Hunting and Fishing Thread - With Poll

[Freddiem11]

Any whitetail hunters out there? We finally get to hunt on Sunday this year. First Sunday of rifle season. Republicans rule!

 

[Mike S.]

That's only on private land in MD, right? It wouldn't help me -- I lost my private land hunting area a few years ago when the owner leased the farmland and hunting rights. So, I'm a public-land deer hunter and Sunday is still off-limits for me.

 

[Joe Cruse]

I'm late into this thread, but I love to fish and hunt. I birdhunted for years with my Dad and his friends while growing up. Don't do it anymore, because it's hard to find a place to go, and I no longer have a bird dog. Never was a good shot, but I love to watch the dogs work.

I still fish, but rarely have the time nowadays, because of work. I live 10 minutes from Kentucky and Barkley Lakes (both connected by a canal), and we are blessed with some GREAT fishing. I fish mostly for Bass, but will go after all species. We have a lot of the little oxbow lakes around here, off the rivers, and they are great to fish as well.

Someone mentioned fishing for catfish by hand. My Dad's father used to do this many years ago. They call it "Hawgin'" or "Hoggin'" around here, and some folks still do it. I never had the nerve to try it, as I was afraid of sticking my hand in front of a big alligator snapping turtle. That would be a tough argument. We have some big catfish down here, especially below the 2 dams. My best is a 30 lber, when I was still in college. That is a nice fish, but nthing of note around here for catfish.

Joe

 

[Greg B]

Australian Style

Hi All.
I thought I'd let you in on what we do downunder (Don't think this is what all Australians do). I live outside Rockhampton in Central Queensland (look it up on a map) on a property (ranch) that is about 700 acres. We run a few head of Brahman cattle and a couple of horses. Adjacent to us is a National Park (read: breeding place for feral animals, bushfires and noxious weeds) and the Fitzroy river which flows into the Pacific (Great Barrier reef). It is a great location. The best of the Beach and Bush (Not as in President - it is Australian slang for Forest or Outback re: Not the City). Anyway, we fish for Barrumundi in the river and the legal size for these is 55 cm (22 inches). They are a great fighting fish and even better table fish. On the open water we fish for Coral trout and Mackeral, most of the time. The reef has an abundance of species. On the property (ranch), we mainly use the rifles for shooting feral animals such as Wild Pigs (they are huge) and Dingoes (Native dog that love young cattle and sheep). I also have a shotgun for snakes and there are plenty during summer. Most snakes in Australia are poisonous (VERY) so we have a rule - if we see them they die before we do. Some of the great species are Red Belly Black, Eastern Brown and Eastern taipan. Look up world's Deadliest Snakes and you will probably have the top three.

P.S The worst Feral animal in Australia is the house CAT. It is the new national pest of all pests. They kill many native species including birds and I take great delight in shooting any that set foot on my land. They are all run aways or people have dumped the christmas present that kids no longer want. Either way they are out and out killers. All cats should be desexed and wear bells.


I'll put some pictures up next time. I just got a new Kodak digital and can't wait to share the views.

GregbB

 

[energy]

Re: Australian Style

Originally posted by Greg B
P.S The worst Feral animal in Australia is the house CAT. It is the new national pest of all pests. They kill many native species including birds and I take great delight in shooting any that set foot on my land. They are all run aways or people have dumped the christmas present that kids no longer want. Either way they are out and out killers. All cats should be desexed and wear bells.

I'll put some pictures up next time. I just got a new Kodak digital and can't wait to share the views.

GregbB

Greg,
Great place to enjoy the wildlife. I, for one, am envious. I have two cats and care for them dearly. But, to be running wild is a danger to the environment. We have cats running around our neighborhood, reproducing and attacking other vaccinated, neutered cats and are in need of thinning out. We can't shoot them, but I have trapped them and took care of business. There is no more cunning or skillful hunter. Blast away.

 

[Al Dyer]

Cats are a sneaky bunch.

Last year I let the cat out of the house a couple of times. He sat hidden under a pine tree looking as sweet as possible until a crow walked by. Even though he has no front claws he had no trouble dispaching the crow and leaving it at the back door.

I think he was waiting for me to fry it up like a "roadkill" recipe.

He is an inside cat this year.

Al...

 

[Mike S.]

Greg B.

Wild pigs sound like great fun to hunt. How big is big? 300 pounds? How do they taste? What rifle do you use on 'em? I imagine they're tough buggers.

How bad are the gun laws Down Under? I thought I read where there was a crackdown on private ownership there.

As for the snakes, sounds like you must do a lot of looking down when you walk! They sound nasty, are they agressive or passive? I understand most snakes are passive, but Africa has a snake called the Black Mamba that will actually chase humans if disturbed in the least, and is verrry poisonous.

For any hunters who like reading, especially about African safaris, I strongly suggest you read the series of books by (the now sadly deceased) author Peter Hathaway Capstick. He was a former Wall Street stockbroker who tossed it all and became a professional safari guide and government game officer in Africa. A real "been there, done that" guy and most of his books are based on personal experience, but at least one covers other great African hunters' lives. This guy's writing is magnificent in my opinion, and the action is truly riveting. If you just wanna try one book, try "Death in the Long Grass". "Maneaters" and "Death in a Lonely Land" are also excellent reads. If you like to read and are a hunter, I'm positive you won't be disappointed in anything written by this author.

 

[Greg B]

Re: Australian Style

Originally posted by energy
Greg,
Great place to enjoy the wildlife. I, for one, am envious. I have two cats and care for them dearly. But, to be running wild is a danger to the environment. We have cats running around our neighborhood, reproducing and attacking other vaccinated, neutered cats and are in need of thinning out. We can't shoot them, but I have trapped them and took care of business. There is no more cunning or skillful hunter. Blast away.

Energy,

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate cats as such. I hate FERAL cats that have been abandoned or run away. They are decimating Australia's wildlife. So much so that there are areas that have erected cat proof fences on large land holdings (hundreds of square kilometers) and then systematically hunted the cats down within it its borders. They have then introduced native species (usually small marsupials such as the Bilby) to keep them safe and to help them get off the indangered lists. It's pretty sad that we have to go to these lengths.

Australia is suffering a lot from introduced pests. The rabbit was bought in a few hundred years ago and reached plague proportions before being almost wiped out by a virus that our scientists let go through their population. They are manageable now and good shooting and eating. Foxes are almost as bad as cats but can't climb so leave the native birds alone. The Carp are chocking a lot of our rivers so native cod and bass are suffering. It is law that if you catch a Carp you must dispose of it above the highwater mark of the river so it cannot reenter the water course. Australians don't eat Carp. If they are caught in large numbers they are exported to Europe (they eat anything). Our other major pest is the Cane toad introduced in 1935 from South America to combat the native cane beetle. It didn't work and the cane toads found paradise. anything that eats them dies as they have poison glands on their heads. Our native birds and reptiles don't know that they are poisonous so they eat them and die. Pretty bloody tragic.
Cats are very adaptable. We had a feral on my property for 18 months and I could never catch it or shoot it. It got out of two traps but I finally caught it in the third. It had a tag onit's collar and I rang the owner only to find out that it was a highly prized pedigree persian that had run away after a fight with a stray Tom. His kids were worried sick and they naturally thought that it had died. I did'nt have the heart to tell them that it wasn't from lack of trying on my part. Anyway, I gave it back to them and they are happy. They live over 35 miles away now and keep it in the house.
We are actually thinking of getting a cat for the small tree snakes that keep hanging around and scaring my kids. We will desex it and put a bell on it. Snakes are deaf but native animals are not.
Weel, I have garbled on for a while so I'll get off my soapbox.

P.S I like your posts energy they keep me entertained and aren't clouded by Bulls**t. Keep up the good work.

Greg B

 

[Greg B]

Pigs, Snakes and Guns

Originally posted by Mike S.
Greg B.

Wild pigs sound like great fun to hunt. How big is big? 300 pounds? How do they taste? What rifle do you use on 'em? I imagine they're tough buggers.

How bad are the gun laws Down Under? I thought I read where there was a crackdown on private ownership there.

As for the snakes, sounds like you must do a lot of looking down when you walk! They sound nasty, are they agressive or passive? I understand most snakes are passive, but Africa has a snake called the Black Mamba that will actually chase humans if disturbed in the least, and is verrry poisonous.

Mike,

The pigs can get to enourmous size and probably average about 200 plus lbs. We don't eat feral pigs in Australia. We export them to Europe for the game market. In this area, we mainly get licensed pig hunters to trap and slaughter them as they are very eluasive and come out at night. If you see them in the day it is a long way off and fleeting.
We shoot those that venture onto the property to eat the mangoes that fall to the ground (I have 15 large trees). They can't resist them. My mate brings his .222 magnum and 30/30 over. he sometimes brings his Pig Dogs and they chase the pigs down. The dogs are huge and wear protective leather vests to protect them from tusks.
The gun laws are very strict since that whacko wasted 35 people in Tasmania a few years ago. You have to undertale two safety courses and the usual police checks before applying for a license. You must then show cause as to why you want a weapon. Club use or to use on the land. I use mine to cull sick cattle and feral animals. I guy in town could not get a weapon unless he was a member of a shooting club. We are limited in caliber too. You need a good reason to have a .308 unless your in the Northern territory and hunting water Buffalo. If you don't have a valid reason you don't get one. It is that simple. I only have a .22 and a shotgun. My mate because he is a licensed shooter for feral pigs and kangaroos has a .222 magnum and a 30/30. I was in the defence force for 20 years (joined at 15) and taught small arms ( 9mm browning, SLR 7.62mm, Steyr 5.56 and M60 etc) yet I still had to undertake safety traiing.
Snakes aren't as bad as I may have made out. We have fox terriers that are pretty effective in cleaning them up yet we have lost four dogs in three years.
The Brown snake is the most poisonous followed by the Black but the Taipan is the most aggresive and will keep striking until it thinks your dead. Very rare behaviour for a snake. I saw one on TV that atacked a burrow full of rats and they slowed it down but it was still fast. It attacked evry rat and kept attacking until they were all dead. Rats are quick but none of them escaped. It is a scary snake. I'll locate a web site for you.
I like Wilbur Smith's descriptions of Africa and the game. Dale Brown, Stephen Coonts and Tom Clancy (all those years in the service) are my favourite authors.

Greg B

 

[energy]

Re: Re: Australian Style

Originally posted by Greg B


P.S I like your posts energy they keep me entertained and aren't clouded by Bulls**t. Keep up the good work.

Greg B

Oh really? Thanks Greg. There are those that would vehemently disagree. Your posts are loaded with facts and cut straight to the chase. Keep em coming. Some of them are startling in their details and candidness. Once more, you are lucky to be living in that part of the world, except for those friggin snakes. I don't know how I would deal with them. Yuck!