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WILD BOAR AUSTRALIA CONTENTS
WILD BOAR AUSTRALIA Editor/Publisher:Vic Attard Art Director:Jacque Attard Contributing Writers: Neil Many, Ian Collie, Rob Murton and Gary Hall.
Advertising Enquiries: Contact Vic Attard Mobile: 0401 014 592 Email: wildboar@easynet.net.au Mailing Address: PO Box 10126, Mt Pleasant, Mackay, QLD 4740. ACN:091403851 ABN:15091403851 No picture or any part of the contents of this publication may be scanned or reproduced in any way without prior written consent from the publisher. Pig hunting is a dangerous sport, Wild Boar Australia accepts no responsibility for any damage and/or injury suffered by readers. Further, the editor/publisher accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of statements or opinions expressed by freelance writers. Printed by Graphic Impressions. Distributed by RDS.
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IN THIS ISSUE OF WILD BOAR AUSTRALIA
EDITORIAL BOARS TALES HUNTERS TROPHIES ROSSI GUN COMPETITION CATCH-A-HOG FOR CHARITY FULL MOON MADNESS Story by Neil Many PIG DOGS Muscle of the Pack TRADING POST ACCESSORIES Gear for the Hunter HUNTING BLACKBERRY IN THE WILD GREAT CRATES NORTHERN TOUR Story by Kate Horkings DRESSING APIG FOR A SPIT PHOTO COMPETITON BLOODLINES DOG CARE ISLAND HOGS Story by Rob Murton F@#KIN’ BOGGED & other road capers. ARCHERS CORNER PRIZES Frontcover: Neil Many, Central QLD Story on page 18
Advertising Enquiries: Contact Vic Attard - Mobile 0401 014 592
EDITORIAL
EDI TORIAL
EDITORIAL Hi to all...
Here is our third issue and I have to say, the standard of photos and stories coming through to us have been tops. Thanks to all for sending your material in, which is what makes this magazine so great, from 'hunters to hunters', there is no better way. If you have a couple of good photo's and a tale to tell, get in and write about it. Wild Boar Australia is a down to earth magazine where we can share our thrills and spills on hunting, what I believe, is the most exciting and explosive animal on earth…the wild boar. So give it a go and keep it all coming in. The team who puts Wild Boar Australia together are myself, my wife and you guys. Without your con- Good old stinker, caught on silk sorghum just on day break. tribution, there would not be a magazine. Your letters of appreciation to the maga- have to BE IN IT, TO WIN IT! zine, and comments on what you would like to Finally, on a hunting note, 2003 has been a dry see in the mag, is all great…keep it coming in as year all over Australia. The comment by most it gives me drive and lets me know that we are hunters, and by what I saw in the field, was a heading in the right direction. Also, Wild Boar drop in numbers and size of pigs. Pigs adapt Australia is printed in Australia, not overseas, quickly to the season, dropping litter sizes to because I think it is important to look after our compensate for lack of food etc. from the own back yard, keeping jobs and money in drought. This was evident, when out hunting, and a sow was taken, they would only have two Australia, 100% Aussie! Competition Mania! A big thanks goes out to to four suckers. So with hunting pressure up Titley Electronics, Animal Training Systems and and the country still in drought, it all has an Hound Connection for donating terrific and effect on the sport. I'm not saying there were not expensive prizes. Prizes include a tracking col- big pigs taken, or good loads caught, but in lar system to the value of $2800 (Titley comparison with previous years, the dry has Electronics), a Remote Training System worth definitely taken its toll in 2003. So let's keep our $2000 (Animal Training Systems) and a Bull Arab fingers crossed that 2004 will see a big wet seaPup worth $500 (Hound Connection). So check son all over Australia to get things back to where out the Competition Details on page 40. These they were…HEAPS OF PIGS! are awesome prizes and would not be possible Well, that’s enough from me, enjoy the mag and without the support of these three sponsors. drop us a line to let us know what you think of This year, Wild Boar Australia will give away a this issue. So until next time, from me and the total of $ 11 000 in prizes, so don't delay…get hounds, Good Hunting! ...Vic Attard your entries & photos in now….remember, you
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Shooters Supplies MACKAY
Ph/Fax: (07) 4951 1634 email:mackayshooter@hotmail.com 166 Shakespeare St MACKAY QLD 4740. SHOTGUNS RIFLES PISTOLS ARCHERY KNIVES SWORDS TORCHES AND SPOTLIGHTS
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BOAR TALES
“FULL ON�!...
Wayne and I were still telling jokes in the cab of the old Toyota as we cruised to a halt, near a large expanse of wetlands. My son Matt, and Wayne's cousin, Trevor, had somehow made room in the back, crammed between Wayne's large, well-stocked portable beer fridge and five dogs of various breeds,shapes and sizes.Wayne's dog Scooter 'The Enforcer' is the largest dog of the team, a solid Pit Bull that never takes a back step no matter how mean and nasty the situation gets. Our two Jack Russell's also mean business, but at a different level. What they lack in size they make up for in guts and tenacity. Nip a short haired male thinks nothing of getting in (or even on) the face of extremely bad tempered 90kg plus boars. Peggy (a long haired female) shows a little more caution, keeping away from the sharp end, but her incessant barking once the chase begins, (and after) is invaluable. Also along for the ride; our two L plated pig dogs. Jed and Ace a brother and sister act under training. No sooner had Scooter's feet touched the ground and he was off. The barking, squealing and mayhem started a 6
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short time later. The hog hadn't even got into top gear when Scooter nailed it; and nailed it hard. With Scooter holding a big chunk of the hog's ear, Nip going ballistic and Peggy giving plenty of verbal support, the pig was quickly dispatched. Twenty minutes later, Nip's faint barking in the distant scrub line attracted our attention. The 'Pocket Hercules' had a 60 kg sow cornered and bluffed, waiting for his bigger tag team partner to arrive on the scene. The instant Scooter got into the fray the hog's days were numbered. Wayne had only just got the words out of his mouth "this sign looks bloody fresh" when a good solid black boar with it's head down bum up bolted from the high grass, near a well-used wallow. Its powerful broad shoulders got it into full stride almost instantly and it powered over a small rocky outcrop and disappeared out of sight. The chase was on. Two outcrops later, the pace, rugged terrain, waist high spear grass and Jed, one of our two L plated hunters, had lost interest. Not even the occasional glimpse of the boar's big bum as it raced through the scrub could excite him.
Grabbing him up on the run I headed towards the sound of the dogs. 80m ahead I noticed an energetic Matt with Ace cradled in his arms sprinting through the dry stalks of spear grass towards the uproar. Not far ahead the confrontation had started. The large boar, hackles up, bad tempered and aggro was in no mood to play, but no matter what it threw at Scooter and the two smaller canine combatants they were up to the task.
With Wayne yelling, Peggy barking like a banshee, Scooter hanging off one ear, Nip hanging off the other like a fashion accessory it was 'bloody' pandemonium. Not to be out done Trevor and Matt dived into the chaos. The large brute was tipped, stuck and finally went down for the count. "I think this deserves a beer." "When did you ever need an excuse, Wayne?" - GARY HALL, Katherine, NT.
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FIRST TIME LUCKY The best crop raiders are usually the biggest, and they get very good at their jobs. They know never to come at the same time every night, don't eat too long, and come into the paddock from different ways each time. It amazes me how cunning some of these big boars can get, and by the look of the tracks, this pig was all of the above. A call from a farmer had us out to look at the damage done to his cane and to do something about the pigs, 'or pig', that was causing it. Surrounding the farm was granite hills and gullies. All around the base of the granite hills were cane farms, peanuts, corn and vegetable crops. A large boar had been seen on nearly all, as usual no one ever had a rifle with them at the time. A few local dog hunters had a go at him, but he always managed to beat them, and from the tracks and damage, he was a big fellow. We reckoned he had been in the night before. Turning over stools of cane to get to old peanuts underneath, which had been last years crop, and what a mess he'd made. My mate, Irwin Reid, was keen to have a go at him, so we decided on 3am the next morning. Irwin picked me up at about 2:40am and a twenty minute run out to the cane farm had us there right on 3am. It was a cool morning by North Queensland standards, when we started slowly around the cane with our four best dogs loose on the back, Ginger, Patch, Boof & Barney. All good nose dogs and hard hangers. We'd only gone half a kilometer and all dogs had their noses up in the air when… that sound every dog hunter loves to hear…one YIP, and all four dogs flew off the Toyota together, straight into a block of cane. We kept driving, and lucky we did, just as we rounded a corner, the dogs came out of the cane, across the headland and straight up the hill, amongst the rocks. We decided to wait a bit to see what happened….they didn't come back. So we grabbed the torches, and up the hill we went. After about ten minutes climbing, we heard them and it sounded like a good pig. We hoped that it was our big crop raider, but we were soon disappointed. Patch and Ginger had a good boar, but not the one we wanted. Irwin got in around him and soon had him over and knifed, we reckoned he was about 55 to 60 kg. After checking that both dogs were OK, we were still missing two, so we waited and listened, but nothing. We picked up our pig and headed back down to the car, we only went about 200 meters when Patch and
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Ginger took off down the hill. Then we heard them as well. Boof and Barney had another pig and by the time we got there, all four dogs had an ear or a cheek, and it was just as well, because when we shone the torch on him, we couldn't believe the size of him. It took the two of us to tip him over and the knife did the rest. It seemed the dog's had split up, Patch and Ginger going straight up on the smaller boar and Boof and Barney must have picked up the big fella trying to double back into the cane, as they were only 100 meters from the paddock when they got him. By the time we checked the dogs and loaded the pigs, the sun was coming up, so back to town to the Chiller. Those two pigs went 61kg and 147 kg dressed. Not a bad morning…with a carton of 4X each from the farmer and another legend crop raider gone for good! DENNIS PATON, MAREEBA, NTH QLD
Sugar Addict With the Cane slowly being harvested, the opportunity of catching a good boar was definately increasing. The reason being, that the large Cane paddocks become smaller and the boars do not have as much cover to hide once the dogs are alerted to their presence. The harvesting that is done predominantly during the day light hours does not really interfere with the boars' routine, as soon as the sun disappears over the horizon the boars are already thinking about making their journey to the crop. Brett, Adrian and myself knew this and had decided that we would hit the small blocks twice a week until we were successful. We had managed some good sized sows and taken a couple of good boars that weighed around 60 kilos dressed a few weeks earlier, but had not hit the magical 100 kilo as yet. We were hoping that would soon change. Adrian had been working Chiller, Buster and Blacky, all heavily built dogs of Mastiff/ Wolfhound/Pit origin, Chiller was the better dog of the group, with a good nose. My own dogs consisted of 3 Greyhound/Bull Terrier crosses, although the Greyhound lines were very pronounced, Brin was the better dog also with a good nose. It was about 9 O'clock, when we departed for our hunting grounds, the drive was about 20 minutes. It was a nice warm night, the moon passing through the clouds turned the dark night into an eerie illuminated place, it was quiet as well, and the dogs could be heard poking around inside the Cane. We had checked 2 blocks with no luck. So we headed back to the car for a further look at another 2 blocks North of our position. Ten minutes later we were back at it, the dogs were keen, their glow sticks could be seen darting around as they checked for fresh scent. Brett decided to
walk up one side while Adrian and myself walked the other, at least if a good pig decided to quickly slip away we would have a chance of seeing them. We had gone approximately half way when all 6 dogs took of into the Cane, and as any hunter knows this is definitely a good sign. All dogs were together, so that enhanced our chances of success. The pig that was in the Cane was a large black/white boar over 100 kilo, when the boar was alerted to the dogs he legged it out the opposite side where Brett was waiting. As the boar quickly galloped out of the Cane block Brett caught sight of him, he then directed his torch light to the spot that he had come out to see, if a dog was in hot pursuit. No dog was visible, so Brett quickly swung the beam onto the boar and noticed that Toa my Pit/Greyhound had exited the Cane along side him. Toa had done an excellent job for a dog that was not much chop hunting Cane, he had plenty of pace so overtaking the boar in an open paddock was no problem. His first attempt at holding the boar failed, he was thrown clear, and missing 2 eyeteeth does not help either. His second attempt failed and copped a hard hit, which resulted in a loud wail. The third attempt was successful and the boar pulled up, Toa had a firehose breastplate on so most of the boar's aggression was taken out on that. The boar had not travelled that far thanks to Toas speed. Brett was the first to reach the action and with him came a couple of the other dogs to lend a hand. Finally we had our 100 kilo boar with a nice set of tusks as well, which Brett took home with him. We were all extremely pleased with the result. The boar was weighed the next morning and came in at 83 Kilo dressed.- R.VANDERVEEN
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