Hunting Australian Buffalo

[Dr Ray]

As you see in the clip they harvest from a vehicle.

Looks like the mighty .35Whelen is to become "The new normal" move over .308

Wonder why using a 308? Errr

 

[CBH Australia]

Wonder why using a 308? Errr

Cheap FMJ ammo, otherwise they might have used a .243.

 

[CoElkHunter]

a good 250 gr bullet at 2500 fps out of a 35 whelen would let the air out of a buffalo pretty quick if hit right. (3400 fpe), no gut-ass shots.

IF, you hit it in the head? LOL

 

[Sarg]

Well I did say it was my job, we started with some .375 H&H Win Model 70's, then went to Model 70's in 338Win Mag using Winchester 300Gr bullets, Boss says well Hell we have to brain shoot (for human consumion all had to be head/brain shot) these animals any way wouldn't a 30/06 using Military Ball do the job & it did (much cheaper & easier to firing 50-70rds of ammo per day, not using the Magnums) then 30/06 Ball was harder to get after a bit, so went to 308Win Ball (even re-barreled the long action Sako 30/06 to 308Win lol) we used heavy barreled Varmint rifles.

This is in 78-79 nothing like today, we couldn't even get 338Win cases & at one stage necked down .358 Norma Mag cases to 338 (I know crazy) these were all special permit rifles in the NT in those days, as calibers over a certain speed or power were banded - 25-20, 32-20, 38-40, 44-40, 45-70 & shotguns were Ok, the reason so many of us used 45/70 & shotguns on Buffalo & other Big game in the NT in those days.

 

[Dr Ray]

IF, you hit it in the head? LOL

Yes

 

[Newboomer]

Yes

Looks like they did to the Aussie buf what we did to the bison. Near extinction. Luckily the bison is resurging through good conservation management.

 

[Dr Ray]

Looks like they did to the Aussie buf what we did to the bison. Near extinction. Luckily the bison is resurging through good conservation management.

No shortage of Oz buffs

 

[CBH Australia]

Looks like they did to the Aussie buf what we did to the bison. Near extinction. Luckily the bison is resurging through good conservation management.

There was commercial harvesting and also a Tuberculosis TB campaign.

Our Buffalo, Camel, Deer, Pig, Goat and other species are all introduced species.

Natives are not Huntable.

 

[Sarg]

The Commercial harvest of Wild Buffalo didn't do any thing to the numbers of Bovines in the NT, barely kept up with the breeding cycle, there were many portable & fixed Abattoirs in the NT & just as many (way more) Pet food shooters who also did Horses & Donkeys (as we did to) .

It was the pressure from the US & the Cattlemen's Association, to control the animals in the wild & their supposed diseases that the government spent Millions upon Millions killing & wasting hundreds of thousands of Tax payer dollars on destroying the animals & more than a few thousand peoples lives in the Wild animal recovery industry, Oh & the Safari industry to !

In the BTEC Wars on Bovines (Brucellosis and Tuberculosis Eradication Campaign) whole story to tell, but most of the NT Beef cattle are free roaming to & interact with Truly Wild Cattle, Buffalo & Banteng, which could carry Brucellosis, Tuberculous & the Horses I think Bluetongue ?

It wrecked the NT for a long time, numbers only getting back in the last 20yrs or so but they are culling big time again in some areas & wrecked a lot of good Hunting Blocks.

Lost the Real Scrub Bull- Red Bull mostly (some in my old area still) & replaced with the much larger Wild Brahma cattle crosses.