Persistence Finally Pays
80 | SPORTING SHOOTER _ MAY 2018
HUNTERS
DIARYHOW TO ENTER
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and search for Hunter’s Diary.BY MARK CRAVEN
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A little south of Normanton,
we’d meet up with two other
mates to spend 10 days hunting
afor pigs and whatever other
ferals we could find.
The first three days saw us
frustrated with the small
numbers of pigs; we weren’t
sure if it was the extraordinary
hot weather or the lack of shady
bedding for the pigs to escape
the heat. So we decided to
move on.
My mate had hunted a property
around the Croydon area a few
years ago, so we decided to
turn up on the doorstep and ask
if we could hunt there. After
getting the thumbs up, we
headed off to set up camp.
The days that followed
produced a medium sized pig for
my mate and a few sightings of
small mobs which got to thick
scrub before a shot could be
made. Things were tough. After
bikes suffered punctures and
then a bike that wouldn’t start,
morale was starting to sink.
Then on the last day, while
trying to locate a track that my
mate had used on a previous
visit, we came across a cow
carcass which showed sign that
pigs had been into it. With no
time to return to camp to collect
food, water and spotlight, we
decided to try a few nearby
lagoons and then set up off the
carcass. Within minutes of the
sun falling away, a mob of pigs
came trotting towards the cow.My mate, a seasoned hunter
unselfishly gave me the
opportunity to shoot first as
I am a newcomer to the sport.
Setting up on a tree I picked out
what I thought was the biggest
and took the shot, dropping it
where it stood. At last, after ten
days, a personal best and the
largest mob we had seen for
the trip.
Unfortunately light was our
enemy and before any other
pigs could move back onto the
carcass, it went dark. A great
trip done and dusted with
plenty of laughs, a few minor
mechanical issues overcome
and for me, learning a stack
from the other three who have
been shooting for many years.
Bring on the next trip.