Australian Hunter

The intricacies of setting out of the trail of goats are outlined by Don Caswell, who says they are a challenging but rewarding target animal. Bob Salisbury details his passion for pheasant shoots with friends in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, while Mark Benns swaps his Western Australia domicile for a trek to New Zealand, which sees him bag some rabbits and goats in between finding time for a fishing outing to reel in succulent Kiwi snapper. Hunting etiquette is analysed by John Hodson, who stresses the importance of basic standards within The Country Code that can ensure a safe and enjoyable trip into the rural expanses. Up for review are the Sako A7 Roughtech Pro .270 rifle, the Silma M90 Ergal Hunter 12-gauge shotgun and Norma hunting ammunition.

Matthew Crowther takes a trip to the ‘Dark Continent’ of Africa and samples the sapping heat of a hunting excursion into Namibia. Closer to home, Mary Conway embarks on a journey to the Red Centre in search of some outback camels, while John McDougall bags a healthy haul of partridges just an hour and a half’s drive from Melbourne on the Cobaw Sporting reserve. North American correspondent Thomas Tabor offers his thoughts about the 12 best-ever hunting rifle cartridges, and Lynn Bain describes how to make semi-dried smoked game jerky that can be used as a staple in a hunter’s food rations. Plentiful reviews include gloves and gaiters from Max-Hunter, Ridgeline’s Apache boots, Savage’s Axis II Scope Package rifle, FAIR’s Iside EM shotgun and the lightweight Boreas Sapa Trek Farallon backpack.

Paul Barker goes back to basics to bag a hefty haul of rabbits in a bunny bonanza, then promptly adjourns to the kitchen to share a finger-licking good recipe for fried rabbit. Elsewhere, there are tales of pursuing wild pigs in Queensland’s Channel Country, tracking fallow deer in the Snowy Mountains, chasing buffaloes in the Northern Territory, seeking sika on New Zealand’s North Island, and beaming in on bighorn sheep in western Montana. From a practical perspective, we off advice for choosing and using paracord, while Con Kapralos gets to grips with putting together a game-stalking backpack. Our reviewers test out the Savage M42 combination gun, Sellier & Bellot hunting ammunition, Fabarm Elos Black Diamond shotgun and the Zeiss Victory PRF rangefinder.

Teenager Monty Williams fulfils his ideal script for ‘Schoolies’ Week’ when his dad Rodney takes him on a hunting trip to New Zealand that sees the pair on the trail of whitetail deer and tahrs during a three-week adventure. Brad Allen comes across a plethora of game animals on a trek to South Africa’s Natal region, while Rhys Millington stays closer to home on an interstate assignment in northern New South Wales for four days of hunting hogs. Don Caswell stresses the importance of projectile choice and placement when hunting deer, while veteran small-game enthusiast John Hill points out the advantages of using lighter loads. The Camp Kitchen turns positively gourmet with individual venison pies, plus rabbit and chorizo terrine enough to make any hunter’s mouth water. Our reviewers also test the Browning BLR Lightweight lever-action rifle, Fabarm Waterfowl Supermag 3.5″ Camo shotgun and Gieggerig Hydrapak hydration system.

The tropical island of Kosrae in Micronesia is the exotic setting for a traditional pig hunt as Alby Adams is guided through testing, dense jungle by a wily local. Maintaining the international theme, Mark Benns heads back to his native New Zealand and enjoys an overdue shoot for deer in the Kaimanawa Range of mountains. Leon Wright goes looking for quail, with his trusted German short-haired pointer, Cobber, leading the way, and Don Caswell muses on what it means to be a game stalker and the qualities that are needed to follow this style of hunting. Testing out equipment are John McDougall, who picks up a Webley & Scott 2000 Game field shotgun, and Bruce Wellington who checks out a trio of Vortex Viper riflescopes.

Bob Salisbury explains how changing farming trends in Northern Ireland have led to an increase in woodpigeons, which provides great hunting for shooters. A long drive to Far North Queensland is made worthwhile for Alistair McGlashan when he and his brother Stewart come across feral pigs, chital deer and sooty grunter fish. Other animals featured in various yarns include South Australian fallow deer and feral goats, Arnhem Land buffaloes and African bushpigs. Don Caswell goes on the prowl for pest animals with his air rifle, while Dick Eussen looks at what different rifle and cartridge combinations work in downing wild pigs. Rick Huckstepp tests the Tikka T3 Battue Lite rifle, Rob Murton checks out Buff multifunctional headwear products and Neal Finch looks at The Whole Hog nose-to-tail butchery DVD. Pigeon with Cumberland sauce provides a succulent and alternative dish, and Geoff Cartner highlights the advantages for hunters of cooking with foil in the outback.

Senior correspondent John Dunn goes out on the range in search of the rather unique pronghorns amid the vast expanses of Wyoming. It’s also a walk on the wild side for Mick Thompson, as he heads up into the spectacular Southern Alps of New Zealand to hunt the world’s most challenging mountain game animal, the Himalayan tahr. American hunter LP Brezny steps out of his comfort zone by journeying to Australia’s Far North to hunt heavyweight trophy scrub bulls. For treks into the bush, items such as the Lifesaver jerrycan to carry drinking water and the NexTorch Viker Star headlamp can prove invaluable accessories and both are scrutinised by our writers. Night-vision equipment is also given a try-out with the focus on the Guide IR518C hand-held thermal imager.

The Locavore restaurant in the Adelaide Hills town of Stirling abides by the principle of using local produce from within a 100-mile radius. Owner Chris March explains where he got the idea and how his business features regional foods as they come into season. Still in South Australia, Rick Huckstepp and his hunting crew round up a mixed bag of varmints in the Riverland. Further afield, Ted Mitchell’s Aussie group enjoy an African odyssey, while Andrew Balcombe experiences a Dutch wildfowl and hare hunt. Senior correspondent John Dunn tries out a couple of high-quality binoculars made by Kings Optics Canada Incorporated, John McDougall tests the Marocchi First Deluxe shotgun, and Don Caswell finds how well Russell Moccasin custom-made boots fit as he goes hunting in gorge country.