Any Hunters amongst you?

Note well, if you are anti hunting, this thread is not an anti/pro hunting debate, so please just fuck off and create an anti hunting thread if that's what you wish to discuss.

As most know, I have three pointing breed dogs. Two Hungarian Vizslas (pronounced Veeshlar for the uninitiated) and a German Short haired pointer. Over the past 18 months, I have watched as their hunting instincts have grown and developed. The fun and enjoyment they get out of finding, pointing and then flushing birds and animals is something which makes me smile big cheesy ones. Seeing them and how much they are 'into" this has made me start to feel as though I am denying them an opportunity to do what they have been bred to do for thousands of years. So, over the past 6 or 8 months, I have been doing informal training with them while on our daily walks. It's all been "Feau Hunting". As in, we find the prey, point it, flush it out and then move onto the next one without killing anything. They have caught two rabbits, but they just bring them to me alive and make me kill the poor things. (Both were sick with Mixo, so had to be humanely terminated)

I have met a guy who has trained both GSP's and Vizslas for hunting and he has been keen enough to offer some assistance in bringing them along with the last few steps. Those steps being to get the dogs steady on the point, or in other words, not to flush the prey until I tell them it's OK to flush them. Then to get them to reliably retrieve. With just my training they have come to the point where they will scent it, track it and point it, but the holding of the point and the retrieve are two things I am having difficulty embedding and this guy will be able to train me and the dogs at the same time.

At the same time as this, I have been saving to buy my "weapon" of my choice. My thinking is to target feral species. So, foxes, Rabbits, Pigs, Goats and possibly if we get good enough, Deer. Anything not native pretty much, but not birds as my weapon of choice doesn't allow them to be taken with it. But some Bambi on the BBQ is something else and the dogs will love the bits I won't eat.

As A kid, I lived on a farm and there were always rifles and shotguns all over the place. Any time we went out mustering, crutching, fencing, harvesting or whatever we were doing, we kept both a shottie and A rifle handy. Shottie for the snakes and for ducks, the rifle for kangaroos, foxes, rabbitsor for injured stock. So, hunting with a rifle is an easily do able thing. Not really anything different to what I did as a kid. I wanted something that meant that if I nailed an animal, that I and the dogs had earned it.

So, I have decided that once the dogs are ready and I am proficient in the use of my new weapon of choice, that we will start hunting. The weapon chosen is a bow. Yep, I'm going all Indian Cherokee on you...... All be it a more modern adaptation of the bow and Arrow. So, I have just bought the final item being the bow. Over the last few months I have been collecting all the gear I will need from ebay and club members, so I could save some coin and today I finally added a brand new bow. If you're an archer and know about bows, let me know and I will pop up the specs, otherwise it will be jumble sandwich to the uninitiated...... But these modern bows shoot arrows at over 300 feet per second. They are effing fast. I shot mine today at the range in the shop before I handed over the coin and could not believe the speed difference between it and the compound bows I have shot recently and in the past. Mindblowing that something like this is actually legal!!!! It would take down a big Sambar Deer buck, a large Boar or even a Camel of Buffalo from 50 metres without any fear of not killing it. They are powerful things.



So, I would love to hear from any of you who have/do/wish to hunt. Any tips, hints or techniques you have used successfully.

Attachments

PSE Stinger 3G compound bow (800x600).jpg (65.98 KiB) Viewed 2808 times

PSE Stinger 3G 2012.jpg (17.83 KiB) Viewed 2808 times

Does MILF-hunting count?

(-&

I used to hunt pussy very succesfully - but that stopped when I got married

apart from that I got nuthin'- have fun mate

My best mate is a bowhunter if you would like someone to bounce things off he's always happy to talk hunting.

This is one of many goats he got on his last trip. I edited his head out on purpose btw as I hadn't asked him if I could post the photo on a public forum.

Good luck with the deer he has had many unsuccessful trips for them. You really need lots of patience when chasing them as they are so flighty.

He is also huge on making sure its a good kill shot and won't take it if it's not. So it also means a lot of stalking is required.

A couple more.

I hunted a lot with guns in the early days with guns,22 magnium/pump action stoty/doudle barrel shoty and a mouser 308(german assult riffle) all are long gone now,but getting back to it when i was in my early 20's we got into compound bows (just target shooting) i found when at 50 pounds the arrow was a bit "slow" went to 80 pounds and it livend the arrow at an incedible rate!!

very nice....I do find a recurve more traditional, though i'm starting to think I may just buy a compound, now this dumb ammo law got through. F@%##N Greens!

Stats please. And where did you get it from? Specialty archery shop or somewhere else?
Was thinking of moving to a 40pound recurve for hunting but that one does look the goods.

very nice....I do find a recurve more traditional, though i'm starting to think I may just buy a compound, now this dumb ammo law got through. F@%##N Greens!

Stats please. And where did you get it from? Specialty archery shop or somewhere else?
Was thinking of moving to a 40pound recurve for hunting but that one does look the goods.

PSE Stinger 3G 2012 4.7lbs weight
comes in 40-70lbs
26-29" draw length Adjustable
33 inches ATA
6 3/4" brace height
IBO SPeed 314FPS
QAD Ultra Rest
Smart caliper release
Sword 3 Axis Sight
8 " stabliser

Shoots about 290+fps with 400gr arrows and a broadhead.

As for your recurve idea, I would check your state legislation as I doubt you could legally use a 40lb bow for hunting. Most states consider about 50lbs as minimum legal requirement.

fired off about 50 arrows on Wed night. Not bow fit that's for sure. Like trying to cut a lap record after being off the bike and on the piss for two years....

Had to fit a new sight and try and dial it in. Didn't quite get it right before my shoulder cried enough. But, it grouped well with each set of 5 landing within 6 or 7 inches of each other. So once I get the sight straight, I should be hitting the centre or next ring with most shots. Compound bows are a lot more accurate than a long or recurve thats for sure. And fast. Scary fast.

The goats looks yummy. I don't mind going for a hunt.

Are the carcass easy to cut/clean?

......The goats looks yummy......

well you know how the old saying goes.....

You can lead a goat to the barn but you can't make it have sex with you.

The goats looks yummy. I don't mind going for a hunt.

Are the carcass easy to cut/clean?

It certainly was;-)

Not too bad, kinda like anything you have to get stuck into it. The hide stinks though especially
On older males!

I hunt R1's..

any way of gettin rid of ferral animals [or even just ferrals ] is cool by me mate