Australian Hunter

Here we are at the midway mark of 2022, having enjoyed this year’s roar and now looking ahead to how, where and what we will hunt for the remaining six months. In line with the deer rut we highlight how much procuring a buck really can mean to a hunter as Ben Smith helps his mate attain his first after much planning, Mick Chapman seizes a NZ buck in honour of his late hunting mentor and Chris Wardrop does whatever it takes to acquire a tasty fallow. Further afield sees two vastly different ways to land rabbits for the pot with Don Caswell and Adrian Kenney ultimately delivering both in their results and rabbiting message – to have fun! We also triumph in the Top End where Gary Hall faces soggy…

In the annual hunting calendar, one of the most popular trips away is the deer rut. The fallow and red deer rut occurs at the same time every year and sees regional economies around rural Australia receive a welcome financial boost from an influx of travelling hunters. So as April was upon us, my mate Gus from Victoria arrived via plane in NSW. I picked him up at the airport and we were off for the four-hour drive to the deer property. We had planned a five-day hunt and allowed for travel days at each end of that time. We wanted to maximise our stay in the hills to try and land Gus a trophy red stag or fallow buck for his wall back home. My freezer was also low, so the…

Like so many of us, the pandemic has seen me spending more time at home than normal. It was during one of the lockdowns that my wife mentioned she would like to order a hat/coat rack, with an unpronounceable name, from a certain Scandinavian furniture chain. I was eager for something to keep me occupied, if even for a short while, and immediately had an idea that would not involve any Allen keys. I am fortunate to have occasional opportunities to shoot fallow deer on private property to protect crops and pasture. As is often the case, this is usually done under spotlight. While I understand the farmers who see these animals as nothing but pests, I have an appreciation of them as both food and game animals. So even when conducting…

The use of hides, or blinds, for wildlife watching, photography and hunting is much more common in Europe and America than it is here in Australia. Long ago, I recognised the need for, and usefulness of, blinds for my outdoor pursuits. Over the years I have made and bought a variety of blinds. Initially, I just constructed lean-to hides from branches but quickly discovered that cattle are much more curious than they appear. They are also quite destructive in their blundering bovine investigations of new features in their domain. So, my interest in portable commercial blinds was prompted quite early in the piece. I have to say, a hide is not always necessary either. By wearing appropriate clothing, like Australian Blackfoot Designs break up camo patterns, and making use of available features…

With technological advances such as ball-bearing washers and better machining, folding knives are now a viable alternative to fixed blades. Many cheaper, non-modular knives like the Opinel No. 08 (see Australian Hunter 77) will do right by you for a couple of seasons. However, modularity and pleasing steels are likeable in knives. And this is where things turn complicated. Once you decide you have a bit of money to go towards a knife, there are endless possibilities. By narrowing the search down to hunting or utility blades, things become less cluttered. However, there are vast quantities of knives that are touted as ‘hunters’ but do not fit the bill. In a search for knives that will stand hard use in the field, ‘Benchmade’ pops up. The specifications seem sound, but somehow they…

Made in the US, Trijjcon optics have been gaining in popularity for some time and most shooters will associate their scopes and optics with their coloured, illuminated reticles. The reticles are illuminated via fibre optics and the radioactive element tritium which negates the need for batteries. These reticles automatically glow brighter as the environment they are used in grows brighter, which is exactly what is required, with no need to turn up or down any brightness control like most electronic reticle scopes/optics. Clearly, their simplicity and toughness are why specific Trijicon models, such as the ACOG (Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight), are some of the preferred optics for military battle rifles worldwide. Although popular in the US, Trijicon hunting riflescopes are not as admired in Australia and after using them, you have to…