Edition 87

Australian Hunter

Australia’s favorite hunting magazine

Australian Hunter1 min read
Australian Hunter
CEO & Chief Editor Tim Bannister Editor Thomas Cook Assistant Editor Dave Rose Production Coordinator & Graphic Designer Alex Heptinstall Webmaster Mark Fieldhouse Advertising & Promotions Karoline Wasiak Media and Politics Officer Rachael Oxborrow E
Australian Hunter2 min read
From the Editor
As we wrap the year up it also brings closure for our CEO and Chief Editor Tim Bannister, who has stepped down after almost a quarter of a century with the Association. As Managing Editor, Tim launched Australian Hunter some 23 years ago at the turn
Australian Hunter8 min read
Three Bucks and Change
When my sister Amy married and had a daughter in 2021, my own little girl was over the moon at the prospect of a baby girl cousin. “When am I going to see her?” was the incessant question. Given that this new family addition lives over 1200km away in
Australian Hunter3 min read
Smoked Xmas 'Venisham'
For quite some time we have been making and enjoying our home cured and smoked bacon using store-bought pork belly and a product called Misty Gully Maple Bacon Cure. On a recent trip to the local home brew store to pick up another pack of the bacon c
Australian Hunter5 min read
Hunting Under Cover
It was a wonderful spring afternoon in the early 1980s and I had decided to take my Sako .222 for a walk without my hat on the farm in the Hunter Valley. I thought I might see a fox or a feral cat if I was lucky, with a chance of a wild dog coming ou
Australian Hunter6 min read
Wily Coyotes
Far out in the distance I could hear the typical eerie moonlit serenade of a pack of coyotes as I nestled deeper into my sleeping bag. Normally such sounds in a predator hunters’ camp would be foremost in everyone’s mind, but what seemed more importa
Australian Hunter2 min read
Between A Block And A Hardcase
When travelling with firearms, robust and secure carry cases are a must. This is especially so if you are flying commercial where the brutality towards luggage by rogue baggage handlers is a global curse. I have personally witnessed Australian gear p
Australian Hunter1 min read
A Foam Fix
Although the nifty pluck foam blocks come sturdy, my SealCase616 will get a lot of use and I wanted to ensure everything remains in shape and in place. Plasti Dip is a rubberised automotive spray paint that works a treat for fixing foam pluck into a
Australian Hunter6 min read
Keep The Pressure Down
In just about every article in relation to reloading, there is one piece of advice for the newcomer that is inviolate - do not exceed maximum powder charges. In the scheme of things, it is good valid advice based on the fact that without the ability
Australian Hunter4 min read
Last Minute duck Hunt
As I write this story, I’m sitting in the warm Queensland winter sun (25°C). This is a far cry from the weather in Victoria when I was hunting ducks during the last weekend of the 2023 season. As a mate and I turned up at the property gates, the temp
Australian Hunter5 min read
Butcher Like A Pro
An important part of my hunting has always been about putting healthy food on the table. The meat I shoot myself beats anything I can buy in a store, any day. Depending on how far off the beaten track I venture and what the animal is like, I either f
Australian Hunter4 min read
COLD But Never OLD
Anybody who hunts for game meat should have a food vacuum sealer. The already outstanding qualities of free-range, totally organic, lean meat are significantly enhanced by vacuum sealing the prime cuts. And sealing the meat in robust vacuum bags prov
Australian Hunter7 min read
Mountain man Music
Some time ago, my mate and cohort, Lu Cervi, penned a poem, The Clear Creek Stag, which tells the tale of a hound hunt and expresses some of the emotions a hunter may feel when they hear the baying of the dogs. As with all of Lu’s poetry, he captures
Australian Hunter1 min read
Back to Basics
This has to be one the simplest ways to prepare venison. You can employ virtually any lidded barbecue, using smoker boxes. Use a thermometer - preferably digital, or better still a remote digital thermometer and watch the temperature carefully. • 1 x
Australian Hunter4 min read
Field Signals for Hunting
Consider this. As humans, our hearing range is typically between the frequencies of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Now, reflect on the hearing of our quarry. We know that most mammals generally have better hearing than we do and that many animals with exception
Australian Hunter4 min readCrime & Violence
Bringing Back the Lions by Mike Arnold
Massive and widespread poaching drove wildlife to near extinction in many parts of Mozambique. A civil war spanning 1977-1992 saw tens of thousands of animals eaten by villagers and soldiers for survival, playing its part in creating wastelands throu
Australian Hunter5 min read
The Wild Dog
For the foreseeable future there will be a need to control wild dog numbers. While I understand and concede the necessity to poison predators who cause much harm, I dislike that method. Some toxins can potentially create longer periods of suffering a
Australian Hunter6 min read
Custom-built Bullets
Real custom bullet makers are fairly rare. When it comes to the conventional non-commercial jacketed rifle bullets, a phone call and a quick search of the internet yields little in terms of numbers within Australia. Those listed tend to be specific i
Australian Hunter4 min read
An Engrossing Tale Of RIGBY Rarity
I called in on my hunting buddy for an after-work beer and a chat about hunting. I had known Bill for a while and admired a couple of lovely classic rifles he’d brought when he emigrated here from Africa. Our conversation moved onto such rifles and w
Australian Hunter5 min read
Two for two
Early May saw me out on my first hunt for the year. It was an afternoon in my favourite gully system, where I saw the same two deer I had spotted on my last outing the year before. A red doe and her fawn, which turned out to be a young stag, a goat h
Australian Hunter6 min read
Baton up!
Anyone who goes out in the dark will have one or more flashlights. There are endless options, however, as with many things, you tend to get what you pay for. Reliability and the amount of light produced can be rather limited. For anyone who needs a t
Australian Hunter2 min read
On The Move
The temperature was only in the mid-30s, but the humidity was 48 per cent as we forced our way through the extremely dense undergrowth that hugged the edges of the river corridor. Although the bailing dogs were still keen, after 5km Neil and I were d
Australian Hunter4 min read
A Tail Of Whoa!
Whether it is because I am old-fashioned or just a purist, I do not know, but I always attempt to use as much of an animal as possible. There is a limit though, as I only use whatever part I can as long as I know of a way to cook it so it tastes good
Australian Hunter8 min read
Get Your Tan On
Tanning an animal hide and turning it into an attractive floor rug is a rewarding experience. If you are planning on taking the skin (or meat) for later use, then time is of the essence after you have despatched the animal. Obviously the hotter it is
Australian Hunter7 min read
Royal Boars
I was born in the Netherlands on a farm that fringed the German border, an area dangerous with discarded Second World War ordinance - live ammunition, rifles, machine guns, grenades, mines and mortar bombs. I was taught at an early age not to touch a
Australian Hunter7 min read
Heym’s Innovative 89B Double
In the years leading up to World War Two, British gunmakers set the bar high when it came to double rifles. So high, that few modern gunmakers (including some of the surviving British innovators) have been able to equal the same levels. However, as t
Australian Hunter2 min read
Quick Sharp!
The AccuSharp Knife and Tool Sharpener is an indispensable tool for both the hunter and the home. I remember buying my first one nearly 30 years ago, when I was living in Arnhem Land. While I have always liked to sharpen my knives on stones, I was ha
Australian Hunter8 min read
Outback hooks and horns
Greeting the owner, we were handed a map of the 180,000-acre property which indicated the channels and the thicker scrub. There was so much good-looking country we didn’t know where to start, as the pigs could literally be anywhere. Before setting up
Australian Hunter5 min read
Genetics: nature’s Playbook
DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid is nature’s playbook for all living creatures. It is the hereditary material – the double helix – carrying the genetic instructions for the development, function and growth of all known organisms. In fact, the variations
Australian Hunter1 min read
Enter And Win
Simply write your full name, address and contact number on a piece of paper and place it inside an envelope and send to: …or enter online at ssaa.org.au/win (Name of competition) Australian Hunter 87 PO Box 2520, Unley, SA 5061 Competitions close Feb
Australian Hunter2 min read
Onlineshop.ssaa.org.au
See the complete range of products in our Online Shop We accentuate our great outdoors with 194 pages of ‘destination, exploration and conservation.’ A whole gamut of destinations have been explored, covering all compass points around this vast islan
Australian Hunter3 min read
Around The Campfire
There is an old saying: “Beware the man who has only one gun, because he probably knows how to use it.” It’s true enough even today, when most hunters can usually be counted on to have at least one safe full of firearms and often more besides. Nothin
Australian Hunter3 min read
SSAA CWM branches
SSAA WA has six individual branches that undertake Conservation & Wildlife Management activities throughout the state. All participants must be full members of SSAA WA. Prior to taking part in sanctioned field activities, members must complete accura

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