Camels, Australia, Camel meat??

[CBH Australia]

Another thread digressed onto Camels from big bore cartridges. So we all like guns.
Anyone want to talk about hunting camels. Culling them for property owners. Taking Camel for meat?

I’m hoping to get one or some , in a strange twist of fate I know someone wanting to butcher one. I’m going to try hatch a plan with him.

What it’s do people eat? How do you cook it? Do you cull them or hunt selectively?

@PaulT and @BenKK are Aussies who chimed in earlier.

 

[CBH Australia]

@Rule 303 is also Aussie. Is @Dr Ray listening in? Calling all Aussies and anyone who wants to talk about Camels,
I’m hoping that I can do a camel hunt while I wait another 6 gruelling months for my African Safari. Like if waiting my whole life so far has not been long enough!
Camel Tagine, any takers?
I bought some Factory Camel Jerky in Alice Springs and from memory it. Was a bit drier than others. Wasn’t keen on it.

 

[Dr Ray]

Camels are certainly big animals. Those who have eaten camel meat apparently prefer it to beef.
My friend Scott took 5 shots in average from a 308 to down a bull camel. He’s an expert shot I might add but many hunters will tell you they fall over fairly easy.
I suggested to Scott to use his newly acquired 338 and that should down a camel in one well placed shot.
They have camel cull hunts in NT / check internet so maybe you should follow up.
Camels can be very destructive walking through fences and destroyed cattle troughs etc.
There are about a million camels in Australia. Sone are exported to the Middle East as these camels are disease free.

 

[CBH Australia]

The Dr is in.

 

[Dr Ray]

To skin a camel by hand to make a very large rug for example, will take you about 7 hours. To cut up the meat I suggest you’ll be occupied for quite some time.

I was told that professional shooters went to a very much inland township. They culled an incredible number of camels and burnt out their barrels. No I’m telling the truth.
Next week after the shooters left camels were walking through the area and locals couldn’t tell that thousands had been shot. Unbelievable but true.

 

[Dr Ray]

The Dr is in.

And full of fire (maybe) lol

 

[BenKK]

We cooked a younger bull (backstrap) in the ground once, left it all afternoon - tasted nice, but too tough. I told my mate it would be tough, as it had been quite a chase. As always, for instant food, younger and killed unawares is best. If not, hanging should help.

 

[BenKK]

In restaurants it’s perfect, of course.

 

[BenKK]

Also, there’s nothing fun about culling herds, camels or buffalos. It has to be done sometimes, but it sucks. It’s plain sad. The enjoyable challenge, for me, is trying to locate a big old bull and stalk him properly.

 

[Red Leg]

Can’t speak for the down under crowd but I have spent way too much time East of Cairo. The Arabs eat a lot of baby camel for special occasions. Think holiday dinner. They will not touch an adult one except for the milk which is very popular.

 

[Hunter4752001]

From one of the companies selling game meat.
https://www.mcd.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/MCD_-_Product_Information_Sheet_-_Game_Meats1.pdf

 

[CBH Australia]

Also, there’s nothing fun about culling herds, camels or buffalos. It has to be done sometimes, but it sucks. It’s plain sad. The enjoyable challenge, for me, is trying to locate a big old bull and stalk him properly.

I understand, but if a property owner wants a pest culled then there is s reason. I don't shoot big numbers of anything. but if I come across a mob of pigs I try get the lot, cleanly. partly conservation partly pest management. If I'm shooting foxes I try shoot every one that presents.
If we ever put a dent in the pest population then most shooting will be more walk and stalk hunting.
I want to Hunt a Buff, the bigger the better,
We have never successfully eradicated a pest animal on the mainland of Australia.

 

[Hunter4752001]

Further guidelines from one of the NT abattoirs handling camel meat:

Camels to be processed at an abattoir are required to be

• between 3-10 years old4
• < 400kg, >600kg. Larger animals can’t be handled.4
• Camels must have previous handling before transported to abattoirs.
• if killed when stressed the meat will be darker, taste poorly and not have a good shelf life.
• Bulls are not to be in rut (in season), they have a concentrated body odour which makes the meat not fit for human consumption
• Cows in final stages of pregnancy must not be sent to the abattoir and cows recently calved will be rejected.

 

[BRICKBURN]

 

[CAustin]

WOW had no idea that so many camels inhabited Australia. I knew there were some but a million is a surprise to me!

 

[Dr Ray]

WOW had no idea that so many camels inhabited Australia. I knew there were some but a million is a surprise to me!

And the camel population is growing rapidly. The problem for the harvesting of meat is that the camels are in isolated areas and the cost of picking up the meat/processing etc would be prohibited. Such a shame to see a resource wasted.

 

[Northwest9]

i looked into a trip to shoot a few camels.

$1500 per head, for a pest running rampant put an end to the idea.

Id love to get out into the centre, for a look around and take a camel or two, but at $1500 per head it competes against too many other hunts i want to do

 

[Red Leg]

View attachment 291556

Allahu Akbar!!

 

[BRICKBURN]

Without a doubt.

This piqued my interest and I found a lot of information on Camels in Australia, including a variety of research projects. That is where I gleaned that Photo.
They described groups as large as 500 being seen. Can't even fathom that one.

 

[Dr Ray]

Without a doubt.

This piqued my interest and I found a lot of information on Camels in Australia, including a variety of research projects. That is where I gleaned that Photo.
They described groups as large as 500 being seen. Can't even fathom that one.

And they are multiplying like rabbits.