After knocking-off from work on Friday arvo, my mate Tony Jensen and I took-off for a weekend adventure on a cattle station a few hours drive away.
We caught-up with the manager, and trundled-off to set-up camp.
This photo shows a station track; a bushfire came through, and they contained it on one side, saving the adjacent paddock:
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/DouglasStationAugust09007.jpg)
As usual, the bulldust was spectacular and magnificent:
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/DouglasStationAugust09004.jpg)
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/IMG_0402.jpg)
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/IMG_0403.jpg)
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/IMG_0401.jpg)
A few months ago, I put the cheque from a TBM story toward a new longbow from Howard Hill Archery, a 75#, 70" Wesley Special.
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/IMG_0411.jpg)
Early on Saturday morning, I got my first chance to blood it, when we stumbled across a snuffling boar in the cornflakes-like leaf litter near a swamp; luckily, he was making more noise than I, and this allowed me to close the distance to about twelve metres. I drew, anchored, aimed and let fly, and he fled the scene with my fletching sticking out - possibly a tad far back. We found the blood trail, and marked it, opting to continue our hunt and pick-up the trail again later.
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/IMG_0371.jpg)
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/IMG_0372.jpg)
We soon found this fellow, which Tony stalked. The wind gave him away, and the boar fled.
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/IMG_0376.jpg)
The wind continued to mess-up our best-laid plans for the remainder of the weekend.
While Tony was stalking the boar above, I was playing with the camera, and photographed these buffalo wallows as well:
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/IMG_0375.jpg)
As we neared another swamp, we bespied some brumbies, and Tony went in to try for them. He ended-up stalking them around to the left, and I bespied some pigs snuffling-in from the right. By the time I could move-up, they'd all gone past toward Tony and the brumbies, except for one tail-end boar, which I smacked in the ribs at about twenty metres. He was in trouble, and stopped in the savannah fifty metres away, confused. I closed to about twenty-five metres and hit him tight behind his right shoulder, but strongly quartering-away. I followed discreetly, watching through the binoculars, wishing he would go down. There was lots of blood, but I didn't push him, again choosing to give him time - not a pleasant feeling, to have two uncertainties playing-out at the same time.
Not much further along, we saw a few buffalo, and Tony crept-in as far as he could (his brumby attempt had come to naught).
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/IMG_0385.jpg)
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/IMG_0387.jpg)
Again, the wind gave him away.
Outstanding as always.bd
As Tony came back to where I was with the back-up rifle, I motioned that just behind me a boar had come-in from the savannah to the edge of the swamp, and that he should have a go. He crept over, then signalled that it was the second one that I'd hit. The boar was resting in the water, pretty crook, but very close to where I'd left my bow and arrows in order to escort Tony toward the buffalo earlier. So we both knew that Tony should try to end it then-and-there. Tony got to about twelve metres, and drove a STOS-tipped Douglas fir arrow made by TradGanger Joe Lorenzen into the rear flank of the boar, angling toward the vitals. Penetration from his 80# Australian-made Barry Johnson 70" longbow was excellent, and the boar jumped-up, ran a few steps, and expired in the water.
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/IMG_0395.jpg)
The day was getting quite warm, and we knew we had to cover a fair bit of country back to the Toyota, as well as follow-up the trail of that first boar. We hiked back to the ribbon, and began carefully following the splashes and spots. My nervousness suddenly gave way to relief when I saw the boar well-and-truly dead just sixty metres from where we'd tied the ribbon. We weren't able to pose him nicely, as by this stage he was quite stiff. It was my first pig with a D-longbow, as well as my first animal with a wooden arrow that I'd made, as I've only just learned how to make my own. I was, and am, very pleased!
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/IMG_0400.jpg)
When we staggered back to the Toyota (that Old Man Sun's a killer!), the ice-cold ginger beer in the esky tasted real good!
By the way, the string on my longbow was made by TradGanger Graham Bunting (UKarcher), who donated it for this year's St. Jude's auction! Thanks, Graham, it worked a treat!
Over the next day or so, we did see some more game, but our chances were blown by the errant and fickle breeze.
Here's a last photo of a sleeping boar about to catch a lungful of Tony's body odour:
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/IMG_0407.jpg)
Now, I need to go back to work to recover from the weekend!
Great story Ben, Congratulations!!!
Thanks for sharing the story and the pics Ben!
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Northern Ben,
as usual great story, great pics and glad to see that you've joined the back quiver and Hill bow and boar club !!!! really good stuff buddy. looks like a good weekend!
did you end up put silencers on the string ? bet you didn't eh....
congrats mate !
Southern Ben
NICE! I don't quite share your enthusiasm for bulldust though! ha
Great story and pics Ben!
Thanks for sharing!
Most excellent brother...congrats to both of you :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Looks like a great place for adventure :campfire:
Always enjoyable reading Ben...thanx
Well done Lads some fine boars.
Awesome stuff as usual Ben!
Way to go Ben!!! Looks like a hoot, you never know what you will find roaming around!!
Way cool! Congrats on the hogs.
Great story and pictures Ben.
Jack
Congrats and great story :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
:thumbsup:
Great story, Love those hogs. :thumbsup:
I like it alot. Good stuff.
Chuck
Thanks Ben :thumbsup: another great weekend :campfire:
great story and photos.Blake
nice one bro :thumbsup: :archer:
Great pics and story, thanks !
Congrats ! Great story Ben , You make me want to come back already . You have incredible hunting possibilities over there . But if even you think it's hot you must know how I felt . And again it's your winter now . I couldn't survive your summer .
Best of luck to you , enjoyed the read , Fred
Atta boy Ben!! Congrats on the fine pigs! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats :thumbsup:
Thanks Ben. That was a treat!
Tops as usual! Thanks
Congratulations!! Thanks for sharing!!
Nathan
Fantastic pictures Ben! Looks like my kinda weekend. Less than two weeks now and we'll be Down Under chasin hogs as well.
Ben , Love to see great pics. it makes the story come together. Thanks for sharing.
Congrats Ben, sounds like a great weekend :thumbsup: 2 for 2 with the new bow.
Looks like a great time. Chasing animals with a stick and string in rugged country and bringing them home is always a winner.
Thanks for taking us along on your hunt. Great photos and most excellent story!
Aloha,
Mark
Good Read Ben. Enjoyed it.RC
Great pictures and a great story. Congratulations on some fine pigs!
Congrats Ben nice howgs
perfect timing to, we'l be out there shortly Cant wait :thumbsup:
Good for you! Thank you so much for sharing. Mike
Great story and pictures! Thanks for sharing!
Well done Ben! It's great story and nice to see one of my strings helping to bring in a result. Must be the good mojo we put into it. Graham
Wow!!!!
Todd
I love reading BK stories on TradGang.
Ben is cool.
Oh, and in TBM too!
Thanks for sharing...and congrats!!!!
Thanks for the kind words, fellows; I'm glad you enjoyed it. I just got the photos from Tony's camera, and thought I'd post this happy snap up of our Team Effort Boar:
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/DSCF0099.jpg)
Cheers,
Ben
You can see a fine pair of Mike's Archery Leather back quivers copping a good hiding in the bush over here, too - a fine product! Thanks, Mike!
GREAT PICS AND STORY.YOUR WRITINGS ARE GREAT READING.KEPP THEM COMING,AND THANKS FOR SHARING...CHRIS
What the heck is a brumby?
CONGRATS BEN :thumbsup:
Brumbies...
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/DSCF0024.jpg)
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Australian%20Live%20Game/brumby.jpg)
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Australian%20Live%20Game/DSCF0545.jpg)
Just curious- do you eat the brumbies?
Nope, Don, we don't eat brumbies, although it could be done.
Good to hear from you, Ben. G'day to all my Aussie mates. Don