Thread: First DOC animals seen..........

Originally Posted by Hugh Shields

That is amazingly good looking country!!!! There would have to be animals around the bush edges at dawn and dusk, have to be!

I've never strapped a rifle to a pack in my whole life! Mind you, at the time when I was carrying a pack in those sized hills, packs didn't have scabaths!

I all my hunting life I have hunted on half cocked, with one up the spout. I have a permanent indentation between my thumb and first finger of my right hand caused by holding the bolt in the half cocked position. I've tripped, fallen, crossed rivers and slide down slips all on half cocked and haven't shot myself in the foot ("YET!"). That first round goes up the spout the minute I leave the car, (excluding public walking tracks) the hut, or the tent, and it stays there until I stop for a brew or a sleep.

My advice is Learn to hunt on half cocked. Learn to carry a rifle one hand, whilst carrying a pack across steep country. There are always going to be animals which pop up twenty meters away, so be ready to hunt your feet first.


I know that today's super safety conscious NIMBYs will be SCREAMING at this post, but..........

I agree in part with above - if you’re not on a public track and in an area with good sign then at least have the rifle in your hands with a full magazine, you never know when and where a handy animal will pop up.