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I was introduced to the sport about fifteen years ago by the way of a kangaroo drive on a mates property in Queensland. Before this, I had deemed hunting to be a rich mans sport, and even a bit cruel. The thought of blasting defenceless animals in the bush seemed sort of sad. The roo drive was a real eye opener. Its not until you see a species herded together, that you realise the meaning of the terms, plague proportion, vermin, and infestation. A couple of kangaroos in a paddock looks cute, a couple of hundred roos in the same paddock is down right distressing. I can truly sympathise with the struggling farmer or grazier. After all, it is the farmer and grazier who are paying to feed these animals. So with the culling purpose in mind, my hunting interest grew. Some one claimed that the Alligator Creek area, (QLD) was becoming over run with wild pigs, so we decided to check it out. Wild pigs churn up large areas of countryside destroying habitat and rendering the property worthless. Pig hunting was certainly an experience, and is usually accomplished with a rifle, or with dogs and a knife. Either hunting style provides for one hell of an adrenaline rush. This is one animal that views the hunter as the trespasser, and will normally have a go. I recommend that you hunt with some one experienced, before you set out after pigs on your own.
My hunting experiences became non-existent when I relocated further south of Australia. About three years had passed before meeting friends with the same interest. As I mentioned above, I have never been one for shooting an animal just for the sake of a trophy. I feel that killing an animal for no real reason is detrimental to the great sport that hunting can be.
It wasnt long before word of mouth between property owners had us back out hunting. Rabbits were abundant, and infesting many properties. Rabbit burrows (warrens) spread out invading large areas of a property affecting the grounds stability, while the rabbits just help themselves to any crops available. Rabbit hunting is usually practiced with a rifle, shotgun, or ferrets with nets over burrows. Wild goats were also plentiful in other areas of New South Wales. Goats move on to a property and compete with sheep and cattle for grazing land. The grazier can only assign as much of his stock to a paddock, according to the amount of stock that the paddock can support. Wild goats jumping the fence would not be in this head count, not only does the land suffer from over grazing, but also the graziers stock. In certain other parts of New South Wales, Fallow Deer is rampant and also a problem for graziers. Yes, it is hard to believe these beautiful animals are a nuisance, but its true. I am aware of the fact that there are a few people that suffer from the bambi syndrome, but as a pest, they have to be dealt with. I am not talking about extinction of the species, just sensible culling. The fox is also a beautiful animal, but when left to flourish, they too create a nightmare for farmers. The fox is very cunning and will take on any small livestock. I have even seen foxes in the backyards of suburbia (the city) at night. The fox has a very distinctive odour and can often be smelt before its seen. The hunting of goat, deer, and fox is usually achieved with a rifle, for its accuracy over a longer distance, as these animals are very responsive and timid.
I purchased my first compound bow complete with hunting tips in 1995. After what seemed like a lengthy period of practicing with only targets, I was confident enough with my accuracy to try it out for real. After all we do not want a whole lot of wounded animals staggering around the bush suffering. What I found was that I did a lot more walking, and had little to show for my day out, but I do feel that I became more attuned to nature. It appears that I started to rely more on my senses, and strategy, thus opening my eyes to a whole new experience in hunting.
In my opinion, the bow puts the hunter on a more even ground with the hunted.
(How challenging is it to lean across a tree staring through a scope?)
These days, the bow is my choice of weapon when I go bush.
In the same year (1995), I was starting to notice the hides on the bagged game.
It seemed a terrible waste, although they were vermin, I could not deny that some of the hides were quite good. After reading a little about skin preparation, I decided to take three goatskins to the tannery to see how they would look when tanned.
On receiving my skins back, I was very disappointed with the quality.
This led me to investigate further.