Or the politics of the day.
For those of you who still have a go at getting around super quietly, consider a bicycle. For hunting. Think I'm nuts? Maybe I am.
A bike that's suited for tracks and trails, mind.
A good mountain bike (MTB) is amazingly light, has unbelievable ease and minimal effort to get up the largest hills, and is completely quiet.
They also, as I have found, present a strange cross-section to game animals, similar to a 4-legged animal from the side, and many animals seem more likely to stop and watch you rather than run away.
They are super easy to stow in a wagon too, on top of your camping gear. the wheels come off without tools in a lot of cases (so they take up less room dimensionally), and go together real quick.
This has been my set-up, I have tried to get out like this at least once a week. I used to ride this bike daily from The Gap in Brisbane's west to my employers city offices near the riverside gardens between flying to China monthly, in 2014-15. Did it for 2 years and riding on farm tracks is way less stressful than f**ken Waterworks road, that's for sure.
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Weight:
This model bike has a weight limit of rider and gear for off-road (track and jumping use) of 140kg. So you just have to be mindful of weight. Also, the more weight, the more effort needed. So I carry an ultrs-light rifle with a full 5-shot mag, 15 extra cartridges, water, first aid kit, radio, GPS emergency beacon with text function (no mobile service here) and my binos.
Everything in a bumbag, and binos in a good chest harness that can be tightened snug. As if I was doing a lightweight hike hunt. Same.
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The rifle needs to be light to not give your upper body too hard a time. The choice is what you have. Or, if you ever needed an excuse to get a super light hunting rifle in an all-round powerful cartridge, that's a good excuse.
You do not want a magazine catch or long mag sticking out, because it has to go across your back and when hunting, a flush fit mag or floorplate style rifle is best anyway.
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The rifle needs a sling that allows the rifle to be across your back, with a function that allows you to snug it up tight once you have it on your back.
I've tried this brand of sling a few times now, it does that, is nice and wide and spreads the load and grips your shirt. You definitely do not want it sliding around, it has to stay snug, yet be able to be loosened fast to get it off your back.
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I'm amazed at the ease that a good bike allows you to cover ground, and how it multiplies the power in your legs. The crank angles in these things transmit your legs power so well that you can actually spin the wheels with hardly any effort on hard-packed dirt.
I reckon, it's WAY easier than walking by far, and the deer and pigs stop and look at you rather than bolt as they would when they see that predator on two legs. They are hardwired to take flight when they see humans, let alone smell them.
especially those of us doing this on properties where the farmers are getting around on quads, SxS or motor bikes that usually mean rifles going off. strangely enough, on my place at least, the animals do not associate me on this bike with danger yet, merely inquisitiveness instead.
Another great thing for us older-than-middle-age blokes is, the bike does not give the worn-out knees a hard time at all and builds strength in your quads and all the bits that hold you up and keep your heart healthy. And electric bike doesn't do that, and is a bitch to take out bush in the average vehicle.
Have a go, if you're into newer things that really open up ground and is healthy too.
Edit: This MTB is a 29'er, meaning the wheel rims are 29", larger than the usual 27" of average bikes. This extra wheel/tyre diameter makes an amazing difference on rough ground, way more than you'd ever think. This larger wheel size isn't really necessary, but for a 6'2" bloke like me, ideal to take advantage of.
