Edition 70

Australian Hunter

Australia’s favorite hunting magazine

Australian Hunter2 min read
From the Editor
Our 70th edition of Australia’s favourite hunting magazine is so chock-a-block, we added some extra pages. Out in the field, Donald Riddell takes down a giant scrub bull, David Duffy stalks Outback NT for camels, Perry Magowan reunites with his broth
Australian Hunter3 min read
Learning Curve Key To Lining Up Game
As hunters, we spend a lot of time looking for game. With growing experience in the field, we see more game and our hunting success increases. For newcomers to hunting the challenge is converting looking into seeing. When I first began hunting I was
Australian Hunter5 min read
Scrub Bull Expedition yields Grey Giant
The overnight fog had been burnt off by the advancing morning sun. Our guide, Clark McGhie, took note of the conditions as we waited in a clearing on a dry ridge at the end of a 4WD track. It was July, but the day looked like it would hit the high 20
Australian Hunter5 min readScience & Mathematics
Ultimax Riflescopes Pay Less For Maximum Quality
I accidentally stumbled upon the Ultimax range of riflescopes online through English shooting and hunting identity Richard Utting, who reviews high-quality optics. His review of the Ultimax, specifically the 3-12x56 with the illuminated reticle, impr
Australian Hunter7 min read
Set Triggers For Hunting
In any given firearm the traditional component parts of lock, stock and barrel work together to enable the user to aim and deliver an accurate shot. What constitutes an accurate shot varies considerably. On the range it might be a benchrest shooter a
Australian Hunter5 min read
Brothers In Arms Cherish Annual Deer Hunt
We only just seemed to blink our eyes a couple of times and 12 months had gone by. Now it was almost time for the annual roar in southeast Queensland again. My brother Darcy and I made a pact a while ago to hunt together every year for red deer at ru
Australian Hunter3 min read
Flugz Mouldable Earplugs
Hearing loss is preventable and there is no excuse for not guarding against it. The resulting inability to participate in social gatherings, conversations, enjoy movies, music and birdsong is a terrible price to pay for indifference when your hearing
Australian Hunter6 min read
Molly And Me Canine Comradery
I missed out on a lot of hunting opportunities in my early days due to shift work, as most of my hunting mates were employed in normal hours with weekends off. I eventually started hunting by myself and had done so for many years until my boys were o
Australian Hunter5 min read
Once Is Never Enough
Many a hunter at some stage has had an aspiration or experienced a yearning to hunt medium to big game, such as wild boar or the Asiatic water buffalo, in Australia’s Top End. Venturing abroad could mean Africa’s tough plains game like kudu, oryx, wi
Australian Hunter3 min read
An Investment In Survival
In early 2018 my family moved from the Top End to Canberra, so it has been quite a change in both climate and culture. One of the many adjustments has been the increased time I spend in the bush, fishing and hunting, alone. Previously I had always ca
Australian Hunter3 min read
Impromptu Drive Bags Feral Threesome
“Let’s go for a drive,” my hunting partner said. The weather looked a little ominous, but I agreed. After all, we weren’t there to fiddle with spiders. We loaded up the gear and set off in the HiLux. After 15 minutes or so, Thommo yelled: “Stop, stop
Australian Hunter2 min readFashion
Gaiters Good Value For Snakebite Protection
I am particularly snake-aware because I need to be. My neck of the woods has an abundance of Joe Blakes, with the highly venomous varieties well represented. In fact, snakebites would be one of the prime risks for any outdoor activity in Australia. A
Australian Hunter4 min read
Goats Give Trip Fitting Finale
Adam and I have known each other since we were about four years old and grew up together in various countries across south-east Asia and then Australia. Over the years we had both moved apart but kept in touch. While messaging each other one day we d
Australian Hunter6 min read
The Leatherman Surge
Leatherman’s Surge model was first introduced in 2005. It was an immediate success and continues to be a strong seller. It’s a big boy, fullsized device featuring 21 tools all up. When originally released, one of these tools was a tiny interchangeabl
Australian Hunter5 min read
Knick-knacks And Gadgets For Easier Field Dressing And Hunter Safety
The sheer volume of specialised gadgets and knick-knacks aimed towards the keen hunter can be mind-boggling. Most of these are tailored to the American and European markets but we Australians know hunting is hunting, no matter where in the world you
Australian Hunter6 min read
Camels In The Outback
Sunrise revealed a group of camels out on the treeless plains. We were using a small ridge as cover, the last crest before a vast open expanse. They were about 1.5km away. The camels aren’t always in this area, they come and go, and can walk long dis
Australian Hunter6 min read
Diana Stormrider PCP Air Rifle
Diana has been making air rifles for more than a century and the company can trace its origins back to 1890. Their history is one of innovation and fresh ideas. Diana is still doing that, as demonstrated by the new Stormrider PCP air rifle. The Storm
Australian Hunter6 min read
Archduke Franz Ferdinand his Assassination Started WWI But He Was Also A Keen Hunter
There is a story that is still told today by the hunters of Carinthia (the eastern Alps of southern Austria), lovers of the Pirsch (deerstalking). It is the tale of a legendary trophy, a great pale grey chamois, stuffed and shown in the Salzburg Haus
Australian Hunter5 min readCooking, Food & Wine
Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow
If you are a keen rabbit hunter like me, it’s only a matter of time before you will feel a real draw to take a hare. They are pretty much super-charged versions of the rabbits you are used to - wily, faster and bigger. They boast longer ears, longer
Australian Hunter4 min read
Cats And Kittens
Do not be deceived by the almost cuddly nature of the title of this article. It refers to cats of the feral nature and kittens as in the offspring of the Oryctolagus cuniculus, or European rabbit - as released in Australia in the 1800s. Over the summ
Australian Hunter4 min read
Federal Premium Hunter Match .22 Long Rifle ammunition
The variety and quality of rimfire ammunition has, in the last 30 years, reached a point where today’s hunter and target shooter are spoiled for choice. Never has the rimfire shooter had such a fine array of top-value ammunition to select from to use
Australian Hunter8 min read
Exploring The Limits
For years my ‘go to’ hunting rifle was a Brno combination in 7x57 and 12-gauge, topped with a 2-7x40mm scope or red dot. Versatility was added with a .22 rimfire insert for the shotgun barrel. The set-up was perfect for snap shooting game in long gra
Australian Hunter5 min read
Bushcrafting Fundamentals
I hold the opinion that nothing is more personal in a hunter’s kit than a knife. It’s an ‘up close and personal’ tool. It receives way more use than my rifles when I’m out hunting, even on extended trips. On a weekend red deer hunt I may only fire th
Australian Hunter2 min read
Fiocchi Ammunition In Australia
Fiocchi is an Italian manufacturer of sporting ammunition. The company was established in 1876 by Giulio Fiocchi and is managed by the fifth generation of the family, in conjunction with Charme Funds, who recently acquired a majority ownership. The A
Australian Hunter3 min read
Nextorch MyStar Headlamp
I have a couple of headlamps, one a small compact unit, the other a much larger version utilising a separate lamp head and battery pack design. Both are good quality headlamps that have served me well camping, fishing and hunting. However, they are e
Australian Hunter3 min read
SSAA - What We Do
The SSAA has about 440 clubs and ranges throughout Australia. We cater for target shooters and hunters who may want to sight-in their firearms at one of our many ranges. Our clubs also offer many different types of rifle, shotgun and handgun shooting
Australian Hunter5 min read
LabRadar
When students in one of my university classes describe a discovery from the 1950s as “old”, I tend to roll my eyes and sigh. But, given that they were born, well… yesterday, the 50s, 60s, 70s and even 1980s seem to them the dark recesses of history.
Australian Hunter7 min read
The Weatherby New Mark V Weathermark
The first of Roy Weatherby’s flatshooting, high-velocity Magnum calibres was introduced way back in 1945. The Weatherby company grew rapidly as innovation followed innovation and the name became synonymous with extreme velocity, longrange sporting ca
Australian Hunter7 min readCooking, Food & Wine
Kangaroo On The Menu
In August 2018 the New South Wales Government introduced changes to the kangaroo management program. The revamp was enacted to help landholders manage the impact of kangaroos during the drought and included allowing landholders, and shooters, to use

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