AUSTRALIA: Annual Camel Hunt

[Code4]

Due to work commitments my hunting has devolved into one trip a year and as posted on here annually, I go Camel culling in far west Queensland.

I have taken my son in the past, however he has enlisted in the regular army as a combat engineer and has found some young tasty female naval rating to spend time with so our hunting days maybe over. This year forum member John Foxwell and I headed out with our 7x57's to try out luck.

The rig loaded heading for Winton.


One of our objectives was to visit the extensive Dinosaur exhibits and museums around Winton. Winton is a typical outback town that has cashed in on the grey nomad (retired persons travelling around Oz) by promoting the massive number of dinosaur finds made in the area. It is the birthplace of QANTAS and the location for the penning of the balad 'Waltzing Matilda'.

Day two: Fooling around with a lifesize bronze of AUSTRALOVENATOR WINTONENSIS "BANJO" an ambush predator at Winton. It could reach 35kph in two strides. I originally thought it was a Velociraptor but found out that Velociraptors are only the size of chickens.


We arrived at the property to find the property cook had cut her hand in the kitchen so my Paramedic skills were once again put to use. We then made for camp. Despite having hunted here four times previously we still took a full day to find our camp spot.

First blood to Foxxi with a nice bull taken with the Winchester featherweight and Norma factory 154 Spt. Sp's.


We spent five days driving 750km at 25kph looking for camels.
Day three I nailed this 35kg boar off a dam at noon with my 250-3000 and 100 Nosler BT's. Pigs don't get very big out here due to the poor feed and heat.


Typical country we hunted.



Wild dogs are abundant and very cunning. We saw more spoor this trip than on any other.


One advantage of having Foxxi along, is he is a bit of a chef and offered to take over all cooking. Here are a couple of steaks cooking over hardwood coals (gidgie wood) while we enjoyed a rum (or two, or three, or four).


A 7x57 round on a Camel pad.


Being both over 50 yo we don't exactly like squatting in the bush so we take Foxxis portable 'shitter' with us. The official camp camel shitter was an early casuality however, when it fell of the back of the truck splitting the top.


We ended up with Foxxi taking 6 camels and myself 4. Here you can see me in the forground with my custom 7x57 taking a shot at a camel to the right of the brush. Foxxi had just nailed the breeding pair and two 'askari' males were left. In the photo you can see smoke from my muzzle drifting off to the right and the 'flair' on the front of the camel is actually the dust flying off the chest post impact of the 135 grain custom mono metal projectile I was using. I finally got both males with three shots each.



One of the feral pests down to the 7x57. Look at the size of the head. He would have made an impressive euro mount.


Time to head home.


That night we got back into mobile phone coverage and made contact with loved ones.

The return trip wasn't without incident. A roo strike on the side of my twin cab left a bit of a mess. It's head was struck by the leading edge of the aluminium tray. Twin cab = 1, Roo = 0


Despite spiking two tyres on the trip it is always worth getting out there, away from the modern age and enjoying the outback.

 

[Royal27]

That would be an absolute blast....

How is the meat? I can't remember what I've heard about it, if anything.

 

[Code4]

Meat is exactly like beef. Even an old camel tastes good. We did shoot two young ones for meat and I have backstraps in my freezer and Foxxi has a rump.
These are feral introduced pests so the objective is elimination for the landowner.

 

[gizmo]

Cool, that would be a hoot!

 

[stug]

Good stuff, you were lucky the roo hit the side of the vehicle and not the front bumper! I'm looking forward to getting my 7x57 going, won't be on camels though.

 

[ROCKET]

Ooohhh damn.....I would shouldn´t never watch this.....another thing to have in my mind, Camels in Australia......is that posible....??......I must to stop think weird thinks to preserve my mental health........what a great hunt code4.......make me know if you need a helper and cook camp for next year........

 

[accipiter]

That would be an adventurous hunt. Do any foreigners go camel hunting in Australia?

 

[Royal27]

Ooohhh damn.....I would shouldn´t never watch this.....another thing to have in my mind, Camels in Australia......is that posible....??......I must to stop think weird thinks to preserve my mental health........what a great hunt code4.......make me know if you need a helper and cook camp for next year........

Camel sausage made by Rocket.... Mmmmm.....

 

[ROCKET]

Camel sausage made by Rocket.... Mmmmm.....

You bet Royal, I can do it.......the problem is that I can not go through another divorce for a Camel hunt in Australia.......but.......on second thought maybe worth to take the risk........

 

[JES Adventures]

Thanks Code4 for the very entertaining report. You Aussies remind me of a lot of fellow Texans I've grown up with! It's been a couple of decades since my last trip Down Under but I had some great time with my old friend Mickey McCormick.

We shot just about everything except camel, a good excuse to go back.

Also,I remember Mick telling me about the amazing Wild Turkey hunting on Tasmania. I guess the birds were there by the thousands. Have you ever made that hunt? If they're still there in great numbers I'd like to try it.

 

[JWB300]

Great report Code4 - Great pictures and thanks for posting. That ironstone and gibber country is hard on the tyres.

Shame about the shitter!

 

[Wheels]

Really enjoyed the report Code4.

Thanks for the post.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Thanks for the write up.

Damn that looks intriguing: Rum, Braai, pest control. Awesome.

 

[Nyati]

Looks like you guys enjoyed yourselves, thanks for the story !

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

@Code4 thanks for sharing as always!

Don't want to take away the attention from this hunt but here are more Camel hunts done by @Code4…

- Sinking the Ships of the Desert - Hunting Camel in the Australian Outback: http://www.africahunting.com/thread...hunting-camel-in-the-australian-outback.9704/
- 2nd Camel Hunt: http://www.africahunting.com/threads/2nd-camel-hunt.6779/
- DIY Outback Camel Hunt: http://www.africahunting.com/threads/diy-outback-camel-hunt.5734/
- VIDEO: 9.3x62 -V- Large feral male Camel: http://www.africahunting.com/threads/video-9-3x62-v-large-feral-male-camel.13681/

 

[Diamondhitch]

Camel hunting LOL, its just not something that I would think of, you Ausies have the oddest collection of critters to hunt! Congrats, sounds like you guys had a great time.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Camel sausage made by Rocket.... Mmmmm.....

I agree with Royal.
Witold

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Very good artice Code4. Thanks for sharing. Ienvy you.
Witold

 

[enysse]

Sounds like another amazing hunt!

 

[Panielsen]

Great report! I would have never imagined hunting camel would be so fun! I like the field latrine as well, as in the Army we used milk crates with the comfort end cut out. Gotta watch the gear with those, especially when a new private is doing the cutting! Not a lot of thought into what all has to "fit" into the hole if you know what I mean, Lol... In any case, great report!