Edition 91

Australian Hunter

Australia’s favorite hunting magazine

Australian Hunter2 min read
From The Editor
This year has flown by in the blink of an eye, yet so much has unfolded along the way. One highlight was the triumphant return of the SSAA Shot Expo. For those of us deeply invested in the hunting and shooting community, it was both invigorating and
Australian Hunter1 min read
Australian Hunter
Editor Thomas Cook Production Coordinator & Graphic Designer Alex Heptinstall Graphic Designer Elizabeth Tyson Webmaster Mark Fieldhouse Media and Politics Officer Rachael Oxborrow Editorial Team Allan Blane Matthew Godson Administration Debbie Wing■
Australian Hunter2 min read
The hunter’s ultimate XMAS WISH LIST
Merry Christmas everyone! protactical.com.au Protect your ears and improve situational awareness with these in-ear hearing protectors. We love the Bluetooth function and multiple sound modes. RRP $189 osaaustralia.com.au See what’s out there with thi
Australian Hunter4 min read
A Top End Trifecta
On a three-week trip through the centre of Australia and touring the Northern Territory with my partner Emma, I managed to gain access to a patch of land holding buffaloes and pigs. We were on a tight schedule, so I didn’t have a heap of time to expl
Australian Hunter9 min read
The Rise Of Random Cams
There has always been a common set of principles guiding the way to think about ‘why things are seen’. Granted that different disciplines approach the topic with their own unique twist, the core tenets remain the same. They all relate to the visual s
Australian Hunter5 min read
Venison & varminting
It was 5.10am and I had been using the moonlight, with my headlamp switched off, to walk towards where I saw fresh deer sign the previous day. Hopefully, I would be in the vicinity of any feeding deer by the time there was sufficient light to shoot.
Australian Hunter4 min read
Glide Through Game
With an ongoing search for good value for money knives, the extensive Condor Tool & Knife catalogue can’t be overlooked. Seeking a medium-sized fixed knife with a blade offering sufficient belly for skinning, if and when required, led me to the attra
Australian Hunter4 min read
Signs Of Life
I make extensive use of trail cameras and regularly endorse their value. That probably gives the impression that I deploy them everywhere. However, that is not so. Most times I have just 4-6 trail cameras in the field. Game animals constantly change
Australian Hunter3 min read
Waterfowl Hunting Connections
Each year towards mid-October I feel a compelling urge to return to Darwin. Most southerners prefer to avoid the Top End during the ‘build-up’, when the humidity nudges saturation point, and the temporary relief provided by monsoonal thunderstorms is
Australian Hunter9 min read
A Browning CLASSIC
John Browning’s B25 shotgun is an icon. Consult the internet on topics such as ‘best shotguns ever made’ and the B25 will almost certainly make any list. Similarly, glance at firearm auction house catalogues and it’s apparent that B25s in good condit
Australian Hunter8 min read
D.i.y. Camp Rocket Stove
For most of us, having enough space in our vehicles to store gear for a hunting trip can be challenging, but this ‘lay flat’ rocket stove is an easy-to-store option to take for the bush camp. The design has six parts: main stove body, detachable base
Australian Hunter2 min read
Top End To Table
This versatile stir-fry recipe is suitable for entertaining friends and for a quick mid-week family meal. Here I use magpie goose, but this meal would work just as well with venison, or even lean beef. The first steps in this recipe employ a Chinese
Australian Hunter4 min read
The honourable Little .17hmr
The .17HMR is a wonderful cartridge for pests and small game. It is an inherently accurate rimfire round that shoots flat to 150yds. Its tiny projectiles have explosive terminal ballistics that kill small animals like a lightning bolt. It has redefin
Australian Hunter2 min read
Back With A Bang As Thousands Enjoy The Expo
The SSAA SHOT Expo returned to Victoria in October after a Covid-induced hiatus and was a roaring success, with more than 16,000 people flocking to Melbourne Showgrounds over the weekend of the 19th and 20th. Hundreds lined up to enter well before op
Australian Hunter4 min read
‘GRAND’ pursuits
With extra baby wipes, child seat (fitted), a six pack (of disposable nappies) packed, the other stuff like shotguns, a hard hitting .300, plenty of ammo and honed butchering knives found a place in the vehicle. With an icebox full of drinks, milk an
Australian Hunter4 min read
On Ya Bike II
The only sound was a gentle crunching of the tyres on the dirt track. The rising sun was just peaking over the ridge behind me. I was effortlessly cruising along at about 12km/h, three times my walking speed. I had been out since first light and alre
Australian Hunter5 min read
Operation Outback
There is no doubt that responsible hunters make a significant contribution to the control of feral animals within Australia, at no cost to landowners. However, the problem of access is a complicated one. For every farm/station that allows hunters ont
Australian Hunter4 min read
First Blood
Believing ‘it won’t happen to me’ is an inevitable human attitude. Thinking positively about future events and performance is called ‘optimism bias’. You tend to believe you have control over your life, much more than you actually do. But when huntin
Australian Hunter4 min read
The Knives Of JOKER
Since the early years of edgeware making, Spain has been prominent as a maker of quality cutlery. The days of swords and other fighting blades may be no longer with us, but the tradition remains, and while the knives of today are considered more in t
Australian Hunter6 min read
360+ Of BULL
My trips to Canada, Montana and a planned trip to Wyoming were made with one objective, elk. Both my Canada and Montana trips were great, but my objectives were not met. The Wyoming trip was thwarted by the Covid-19 outbreak. Leaving me to question i
Australian Hunter4 min read
A Leupold For A lever Gun
Having bought a new Rugermade Marlin 1895 for a black bear hunt in Virginia, I set about thoroughly testing it at the SSAA range. The factory ghost ring rear sight and tritium fibre optic front sight are fast to acquire and generally a marked improve
Australian Hunter4 min read
New Moon Rabbits
With each passing night the bright full moon became smaller in size and its glow subsequently weaker over the countryside. The period of the new moon would soon be here, with its dark nights, whereby the land baths only in the light of the stars. The
Australian Hunter2 min read
Sicilian Chocolate Hare
Now, here is a rich dish – Sicilian chocolate hare with pasta. I am not 100 per cent sure where this recipe originates from, but an old Sicilian mate passed it on to me, claiming Sicilian heritage. Over the years I have distilled the original, more c
Australian Hunter5 min read
Keep Your Eyes On The Prize
Hunters spend a lot of time on the range and in the bush under the direct sun. While many wear sunglasses to protect their eyes, others think they are immune from eye damage. Back in the mid-1970s I discovered that wearing the then ‘new-fangled’ pola
Australian Hunter3 min read
PRIMO Performance
Hunting red deer and wild dogs in rugged ridge country calls for appropriate footwear. The past few years I have been mostly hunting softer, flatter country and getting excellent service from light trail-runner style shoes. However, in the months lea
Australian Hunter6 min read
The Wandering Sambar
I had been hunting this area of private property for the last couple of hours of daylight and although I had come across the occasional patch of fresh sambar sign, I was yet to run into a sambar. Nothing unusual for me, it looked as though it was goi
Australian Hunter2 min read
Versatile Venison
This venison shank recipe is a terrific way to utilise a cut of meat often tossed away or run through a mincer. Deer shanks are typically seen as a tough cut of meat, with a high amount of ‘silver skin’ or collagen found throughout. If cooked in a ty
Australian Hunter2 min read
A Stalwart For More Than Six Decades
In 1968 a branch of the SSAA was formed at Casino in northern New South Wales, husband and wife Peter and Robyn Nesbitt being the driving force behind the beginnings of what was to become SSAA Northern Rivers branch. The focus at the time was mainly
Australian Hunter8 min read
THE TSAVO MAN-EATERS & MY POP SAM
I was only eight or nine years old when my grandfather, ‘Pop Sam Jaffe’, asked me if I wanted to see a lion claw. My curiosity and excitement were all over my face so Pop Sam went to his room and came back with a small, worn wooden box. He removed th
Australian Hunter6 min read
Genesis Of A .470 Capstick
There are many great rifles on the market, some well out of budget constraints and more of a dream, while others are affordable but don’t offer the individuality sought. Hence my need, or want, for individuality becoming the driving force behind me b
Australian Hunter5 min read
Happy Harvesting
Living in Australia and being a hunter allows us to harvest top quality meat all year round. For that, we are bloody lucky. So, why not fill the freezer when you can? While it may seem straightforward to a seasoned hunter, if you're new to the world
Australian Hunter5 min read
Boars, Bucks And Billies
When I started my hunting endeavours, oh so many years ago, the main targets were hares and ducks for the table, and the odd kangaroo or wallaby for dog meat. However, it wasn’t long before my deer hunting uncle caught my attention. He hunted mostly
Australian Hunter1 min read
Enter And Win
Simply write your full name, address and contact number on a piece of paper and place it inside an envelope and send to: …or enter online at ssaa.org.au/win (Name of competition) Australian Hunter 91 PO Box 2520, Unley, SA 5061 Competitions close Feb
Australian Hunter3 min read
Get Involved!
SSAA NT Conservation & Pest Management operates in the north of NT as part of the SSAA Conservation and Wildlife Management group, providing a free community service to government, pastoral properties and traditional landowners to assist with eradica
Australian Hunter1 min read
SSAA Online Shop
onlineshop.ssaa.org.au Shop now for exclusive SSAA products, including clothing, camping, accessories, knives, books and more. See the complete range of products in our Online Shop SHOP NOW IT’S EASY! onlineshop.ssaa.org.au or call 02 8805 3900 for p
Australian Hunter3 min read
Around The Campfire With John Denman
I must admit that cooking has never been my strong point, but out in the bush an odd change takes place. I’m still no world beater at creative culinary, but I can put together a decent camp oven feed, including bacon and eggs over an open fire. It pr

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