Hunting Down Under

Jorge in Oz · August 11, 2008, 02:49:36 PM

Went for a red deer hunt two weekends ago but we saw just old tracks and scrapings. We'd been chasing this big buck that has been frequenting the area we hunt but he has been very illusive, thus the reason why he is a big buck. He looks like a 10 or 11 pointer as we have seen him from a fair distance and by the height of the scrapes.

i just finished sighting in the Tikka 270win the weekend before and was itching to try it out. I've fitted a Bushnell Banner 3-9x40 on it, which has kept zero nicely. Anyhow from all the excitement and anticipation of the coming hunt I completely forgot to clean my rifle (after the range workout) before we went out and I only remembered when I was putting on my camo at the crack of dawn.

Anyhow after 4 to 5 hours of climbing hills and scouting the surroundings we were on our way back and we noticed a few wallabies sitting on the side of a hills basking in the sun. Never to pass up meat for the dogs, I opened my home made shooting sticks clipped the sling loose (got one of those tactical type slings where the rifle sits by your side without requiring you to hold on to it) and placed the crosshairs on his chest. He was about 110 meters away. As I fired I saw some bark come off a tree and thought, no the projectile might deviate but I did see the sucker drop. On inspection the shot went throught the middle of the chest and exited from the near the back of the shoulder, as I was shooting up the hill. A bit too much gun for a wallaby but we were after Reds.

I was pleased the Tikka was on target even after not been cleaned. I won't be doing that again.

Anyhow we had a beginner fellow with us that was keen to take a photo so I posed for the camera. We shoot so many of the macropods that you don't really pose for photos but it was good to set the scene for our newcomer. Will post that photo tonight.

By the way when we were field dressing the wallaby he was a fine specimen, the meat was good quality so I got the missus to do our favourite recipe slow cooker meal with cranberries that we reserve for venison but used the wallaby meat. I loved it but my wife couldn't get the picture of a wallaby out of her head. Oh well I guess the dogs will get the spoils next time.

Cheers

rockinbbar · August 11, 2008, 03:06:53 PM

Great write up, Jorge!

You are going to have to start posting pictures to go along with it.

Can't wait.

How's the wallaby taste? The only experience I have is the Roo meat the "Jack in The Box" fast food places were serving here in the U.S. for beef in their hamburgers...LOL.

Jorge in Oz · August 12, 2008, 03:10:03 AM

Just as promised I have attached a picture of the day's taking

Slim pickings, no deer but it was a tasty slow cooker wallaby meal.

Rockinbbar the wallaby was very nice, I'd go another one but the missus has issues with eating Skippy.

Cheers

recoil junky · August 12, 2008, 09:27:48 AM

Awe, bloody 'ell, not wallaby stew again!!! Krikey!! Just kidding Jorge. So, what do they taste like anyway?

I, for another can't wait for pictures of this rouge deer you've been tracking. Makes the hunt that much more satisfying when you finally get him. On more than one occasion I've passed on taking an animal because I knew that "Olde Bruiser" was out there someplace. One year "Olde Bruiser" was killed by some one else and another time I saw him just 2 days after season had ended. He was thumbing his nose at me from his bed about 100 yards from the road.

Good luck with your quest!!

RJ

Jorge in Oz · August 12, 2008, 02:52:36 PM

RJ wallaby tastes a bit like venison but it has a gamier taste.

We have a sneaking suspicion the big buck may have been shot as the owners of the property heard only one shot from a large calibre rifle. They have this neighbour that just wonders over their fence as if he owns everything and they suspect he may have shot it.

We'll still go out in search of it though just to confirm this. Blasted trespassers!!

Daryl (deceased) · August 12, 2008, 04:56:23 PM

QuoteRJ wallaby tastes a bit like venison but it has a gamier taste.

So, it's more like jackrabbit? :D

Daryl

Brithunter · August 12, 2008, 06:16:23 PM

QuoteWent for a red deer hunt two weekends ago but we saw just old tracks and scrapings. We'd been chasing this big buck that has been frequenting the area we hunt but he has been very illusive, thus the reason why he is a big buck. He looks like a 10 or 11 pointer as we have seen him from a fair distance and by the height of the scrapes.

Buck

that's a Stag m'boy especually if it's a Red, Fallow are Bucks but Sika and Seds are stags

.

kombi1976 · August 12, 2008, 07:34:52 PM

Good shot, Jorge.
I look forward to seeing some pics of this stag!

Jorge in Oz · August 13, 2008, 12:20:27 AM

Sorry BH the reason I said Buck was that I'd been watching some old American whitetails deer hunting videos and they kept on saying "shhhh there's a big buck over there!!"

I stand corrected, it's the Big Red Stag that I'm after.

Daryl, I remember eating jack rabbit or hares as we call them here as a kid but I can't remember the taste.

Cheers

22hornet · August 14, 2008, 04:23:03 AM

Sambar are stags and hinds, what are Chital?

What defines the difference?

22hornet · August 14, 2008, 04:25:18 AM

Well done Jorge! Maybe you will catch up with a Red next time.

Did you ever get your 45/70?

Jorge in Oz · August 15, 2008, 02:03:43 AM

No I've been hesitating as I was tossing up getting a scoped Enfield M17 in 444 Marlin but now I'm not sure which way to go. Also,I'm I going to have to wait as we are saving up to fit gates to our bessa block front fence. It takes priority as our son Jesse will most likely start walking in the next month or so and we have to shut his access to the road.

kombi1976 · August 15, 2008, 05:09:17 PM

Why get something like a 444 Marlin in that sort of rifle?
Surely you can get a cal with better ballistic abilities.

Jorge in Oz · August 15, 2008, 05:46:50 PM

Price may have had something to do with it. Also I was thinking I would use it with the LeverRevolution ammo. The soft tip SPs. I was also contemplating rebarrelling it to 458 Lott or 416 Rem Mag, but it's cheaper I guess than buying a CZ, Rem or Ruger in those calibres. I'm not going anywhere at the moment with the big bore prospective purchase. I just have to wait a while till the gates are in place.

gitano · August 15, 2008, 08:33:23 PM

QuoteSambar are stags and hinds, what are Chital?

What defines the difference?

Where you live...

Jorge - glad to see the macropod pic. They may be boring to you, but they're interesting to us Yanks. Is there anything that is or can be done with the hide?

Paul

Jorge in Oz · August 16, 2008, 02:39:20 AM

Quote from: gitano;82076Where you live...

Jorge - glad to see the macropod pic. They may be boring to you, but they're interesting to us Yanks. Is there anything that is or can be done with the hide?

Paul

Sure Paul, many dudes tan the hides and keep them. Kangaroo leather is widely used, especially for the tourist trade. Roos are culled commercially so I'm sure they put most parts of the roos and wallabies to good use. I've had a few wallets made of kangaroo leather.

My folks had some skins back in the 80's, don't know what happened to them. I don't know how to tan skins but I wouldn't mind learning.

Cheers

gitano · August 16, 2008, 08:54:41 AM

There is a very easy tanning method called "chrome tan". It uses sulphuric acid (battery acid) and salt. It's an easy, fast, not-too-messy process. Of course the purists mean-mouth the results, but I've tanned black bear and dear hides using it, (as well as lots of smalll critters), and it is fine for doing hair-on tans that aren't going to be used where they might get wet.

Google "chrome tan" and you'll have more explanations than you can shake a stick at. I would recommend starting off with a small skin. The most tedious and unforgiving element is the final 'staking' in which you must work the hide over a "stake" (or anything similer) as it dries. You cannot stop in the middle of the staking process. If part of the skin dries before it is properly staked, it gets stiff as a board. You must then re-wet and start over.

Anyway, I'll look forward to seeing any dead critter pics you care to share.

Paul

RatherBHuntin · August 18, 2008, 07:36:26 AM

Quote from: gitano;82088The most tedious and unforgiving element is the final 'staking' in which you must work the hide over a "stake" (or anything similer) as it dries. You cannot stop in the middle of the staking process. If part of the skin dries before it is properly staked, it gets stiff as a board. You must then re-wet and start over.
Paul

Which is fine if you're just going to hang it up. But if it's not staked it will dry smaller than when it was wert due to the fibers drying and contracting.

Jorge in Oz · August 20, 2008, 02:43:13 PM

Thanks for the tanning tips Paul & Glenn will give it a Google and follow up the process.

Cheers

Jorge

gitano · August 20, 2008, 07:54:21 PM

By the way, chrome tans also work for plain ol' leather (hair-off). You just soak the hide in lye for a few hours first. The hair 'slips', and can be scraped off the hide.

Leather tanned this way and cut into strips for lashing is fine even if it gets wet, as it will shrink tighter as it dries.

Paul

Paul Hoskins · October 03, 2008, 07:53:13 PM

Jorge, I've never had the opportunity to eat wallaby or kangaroo but sure would like to try it. At least you didn't come home empty handed. ...........When I tan hides, I ust put them in a big jar, weigh them down so they won't float and cover them with automobile antifreeze for a couple weeks. You have to work the skins/hides after you remove it from the antifreeze or they will be stiff. You can soak them in antifreeze again if they get hard and rework them. I never tried any big hides. Only fisher cats and such. I see no reason it wouldn't work on bigger hides. It might not work on varmints with hollow hair tho. A saucer of antifreeze is good for killing cats too. .............Paul H

Jorge in Oz · October 05, 2008, 03:18:55 AM

Hey Paul H,

I like roo, the missus gets a bit funny about it as we use to have a show in the 70's and early 80's called "Skippy" about a smart kangaroo that could go for help and defuse bombs and capture terrorists. But still cooks it.

Does the antifreeze have an effect on the hairs?

Cheers

Paul Hoskins · October 05, 2008, 04:24:50 AM

Jorge, I've had skins tanned by this method for twenty some years and they look good as they did the day I killed the varmint. No hair slippage at all. ..........Paul H

Antler3 · October 22, 2008, 05:16:45 PM

I have tried using the battery acid tan. My problem was getting the flesh off the hide, cleaned up nice. Any tricks in getting that all off ? I bet I triedeveryway possible and it stuck tight. I ended up tacking it to a board and hanging it on the porch. A bobcat by the way. I would love to know how to do a better job so as to be able to lay the finished product over a chair back or something.

gitano · October 22, 2008, 11:25:05 PM

I'm afraid there is simply no substitute for "fleshing", and I know of no shortcuts, EXCEPT to have someone else do it.

That's precisely what I do most of the time. Most reputable taxidermists will flesh and salt any hide you bring in. In my neck of the woods, it's about $50 for a caribou. It's well worth it to me, because they are set up to do it, and they do a good job. In fact, that's precisely what I did with the elk hide from the elk HB shot two years ago when I was down there for the hunt. I think I paid $100, but it might have been less, and that was with the 'scalp' (head skin) on AND I had them 'turn the ears and split the lips and nose. They also salted it. When I picked it up, it was ready for shipping, freezing or tanning.

You should be able to get a bobcat done for about $25.

Paul

Antler3 · October 23, 2008, 02:58:26 AM

Well after trying to tackle the bobcat I got a good wake up call. I would love to watch how they do it. The fleshing is one hard job to accomplish. And yes it would be well worth having it done. $25 not bad at all for such a difficult job. Thanks for the info.

buckshot roberts · October 28, 2008, 03:14:20 PM

good post.....never had wallaby,or roo.......have you tried wrapping the meat with bacon....it well help kill the gamier taste..........Ron

kombi1976 · October 29, 2008, 05:25:22 AM

What I really need to try is a stew or a chilli con carne using roo meat.
Cook it long enough and it should soften up.
If you can manage it with chuck steak (caserole beef) then roo shouldn't be much harder.