Thread: First blood and a proper trophy sized Billy

Browsing through some old hunting photos tonight came across this one from about 2011 in WA, crappy photo I know but you get the picture. This one was pretty blinkin’ long in the horns department alright.



We were out after camels that day and didn’t do anything with the head, just left him and his mates as dog bait. We went back to that spot later that night, sat up high on the mine dump with the wind in our faces about 250m away, looking down, waiting for dawn. The enemy arrived, we could hear them but not see them, first light revealed all and the three of us lined up on a dog each, a three count and whack! Very satisfying.



We see a lot of this heavy, swept back type heads down our way, back in NZ of course. Note complete absense of anything green in photos above compared to this one below! Makes me wonder how the hell the animals survive in the Outback. Hardy animals alright.

Already planning another trip back we got unfinished business

Your average farm goat seems to be able to get into the late teenage years without too much trouble so I would have thought they could make 20 in the right conditions. Down this way its a fairly harsh environment so to get to the late teens like the ones shot in this thread is pretty lucky I feel. In our region there is also a LOT of hunting pressure so even living one year is doing well... let alone ever being able to grow a good trophy head.

Last year I was out with my son and we saw a nice big billy. We both thought he was the biggest we'd seen in this region for ages - but still nothing like the head shot by dannyb or Flyblown. I think you blokes up in the North Island are luckier than us in that department. Certainly that King Country through to Whanganui is fantastic.

Gave the head a boil last night but it was pretty cold and the gas ring I'd managed to borrow was just able to maintain a gentle simmer.
Left the head in water overnight to keep it juicy, gave it a gentle water blast this arvo and so far so good managed to blast away quite a bit more flesh and sinew than I expected.
So far it's had about 3 hours gentle boiling.

Old Billy was getting a bit paranoid what with his brains being dissolved and all and decided to Don a tin foil hat to keep the spooks at bay (I know flirting with politics) also must help keep the heat in for the last stubborn bits of sinew etc.
Gonna boil it for a few more hours then give it another go over with the water blaster.

Yup we are lucky indeed. I love hunting down south as much as the next bloke, but I know from my own experiences from the Kaimais to the Takitimus that game density in the south is way lower than what we have up here, in terms of reds, fallow, pigs and goats. The western central N Island is just one great big game larder, if it ain't carrying domesticated livestock, it will be full of game, with just a handful of DOC exceptions. But the terrain, private land ownership and a lack of road access combine to make it pretty tough for the average bloke to get into the back blocks. You have to work hard to develop trust and relationships with land owners, to gain and then maintain access to those treasure troves bush blocks and the more open country on the margins.

Looking good danny, the humble goat is an underrated game animal IMO.

Originally Posted by mawzer308

Looking good danny, the humble goat is an underrated game animal IMO.

Once you are on them they are not hard to stalk, the terrain on my hunt was the biggest challenge, but only because we wanted to recover some for meat and of course the head.
I'm well aware that finding and shooting an old Billy like mine, for my part there was a fair bit of luck involved that he was there in the open with the girls. I think in most hunts an element of luck is involved but having the skills to take advantage of the luck is all part of the hunt.

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Throw in the skill to execute and you have good luck, without it its not lucky.

Originally Posted by Dorkus

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Throw in the skill to execute and you have good luck, without it its not lucky.

I like that.

Another 3 hours boiling with the foil over the top did the trick gave it another pressure wash and it's come up pretty mint.
Just the whitening process and mounting to do now.
Gotta find me a nice log to cut a slice off to mount it on unless someone has something laying around ?

is anyone on here able to offer advice on removing the horns to clean the membrane off the horn core ? if you look at the horn on the right in the last photo you can see it's quiet damaged from fighting to the point that some of the horn core may be exposed.
I'm just worried that if I try to remove them to clean the membrane off I will risk damaging the outer horn.
catch 22 as if I don't remove them and clean the membrane off it will rot and stink and I will never be allowed to hang another head inside the house again.
Any advice or help please ???? I'll try get some better pics when I'm home showing the extent of the damage.
I don't want to repair the damage as I like it and think it adds to the character I just don't want to damage it further or risk ruining it all together.\
thanks everyone

It shouldn't stink mate, I have had a few chamois heads where the horns have come off during boiling which was great as got the bases real nice and clean but have had a few also that wouldn't come off and they didn't end up smelling or anything it's mainly gristle between the horn and base which won't rot anyhow it sort of just dries up and shrinks a bit over time

This is pretty much what I'm dealing with, should I leave it and just apply a matte clear coat ???

Thats a good sized head you must be stocked. I often head to the Taranaki to go after a few goats, its good fun, good practice and my wife does a great goat curry. Hopefully one day i will get a head like that.