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A spaniel flushing quail in this
marvellous action image. The
audio stimulation of the
“drumming” quails’ wings is also
something to be experienced.2
The author up Cape York with
a toothy boar that was found
by a Hungarian Vizsla.WWW.SPORTINGSHOOTER.COM.AU | 51ON THIS SPREAD
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most rewarding experiences a
hunter can have.
The first time I hunted with
dogs was in fact the first time I
ever hunted, on a Northern
NSW property that was full of
blackberry-chocked
mountains. A friend invited
my family to accompany him
one morning as he set out to fill
his Hilux up with a load of pigs
for the chiller. At the time, I
was frightened of dogs, but his
were all business, and almost
aloof to us strangers. Even at
that age, it was clear to me that
these dogs were special, finely
tuned machines, capable of
feats that we wouldn’t dare do
without them. How is it that a
35 kilogram dog has the
confidence to run into
a blackberry bush and hold
a 100 kilogram boar in one
spot? Whenever I hunt with
dogs, I am taken back to
this day.
It’s no wonder that using
dogs often leads to higher
success rates in our pursuits.
Hunting lignum country in
south-central QLD is nearly
impossible without the nose
and speed of a good dog, and
I’m sure collecting downed
birds in wetlands on a cool
morning is a job best left to an
enthusiastic furry friend. It’s
also not surprising how much
the dogs love doing what
they’ve been bred and
trained to do, and it is
beautiful to watch.
Until next time, enjoy living
your wilderlife.Follow Dylan on Instagram
at ‘_wilderlife_’2