 20 years earlier, I had to pull up in my old WB Holden ute, going to visit my mates at the same joint, in the middle of the night because of this loud TAP, TAP, TAP which turned out to be an engine issue where a solid lifter blocked the oil flow to the adjustable tappets on this Stage 5 Yella Terra head I'd fitted, and the rocker stud was cut through by the hardened rocker arm which came off. On the side of the road I had to take off the rocker cover, take out the two pushrods (one bent), take off the rockers and drive it as a 5 cylinder. I still went hunting that weekend, and that ute still cruised at 100kmh without a drama on 5. Tip: Leave the spark plug in, and just take off the plug lead from the dizzy.

Forgive the long story, I hope it was entertaining. Anybody else have any good stories?

[5-0]

Guess you had to be there

[Wapiti]

You must've misunderstood me mate, I never set out to impress you at all, I'll try harder next time.
Show me how to do it.

[bigpete]

Was out spotlighting one night with a mate and 2 rabbits stopped out in the paddock about 50m and she said " bet you can't get both with one shot !". A few seconds later the 17hmr cracked and both dropped on the spot,head shot. The best thing about it was the were a solid 10m apart. I felt pretty smug lol.

[Blr243]

Shot two crows with the one bullet , and did it again a few months later. Was shooting at a roo thru a fence ( clipped and broke a wire ) bullet carried on and killed the roo . Then I fixed the fence

[Blr243]

Shot two crows with the one bullet , and did it again a few months later. Was shooting at a roo thru a fence ( clipped and broke a wire ) bullet carried on and killed the roo . Then I fixed the fence

[noneyabussiness]

this happened to a bloke I go shooting with..

many years ago out on the Ute, shooting roos and spotted a bigen on this hill.. so let loose a 223 into it.. just kept standing, so another round was dispatched... to no change... so thinking obviously somethings up.. headed up there to find some smart arse has propped up a very dead and partly rotten roo against a log.. now with two very large holes blasted out of it...

have a chuckle about that sometimes

[6mm Remington]

Was out on a place near Toobeah way up the back paddock with 2 mates hunting pigs. I had cooked a big pot of rolled oats that morning. One mate used to wander off a bit. The other mate had to have a s**t. He laid a huge log that resembled a two tone top deck chocolate. When old mate came wandering back towards us he spotted the huge log and got excited thinking it was a big fresh pig s**t. He bent down and touched it to see if it was still warm. Well we all laughed for the next 10 minutes and still do today whenever it comes to mind.

[OyKurwa]

Once in the high country in Vic, right up Moroka way. We were just about to turn in for the night. It was pitch black, fire down to just the barest embers. Me and a mate standing here, me just finishing a glass of whisky.

I heard the faintest rustle behind me, barely perceptible, right at the edge of my hearing. I turned and clicked my headlamp on. There was a wild dog no more than 10 metres from us that had been creeping up.

It skulked off into the bush when the light hit it.

This scared my mate so bad he slep the night in his car.

[bigpete]

Was bow hunting for foxes on a dairy farm one day that had its water fed via black irrigation pipe from the neighbours dam a couple of km away. I worked my way down the boundary fence and seen a fox skulking on the neighbours so set to with the whistle to lure him to my side of the fence,which he was quite agreeable with and within minutes he was standing broadside at 20m with grass up to his belly. I drew my longbow back and released the shot which flew low.....and the ground erupted in a spray of water the doused the fox and shocked the s**t out of me ! At that very spot,unbeknownst to me,the irrigation pipe came off the ground a few inches but was still hidden in the grass,and my broadhead cut through the top edge of the pipe and made an admirable geyser ! Lol. I can still remember the look on the foxes face !
I then had to walk back to the dairy,let them know what happened ( my mate laughed his head off ) then go get some parts and walk back up there and fix the pipe,getting royally soaked in the process. Good times !

[Blr243]

I was bow hunting for pigs a while back at Gundy I thought I had missed as the three little pigs took of and my arrow buried in the grass. Lost. No blood anywhere Next day my mate Adam was hunting in the same area and when he returned to camp he mentioned the little dead pig he found with his throat cut , just like Pete’s water pipe. . So I had not missed entirely. Another time at st George my arrow fell short but I saw it bounce up and under the pigs armpit straight into his heart. Within a few seconds he was on his back kicking his legs in the air and i knew he was mine.

[bigpete]

I was out hunting rabbits with my sister and an old 80lb PSE Thunderflite express one day,saw a rabbit sitting under a log and perfectly placed my blunt tipped arrow an inch under his chest. He shot off like a rocket,made it 30m,and keeled over dead ! I said damn my bows pretty powerful huh lol. Still don't really know why he died suspect he had calicivirus and the sudden shock caused him to haemorrhage

[Blr243]

Think about the kinetic energy or whatever type of energy it is from the small surface area of the blunt …. That would hit bloody hard. I’m not surprised at all , esp from an 80 pound bow

[bigpete]

Thing is,I didn't hit the rabbit at all....the bow and arrow combination produced roughly 80ft/lb of energy,which is even less than a 22lr so I don't think it died from the shock wave

[Wapiti]

I was driving around a few days ago putting up coreflutes for the upcoming Qld state election out my way, hoping to gee up the locals and also stir up the weekenders that appear every weekend. I saw a neighbour who also abuts a certain NP like we also do, whom I'd never met before. Most likely because of his reputation but then, I don't pay any attention to rumourmongers usually anyway.
So after a bit of a get-to-know each other, he tells me he's heard that we've had some strange "experiences " at our place way up in the hills over the years. I said, oh, yeah why?
He reckoned that a few weekends ago that he had some city campers there, camped on a creek up the back, that'd been just generally driving around in their 4wd and buggy, doing what they do shooting wise.
He said they'd pulled up at his house, all freaked out and from what he could see of them, genuinely not in a good state and were off back home early. They reckoned that they were sitting around the camp fire, having a few beers (only beers apparently) when something bolted into their camp, flat out, screeching some weird noise, zigzagging around tipping camp tables, chairs over and picking up food boxes and stuff and throwing stuff everywhere. Literally moving so quick that they really couldn't work out what it was, only that it was about 4-5 feet tall, grey and had long arms. Pulling stuff over as it passed anything.
Apparently it only lasted 20 seconds or so if that and tore off into the dark. Two of them just freaked and fell over tipping out of their camp chairs in shock, one actually tipped partway into the fire he had such a reaction, the third bolted for a battery spotlight and a rifle, but it was all over.

In our area this stuff has been going on for years, different stories anyway. It's even legend back when chinese/aboriginal fencers were doing the original fence lines and camping rough. Interesting thing is that everyone's description of what popped up and started trouble is always the same. And it's nothing even close, actually NEVER, anything like those opportuninists that get on TV and the papers with their click bait, looking for money.

[Bello]

I was out hunting on the October long weekend.
I placed a grasshopper carcass in a good spot, came back the next nighty to see if I could get a fox or two (only to find most of the carcass had already been eaten).
The sun had set; it was dark. I began whistling to see if I could attract a fox. I was looking through the thermal monocular when a bird, possibly an owl, was about 1 meter above my head hovering, freaked me out, never had that happen before whilst whistling for foxes.

[bigpete]

I was out hunting on the October long weekend.
I placed a grasshopper carcass in a good spot, came back the next nighty to see if I could get a fox or two (only to find most of the carcass had already been eaten).
The sun had set; it was dark. I began whistling to see if I could attract a fox. I was looking through the thermal monocular when a bird, possibly an owl, was about 1 meter above my head hovering, freaked me out, never had that happen before whilst whistling for foxes.

I have a couple of times with owls,a few times with other birds of prey and ravens

[Wapiti]

[quote="Bello" I was looking through the thermal monocular when a bird, possibly an owl, was about 1 meter above my head hovering, freaked me out, never had that happen before whilst whistling for foxes.[/quote]

Hope it wasn't the "Courier Bird", mate.

[bigrich]

I was driving around a few days ago putting up coreflutes for the upcoming Qld state election out my way, hoping to gee up the locals and also stir up the weekenders that appear every weekend. I saw a neighbour who also abuts a certain NP like we also do, whom I'd never met before. Most likely because of his reputation but then, I don't pay any attention to rumourmongers usually anyway.
So after a bit of a get-to-know each other, he tells me he's heard that we've had some strange "experiences " at our place way up in the hills over the years. I said, oh, yeah why?
He reckoned that a few weekends ago that he had some city campers there, camped on a creek up the back, that'd been just generally driving around in their 4wd and buggy, doing what they do shooting wise.
He said they'd pulled up at his house, all freaked out and from what he could see of them, genuinely not in a good state and were off back home early. They reckoned that they were sitting around the camp fire, having a few beers (only beers apparently) when something bolted into their camp, flat out, screeching some weird noise, zigzagging around tipping camp tables, chairs over and picking up food boxes and stuff and throwing stuff everywhere. Literally moving so quick that they really couldn't work out what it was, only that it was about 4-5 feet tall, grey and had long arms. Pulling stuff over as it passed anything.
Apparently it only lasted 20 seconds or so if that and tore off into the dark. Two of them just freaked and fell over tipping out of their camp chairs in shock, one actually tipped partway into the fire he had such a reaction, the third bolted for a battery spotlight and a rifle, but it was all over.

In our area this stuff has been going on for years, different stories anyway. It's even legend back when chinese/aboriginal fencers were doing the original fence lines and camping rough. Interesting thing is that everyone's description of what popped up and started trouble is always the same. And it's nothing even close, actually NEVER, anything like those opportuninists that get on TV and the papers with their click bait, looking for money.

That description sounds like a “rake” I won’t judge anyone who appears genuine in what they saw, as I’ve seen some strange things in my life. I’d be curious as to whether it fits in with any local aboriginal legend

[mickb]

Took a shot at a small pig when I was 20, under a spotlight powered by a battery on the back of the ATV. The animal was short distance away and started running, I had a 22LR with rear sight ramp buggared( used it for trap dispatching) and the spotlight failed just as I took the shot. in other words at least three reasons I shouldnt have shot but still scored a kill. I had recently returned on leave from the army and it created a reputation I was some sort of crack shot to my mates instead of what it should have been, a knucklehead getting very lucky with a shot he should have pulled.

Another time, literally the same year, i was testing an SKK at a mates property( legal in those day) and did a hipshot at a pile of coke cans we set up about 50m distant. It was a double tap and the first shot hit the can and I kid you not the second shot shot the same can in the air. Complete fluke but further cemented my undeserved reputation as chuck connors to a couple of mates.

[Wapiti]

That description sounds like a “rake” I won’t judge anyone who appears genuine in what they saw, as I’ve seen some strange things in my life. I’d be curious as to whether it fits in with any local aboriginal legend

I've never heard of it called a rake before, but have heard it called something else.

On our place right up the back, there's a clearing, almost grown over, where the Chinese and Aboriginal contract fencers were camping as they moved along the original Glenlyon/Pikedale bounday, which became known as the Chinaman fence. It's also part of the Qld Dingo fence. When we were considering buying the place, the owner took us and the sales agent up there in his Cruiser and stopped to tell us. He was 80 and had grown up there.
Their camp was being trashed and stuff nicked when they were out. Flour, raisins, stuff like that spread everywhere, stuff missing. They suspected that someone living off the land was doing it.
Anyway, this one day they came back as a big storm front was coming in, and as they came back to their tent camp, something got sprung and bolted out from this cooks tent, and bolted down this sort of dry creek in between the mountains that was just on the edge of the clearing. It was said that it was a smallish two legged, long armed greyish hairy thing and squealed in a strange repetitive manner as it took off. The Aboriginals were angry because they said it was the "small hairy man" (translated description) or "people who lived on the edge of the camp fire light" meaning they were often seen skulking in the shadows scoping out encampments looking to flog stuff.

This is a pretty well known legend out here, the names and the occurrences have happened many a time to friends of mine and to some old blokes I've spoken to. Even to myself. I know all about the stories mate. Because people out this way know of instances we have seen, we've been called to talk to hysterical people that have seen some very interesting stuff, and even been taken to some pretty special places where nobody is ever allowed to hunt on, to take a look ourselves. It goes on and on.
I even had the privilege to meet a 90 year old woman who's twin sister, now passed, who used to get in trouble because she used to take kitchen leftovers up into a paddock called "the lease": (because it has an aboriginal ring and well in it, we know it well), an hour walk, to give to her funny looking friends up in there. I knew the stories because of our own experiences and people had trusted me to share that info. Doesn't happen often.
Some of the stories/occurances that have happened are terrifying and have put at least one young hunter off ever camping again.
I just didn't know that this neighbour that I described earlier had had this happen to visitors on his place, which the undeveloped country my place borders up the back actually eventually runs down behind his, in some impossibly tough country. And because of the likelihood of being ridiculed by people, I really don't want to get involved in it anymore.

It's kinda like those of us who've seen a UFO, some of us spend a lot of time out after dark, roo/pig shooting for the box, being out late, chasing annoying feral amimals etc. You see something very unusual, very obvious, and you just say, what the f*** was that? And you can't work it out, so you move on and accept it. Other people are sitting inside every night with a beer in front of the telly, and will laugh at a story like that.

[bigrich]

That description sounds like a “rake” I won’t judge anyone who appears genuine in what they saw, as I’ve seen some strange things in my life. I’d be curious as to whether it fits in with any local aboriginal legend

I've never heard of it called a rake before, but have heard it called something else.

On our place right up the back, there's a clearing, almost grown over, where the Chinese and Aboriginal contract fencers were camping as they moved along the original Glenlyon/Pikedale bounday, which became known as the Chinaman fence. It's also part of the Qld Dingo fence. When we were considering buying the place, the owner took us and the sales agent up there in his Cruiser and stopped to tell us. He was 80 and had grown up there.
Their camp was being trashed and stuff nicked when they were out. Flour, raisins, stuff like that spread everywhere, stuff missing. They suspected that someone living off the land was doing it.
Anyway, this one day they came back as a big storm front was coming in, and as they came back to their tent camp, something got sprung and bolted out from this cooks tent, and bolted down this sort of dry creek in between the mountains that was just on the edge of the clearing. It was said that it was a smallish two legged, long armed greyish hairy thing and squealed in a strange repetitive manner as it took off. The Aboriginals were angry because they said it was the "small hairy man" (translated description) or "people who lived on the edge of the camp fire light" meaning they were often seen skulking in the shadows scoping out encampments looking to flog stuff.

This is a pretty well known legend out here, the names and the occurrences have happened many a time to friends of mine and to some old blokes I've spoken to. Even to myself. I know all about the stories mate. Because people out this way know of instances we have seen, we've been called to talk to hysterical people that have seen some very interesting stuff, and even been taken to some pretty special places where nobody is ever allowed to hunt on, to take a look ourselves. It goes on and on.
I even had the privilege to meet a 90 year old woman who's twin sister, now passed, who used to get in trouble because she used to take kitchen leftovers up into a paddock called "the lease": (because it has an aboriginal ring and well in it, we know it well), an hour walk, to give to her funny looking friends up in there. I knew the stories because of our own experiences and people had trusted me to share that info. Doesn't happen often.
Some of the stories/occurances that have happened are terrifying and have put at least one young hunter off ever camping again.
I just didn't know that this neighbour that I described earlier had had this happen to visitors on his place, which the undeveloped country my place borders up the back actually eventually runs down behind his, in some impossibly tough country. And because of the likelihood of being ridiculed by people, I really don't want to get involved in it anymore.

It's kinda like those of us who've seen a UFO, some of us spend a lot of time out after dark, roo/pig shooting for the box, being out late, chasing annoying feral amimals etc. You see something very unusual, very obvious, and you just say, what the f*** was that? And you can't work it out, so you move on and accept it. Other people are sitting inside every night with a beer in front of the telly, and will laugh at a story like that.

That’s very interesting, thanks for expanding on the story and sharing. In 1998 , when I was living in Salisbury, Southside of Brisbane, I got a very good look at a low flying UFO one afternoon. Not just me, neighbours, people driving down the street who stopped their cars and got out to look. I even rang the cops. Absolutely nothing in the media, would’ve been seen by thousands. After seeing that, one of two instances I’ve seen UFO’s , I keep an open mind to the unusual. Had a couple of experiences with spooks as well, but I’ll keep that to myself.
I know some people with a grazing property on the west side of Stanthorpe-Inglewood road, which isn’t far from the country you’re talking about with the strange critter running around. They’re new to the area, but I’ll ask if they’ve heard of anything anyway.
Cheers

[Wapiti]

That’s very interesting, thanks for expanding on the story and sharing. In 1998 , when I was living in Salisbury, Southside of Brisbane, I got a very good look at a low flying UFO one afternoon. Not just me, neighbours, people driving down the street who stopped their cars and got out to look. I even rang the cops. Absolutely nothing in the media, would’ve been seen by thousands. After seeing that, one of two instances I’ve seen UFO’s , I keep an open mind to the unusual. Had a couple of experiences with spooks as well, but I’ll keep that to myself.
I know some people with a grazing property on the west side of Stanthorpe-Inglewood road, which isn’t far from the country you’re talking about with the strange critter running around. They’re new to the area, but I’ll ask if they’ve heard of anything anyway.
Cheers

I think I know the thing you saw in 1998. I also saw this, when I was in Darra if it's the same one, a huge disc glowing like the moon, although larger in the sky, silently heading up the Queensland coast. It was seen by thousands of people, and the last place it was seen was over Cairns then Cooktown, heading north. I remember MMM radio at the time, people were ringing up going nuts. All these other radio stations like 4BC etc were taking calls, but on the news and officially, I didn't hear anything at all.

On these strange happenings in the bush around here, many people who live on properties know of this who live along the NSW-QLD border, it's just pretty much a "don't know what it is but know it's something that just happens now and again" and don't give it much thought. From Sundown NP, west past Glenlyon Dam and across the border in the rugged hills behind Bonshaw, the Mole River valley and along the Bruxner out to Texas. South from there connecting the Bebo State Forest, and especially the Torrington Conservation Area. All trhgis country forms one extremely large, rugged area.

A mates (fellow property owner's) wife, found a photo from WW2 when the Americans and Aussies were running the "Brisbane Line" along what's now the Bruxner Hwy between Four Rivers (at the drain of Glenlyon Dam, "Sovereignton") and Bonshaw, two Americans in a jeep ran down this animal and when you look at what they were proudly holding up, it will scare the pants off you.
Then I met an old shearer, father of a farmer here, who in the 60's in the same area had to serve to avoid hitting a smallish grey hairy ape-like long-armed thing in his Holden ute that bolted across this same road west of Mingoola just on dark.

There are heaps of stories like this, some really troubling, that have been shared to me and even happening to me. Twice while with other people, once by myself when walking a high fenceline to repair holes. People out this way who are getting big amounts of outside time just accept that not everything is explainable. The actual happenings aren't just shared, because I won't be ridiculed by others. I've met people absolutely hysterical after some occurrences, and must say that you have to be a strong minded person to brush it off. What's actually going on I don't have an explanation for.
I can say that I will not go out unless personally armed with something handy on my hip (legal of course), and from what I've seen out this way, do not want to spend a night with a broken leg by myself out in a gully. That's another story too, never forget that one, my wife won't either.

Actually mate it would be appreciated if you found anything out, you could contact me. It's been worthwhile dropping some hints here and you have contributed. I don't blame others from keeping quiet either. Unfortunately though, that means you won't get others to share things with you.

[bigrich]

That’s very interesting, thanks for expanding on the story and sharing. In 1998 , when I was living in Salisbury, Southside of Brisbane, I got a very good look at a low flying UFO one afternoon. Not just me, neighbours, people driving down the street who stopped their cars and got out to look. I even rang the cops. Absolutely nothing in the media, would’ve been seen by thousands. After seeing that, one of two instances I’ve seen UFO’s , I keep an open mind to the unusual. Had a couple of experiences with spooks as well, but I’ll keep that to myself.
I know some people with a grazing property on the west side of Stanthorpe-Inglewood road, which isn’t far from the country you’re talking about with the strange critter running around. They’re new to the area, but I’ll ask if they’ve heard of anything anyway.
Cheers

I think I know the thing you saw in 1998. I also saw this, when I was in Darra if it's the same one, a huge disc glowing like the moon, although larger in the sky, silently heading up the Queensland coast. It was seen by thousands of people, and the last place it was seen was over Cairns then Cooktown, heading north. I remember MMM radio at the time, people were ringing up going nuts. All these other radio stations like 4BC etc were taking calls, but on the news and officially, I didn't hear anything at all.

On these strange happenings in the bush around here, many people who live on properties know of this who live along the NSW-QLD border, it's just pretty much a "don't know what it is but know it's something that just happens now and again" and don't give it much thought. From Sundown NP, west past Glenlyon Dam and across the border in the rugged hills behind Bonshaw, the Mole River valley and along the Bruxner out to Texas. South from there connecting the Bebo State Forest, and especially the Torrington Conservation Area. All trhgis country forms one extremely large, rugged area.

A mates (fellow property owner's) wife, found a photo from WW2 when the Americans and Aussies were running the "Brisbane Line" along what's now the Bruxner Hwy between Four Rivers (at the drain of Glenlyon Dam, "Sovereignton") and Bonshaw, two Americans in a jeep ran down this animal and when you look at what they were proudly holding up, it will scare the pants off you.
Then I met an old shearer, father of a farmer here, who in the 60's in the same area had to serve to avoid hitting a smallish grey hairy ape-like long-armed thing in his Holden ute that bolted across this same road west of Mingoola just on dark.

There are heaps of stories like this, some really troubling, that have been shared to me and even happening to me. Twice while with other people, once by myself when walking a high fenceline to repair holes. People out this way who are getting big amounts of outside time just accept that not everything is explainable. The actual happenings aren't just shared, because I won't be ridiculed by others. I've met people absolutely hysterical after some occurrences, and must say that you have to be a strong minded person to brush it off. What's actually going on I don't have an explanation for.
I can say that I will not go out unless personally armed with something handy on my hip (legal of course), and from what I've seen out this way, do not want to spend a night with a broken leg by myself out in a gully. That's another story too, never forget that one, my wife won't either.

Actually mate it would be appreciated if you found anything out, you could contact me. It's been worthwhile dropping some hints here and you have contributed. I don't blame others from keeping quiet either. Unfortunately though, that means you won't get others to share things with you.

With regards to the UFO, what I saw was saucer shaped, dull metallic grey, and had an orange glow that went bright and dull from inside, like it was semi translucent. It drifted in a south easy direction, across the top of tooey forest, Griffith uni campus, and over the stadium . Was only about 800 metres off the ground, so got a really good look. Definitely no weather balloon. At a guess 60 metres in diameter. One of those life changing events

[Wapiti]

Ah right. This was different then.
There's plenty of stuff that of now is unexplained alright.

[bigrich]

Ah right. This was different then.
There's plenty of stuff that of now is unexplained alright.

Don’t seem to hear of “yowie “ sightings these days. Used to be common up around kilcoy way.

[Wapiti]

Don’t seem to hear of “yowie “ sightings these days. Used to be common up around kilcoy way.

A bit of it on YouTube, the typical blokes with the flamboyant hair and style, carrying round plaster casts the size of tennis rackets and talking of giants 7 foot plus tall. Apparently around Woodenbong a bit. Certainly doesn't match up with the stuff around here that seen to be carried on from the local aboriginal legends of "small hairy man".