I know I have been promising this second chapter of my Australian adventures for too long without delivering, but my work has been eating up all my time, both during the week and on the weekends. All I have had time to do is get on TradGang occasionally and post a few comments. I am going to tell you about what happened after the great buffalo/boar hunt we had with Andy Ivy and Mick Baker.
In Chapter One, I left off when Doug and I returned to Darwin with me having killed a nice wild boar and the huge Asiatic buffalo and Doug having spared the lives of all the animals at the hunting concession other than one big Barramundi fish he caught and killed that fed the four of us for three meals with some leftover meat that we couldn't consume.
Doug and I were really tired by the time we got back to the Darwin Airport Inn for the second time since our arrival in Australia. After napping, getting up for dinner and then going back to bed for the night, our alarms went off at 4 am. We got ready and packed all our gear, then went downstairs to meet our fishing guide for the next two days.
We had never talked to or met our guide, Rocque Chong Wee. To say Rocque is a colorful character is an understatement. Doug and I were unsure of his ethnic background until we asked. It turns out he is half Chinese and half European background, with his father (and last name) being Chinese.
We came down to the hotel lobby at 5 am on June 11, and I got there first and introduced myself to Rocque. He and I started loading my luggage as Doug came down with his stuff and put it in the back of the Landcruiser. Rocque immediately told us that he had heard from his boss that we had been hunting and asked us what we had gotten. We said that I had killed a big buffalo and a wild boar but that Doug had struck out. He asked us whether we had been hunting with rifles or pistols and was surprised when we told him we had been hunting with traditional bows and arrows. The next thing he asked was whether we had them with us, and we told him we did. His next words really got us excited: "Do you want to do some more hunting?"
Guess what our answer was!! :bigsmyl: :archer2:
Allan
Oh Boy! :clapper:
:campfire:
Can't wait for more of this one!!
It was still very much dark as we headed out in the Landcruiser to the billabong where we would be fishing -- and apparently hunting. I can't tell you the name of the billabong for reasons I don't want to explain here. But it doesn't really matter for purposes of the story.
We stopped at a pub near the billabong to get breakfast. That place sure knew how to make a good egg, bacon, cheese sandwich. I had some more of the coffee flavored milk and off we went to to billabong where the boat was already positioned on its trailer. For those of you who have heard the word "billabong" all your lives in those Australian songs like "Waltzing Matilda", but you don't know what a "billabong" is (like Doug and I didn't before we started planning our fishing trip), a billabong is generally an oxbow lake that is formed when a river starts cutting a big horseshoe curve and then cuts straight across the bottom of the horseshoe when there is a flood, making turning the whole curved area into a lake. Of course, the oxbow may be a much more extensive and complex set of bends in the river besides just a horseshoe shape, and that is when the lake gets to be much more extensive, like the billabong where we were fishing.
Rocque got the boat into the water, and we got Doug's bow and arrows into the boat, and off we went. I didn't take my bow and arrows because if there was going to be any hunting to do, I wanted Doug to be the one who got the first two animals so he could catch up with me. Since we only had two days, I thought there was a good chance he would not get two animals before our time was over. Heck, both of us were going to be happy if he even got one!
Allan
Excited for this.
The first order of business was to find fish. In the meantime, we would be looking out onto the "dry" areas beside the water for wild boar and buffalo. When I refer to the "dry" areas, that is a little bit of a misnomer at times. There was often a lot of water in those areas, and also such nasties as snakes and crocs -- lots of crocs! For example:
(http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/amar911/DSC01167.jpg)
I can't say that any of us were ready to take off our shoes and socks, jump out of the boat and go dashing off willy-nilly chasing wild boar! :scared:
We did manage to start catching barramundi (barra) pretty quickly. Here I am with Rocque and a nice fish. In case you haven't figured it out, he is the guy on the left -- the fish is the one in the middle. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Not to be outdone, Doug was catching his share of barra too.
(http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/amar911/DSC01176.jpg)
We love to fish, but what was most on our minds was trying to get Doug on a spot-and-stalk for some biggie piggies or a buffalo. I have to admit, the fishing was very good, and we were having fun.
Allan
Nice fish, eh.
It's "Waltzing Matilda", not "Dancing Matilda".
Ben,
I knew that, but obviously it's been awhile since I was a kid and heard that song. Notice the very gray hair! :) The waltz is a dance, isn't it? Give me a break, I was close. :knothead: :biglaugh: I edited my earlier post to note the correction. Thanks Ben.
Allan
You can see from the pictures above what the banks looked like. Sometimes there was dry ground, and sometimes it was swampy, but usually it was a mix of the two, and it was important to make sure when you got out of the boat that you were watching out for the snakes and crocs, with the deadliest snakes being the greater risk.
As we were fishing a couple of hours into the morning, Rocque spotted some black shapes wandering around off in the distance through the flood plains and trees. He told Doug to take off his shoes and socks and get his bow and arrows ready. Then we headed for the bank. Doug saw the hogs as we slid onto the shore, so he slipped off the side of the boat and began his tenderfooted journey across to where the piggies were feeding. As opposed to Rocque and Mick whose feet were calloused so that they could skip across the ground with no problem, Doug and I would limp around feeling every piece of grass, stick, rock or anything else under our feet. And Doug was having to go quite a distance to first approach and then follow the hogs.
Fortunately for me, I had binoculars in the boat and could sit in a comfortable seat and watch all the action almost like being there with Doug. I don't know how many people think optics are not important for hunting, but I am of the opposite opinion. I have the best optics money can buy and think they are one of the most important hunting investments someone can make. A good pair will last a lifetime and provide all sorts of advantages over a half-a$$ed pair. I was carrying my Swarovski 8x30 SLCs and Doug had his Leica 8x32 Ultravids HDs. I have a pair like Doug's too, but chose to take my older and much more used pair of Swarovskis (that still look almost new) because they are old friends that have accompanied me on hunts all over the world. Both binos were perfect for the hunt and for watching the action of the hunt from the comfort of the boat.
Rocque has great eyes and could see the action without binos almost as well as I could see it at 8x with my older eyes. We saw Doug chase the hogs as they moved to the right, then far to the left, then back again to where they started. Doug finally started shooting at moving animals from 40+ yards when he couldn't get close enough and had 2 or 3 misses before he calmed down and decided he needed to back off. He knew he was shooting "Hail Marys) and should go back to the boat, regroup, find a different group of hogs, and then try to get closer on standing animals before he shot again. So back he came to the boat for more fishing and looking for hogs.
I do have to say that it was exciting to watch the hunt from a distance. I rarely get that opportunity except while watching hunting on TV. I guarantee you it is not the same excitement as actually being there!
Off to church. More this afternoon. My next post will have more pictures, so I don't need to be reminded. I am going to start by posting a picture of the best hunter I saw when I was in Australia. :notworthy:
Allan
Can't wait for the rest.
Staying tuned Allan!
:campfire:
I promised to show you a picture of the best hunter we saw in Australia.
(http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/amar911/DSC01150.jpg)
I don't remember what Rocque told me the name of this bird is, but it reminded me of the African fish eagle or the North American bald eagle. This was a young bird, but he knew exactly where to perch. In fact, we caught at least half a dozen barra in the stretch of river directly below him in just about 30 minutes. I wish I could spot my prey like he could. We regularly saw birds plucking smaller fish out of the water. This guy wasn't looking for barra -- they are too big for him to handle. He was looking for the bait fish that the barra were also eating.
Allan
:thumbsup:
:campfire:
Keep it coming
Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:
After fishing a bit more on June 11, we spotted another group of hogs on the bank, wandering around in various places, but mainly in the areas where there were scattered trees. So off we headed to a spot on the shore that seemed to be fairly dry and free of crocs. Again, Doug grabbed his Brackenbury Drifter recurve, with its full quiver, and hopped barefoot off the boat onto the ground. I grabbed the binos and settled in for the show. The hogs were some distance away, but Doug closed in on them fairly quickly as they moved around. Because of the trees, we often lost sight of either Doug or the hogs or both as the worked their way around to various spots.
Even though Rocque has great eyes, my binos really did give me a big advantage. Sometimes he would borrow them to see what was going on, but most of the time I was giving him the play-by-play account of what was happening. The hogs were going one way, then Doug would circle them and they would head back the other way without giving him a shot. Finally, I saw him stalking up on a boar that was hidden from my view, but that I had seen going towards the spot Doug was now headed. I was getting really excited and told Rocque that it looked like there was going to be a shot within seconds. Almost immediately, Doug raised his bow, drew back, held for a moment, then released. :notworthy: Oh, I forgot to mention that the boar weighed about 225 pounds (around 100 kilos for you Aussies).
Allan
Also, notice Doug's bare feet. It seemed like the most successful hunting method was to stalk without shoes. That may have felt fine to Mick Baker and Rocque who are used to walking around that way, but Doug and I got sore feet when we did it! Since I had been barefoot during my hunting, I did my best to keep my shoes on during Doug's boar hunting. I am in the process of getting some Arrow Moccasins to take with me next time and carry in a pack while we are out hunting. For tenderfoot guys like Doug and me, some moccasins sound way better than barefoot walking. The trouble with the areas around the billabong is that you can easily sink up to your thighs in water and mud, like Doug did when he was stalking the hogs. Moccasins are not so great for that!
I was talking about how happy I was for Doug, but here is a picture that shows it as opposed to just describing my joy. You can see I am wearing something on my feet, but my boots are hidden behind the boar. :thumbsup:
(http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/amar911/DSC01133.jpg)
And if you didn't believe that Rocque was the happiest and most excited of everyone, take a look at him with his hands in the boar's mouth. I think Rocque is a frustrated dentist at heart! Say "Awwwww". :o
(http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/amar911/DSC01135.jpg)
Allan
What a great shot!!!! Great story, now I hope there is more :)
Gosh, Ryan. You are never satisfied!! :bigsmyl:
Wait and see. There was still one more day of "fishing".
Allan
Congrats!
One fine pig!
:thumbsup:
After Doug shot the boar, we did some more fishing, but the heat of the day really slowed down the activity of the fish and left us without as many caught as we had in the morning hours when it was much cooler.
At the end of the day we headed back to the pub for dinner and to overnight in the prefabricated rooms they rented in the campground out back. The meal was surprisingly good, and we were entertained by Rocque's drunken friends who all came over to chat as they continued to drink. Nice guys -- but REALLY drunk! I guess that's what people do in pubs at night, but I am a teetotaler, so I don't have much experience with pubs. After dinner we headed back to our rooms for showers and a good night's sleep with visions of wild boars dancing (I think it was the waltz, Ben ;) ) in our heads.
Allan
Satisfied, just ready for more hunting :thumbsup:
Allan,
Just a suggestion, but, before you go again, check out the Vibram 5 Finger Workout Shoes. They fit the foot like a glove, constructed with a tough rubber bottom, thin coating of rubber on top of the foot. They are made for working out, especially crossfit and squats/deadlifts, where you need to place your weight on the heel of the foot. I have used them in the swamps of south georgia chasing pigs.
Second choice is a worn pair of wrestling shoes, light, with a very flexible sole. the only drawback is most are made of leather, excellent stalking shoe. Bill
Allan, the bird looks like a White Bellied Sea Eagle
Great story Allan. I must have overlooked your hunt for the buff.
Bill -- Thanks, I will check out the 5 Finger shoes and the old wrestling shoes. I am an old wrestler myself. :p They both sound like good ideas.
Paul -- It's nice to have some local knowledge of the birds of prey. I'm sure you are correct of the Sea Eagle. This was a young one, but already a good hunter, like Andy Ivy!
Randy -- Appreciate the comments. Where in Oklahoma are you?
I have to work all day, but I will start the morning with a quick peek at our second day at the billabong.
Allan
We got up way before sunrise, got dressed and packed, loaded up the Landcruiser, grabbed an egg, bacon, and cheese breakfast sandwich and an iced coffee at the pub, and headed for the billabong. As we got within a half mile of the water, Rocque spotted a herd of buffalo out in the slightly wooded plains not too far from the road, so he stopped the vehicle, told Doug to grab the bow, and off they went to put on a stalk in the early dawn.
I got my binos and headed for the roof rack to get a high perch to view the action. It is not often that hunting becomes a spectator sport, but I was really liking this situation where I had tagged out on both a buff and a boar and could watch my best friend playing catch up on some great animals. The grass was high, and Doug and Rocque had to stay hunkered down; however, I had a bird's eye view of everything that was taking place and only wished I could have been whispering in Doug's ear and telling him what was happening that he couldn't see.
The biggest problem with the stalk was the wind. It was blowing from Doug's and Rocque's direction toward the buffaloes and there was no way to circle down wind without being spotted. The only real bull was a medium sized one, but good enough to shoot if Doug got the chance. I love the way the bulls normally do things, which is to approach you when they are curious as to what you are. They come straight at you with their heads low so there is rarely a shot, and almost never a good shot. Mick told us that some guys like the frontal shot which can penetrate the heart or sever the arteries just above the heart, but most of the folks who take that shot are compound archers who use sights for pinpoint accuracy. I'm not saying a trad archer couldn't make the shot (obviously we could) but it is not a high percentage shot to begin with, and most of us are not as accurate as our brethren who have high-tech gadgets including cables, cams, sights, mechanical releases, range finders, and weight let off that promote great accuracy with relatively little effort or skill. I'm not putting down the guys with wheels, just noting that the technological aspects of the equipment require far less of the archer than using trad gear.
Back to the story. Doug and Roque crept through the high grass towards the buffalo bull in the dim light, but their scent was drifting -- no, BLOWING -- in his direction. You could see the reaction of the entire herd when the human scent reached them. There really are no natural predators of the buffalo in Oz, so they don't react like cape buffalo in Africa who are regularly eaten by lions and hyenas. Most of the herd started retreating slowly, while the bull turned in Doug's direction as Doug continued forward with Rocque hanging back. Finally, Doug could see the bull through the grass and stopped. The bull slowly advanced directly towards Doug, holding its head low and its nose forward to test the wind and stare at the strange shape partially hidden in the grass. I know Doug was thinking about that frontal shot, because we had discussed it with Mick and Andy on several occasions, but Doug simply was not going to take a poor shot, particularly because he was not being backed up with any rifle, much less a .416 Ruger like Mick and Andy carried. None of us wanted Doug returning to Oklahoma in a box! Finally, the bull had enough and quickly swapped ends and headed off to join the retreating herd. Doug and Rocque stood up and returned to the truck to head off to the billabong for our second morning in the boat.
We got to the boat, loaded up our gear, put the boat in the water, and off we went. I am going to work momentarily, but I wanted to leave you as we started out the morning on the billabong. The temperatures in the morning were fairly cool. In fact we got pretty cold at times scooting across the water at high speeds with the cool air coming off the water and chilling us. Here is a picture of Doug staying comfy in some of the great new clothing we got from Kuiu. If anyone wants to know what we think of the Kuiu products, they are GREAT. Jason Hairston's former company that he started, Sitka, puts out wonderful stuff, and I have spent a small fortune on it, but the Kuiu line that Jason has now created is even better, at least to the extent he has produced clothing that competes with his former company. This picture is Doug wearing the Kuiu Cap and the Guide Jacket, both in the Vias camo pattern that Jason himself created. The jacket is compact, light and warm, and repels water extremely well without being rain gear. The cap is nice, especially the camo, but it is really just a well made cotton baseball style cap and is not a whole lot different than what you could buy off the shelf, except for the excellent Vias camo look and the Kuiu logo. I did wear my Kuiu cap part of the time, but while hunting I wore an Outdoor Research Radar Cadet cap with a short, folding brim that is great for bow hunting. I wish Jason made a similar cap with his camo pattern, but I think that will be coming in the future. The Guide Jacket that Doug is wearing here is incomparable in quality and function. We will both be wearing our Kuiu clothing throughout the fall hunting season and are very glad to have it.
(http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/amar911/DSC01155.jpg)
It was going to be a great day, and Doug was going to be able to continue putting that wonderful camo clothing to work doing more than just keeping him warm and helping hide him from the buffalo. (Hint, hint!!) Stay tuned this evening for the wrap up on Chapter Two. :campfire:
Allan
Great story. Certainly a great adventure.
Super reading over lunch today!
Allan, I live in Enid in the North central part of the state.
Been waiting for this one. Great adventure, great to see Doug finished up with some meat on the ground. Nice boar, that's my kinda fishing guide.
These are good reading!
:campfire:
Alright! Can't wait for the rest :campfire:
Mike -- Looking forward to using the St. Jude knife you are building me on some of this kind of game in the future.
John -- Glad to be your lunch entertainment. You live a long way from home, but it is hotter than Hades down here right now and worse in Texas.
David -- I will get you the information on how to get hold of Rocque and his boss so you can book him when you are down there.
Randy -- I know Enid well and have spent a lot of time there.
Will and Clay -- Thanks for the encouragement.
My wife ditched me for the evening, so I am going out to grab some dinner. I will try to finish up the story of our trip tonight when I get back.
Allan
Great stuff Allan :thumbsup:
We got back on the water and headed out for the best fishing spots. As I mentioned, it was cool that morning, and the jackets felt really good. We ended up doing pretty well on the fishing while it was cooler and the fish were actively feeding.
(http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/amar911/DSC01174.jpg)
We were also seeing crocs in many places, which kept everyone watching the banks very carefully in case we spotted hogs and wanted to go ashore without losing a leg - or worse.
(http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/amar911/DSC01138.jpg)
(http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/amar911/DSC01139.jpg)
We went by several of the places we had seen hogs the day before without finding any there yet the morning of the second day, but Rocque assured us that they would appear as the day heated up. Finally, we spotted some hogs, and off we headed for the bank. The area where we put ashore was really swampy. Doug bailed off the front of the boat and was immediately ankle deep in mud and water. He then started taking a path almost directly toward the hogs, but before he knew it he was sinking in almost to his crotch. To make matters worse, there was a fairly big croc not too far away. Doug finally slogged his way through and made it to mostly dry land. But the hogs had moved off into the trees and were too far away and out of sight. So Doug started back, but Rocque told him to go the long way around to avoid the crocs and the deep boggy areas. When Doug got back to the boat, Rocque told Doug that in the interests of survival those places should be strictly avoided, not only because of the crocs, but also because of the poisonous snakes. That was enough warning for Doug to exercise a little better discretion as to where he was prepared to venture.
Now that we knew the hogs were moving, we started looking seriously for some more. And it wasn't long before Rocque spotted a bunch more and we were pulled up on the shore to let Doug off the boat. As Doug began his walk toward the trees where we had seen the hogs, Rocque and I settled comfortably into our padded seats and I began watching through my binoculars as the stalk started in earnest. As Doug approached the trees and slowed to a snail's pace, I commented to Rocque how well the Kuiu Vias camo blended into the trees. Doug was fortunate to be able to wear his Guide Jacket, because while we were hunting with Andy and Mick it was always too hot for any kind of jacket during the day, and I was usually sweating and needing to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. But that morning on the billabong was nice and cool, and perfect weather for the Guide Jacket. The only problem with the camo clothing was that most of the people around us seemed to know we were hunting, not just trying to disguise ourselves from the fish. As I said, the Kuiu Vias camo really did a good job of allowing Doug to blend into the surroundings.
(http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/amar911/DSC01156.jpg)
Even when Doug was totally exposed, the only part of him that we often could spot were his light colored legs. The top part of his body became invisible as it blended with the leaves on the other side of him. I could see various pig bodies under trees and feeding in the shade. At that distance it was hard to determine how far away Doug was from them. We could see a few large boars wandering around, in and out of our view as they meandered while feeding or socializing. I kept the play-by-play going for Rocque. Then I saw the biggest boar in the group coming from the left and headed towards Doug's position as he stood partially hidden from the boar's view behind a tree.
As the boar moved around, I told Rocque that Doug was getting into shooting position, then that Doug was raising his bow, then that Doug was drawing his bow, then that Doug had released an arrow, and finally that the boar had just taken off in a run. :archer2: Doug quickly followed as the boar ran off. With my binos I could see as Doug followed behind the boar for hundreds of yards until he was a third of a mile away. As I described all this to Rocque, he jumped out of the boat and took off to help Doug. Still, through my Swarovskis I could see as Doug moved to the right and picked up an arrow off the ground. As he did that, Rocque saw a group of hogs on the left and started running flat out to try to flank them even farther left and drive them towards Doug for a shot. The hogs knew better than to run near Doug and went straight away, passing Doug without him knowing they were there. I then watched as Doug approached a small patch of trees in the middle of an otherwise open field. Rocque quickly got to where Doug was standing. I saw him pull an arrow from his quiver, draw his bow, and shoot it into the patch of trees. :archer2: Then he and Rocque headed toward the trees and were out of sight.
Allan
Before long Rocque came running back to the boat and hopped on. Like the day before, we took off around the bend of the billabong and headed for a spot closer to the boar. I got out and headed to where Doug was. When I arrived at the patch of trees, I could see there was a small wallow there with a nice boar in the middle. A couple of arrows were sticking out of him, in addition to the first arrow that Doug had retrieved earlier. He was a nice boar, about the same size as the first one.
(http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/amar911/DSC01160.jpg)
(http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/amar911/DSC01159.jpg)
Rocque just couldn't keep his hands out of the mouths of the hogs or the fish. Like I said, he is a frustrated dentist!
(http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/amar911/DSC01161.jpg)
In this part of Oz, the boar don't seem to grow the big teeth that are seen in other areas. I don't know why, but none of us really cared.
Doug told me the story from his point of view. He had sneaked in fairly close but then had run out of cover to get any closer, so he just waited for the big boars to make their moves. After a long time, the boar he shot (which was the biggest one in the group) came within 30 to 35 yards and didn't seem to be getting any closer. That's when Doug decided to shoot him. Although it was a long shot, at least this boar was standing still, and the arrow took him in the shoulder and fully penetrated his body, but remained inside him. That's when the hog took off and went for hundreds of yards before jumping in the mud wallow and staying there. He was still very much alive when Rocque arrived, so Doug said he was going to shoot the animal again. When Rocque saw how devastating the arrow was as it zipped through the air and pierced both sides of the boar, he was amazed. In fact, he talked excitedly about it for hours afterward. Rocque had no idea how powerful and deadly a traditional bow and arrow could be. When the boar still had not died, Doug put another arrow into the hog that quickly ended its life. Doug was one very happy fisherman -- I mean hunter! :rolleyes:
We did some more fishing that afternoon and even caught a few fish, but everything after Doug's second kill was an anti-climax. We were both thrilled with our great successes on the trip and were already letting down in anticipation of the end of our adventures and the long trip home. We had experienced another great time in our lives and knew it would be hard to ever top the fun we had found in the Northern Territory of Australia. I gather that Andy and Mick have us booked for a return trip next year. Africa can wait another year before I go back for my seventh time. I want to double up on Australia and see if Doug can get his elusive buffalo. I am also eager to be back there with Andy and Mick and relive the excitement we had this June.
Does anyone have any ideas about how I could dredge up that fishing rod and reel of Mick's? :bigsmyl:
Next time I hope Doug and I will both have new Shrew Safari bows, more of the same arrows but this time with VPA Penetrator 2 blade broadheads, some fantastic new hot weather gear from Kuiu (shirts, shorts and short-billed caps in camo) that I hope Jason will produce for tropical weather conditions like we found in the Northern Territory, and some new Arrow moccasins for the final stalks on game. I also plan to get a new EFA quiver similar to the one I took this time, and I will continue to wear my Mike's Archery Leather armguard and my Bateman tab, although I plan to try out one of the 3Rivers Eichler tabs.
Most of my equipment choices this time were almost perfect. The Shrew Buffalo Bow was great, but I think the Shrew Safari will be even better. The arrows worked well, so I won't change them, although I will try the new VPA broadheads and maybe some of the new Tuffheads. They both look outstanding.
My clothing worked well, but I know it is one of the areas that can stand the most improvement. The shirt was fine. The long sleeves helped with the sun, and the fabric was fairly good for keeping me both cool and dry. The shorts were made of cotton and were adequate. The cap was great, but I sure would have liked it in a good camo pattern, even though the green checked pattern was fine. If there is anyone who could come up with the best of the best clothing for this kind of hunting, it is Jason Hairston. A lightweight, two pocket, long-sleeved shirt in a high tech fabric would be perfect here and for wearing with his already incredible clothing system. A shorts version of the Kuiu Attack Pants would be ideal for this hunt. And a cap virtually identical to the O.R. Radar Cadet with a short, folding brim would be outstanding. Of course, all of the clothing would need to be in the Vias camo or perhaps in the new green camo pattern that Jason has been telling us about. I could take two of each of the shirts and shorts and one of the caps and wear them to hunt every day while washing out my spare set of clothing each night so that I would always start each day with fresh clothes. That would also be the perfect setup for Africa or any other hot weather hunting. Are you reading this, Jason? The Guide Jackets were perfect for a few hours on the billabong, but were not needed the rest of the hunt because of the warmth of the climate. And we were there during the coolest part of the year.
Thanks for coming along with us on the trip. I hope I was able to give you a little flavor of what it was like to be there. We had a blast!
Allan
Allan,
You are not a man who will disappoint! Great adventures. Chapter 1 and 2 are great reads of exciting times. Thank you for sharing your writing and photos. I would be thrilled to make a trip over (maybe, should be under) but would want to explore the whole continent.
Regarding the rod and reel, scuba?
:thumbsup:
Awesome adventure for sure! Thanks for sharing it :notworthy:
A grand finish :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Thanks so much for taking us along on your adventure Allan. This has sure got me pumped for our trip next year. The 950gr arras are flying and our gear list is pretty much finalized. I'd love Rocque's contact info so we can cast for hogs as well. We are going to do some deep sea fishing on arrival and this sounds like a great ending to our Oz adventure.
Like someone else mentioned - check out Vibrams new five finger running shoes before you buy mocasins. I have the road running and trail running models and love them. The trail models are fantastic for traction and I think will be the cats ass for stalking. They have no arch support period so are not for everyone. I have good mocasins as well and they are no where near as good as the five fingers for warm climate - five fingers are designed to be worn in water as well. They are so light you could put them in day pack and never know your hauling them. I plan to wear mine all the time.
:clapper: WOW! What an adventure! :clapper:
Bill
Great story. Thanks for sharing it and all the pics! And congrats on a successful hunt.
:thumbsup: Guess that's it :( Ha ha great story! Thanks for the great story and great shooting!
It was 118 degrees today, dusty, with 25mph winds. You sharing your hunt with me,was the best part of the day. Thank You.
Fantastic story telling Allan. What an adventure.
Thanks for taking the time to take such wonderful pics and posting everything for us to read.
Congrats to you both!
Thank you for the great story and pics.I really enjoyed it.
Leland
Allan, well done :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Thanks for taking us along.
Thanks for sharing!! :clapper:
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks guys. It was fun telling the story, but the most fun was in being there for the actual adventure. There are so many of my great TradGang friends I would have loved to have had along on this trip, including folks who have commented on these two threads; however, I'm glad I got to take you along vicariously since we couldn't all be there together. If anyone does have the ability to go, I highly recommend Andy, Mick and Rocque. Of course, Andy is the main reason I went the first time and will be the main reason I go back. We all know what a special young man he is! Guys like Andy exemplify the best of the TradGang community, and there are many others among our ranks who do also. Every time I share a camp with a fellow TradGanger, I am enriched by the experience. There is not a better group of people anywhere, and I feel blessed to be a part of you.
Allan
Thats awesome Allan, great little way to finish the Aussie adventure. And Congrats to Doug on the big howg!
I'v been pretty hectic back here, i need to make time to catch up before i start the Rusa hunts
Will e-mail tonight after work
Andy, I really enjoyed the fishing trip with Rocque, but there was no comparison between that and the hunt we had with you and Mick. It was a good way to wind down from our big hunting adventure and get prepared to go home. I am eager to get more information about going back to Oz to hunt with you next year. Good thing you have us booked. I will be bringing some of the VPA 2 blade Penetrators next time, and I'm sure you will have them too.
Later friend,
Allan
Thanks for sharing your trip with us allan. I really need to go meet Andy.
Great Stuff Allan !!! Thanks.
Great story and pics Allan. I enjoyed following your hunts and fishing exploits. Thanks for sharing.