Sambar in Australia
08-29-2004, 02:56 AM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Cowes, Vic. Australia
Posts: 6
RE: Sambar in Australia
I'm a Sambar hunter myself - was interested to see if any US hunters had chased sambar and what sort of experiences they had.
I hunted yesterday in fact - had a brief look at the animal I've been patterning for the past 6 weeks. First good look in fact - a 30 incher that will be my biggest if I get him. Anything over 25" is a trophy, so if he in fact goes 30, I'll be wearing a smile only a jackhammer could remove.
I hunted yesterday in fact - had a brief look at the animal I've been patterning for the past 6 weeks. First good look in fact - a 30 incher that will be my biggest if I get him. Anything over 25" is a trophy, so if he in fact goes 30, I'll be wearing a smile only a jackhammer could remove.
08-29-2004, 10:28 PM
#4
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Lethbridge, Alberta
Posts: 1,118
RE: Sambar in Australia
well, if it was U.S hunters your looking for, your a couple longitudinal lines north. Most of us here are from Canada. (eh?) Congrats on your Sambar. Question, what in the hell is a sambar?
08-29-2004, 11:51 PM
#5
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Cowes, Vic. Australia
Posts: 6
RE: Sambar in Australia
Sambar are an Asian species, imported into Australia around 1861 - cervis unicolor - came in from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). A large stag could reach 800lbs, but typically they attain 650lbs, the hinds (females) naturally smaller at around 450lbs.
Their antlers are simple, consisting of 3 tines on each one, - a brow tine and inner and outer tines at the terminal fork. Most stags cast their antlers in December or January, and in hard antler again by April or May, but there are always regional exceptions.
Anything over 30 inches/200 Douglas Points is a real trophy.
There is no well-defined breeding season, but hinds come into season at regular intervals (like cattle), and individual stag's rutting activity appears to be a response to the hinds coming into season. Most coincide with the majority of hinds in season around May - June, and again in September-November.
They are regarded here as the hardest of all deer species to hunt - the basic rule of thumb is that if you can successfully stalk Sambar, you can hold your own with any deer worldwide.
They're very difficult to see in the bush, being a dark brown colour, with lighter shades around the belly and rear. Emanating from a tiger-dominated jungle environment, they instinctively live very secretive lives in small family groups. Indeed, they are so difficult to observe, that many experienced bushwalkers are amazed to learn that deer actually exist in good numbers in some of their favourite walking areas.
Nocturnal feeding is normal, with most animals bedding down around 9am, rising for a quick nibble around 1pm, then down again until rising again around 4.30pm for the evening session.
Most Sambar are intercepted in early morning as they make their way to the bedding areas, or in the evening while looking for a feeding area.
It's legal in Australia to hunt Sambar with hounds - up til recently you could hunt them with Foxhounds, but the 'Green Mafia' (tree-huggers, bleeding heart brigade) forced a government revolt that led to banning Foxhounds and reverting to either Beagles or Bloodhounds. I'm a stalker myself, so couldn't care less. (31/8 - should have said "... am unaffected by this." Tks Seadog!)
I do know one thing though - ever since some 15,000 foxhounds have been taken off the hunting scene, there are a LOT more deer around!
Anyone who hunts deer should really have Sambar among their personal Grand Slam ambition, as they are one of the greatest challenges on the world deer scene.
"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. "
Their antlers are simple, consisting of 3 tines on each one, - a brow tine and inner and outer tines at the terminal fork. Most stags cast their antlers in December or January, and in hard antler again by April or May, but there are always regional exceptions.
Anything over 30 inches/200 Douglas Points is a real trophy.
There is no well-defined breeding season, but hinds come into season at regular intervals (like cattle), and individual stag's rutting activity appears to be a response to the hinds coming into season. Most coincide with the majority of hinds in season around May - June, and again in September-November.
They are regarded here as the hardest of all deer species to hunt - the basic rule of thumb is that if you can successfully stalk Sambar, you can hold your own with any deer worldwide.
They're very difficult to see in the bush, being a dark brown colour, with lighter shades around the belly and rear. Emanating from a tiger-dominated jungle environment, they instinctively live very secretive lives in small family groups. Indeed, they are so difficult to observe, that many experienced bushwalkers are amazed to learn that deer actually exist in good numbers in some of their favourite walking areas.
Nocturnal feeding is normal, with most animals bedding down around 9am, rising for a quick nibble around 1pm, then down again until rising again around 4.30pm for the evening session.
Most Sambar are intercepted in early morning as they make their way to the bedding areas, or in the evening while looking for a feeding area.
It's legal in Australia to hunt Sambar with hounds - up til recently you could hunt them with Foxhounds, but the 'Green Mafia' (tree-huggers, bleeding heart brigade) forced a government revolt that led to banning Foxhounds and reverting to either Beagles or Bloodhounds. I'm a stalker myself, so couldn't care less. (31/8 - should have said "... am unaffected by this." Tks Seadog!)
I do know one thing though - ever since some 15,000 foxhounds have been taken off the hunting scene, there are a LOT more deer around!
Anyone who hunts deer should really have Sambar among their personal Grand Slam ambition, as they are one of the greatest challenges on the world deer scene.
"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. "
08-30-2004, 10:33 AM
#6
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Toronto Ontario Canada
Posts: 304
RE: Sambar in Australia
Rodfly, you SHOULD bloody well care about the loss of foxhounds for sambar hunting . After the hounds it will the stalkers turn. YOU SHOULD stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow hunters EVEN though how they go about it may not be your choice.
08-30-2004, 03:46 PM
#7
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Cowes, Vic. Australia
Posts: 6
RE: Sambar in Australia
Sorry, you're dead right of course, and that 'Couldn't care less' statement was simply a 'throw-away' line for the sake of brevity in my post, and DEFINITELY does not convey my true sentiments on that subject.
If you knew my reputation, you would simply have laughed at it.
I've spent a great many years on various organizations fighting exactly what you're referring to - I know full well the final outworking of the hidden implications of the hound hunting issues, and currently conduct various behind-the-scenes thrusts to combat it.
In posting that information, I was wanting to inform the Canadian/US site members of the status and value of Sambar in Australia, not start an even longer and more tedious string on the politics involved.
Rest easy in the knowledge that I am, and always will be, one of the more proactive hunters and anglers in this country. My record over the past 20 years, if you were able to view it, speaks for itself - in volumes.
If any of you Northern Hemisphere fellow hunters would like a more intimate glimpse of the deer hunting scene Down Under, you are welcome to visit www.deerhunter.com.au, where you will be able to view an in-depth picture of every current issue affecting us here in Oz.
If you knew my reputation, you would simply have laughed at it.
I've spent a great many years on various organizations fighting exactly what you're referring to - I know full well the final outworking of the hidden implications of the hound hunting issues, and currently conduct various behind-the-scenes thrusts to combat it.
In posting that information, I was wanting to inform the Canadian/US site members of the status and value of Sambar in Australia, not start an even longer and more tedious string on the politics involved.
Rest easy in the knowledge that I am, and always will be, one of the more proactive hunters and anglers in this country. My record over the past 20 years, if you were able to view it, speaks for itself - in volumes.
If any of you Northern Hemisphere fellow hunters would like a more intimate glimpse of the deer hunting scene Down Under, you are welcome to visit www.deerhunter.com.au, where you will be able to view an in-depth picture of every current issue affecting us here in Oz.
08-31-2004, 04:22 PM
#9
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Cowes, Vic. Australia
Posts: 6
RE: Sambar in Australia
Good on you mate - wots your Deerhunter.com nom-de-plume?
If you have been frequenting the site over the past coupla months, you will have seen the string I started on the issue of Vic. & NSW govt. depts trying to declare deer a feral species - the first bit I found on the NSW NPWS site ( a scientific committee recommendation) - I have a tour operators permit for Kozzy NP - and one of the other blokes posted an almost identical extract from the Vic. DSE site. Shows clearly that they are acting in concert, and recent moves to have SSAA members involved in culling deer numbers in the Alpine Nat. Park are just a blind, and a butt-lick to hunters, while they do their real dirty work behind our backs.
One of the members has a motto which says 'maintain the rage' - I reckon he's on the money.
If you have been frequenting the site over the past coupla months, you will have seen the string I started on the issue of Vic. & NSW govt. depts trying to declare deer a feral species - the first bit I found on the NSW NPWS site ( a scientific committee recommendation) - I have a tour operators permit for Kozzy NP - and one of the other blokes posted an almost identical extract from the Vic. DSE site. Shows clearly that they are acting in concert, and recent moves to have SSAA members involved in culling deer numbers in the Alpine Nat. Park are just a blind, and a butt-lick to hunters, while they do their real dirty work behind our backs.
One of the members has a motto which says 'maintain the rage' - I reckon he's on the money.
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