Home › Forums › Campfire Forum › Look at what I found…

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    • James Harvey
      Member
        July 5, 2013 at 6:56 am
        Post count: 1130
        #5967

        I was out and about a couple hundred kilometres from my place, in the inland highlands (don’t be mislead, highlands around here are 1000 feet, you literally go up one hill and you’re there), I was just scoping out some lonely, rarely visited camp grounds for my little family and look at what I found hiding in the grass…

        I’d heard there were deer up here but these were the first I’ve seen. The list of animals I can stalk up on and then miss is growing every day 😉

      • Charles Ek
        Moderator
          July 5, 2013 at 1:57 pm
          Post count: 566
          #46700

          Good on ya! Are those rusa? (As if I actually know anything about the deer down under …)

        • Ben M.
            July 5, 2013 at 2:14 pm
            Post count: 460
            #46715

            Axis deer? They’re spotted. Are there seasons on them, or are they considered feral pests?

          • paleoman
            Member
              July 5, 2013 at 3:54 pm
              Post count: 931
              #46796

              Interesting! Didn’t know about deer in Australia. This is off thread, but archaeologically speaking, are there Aboriginal artifacts out there in the bush? Like we find stone arrowheads, etc., out here on occasion.

            • Bruce Smithhammer
                July 5, 2013 at 6:47 pm
                Post count: 2514
                #46939

                ausjim wrote:

                The list of animals I can stalk up on and then miss is growing every day 😉

              • Ralph
                Moderator
                  July 5, 2013 at 8:36 pm
                  Post count: 2580
                  #47054

                  Hey Jim, you mess up the stalk like I do then you never feel bad about a miss! 😆

                • James Harvey
                  Member
                  Member
                    July 5, 2013 at 9:55 pm
                    Post count: 1130
                    #47135

                    I think they’re Axis, but that’s just because they have spots. They’re the first wild deer I’ve ever seen outside of the US. It was pretty exciting!

                    There’s no season on them and they don’t have a regular rut either apparently. They’re introduced pests and can be hunted year round. According to the State government they’ve been here for over a century now and they’ve basically given up any ideas of eradication, just an attempt to keep them out of national parks.

                  • James Harvey
                    Member
                    Member
                      July 5, 2013 at 9:58 pm
                      Post count: 1130
                      #47139

                      R2 wrote: Hey Jim, you mess up the stalk like I do then you never feel bad about a miss! 😆

                      I knew I was doing something wrong! Thanks for pointing it out 😉

                    • Ralph
                      Moderator
                        July 5, 2013 at 10:46 pm
                        Post count: 2580
                        #47175

                        Jim, Axis are as good of eating meat as there is. You are correct in their breeding cycle, it’s all the time.

                        When I retired in ’07’ the guys gave me a guided axis hunt (that’s how glad they were to be rid of me methinks) near San Antonio, Tx. (Bourne to be exact). Free range. It was a rifle hunt but…… I took a nice buck with 33 1/2″ antlers and way proud. About a 250# animal.

                        It was and still is the only guided hunt I’ve ever been on. Different it was.

                        Best eating venison I’ve ever had. Matter of fact it would be hard to beat by any meat.

                        I think you would find it a real challenge and a lot of fun bowhunting those guys plus great table fare (if you don’t blow the shot 😳 :lol:). Being a herd animal, many eyes upon you!!!

                        I will never forget the sight of a herd of axis running at full speed (running from me, I blew the stalk) and clearing the cattle fences like they weren’t there. Beautiful sight it was.

                        Good luck!!!!!!!

                      • Col Mike
                        Member
                          July 6, 2013 at 3:00 am
                          Post count: 911
                          #47368

                          Jim — Have you thought of starting a guide business for those deers down there? Although the 3 month voyage under sail may be daunting to some. I hear you can actually fly to your country now and I believe the troubles with the empire are over. As I remember Quigly got $50 in gold coin for just showing up with his Sharps. Well if this interests you–I will help as your booking agent on this end–of course after doing a recon:D I mean one village idiot to another sounds like a good idea to me:shock:

                          Semper Fi

                          Mike

                        • Spirittrakker
                            July 6, 2013 at 3:35 am
                            Post count: 12
                            #47384

                            Awesome! Now I can add yet another location that I cannot afford to a bucket list that I’ll never live long enough to finish. Haha.

                            Actually, I’d like to see that country and there is no better way than with a longbow in my hand.

                            Good hunting!:idea:

                          • James Harvey
                            Member
                            Member
                              July 6, 2013 at 5:13 am
                              Post count: 1130
                              #47464

                              paleoman wrote: are there Aboriginal artifacts out there in the bush? Like we find stone arrowheads, etc., out here on occasion.

                              There definitely are artefacts out there Paleo, but I think the only place stone weapons were in common use was in the northwest. Elsewhere weapons were made out of organic materials (wood and bones mostly) so the only artefacts you are likely to find are tools, axe heads, grinding stones etc. Don’t ask me why a guy would use a stone axe to carve a piece of wood into a club and then leave the axe at home to go and hit someone with a piece of wood :?::shock::wink:

                            • James Harvey
                              Member
                              Member
                                July 6, 2013 at 5:37 am
                                Post count: 1130
                                #47491

                                colmike wrote: Jim — Have you thought of starting a guide business for those deers down there?

                                There are plenty of chaps already doing just that Mike, and they have the distinct advantage of knowing what they’re doing, the bastards 😀

                              • daniel boon
                                  July 6, 2013 at 9:45 am
                                  Post count: 21
                                  #47694

                                  Jim, looks like a good place for a treestand.

                                • Ralph
                                  Moderator
                                    July 6, 2013 at 8:01 pm
                                    Post count: 2580
                                    #48132

                                    Simple Jim, axe is for wood chopin’, club is for head knockin’! Even the ancients knew that! :lol::lol: Multi-tools came much later!:D

                                  • Col Mike
                                    Member
                                      July 7, 2013 at 1:46 am
                                      Post count: 911
                                      #48375

                                      There are plenty of chaps already doing just that Mike, and they have the distinct advantage of knowing what they’re doing, the bastards 😀

                                      Well that wouldn’t be any fun. Your dog and son along:P would be a hunt to remember:D And maybe we could actually see you launch an arrow–well that is if you have them smoothed out. Damn you bring a smile to my face.

                                      Mike

                                    • James Harvey
                                      Member
                                      Member
                                        September 2, 2013 at 11:18 am
                                        Post count: 1130
                                        #56835

                                        I was just reading the Feb/Mar 2003 TBM and there was an article by Don Thomas where he was describing running around a station down here. He was just a stones throw down the same basalt flow that I saw these deer on. Shock horror he was hunting them (along with the obligatory Aussie bush pig) 😉

                                        Anyway, I’m back out there this weekend, if I see any deer, I’ll tip my hat in honour of Don’s little history with them. It’s funny how one man’s exciting new thing is another man’s ‘been there done that’. The joys of being a rookie 😀

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