My first muzzy target!
12-17-2013, 03:22 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Australia
Posts: 144
My first muzzy target!
Went pre season scouting after work tonight and found a beautiful stag in velvet with nice long tines and just balling out to start with his tops. If he can escape the meat hunters and cowboys that kill for fun I might have my first muzzy stag in my sights!
Couting down the days!
Couting down the days!
12-17-2013, 08:22 AM
#5
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
Is that a Red Deer jp?
I GOOGLED "Deer in Australia" and see you guys have six species, and the Red Deer can get up to 350 lbs. Do you have all six species in the area you hunt? Are there different seasons for different species? Tell us a bit about your game laws.
I GOOGLED "Deer in Australia" and see you guys have six species, and the Red Deer can get up to 350 lbs. Do you have all six species in the area you hunt? Are there different seasons for different species? Tell us a bit about your game laws.
12-17-2013, 08:50 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1,482
Yes please. I'm interested in hearing more about hunting in other countries. That deer looks like a cross between our whitetail and an elk - somewhere in between. Is it still pretty hot during your hunting season? I seem to remember most of Australia stays warm/hot for most of the year. Seems like it might be like hunting in south Texas or Mexico.
12-17-2013, 12:17 PM
#7
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Australia
Posts: 144
Yeh this guy is a red deer, which is one of the main deer that I hunt here along with fallow deer and sambar. When people think of red deer these days they think of those NZ farm raised deer with points going everywhere and crazy mass. Thats not what wild red deer look like, in NZ they generally farm raise them and then release them on to a few thousand acres call it a free range and get some poor bugger to pay $10k for it. If that's what you like though then good luck to you, but I prefer to hunt the real wild thing even if that means a sacrifice in quality.
Red deer are very closely related to elk, and in fact they can and do interbreed where he opportunity arises. In New Zealand elk were released (or wapiti as they're known in the southern hemisphere) but once red deer got to where they were the hybridised to the point where there are no pure breds left. you might find it hard to believe but the rule of thumb is that in a fight a red stag will always beat an elk because they're much more aggressive, strong for their size and can manoeuvre themselves like a whitetail.
As for the country, what you see in the movies isn't really that accurate. The "outback" is from central to north west Australia and the game animals you see in that country are pigs, donkeys, horses, camels, dingoes and if you're in the NT buffalo and Banteng.
I live in victoria which is in the south east. All deer in Australia live along the east coast. Over the summer months it can average around 90 degrees with a few days going up to 113 but from April through to early september it gets down to 28 degrees in the mornings. And just like you would we have everything covered in lush green during the winter and spring.
But at the moment it is summer and its hot and dry. It's the worst time really, because the deer are trying to grow out heads on crap feed.
Yes we have 6 species - Red deer, fallow deer, sambar, Rusa, chital and Hog deer.
In Victoria we have some good red deer (though not the best), some good fallow in places, the best sambar hunting (Australia's premier game animal), no Rusa or chital, and we have the precious hog deer.
Red deer were released in Victoria and Queensland by the liberation society many years ago and for us purest hunters we only like to chase the animals from original liberations and not the escaped farm populations. The biggest are now in New South Wales which is half way along the east coast. The "Roar" of a red stag puts shivers up your spine which is a thing you just have to experience.
Fallow were liberated in South Australia and Tasmania but are now probably the most widespread species throughout all the eastern states. They are great hunting and their palms, similar to a mooses paddles make great trophies, they croak during the rut and despite the red deer "roar" getting all the press, fallow are a lot more vocal.
Sambar were released in a few spots and are our most abundant deer. In Vic last year 43,000 deer approx, where harvested and 41,000 were sambar. They live in very difficult country and are extremely hard hunting, not my favourite but definitely Australia's favourite deer to hunt. They are an asiatic deer and only ever have 6 points and generally get to around 30" long. They can be huge in the body though, a big stag can be the size of a cow!
Rusa live in New South Wales and are the only deer in Australia that I haven't seen, I'd love to take one as they have awesome antlers and their inners are known as "Blades" as they are straight and pointed like a sword.
Chital would have to be the most beautiful deer in the world in my opinion and the best I've eaten. They live in Queensland i huge mobs out in the open. Very easy to hunt if you're able to shoot to 200 yards, people try for them with bows now to make the hunt a bit harder.
And Hog deer, the bane of any Australian deer hunter and always the last to finish off someones slam. They're the size of a sheep, in low numbers and make quite a trophy. I'd love to take one but have still never even seen a stag.
In Vic we have a 12 month season on red deer, fallow deer and sambar. Reds and fallow get hard around feb, rut in April and cast in September. Sambar like chital have no set rut so can be hard or soft any time of the year, which is another beauty about hunting them, there is always something with antlers or a nice tasty yearling at any stage of the year. Hog deer are the only restricted species we have. It's a one month season, you need tags, the limit is one male and one female a year and most successful hunting comes from a ballot that selects 16 hunters a year to hunt stags. All harvested animals have to be run through a checking station so harvest figures are accurate. They average 90 hog deer stags harvested in the country per year. If you don't live here they probably aren't the most appealing species but to an Australian they draw us in like a 21 year old busty blonde thats hot to trot!
Hope that gives you an idea of what we have here. I myself have been fortunate enough to take some nice red deer, fallow deer and a nice chital. I've passed up on several sambar stags looking for the right one. For meat a young sambar is nice, but a young red deer would have to be the best that's readily available to us.
I once spoke to a guy who'd hunted all over the world and he said the only thing better than the backstraps off a Dall sheep was any meat off a hog deer. I intend on tasting one very soon, though may be a while!
Red deer are very closely related to elk, and in fact they can and do interbreed where he opportunity arises. In New Zealand elk were released (or wapiti as they're known in the southern hemisphere) but once red deer got to where they were the hybridised to the point where there are no pure breds left. you might find it hard to believe but the rule of thumb is that in a fight a red stag will always beat an elk because they're much more aggressive, strong for their size and can manoeuvre themselves like a whitetail.
As for the country, what you see in the movies isn't really that accurate. The "outback" is from central to north west Australia and the game animals you see in that country are pigs, donkeys, horses, camels, dingoes and if you're in the NT buffalo and Banteng.
I live in victoria which is in the south east. All deer in Australia live along the east coast. Over the summer months it can average around 90 degrees with a few days going up to 113 but from April through to early september it gets down to 28 degrees in the mornings. And just like you would we have everything covered in lush green during the winter and spring.
But at the moment it is summer and its hot and dry. It's the worst time really, because the deer are trying to grow out heads on crap feed.
Yes we have 6 species - Red deer, fallow deer, sambar, Rusa, chital and Hog deer.
In Victoria we have some good red deer (though not the best), some good fallow in places, the best sambar hunting (Australia's premier game animal), no Rusa or chital, and we have the precious hog deer.
Red deer were released in Victoria and Queensland by the liberation society many years ago and for us purest hunters we only like to chase the animals from original liberations and not the escaped farm populations. The biggest are now in New South Wales which is half way along the east coast. The "Roar" of a red stag puts shivers up your spine which is a thing you just have to experience.
Fallow were liberated in South Australia and Tasmania but are now probably the most widespread species throughout all the eastern states. They are great hunting and their palms, similar to a mooses paddles make great trophies, they croak during the rut and despite the red deer "roar" getting all the press, fallow are a lot more vocal.
Sambar were released in a few spots and are our most abundant deer. In Vic last year 43,000 deer approx, where harvested and 41,000 were sambar. They live in very difficult country and are extremely hard hunting, not my favourite but definitely Australia's favourite deer to hunt. They are an asiatic deer and only ever have 6 points and generally get to around 30" long. They can be huge in the body though, a big stag can be the size of a cow!
Rusa live in New South Wales and are the only deer in Australia that I haven't seen, I'd love to take one as they have awesome antlers and their inners are known as "Blades" as they are straight and pointed like a sword.
Chital would have to be the most beautiful deer in the world in my opinion and the best I've eaten. They live in Queensland i huge mobs out in the open. Very easy to hunt if you're able to shoot to 200 yards, people try for them with bows now to make the hunt a bit harder.
And Hog deer, the bane of any Australian deer hunter and always the last to finish off someones slam. They're the size of a sheep, in low numbers and make quite a trophy. I'd love to take one but have still never even seen a stag.
In Vic we have a 12 month season on red deer, fallow deer and sambar. Reds and fallow get hard around feb, rut in April and cast in September. Sambar like chital have no set rut so can be hard or soft any time of the year, which is another beauty about hunting them, there is always something with antlers or a nice tasty yearling at any stage of the year. Hog deer are the only restricted species we have. It's a one month season, you need tags, the limit is one male and one female a year and most successful hunting comes from a ballot that selects 16 hunters a year to hunt stags. All harvested animals have to be run through a checking station so harvest figures are accurate. They average 90 hog deer stags harvested in the country per year. If you don't live here they probably aren't the most appealing species but to an Australian they draw us in like a 21 year old busty blonde thats hot to trot!
Hope that gives you an idea of what we have here. I myself have been fortunate enough to take some nice red deer, fallow deer and a nice chital. I've passed up on several sambar stags looking for the right one. For meat a young sambar is nice, but a young red deer would have to be the best that's readily available to us.
I once spoke to a guy who'd hunted all over the world and he said the only thing better than the backstraps off a Dall sheep was any meat off a hog deer. I intend on tasting one very soon, though may be a while!
12-17-2013, 02:53 PM
#10
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Australia
Posts: 144
Yeh this guy is a red deer, which is one of the main deer that I hunt here along with fallow deer and sambar. When people think of red deer these days they think of those NZ farm raised deer with points going everywhere and crazy mass. Thats not what wild red deer look like, in NZ they generally farm raise them and then release them on to a few thousand acres call it a free range and get some poor bugger to pay $10k for it. If that's what you like though then good luck to you, but I prefer to hunt the real wild thing even if that means a sacrifice in quality.
Red deer are very closely related to elk, and in fact they can and do interbreed where he opportunity arises. In New Zealand elk were released (or wapiti as they're known in the southern hemisphere) but once red deer got to where they were the hybridised to the point where there are no pure breds left. you might find it hard to believe but the rule of thumb is that in a fight a red stag will always beat an elk because they're much more aggressive, strong for their size and can manoeuvre themselves like a whitetail.
As for the country, what you see in the movies isn't really that accurate. The "outback" is from central to north west Australia and the game animals you see in that country are pigs, donkeys, horses, camels, dingoes and if you're in the NT buffalo and Banteng.
I live in victoria which is in the south east. All deer in Australia live along the east coast. Over the summer months it can average around 90 degrees with a few days going up to 113 but from April through to early september it gets down to 28 degrees in the mornings. And just like you would we have everything covered in lush green during the winter and spring.
But at the moment it is summer and its hot and dry. It's the worst time really, because the deer are trying to grow out heads on crap feed.
Yes we have 6 species - Red deer, fallow deer, sambar, Rusa, chital and Hog deer.
In Victoria we have some good red deer (though not the best), some good fallow in places, the best sambar hunting (Australia's premier game animal), no Rusa or chital, and we have the precious hog deer.
Red deer were released in Victoria and Queensland by the liberation society many years ago and for us purest hunters we only like to chase the animals from original liberations and not the escaped farm populations. The biggest are now in New South Wales which is half way along the east coast. The "Roar" of a red stag puts shivers up your spine which is a thing you just have to experience.
Fallow were liberated in South Australia and Tasmania but are now probably the most widespread species throughout all the eastern states. They are great hunting and their palms, similar to a mooses paddles make great trophies, they croak during the rut and despite the red deer "roar" getting all the press, fallow are a lot more vocal.
Sambar were released in a few spots and are our most abundant deer. In Vic last year 43,000 deer approx, where harvested and 41,000 were sambar. They live in very difficult country and are extremely hard hunting, not my favourite but definitely Australia's favourite deer to hunt. They are an asiatic deer and only ever have 6 points and generally get to around 30" long. They can be huge in the body though, a big stag can be the size of a cow!
Rusa live in New South Wales and are the only deer in Australia that I haven't seen, I'd love to take one as they have awesome antlers and their inners are known as "Blades" as they are straight and pointed like a sword.
Chital would have to be the most beautiful deer in the world in my opinion and the best I've eaten. They live in Queensland i huge mobs out in the open. Very easy to hunt if you're able to shoot to 200 yards, people try for them with bows now to make the hunt a bit harder.
And Hog deer, the bane of any Australian deer hunter and always the last to finish off someones slam. They're the size of a sheep, in low numbers and make quite a trophy. I'd love to take one but have still never even seen a stag.
In Vic we have a 12 month season on red deer, fallow deer and sambar. Reds and fallow get hard around feb, rut in April and cast in September. Sambar like chital have no set rut so can be hard or soft any time of the year, which is another beauty about hunting them, there is always something with antlers or a nice tasty yearling at any stage of the year. Hog deer are the only restricted species we have. It's a one month season, you need tags, the limit is one male and one female a year and most successful hunting comes from a ballot that selects 16 hunters a year to hunt stags. All harvested animals have to be run through a checking station so harvest figures are accurate. They average 90 hog deer stags harvested in the country per year. If you don't live here they probably aren't the most appealing species but to an Australian they draw us in like a 21 year old busty blonde thats hot to trot!
Hope that gives you an idea of what we have here. I myself have been fortunate enough to take some nice red deer, fallow deer and a nice chital. I've passed up on several sambar stags looking for the right one. For meat a young sambar is nice, but a young red deer would have to be the best that's readily available to us.
I once spoke to a guy who'd hunted all over the world and he said the only thing better than the backstraps off a Dall sheep was any meat off a hog deer. I intend on tasting one very soon, though may be a while!
Red deer are very closely related to elk, and in fact they can and do interbreed where he opportunity arises. In New Zealand elk were released (or wapiti as they're known in the southern hemisphere) but once red deer got to where they were the hybridised to the point where there are no pure breds left. you might find it hard to believe but the rule of thumb is that in a fight a red stag will always beat an elk because they're much more aggressive, strong for their size and can manoeuvre themselves like a whitetail.
As for the country, what you see in the movies isn't really that accurate. The "outback" is from central to north west Australia and the game animals you see in that country are pigs, donkeys, horses, camels, dingoes and if you're in the NT buffalo and Banteng.
I live in victoria which is in the south east. All deer in Australia live along the east coast. Over the summer months it can average around 90 degrees with a few days going up to 113 but from April through to early september it gets down to 28 degrees in the mornings. And just like you would we have everything covered in lush green during the winter and spring.
But at the moment it is summer and its hot and dry. It's the worst time really, because the deer are trying to grow out heads on crap feed.
Yes we have 6 species - Red deer, fallow deer, sambar, Rusa, chital and Hog deer.
In Victoria we have some good red deer (though not the best), some good fallow in places, the best sambar hunting (Australia's premier game animal), no Rusa or chital, and we have the precious hog deer.
Red deer were released in Victoria and Queensland by the liberation society many years ago and for us purest hunters we only like to chase the animals from original liberations and not the escaped farm populations. The biggest are now in New South Wales which is half way along the east coast. The "Roar" of a red stag puts shivers up your spine which is a thing you just have to experience.
Fallow were liberated in South Australia and Tasmania but are now probably the most widespread species throughout all the eastern states. They are great hunting and their palms, similar to a mooses paddles make great trophies, they croak during the rut and despite the red deer "roar" getting all the press, fallow are a lot more vocal.
Sambar were released in a few spots and are our most abundant deer. In Vic last year 43,000 deer approx, where harvested and 41,000 were sambar. They live in very difficult country and are extremely hard hunting, not my favourite but definitely Australia's favourite deer to hunt. They are an asiatic deer and only ever have 6 points and generally get to around 30" long. They can be huge in the body though, a big stag can be the size of a cow!
Rusa live in New South Wales and are the only deer in Australia that I haven't seen, I'd love to take one as they have awesome antlers and their inners are known as "Blades" as they are straight and pointed like a sword.
Chital would have to be the most beautiful deer in the world in my opinion and the best I've eaten. They live in Queensland i huge mobs out in the open. Very easy to hunt if you're able to shoot to 200 yards, people try for them with bows now to make the hunt a bit harder.
And Hog deer, the bane of any Australian deer hunter and always the last to finish off someones slam. They're the size of a sheep, in low numbers and make quite a trophy. I'd love to take one but have still never even seen a stag.
In Vic we have a 12 month season on red deer, fallow deer and sambar. Reds and fallow get hard around feb, rut in April and cast in September. Sambar like chital have no set rut so can be hard or soft any time of the year, which is another beauty about hunting them, there is always something with antlers or a nice tasty yearling at any stage of the year. Hog deer are the only restricted species we have. It's a one month season, you need tags, the limit is one male and one female a year and most successful hunting comes from a ballot that selects 16 hunters a year to hunt stags. All harvested animals have to be run through a checking station so harvest figures are accurate. They average 90 hog deer stags harvested in the country per year. If you don't live here they probably aren't the most appealing species but to an Australian they draw us in like a 21 year old busty blonde thats hot to trot!
Hope that gives you an idea of what we have here. I myself have been fortunate enough to take some nice red deer, fallow deer and a nice chital. I've passed up on several sambar stags looking for the right one. For meat a young sambar is nice, but a young red deer would have to be the best that's readily available to us.
I once spoke to a guy who'd hunted all over the world and he said the only thing better than the backstraps off a Dall sheep was any meat off a hog deer. I intend on tasting one very soon, though may be a while!
Here is a pic of my chital stag and another that we photographed after taking ours. Beautiful deer and great eating.
This was hot in Queensland, 100 degrees Fahrenheit every day