AUSTRALIA: Back Country Hunt - NT Australia

[deewayne2003]

This hunt (Back Country NT) was 3 years in the making and I cannot do it justice with a few paragraphs; so to capture all the nuances of the experience, I'll be presenting in a format of the events that lead up to it, followed by the events of the hunt and what I've taken away from what has been a truly life changing experience.

Prologue: 2019 Wonnangatta Valley Victoria Australia - Sambar Hunt

In the Spring of 2019 I was dealing with the loss of the longest tenured job of my career and subsequent deaths of friends and family in the following weeks and I decided to clear my head by heading to Australia for a planned four week exploration that ultimately was extended to eight weeks.

One of the adventures I found myself in was a 10 day Sambar deer hunt in the Wonnangatta Valley with the crew from the AusHunt forum, and one evening by the campfire a young man named Ben asked me about my plans after the hunt ended; I had no answer or set plans other than seeing Ayers Rock(Uluru).

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

Anangu welcome you to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, a living cultural landscape where earth and memories exist as one.

parksaustralia.gov.au

Ben told me I needed to get in contact with "Mick" @264 who lived in Darwin NT and who's favorite hobbies were big bore rifles, water buffalo hunting and spear fishing crocodile infested waters. Being a child of the 80's I thought this sounded like a Crocodile Dundee version of the "dropbear" myth and voiced my concerns as to the existence of Mick....

Drop bear - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I was quickly assured that Mick @264 was actually a real person and that I should be in contact with him, followed by several stories around the campfire shared by fellow forum members, so I attempted to contact Mick by PM and received no reply, so I continued about my travels to Alice Springs, Ayers Rock, Cairns and back to Sydney before returning to the USA.

Shortly after returning to the USA I received a reply from Mick, he had been in New Zealand hunting Tahr while I was in Australia and hence his lack of contact; however he did have a request for locating a set of Winchester Super Grade swivels for this newly acquired pre war, Pre-64 Super Grade in 7X57..... You have to respect a man wanting to complete an all original rifle of that quality so the swivels were acquired and shipped to Darwin.

Several emails about water buffalo hunts and Pre 64 Winchesters later and Mick had both expressed interest in a Pre 64 .300H&H Super Grade that I had as well as invited me to join him in the NT for a hunt in 2020. Covid however had different ideas for my travel plans and this hunt would be delayed for 3 years; I did end up selling and shipping the .300H&H to Darwin via and import broker, complete with the original Super Grade swivels.

Fast forward to 2022 and the travel restrictions were lifted and the planning of this hunt resumed, which is no small task giving the permitting process and requirements which required me to obtain.....

1. Show membership in a USA hunting organization (DSC)
2. Join an Australian shooters club with liability insurance (SSAA)
3. Complete the online courses and tests for approval to apply for a Restricted R License.
4. Submit all paperwork for the R License and wait 40 days for approval and issuance of license.
5. Back Country access accreditation.

FYI - You are only allowed to bring a firearm into the NT if you are coming to hunt with a licensed Safari Outfitter who issues an invitation letter or if you are coming for a shooting competition which will require you to have an invitation letter from the shooting club hosting the event. So the NT police informed me my only option was to borrow a rifle from the hosting hunter on my license.

After paperwork and flights were handled the final details were figured out and a plan was launched.

During the 3 years from original invite until completion of planning, Mick and his wife had moved from Darwin to rural Victoria and subsequently Mick was faced with a 8,000+km round trip drive.

Mick asked me "Are you flying into Melbourne or am I going to pick you up at the airport in Darwin".... I cringed at the thought of such a drive, but I'll be damned if I'm invited on a hunt with the host providing everything from camping gear to the rifle I'll be using and then saddle my host with all the leg work of a 3 day drive, so Melbourne it was.

 

[deewayne2003]

September 16th: Departure Day

After the 17 hour flight delay(Qantas), I arrive at DFW to find the flight has been delayed another 4.5 hours before we finally takeoff for the 17 hour nonstop flight to Melbourne and arrive at midnight and all hotels are booked solid from both school holidays and a football championship; thanks to a helpful Sikh cab driver who woke up his cousin to check me into a hotel then 5 hours later I am picked up by my friend Grant from the 2019 Wonnangatta hunt and we head to Mick's place in rural Victoria.

Mick shows me around and I unpack my supply of Cajun, Texan and Mexican seasonings I brought to spice up the hunt.

Mick had a couple of obligations to attend before our departure allowing me a couple of days to get over the jet lag and time difference and his wife Joey being kind enough to show me some of the sights of their new home in Victoria.

Road Trip of a lifetime:

I was pleasantly surprise to see that Mick's ute is my favorite of vehicles we cannot get in the USA; Toyota Hilux with 3ltr diesel engine, complete with dual battery setup, cargo drawers, freezer, roo bar and roof rack.

We proceed to load this ute with swags(one man tents), extra spare tire, Eskis(ice chests), rifles, ammo and everything needed to be self sufficient for a remote hunt and the 3 day drive begins through some beautiful terrain of both Victoria and through the state of South Australia.

The driving days are sunup to sundown with the only stops being for food, fuel and bathroom; as we cross into the northern part of South Australia we stop usually around 10pm and make camp at remote roadside camps/rest stops. Quick and easy is the setup of the Swag making for comfortable sleeping in the cold nights of South Australia.

More driving Through the Opal capital of the world - Coober Pedy, and the landscape has turned from green to red; this is remote country alright with cattle guards on the highways and no cell phone coverage for hours at a time.

 

[deewayne2003]

The most common sight on the road are kangaroos and road trains - Trucks pulling up to 5 trailers behind them for the long hauls needed to keep the least densely populated nation on earth supplied with everything from food to fuel.

On through to Alice springs and on the road again and continuing north to Katherine and a quick stop at the hot springs for a quick swim as a welcome relief to the driving schedule.

Mick in the hots springs

Yes I swam too but with with my head on a swivel, as there were freshwater crocodile warning signs all around.... for some reason I can't get the pic to upload.

A final stop at Adelaide River for ice and a quick stop by the 303 Bar for a meal, pint and say hello to Charlie - the iconic Water Buffalo from Crocodile Dundee who lived out his later years in a paddock beside the pub before being immortalized by taxidermy.

 

[Ku-winda]

Wow, doesn't this bring back memories (which I will save for another time) - I can't wait to hear the rest of the story!!! Please carry on.

 

[deewayne2003]

The backcountry hunting area is broken into 3 blocks....

North 18,500ac/7,500ha
Central 15,500ac/6,300ha
South 16,800ac/6,800ha
Total 50,800ac/20,600ha

These blocks are done on a reservation basis with daily fees charged accordingly and are a great example of the true value hunters bring to property by feral animal control and the dollars received used to pay for spraying of invasive plant species as well as prescribed burning of the property.

The benefits of hunting as animal control saves tens of thousands of dollars in contract helicopter gunning to manage populations as well as decreasing the liability of helicopter crashes on the property.

NOTE: Having trouble uploading pics so will have to break this up into more posts

 

[deewayne2003]

First day in camp

We are booked to hunt the north block and the designated camp area comes with a fire pit, clothes line and drop toilet; this may sound sparse; but when combined with a nearby water source and the equipment we brought, we had everything we needed.

While driving back to camp we come across a large sounder of pigs and the chase in on, I watch in amazement as Mitch the third member of our trio breaks downhill into a small valley at speed with Mick right on his heels - You have to understand this is awe inspiring watching a man in flip flops cover this terrain at a fast pace with Mick who is old enough to be my father in hot pursuit..... while my flat footed self TRIES to keep up while listening to the shots ring out.

All told I believe 5 pigs were killed in that first encounter with 3 by Mitch and 2 by Mick.

Introducing Mitch the third member of our trio, with plenty more pics to come

My borrowed rifle for the trip courtesy of Mick, Bruno ZKK602 in .404J with 1.5-5x Leupold, shooting 350gr Woodleighs weldcores and 400gr Hydros

That evening we go out and I get my first chance for action when we come across a herd of scrub cattle; I see a dark one with long horns and send a round striking low, then a rushed second shot hits a nearby tree for a clean miss and round number 3 strikes home and my first animal is down for the count.

Mitch fires a single round from his .300win and the 180gr Barnes TTSX strikes home on a big white hornless bull.

Back to camp for a well deserved ginger beer and my first taste of Barramundi along with some excellent Sambar steaks.

Then a much needed shower…. Bush style

I can only think…. Wow, what a first day!

 

[Bullthrower338]

Barramundi is amazing! Hold the vegimite please. Great so far!

 

[deewayne2003]

Barramundi is amazing! Hold the vegimite please. Great so far!

I agree it is amazing!

What is also amazing was the performance of the 350gr RNSP on the scrubber,this bullet was recovered on the off shoulder just under the skin.

 

[deewayne2003]

Day 2 - The day starts at sun up around 6am and by 7:30am I have both put a pig on the ground with the .404J and sweated so much that every piece of clothing is soaked to the point of dripping wet. My pig is large in body but small in teeth so we didn't bother removing the jaw.

All I could think is "what have I gotten myself into" these guys(Mick and Mitch) hunt HARD covering ground at a pace that I can't keep up with; you cannot comprehend the combination of heat, HUMIDITY, sunlight and terrain of this area until you have experienced it.

In preparation for this hunt I had been walking 12mi(20km) a day carrying a pack with 25lbs of water bottles stuffed inside and while Southern Oklahoma was hot before I left for this hunt, it didn't have the 90-95% humidity that the NT has.

The most humbling experience of my hunting career is watching Mick at the age of 60 navigate this terrain while carry a pack and his .500J; I could hear my heartbeat in my ears, mouth completely dry, water empty, vision starting to tunnel ever so slightly and mouth completely dry.

I had to stop mick and tell him to slow down........ "I am going slow" was his honest reply

The best comparison I can give from a Texan perspective is to take the heat and sun of the big bend area of Texas in July, with all the lovely rocks refracting heat and then add the humidity of the Houston ship channel to it.

My pig that morning was large in body but small in teeth so we didn't bother taking the jaw out; Mitch on the other hand was putting big teeth on the ground.

Mitch's Tusks - With my can of snuff for scale.

FYI I do not dip snuff anymore but do carry it with me while hunting as the nicotine in it will take the stinging effect out of various wasp,hornet and scorpion stings when applied to the sting sight.

Furthermore you are restricted to 25 grams of duty free tobacco (one can of dip or 1 pack of cigarettes) when entering Australia and all forms of chewing tobacco were banned in 1991..... so if you do dip, you better bring it with you and the import limit of moist snuff is 1.5 kilos and they will tax that at $700+/- per Kilogram or roughly $13 per pack of Cigarettes and $20 per can of snuff.

 

[deewayne2003]

Day 3:

Buffalo skull found on the flood plain and we are on the hunt for them........

We did not get any buffalo today but we did encounter 5 brumbies or wild horses that are most certainly on the list of hard hoofed invasive animals that are damaging the habitat.

I will not be posting any pics of me posing with dead horses as this bring an emotional response from some people although I cannot understand the mindset that all horses are pretty..... even when they are destroying the landscape.

However I will say one of the defining moments of my hunting career was raising the .404J for a 140 yard freehand shot and watching through the 1.5x leupold as the brown mare crumbled upon impact of the 350gr RNSP!

Almost instantly Mick(.338-06) and Mitch(.300Win) open up on the remaining 4 horses and it's.....
"5 horses spotted, 5 horses killed" is the note made in the game log.

While crossing the scorched floodplain under blaring sun looking for a shady spot to rest we come across this termite mound; one of many in the landscape but still worth of a pic.

The moto of my hunting companions is "Hunt the morning and survive the rest of the day!"

You got hard from sun up until 11am-12noon and then find a shaded spot to lay up and sleep off the next 3-4 hours of sweltering heat just as the animals do.

 

[Bullthrower338]

The dogs picked up on my Dad’s and my snuff, they looked at it and put it back in our bags. I had 15 cans and the old man had 20, that would have sucked at 20 bucks per can!

 

[Tintin]

What an adventure - great write up so far.

 

[deewayne2003]

The dogs picked up on my Dad’s and my snuff, they looked at it and put it back in our bags. I had 15 cans and the old man had 20, that would have sucked at 20 bucks per can!

Honestly snuff has been banned for so long and most of the airport personnel are young enough where I don't think they realize what it is or want to deal with it; cigarettes on the other hand they will nail you to the wall for import duty.

FYI cigarettes are $30-40 per pack in OZ!

 

[deewayne2003]

What an adventure - great write up so far.

Thanks Tintin - you'll be a part of it shortly, but I'm having to juggle the write up with scheduling and dealing with plumbers.

I arrived home after being gone nearly a month, only to find that a water pipe had been leaking in my laundry room for god knows how long and soaked everything....

So if you see grammer and spelling errors in my write up, please forgive me because it's been hectic since my return.

 

[R.M.C.]

Great report so far, sounds like a dream hunt!!!

 

[Tintin]

Thanks Tintin - you'll be a part of it shortly, but I'm having to juggle the write up with scheduling and dealing with plumbers.

I arrived home after being gone nearly a month, only to find that a water pipe had been leaking in my laundry room for god knows how long and soaked everything....

Bugger. Not sure what's worse ... the damage or the dealing with plumbers ... assuming Texan plumbers are like Aussie plumbers

 

[deewayne2003]

Day 3 - Part 2 = PUB NIGHT!

The limiting factor for the hunt is ICE for both food storage and body temp; each day every man loads 2-one liter yeti bottles with ice and fill with water, to help keep body core temps in check.

So needing ice after day 3 we make the drive into Adelaide River to pick up ice, water, snacks at the Servo(gas station) and take in a meal at the .303 Bar; which is a welcome break from having to cook after getting back to camp and honestly.... I love this bar! it's just well done all the way around from food to atmosphere and COLD BEER!

Speaking of which - This is NOT the type of hunt you want to sit around and drink in the evening, the last thing you want to do is be dehydrated.......

Now having said that, yes a cold couple of pints after day 3 certainly did help my kidneys as there was nearly no need to urinate during the days because of so much sweat loss, seriously I was going through 10-12 liters of fluid a day and you better make sure and bring some electrolyte supplements with you.

 

[rdog]

Thanks Tintin - you'll be a part of it shortly, but I'm having to juggle the write up with scheduling and dealing with plumbers.

I arrived home after being gone nearly a month, only to find that a water pipe had been leaking in my laundry room for god knows how long and soaked everything....

So if you see grammer and spelling errors in my write up, please forgive me because it's been hectic since my return.

Great story as an Australian, i have done similar things , waiting to hear the rest of the story a lot of people do not realize how big Australia is.

 

[deewayne2003]

Day 4:

The morning starts early as usual and the day starts slow but shortly after 9am Mick takes the west side of a creek and I follow Mitch up the east side and soon we hear Micks .330-06 BANG, followed by......

"Buffalo and loads of them!" - we rush to the elevated east side creek bank and I can see multiple buffalo, but no Mick and I'm gun shy since I do not know where Mick is but that mystery is solved as I see a cow rushing the creek bank and BANG she drops mid stride as she was going for Mick and he caught her in the head with a 165gr. 338-06 and dropper her...... GAME ON!

Mitches .300win rings out with a solid hit on another cow on the opposite bank and I take aim at the first clear shot that I have and boom goes the .404J into the shoulder of another cow who rolls down the bank coming to a stop on a sand ledge.

Mitch fires again and we can hear the 180gr TTSX smack hard as I look for another target and find on standing on the far bank; the .404J booms again and another cow rolls down the steep bank and onto the creek floor and like that it was over..... or so we thought.

My last shot had exited the cow and hit another behind her in the hand quarter, we began to blood trail her through 500ish yard of the tangled hell that is some of the unburnt invasive vines; this is where I broke away 20 yards from Mick and Mitch on the blood trail and moved ahead.... very quickly Mick reminded me "This isn't Texas and that's no whitetail we're trailing"..... Excellent point and duly noted!

I take my position back where I belong, behind Mick and Mitch, where we find the calf and Mitch dispatches her with a final shot and all is quiet again and getting HOT.

All told in this one encounter we dropped 6 water buffalo, all cows but still and amazing experience and topped it off with fresh water buffalo backstrap, on fresh bamboo skewers cooked over a fire of creek bottom driftwood...... Simply amazing!

 

[ACM]

Great adventure! There has also never been a cooler “borrowed rifle” than the one you used!