Australian Hunter

Don Caswell maps out a hunter’s strategy for the pursuit of wild dogs and puts some of the steps into motion on a sheep farm. Leon Wright shares some hints for carrying small game such as ducks, quail and rabbits as the hunt goes on. Robert Griffiths heads to Bullo River Station in the Northern Territory in search of mighty water-buffaloes and along the way, his party also finds time to nab an enormous wild boar and catch some barramundi on a fishing interlude. Our experts look at Joker knives, big blades, and knives for food preparation, while there are reviews on the CZ 550 American Safari Magnum rifle, MaXbox magnetic rifle rest, Pulsar Digisight N550 nightvision riflescope and the Korr Lighting Platinum Camp Kit.

Matt Fowles explains how he developed the idea of the world’s first wines to match specific wild game dishes. The chief executive of Fowles Wine, based in Victoria’s Strathbogie Ranges region, came up with his own Ladies who Shoot their Lunch label. John Pond navigates his way around the OZtopo V4 GPS mapping update as he searches for the ultimate navigation tool for hunting trips. Steve Dunn does his bit with rabbits, firstly detailing the tricky task of field-dressing the animals, yet still finishing with clean hands. Steve then crosses to the kitchen to give us his recipe for smoke-roasted barbecued rabbit. Senior correspondent John Dunn reviews Ruger’s M77 Hawkeye African rifle, John McDougall field-tests Browning’s B725 Hunter shotgun and Don Caswell hits the bush in a Polaris Sportsman 550 X2 EFI quad. Out in the field, we go for goats in gorges, red deer in the High Country, small game during autumn, and chamois in alpine New Zealand.

Retired librarian Valmai Hankel talks about her love for books, horses, good food and wine that sustain her during her constant travels around the Australian outback. Self-confessed ‘bookworm’ Valmai plans her trips and organises accommodation from Adelaide, but revels in the camping experience. An outing on a partridge preserve in Victoria gives Con Kapralos a feeling of how the experience must pan out in the English countryside, with many hunters donning traditional tweed attire. Mick Chapman’s taxing chase for Cape eland in Namibia highlights the other end of the hunting spectrum, while Paul Adams savours a bumper boar bonanza in a trip to the Gulf Country. Reviews include SOG bush knives, the Savage Trophy Hunter XP rifle and scope combo, plus Winchester’s new Blind Side Waterfowl shotshells.

Our hunters take part in a variety of adventures, ranging from flooring goats and pigs in Queensland to bagging pesky rabbits in South Australia, trailing chamois in New Zealand and tracking the quirky snipe bird in Northern Ireland. Martin Auldist explains how he likes to break up his deer-hunting forays with a spot of fishing, trying to tempt trout to bite on the rivers and streams of the Victorian High Country. Don Caswell shows us how to fashion biltong from hunted game or butcher-bought meat, while Rob Murton proffers his techniques for proper game skin care and tanning. Our reviewers check out the APRS Light Hunter rifle, Akkar Churchill Sporter shotgun, One Planet Stiletto outdoor pack and the Cold Shot MOAB reticle adjuster. We also showcase the SSAA’s Field to Fork – The Australian Game Cookbook, illustrating the growing appeal of cooking with the assortment of wild meats that can be bought in store or taken by hunters.