I apologise - by your Dad I actually meant your GD Ted. He was a good man. Yes, wonderful times. So much simpler.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cowboy
I would love to go back up the Toko. Too late now.
Great memories.
Ta for the pic. Looks bigger.
Printable View
I apologise - by your Dad I actually meant your GD Ted. He was a good man. Yes, wonderful times. So much simpler.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cowboy
I would love to go back up the Toko. Too late now.
Great memories.
Ta for the pic. Looks bigger.
:thumbsup:your a very humble man @Thar good on youQuote:
Originally Posted by Tahr
It's almost closer to that valley now thanks to certain public access. I never get down there any more. A mate called in at our hut a few years back and found someone had left a pile of meat sitting on the table. A holes. Shot my first deer there up by what we called Henry's burn. Didn't Craig get his first round that way?
Not quite deer stalking days as I was 10 years too late for that. I spent a few years as a rabbiter though, Always wanted to put some of my experience down on paper so to speak. It went to about 80 pages but heres the opening few.
Working title is
A Rabbitters Tale
2009
I was travelling across the USA, in a Dodge pickup, we planned to travel
from Abilene Tx on up to Miles City MT in one haul. I was with a guy
that trained dogs, we had 25 dogs and 3 horses on board a goose neck
trailer we were hauling.
I didn’t know it at the time but we were pretty much following the
journey from the movie “Lonesome Dove”.
We didn’t have near as many adventures as Gus and his partner’s but we
had a few!
The trip ended up taking about 33 hrs due to having flats on the trailer
and having to get off the Interstate and have the blowout repaired at the
nearest town.
To pass the time and get to know one another we traded stories, by the
time we got to Montana we were about all talked out, but Dave reckoned
I should write a book. So here it is
This story started in January 1979.
Along with a group of 18 or so other trainees. We became the 11th
induction of the APDC (Agricultural Pest Destruction Council). This was
a government funded authority that subsidised the rated farmers at a $ for
$ subsidy.
I was a thin, young, good keen man, (and yeah, I had read all those
books) excited by the offer of my first ever job and they were going to
pay me to shoot rabbits!
2
An Introduction
After a bum numbing bus trip to Wellington from the Taranaki, we found
our way via train out to Trentham a bit more exciting.
We were billeted in the Central Institute of Technology campus.
After introductions by the senior people running the trainee scheme an
outline of what was expected from us, was given.
Over the course of two years. We would:-
Visit and stay on a selection of 'rabbit boards'
Complete a report specific to that region. Of about but not limited to 50
pages
Obtain a pass rate of 65% in a course of correspondence run by the
technical correspondence institute (TCI) for agricultural pest destruction.
Obtain licenses to apply chemicals for poisons for pest eradication.
Collect, press and preserve for identification 200 plant species.
Bugger I thought to myself, more learning! Can’t we just get on and kill
bunnies.
3
My remaining memory of that week, was a trip to a clay bird range.
A great education on the effect of bullets was demonstrated.
This guy shot plastic coke bottles full of water (plastic milk bottles hadn't
been invented yet)
First came a .22 .......... Pop! ... thunk! and a little dribble of water
A brief explanation on penetration followed.
Next up was a 12-gauge shotty....... Bang!....whack! the coke bottle was
riddled with dozens of little holes, the top flew off, and the bottled
skittled away spinning on its side.
That’s more like it I thought.
A brief description on the scattering effects of a shotgun followed.
Next up was a .270 This is going to be frekin awesome!! I was thinking.
WHOOMPH
..........nothing!
He'd missed!!
We all tried to hide our smirks while the instructor explained his rifle was
sighted in for 300yds.
Next shot and the bottle vaporised ...... all that was left was a damp patch
and a bit of plastic.
4
There was no need to explain the devastation a high velocity centre fire
rifle round can inflict.
Clay birds
The next part was a bit more hands on and we all got to try our luck at
traditional Down the Line clay bird shooting, from the 18 yard line.
Craig prowled up and down the line, like an army sergeant.
We were given Remington 1100's to shoot with....... I liked the 1100 and
had used one briefly when I had gone on a night shoot with a local
rabbiter before signing on.
By the time we had done 25 birds it was pretty obvious who the good
shooters were.
There was one guy that hadn't missed and was quick off the mark as well,
Craig decided they should have a shoot off.
They went on for about 10 clays stepping back a yard after every clay and
then he tried to up the stakes by making it one shot only.
Young Steve just kept on nailing them, then Craig missed and a cheer
went up from us all.
" Where did you learn to shoot like that? " Questioned Craig
" I've been shooting black birds on my dad's vineyard all summer" came
the reply and a wry smile
Ok. Another instalment of my privilege to spend time with an old school meat hunter.
Ian Mitchell AKA Mitch was a meat hunter in Fiordland, particularly Lake Hauroko and around the Tarries, The puketois, the Akas. He also did possums in the puketois, the Akas and in the Eastern Hutt. He also worked for Reg Elward (I think) in the Ruahines as a shooter/gutter and for Joe Keely out of Opotiki.
He told me that the meat hunters and chopper crews used to have massive piss ups at a pub in Te Anau. The barman used to mop up the slops off the bar and ring the cloth into a bucket. At the end of the night the last men standing used to drink the contents of the bucket.
That’s hard!!
Went to look at a 2nd hand trailer to buy in Chch one day a few years ago. Started talking to the old fella selling it about hunting as he had a few hunting photos in the garage. He was telling me about hunting on the coast in years gone by and how he used to fly with Goodwin from time to time. So I asked if hed ever come across Pete Harker. Turns out I was talking to him :XD:. Good bugger to talk to. Got a few of his books which are a good read.
Brings back some great memories of Ted Rout and Bernie Bowater Bernie with the hind quarters and Ted beside his blue land rover. We did a few trips up Takapari Road following along behind the bulldozer each week or so. The road was like a cattle yard we could walk through the leather wood like it was hardly there. Bernie and his family had a great hut up on the top near the road on a track pushed through from the farm. They were both real good hunters sadly Bernie had a heart attack and died at about 50ish.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tahr
Attachment 181228
Attachment 181229
Thanks for posting these pics mate. Ted was a real gentle fella full of 'good'.
I used to be scared sh@tless going up over the hills above tok in that land rover. Looked alot older when I was in it.
I just noticed the rifle against the wagon. Wonder if its this one. He gave me his old rifle many years backAttachment 181230
Awhile ago i had another read of my Philip Holden book called Hunter by Profession , published in 1973 where he writes about his time living in Mangaweka and meat hunting in the nearby Ruahines.
A lot of the areas he hunted like the Pourangaki, Hikurangi stream, the Kawhatau river and the Maropea behind Mokai station i am quite familiar with and the thought of carrying a whole deer carcass out from those areas on a regular basis is mind boggling , even though like a lot of blokes my age i have carried the odd deer out of the bush myself.
Seems like a long time ago now (and it was really), but shootin pigs and deer ( an possums and goats) to supplement the meagre wages was just a natural thing to do. As a a young fella full of enthusiasm and fitness, and armed with all the knowledge from Bruce Grant, Philip Holden, Rex Forrester, and Keith Severinson, heading into the bush with pretty basic gear was just the norm. We weren't so much "tough bastards", it was just what we had at the time, unlike the far better gear and equipment of today.
Deer became pretty scarce in the 70's, so we used to go pig hunting, sometimes with dogs that we'd picked up off the street round town, but more often with the rifle and horse. Sometimes the dogs lasted several trips and turned out ok, sometimes they didn't.
Heres a few pretty old pics of some of the hogs, horses, the old hut we camped in a fair bit, and a fuck up in the river on one trip
Attachment 181253
Attachment 181254
Attachment 181258
Attachment 181259
thats a tad on the damp side,interesting way to wash blood off the deck!!!! awesome photos.
Which river out of interest?Quote:
Originally Posted by Bos
Thats the Palmer in flood
Boar with good tusks can do alot of damage - he's an animal to treat with great respect. Back in the 60s we had several pigdogs killed - ripped when approaching from front rather than sides for ear holds when bailing.
I recall one occasion back in South Waikato the dogs were bailing a boar on a high flat hill covered with dense northern bush. And the boar kept breaking. Old man and I followed noise of the dogs for some time, then realised the boar was following us. A circling going on - all in very dense undergrowth. Then hell of a racket about 20 meters away and old man pushes me (7-8 years old) up a rotten tree out of the way of the scrap. Next thing boar breaks, races past me - exactly as the tree breaks down and crashes with me couple of meters behind him. Hell of a racket as dogs go past, catch him up and bail him again about 5 meters away. Finally old man gets through the undergrowth, BOOM from the jungle carbine, and its all over. Talk about a scared kid ...year's supply of nappies on that one.. :o
On another occasion we finally got a particular boar who was notorious in the South Waikato back in the 60s. Had been trying to get him for years. Dogs got onto him again and again but he was too big, too strong. Very well known in the district as the Blackberry Gully boar - and over a number of years it had killed 17 dogs belonging to lots of hunters. Old man finally got to him when the dogs stayed on him all afternoon - lead by a young dog who didn't have the sense to quit - and they finally bailed him in a deep boghole. Old man got to him and nailed him with the jungle carbine. It was a big crossbred brindle boar and weighed 320lbs. 3" tusks (undrawn). News of his demise was written up in Waikato paper of the day, and mounted head is still on my brother's wall. True story..
I remember a very funny shoot around 1970-71. Still makes me laugh.. I'd have been about 18 then, a very active hunter and range comp shooter. Lots of practice to keep sharp..
Was invited by some mates to go on a goat shoot on a back country farm near Bennydale in the Waikato. They wanted to sell the meat so asked could we please shoot in the neck or head. On this shoot also they invited a big Canadian fella. He worked in Tokoroa and was apparently a former Canadian heavyweight boxing champion. His name was Rocky J****. I kid you not.. So all the way to Bennydale Rocky tells us how good he is, how experienced a hunter he is, and how good his rifle is. Some bloody great north american moose/bear cannon he's carrying. All the way its Blah Blah Blah Blah... no-one else got a word in edgewise. When we arrive my mates pair off and one of them looks at me with a laugh and says 'you go with Rocky Mike..' Oh shit!! But Rocky quickly tells me don't worry, just follow him and do what he does and it'll be great. Right..
We head across the farm - hilly country with bush patches - Rocky still telling me and the world how good he is. We walk up to a brow and there on the opposite hill face is a mob of 6 goats. Ok he yells and gets ready to bomb them freehand at 180 yards with this giant cannon. Meanwhile I notice there's a fence 15m away, sneak down to it, and rest my accurate little 243 Remmy 600 on top of a post. Old man was a divisional shooting champion in the war (occasionally called up for sniper duties in the desert) and he always taught me to find every advantage when shooting at something - sitting, lying down, a tree, rest on a log, whatever, so you get the animal. Apparently Rocky had a different school..
As I look through my scope he opens up a barrage on the opposite hill face. Tremendous racket. Boomityboomboombamboom. Into it. And through the scope I can see dirt flying everywhere - divots flying up from the loose dirt. Looks like a bomb site. I take time, empty the mag, and shoot 5 of the milling goats - one in the head and 4 in the neck. No misses - its a good fence post. And finally in the chaos old Rocky hit one - blew it half apart with his big caliber. We finish shooting and walk down valley and up to the shooting zone. Looks bit like a ploughed field - no idea how many rounds he put into it. He looks at my 5 - all neck and head shots as requested, and looks at his. Carnage. Not a word. Then he notices one I've shot is half grown and he says - 'you didn't have to shoot the young one.' Didn't bother to answer. Bit later the tractor and trailer arrives and the boys pick up the carcases - his one pretty useless. Mate asks how did old Rocky go - so I told him!! Very quietly.
Trip home was funny - no-one said much - Rocky's a big bugger. But everyone's chuckling and sniggering. And old Rocky never said a word. Didn't have to. Never saw him again... The world's worst shot!!
Some great stories and pics guys , really enjoyed reading them all , the old hunting books pictures and stories really got me me going and I still have them and still flic’ through them from time to time .
They were tough men , especially the hunters in the 20 and 30’s , Jim Muir must of been one tough fella , you look at those old photos of some of the first Wapiti to be shot , the gear they had ,the basic supplies they took , very basic maps etc. and then how they carried those massive heads back out … incredible.
Mind you I think people of that generation were tougher more resilient bunch than today .
I have met a few ex cullers over the years , Bill Nikyl springs to mind as a heck of a nice guy and was well respected , some of you will be lucky enough to own one of his knives as well , I’m sure he told me once he still has his BSA .222 original condition except it’s on its 3rd barrel and second stock hahaha..
Flu in to the Douglas in the early 70's a couple of times just after the hut was built . Before that it was walk to the Horace Walker rock Biv . Goodwin Mcnut , havn't heard that name in a wail .Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowgrass
The sub is so thick in there now you can't walk to the rock bivQuote:
Originally Posted by HILLBILLYHUNTERS
Still nice country and love it up above the lake
But haven't taken any good bulls out of there despite seeing plenty
Did get one with my 50 cal muzzleloader a few winters ago in there
had the pleasure of meeting Gordon Roberts twice.....he was up as lake sumner off to take photos with bid old tripod in tow many years ago,we were up there with NZDA....He came and gave talk with slides in Timaru clubrooms...if any of you have his great books of photos..the sika in low vege series were coming up one at a time in sequence...the reaction from room of hunters was unreal...ALL OF US craning in seats absolutely spellbound..... the man was a magician with a camera.
The first time I met Jim Kane was down at a mates at Tapanui. A coupla weeks chasing the Fallow in the Blue Mts was the go.Quote:
Originally Posted by doinit
First night out with the big moon went ok with a few wee deer on board and as usual we were full of it and talking shit on our way home.
Anyways it had broken daylight by now and we were coming up onto an area we had already done during the dark hours.
My mate Dave hit the anchors and pointed up the hill "There's one " he snapped. Jimmy jumps out, swings his rifle onto this ok Fallow buck in full flight headin down toward the road. This buck was fired up movin fast, 80 odd yards at least. Well I counted at least 6 rapid shots,very quick ti say the least. The last coupla shots saw the buck loosing it fi sure,then down.
Dave being Dave remarks "you usless prick,six bloody rounds to drop a wee Fallow deer" eh.
Jimmy never blinked an eye just looked at Dave and smiled,then remarked "you keen enough ti hop up there and drag him down?"
" I'll get it" I said then headed up.
Finally arriving at the dead buck I was a little surprised just how far it was,more like a hundred yrds.
It was on closer inspection that I took a wee gulp of air and grinned to my self. Staggering onto the road Dave and Jim were now both lookin and Jim remarked.."Ha a little low with that one " as he pointed to a small hole. With out a word of a lie there were six little entry holes leaking blood and all in a group the size of a small dinner plate. That buck had ti be dead on his feet before finally dropping.
I have to this day never seen shooting like I did that morning,Dave was nutting off about it right up until he died..hell JK was a wizard.
My ol mate Dave,bless his soul..on the right with a few deer and velvets,with him Gordon Anderson,brother of Sandy who supposedly dropped a female Moose during meat hunting.The locals in TeAnau all swore it was true.Attachment 181430
Had the pleasure of sharing a hut with Ivan Wilson a few times co inventor of the net gun.
A few whiskys and the yarns would flow, he had us all roaring with laughter. He had hundreds of yarns.
One that sticks in my mind was either him or his shooter literally falling out of the helicopter and firing the net gun to recoil himself back in.
The original 3 barreled net gun was was under a bunk for anyone keen enough to try firing it.
A good read recently published is "Dieing for a living" by Milts Kiri.
Ruahines. Mate skinning back the back straps for the carry out. The best price was for the hq and backstops so we would pin bone the hq with the back straps attached, and fold the BS back over and down through the arse cavity for the carry out. We would leave lots of skin to fold over the whole lot to keep it clean and add weight.. Consolidated Traders got onto us and started cutting the surplus skin off so it didn't go into the weighed price. The camera was a Russian copy of an old Leica.
https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...080&fit=bounds
A big one for the chiller.
https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...080&fit=bounds
I forgot to point out that those velvets and venisons in that pic are actually on the back of Daves buggy,parked up in the main drag in TeAnau.
Here's a better pic of Dave and Gordon and the old buggy..Mavora way.Attachment 181435Attachment 181436
Second pic is Dave given the old buggy a test run..
Real men - 1999 – Glaisnock River - John Muir of Feilding with the shaving brush and Les Battersby of Kaikoura/Picton - both John and Les were very involved with management of the Wapiti herd back then and made many trips to Fiordland.
Attachment 181438
Milton Kiri's book would be hard to beat about the aerial recovery venison era. He survived so he knows what it is all about. Has a second book in pipeline which maybe out in December. The South Coast vid's on the venison era are superb.Quote:
Originally Posted by veitnamcam
Squirel looks a bit different with the shaving foam on. I think the photo is from "69 though, in '99 he would have been 65Quote:
Originally Posted by time out
Gordan would get around a bit too., I met him in the bush of the Far North in 1999, he was looking for large Kauri to photo in the Puketi Forest, I had a contract possum control job and showed him the best specimen I knew of in the area... he was stoked.Quote:
Originally Posted by Micky Duck
A top bloke that put his rifle down and picked up the camera to share his love of the outdoors.
The late Graeme Sievers who was meat hunting down Te Anau way at that time told me he was in the pub drinking with Bernie Milroy (I think) when Gordon Anderson came in and told them he’d shot a moose. Reckoned he was going to get the head to prove it but sadly walked into the prop of a float plane on the way back in.Quote:
Originally Posted by doinit
How about a dvd ?Quote:
Originally Posted by thatguy
Get yourself a copy of this !!
https://pilotshop.co.nz/products/the...reat-adventure
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Fantastic couple pics thoseQuote:
Originally Posted by doinit
Gidday there gilly..Quote:
Originally Posted by gilly
My mate Dave and myself were more than convinced about the moose senario, lotta different stories emerged,heap of crap amongst it.
There were even so called types from high places arriving once the goss got out..things went quiet damn quick.
Locals were'nt that keen on outsiders movin in lol.
Nothin fantastic about them Lucky...no biggy at all mate.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucky
Ive seen that pic a few times. Worked for and with Les for a while and spent many a night in a hut with him., Even had a few fly in trips with him in his later years before he passed away. Loved his sailing, his hunting, and his gin He was a genuine good bastardQuote:
Originally Posted by time out
John Muir used to give me absolute shit about being a meat hunter.Quote:
Originally Posted by time out
One time we were going to go in to the Muzzle hut ( the one in the stream where the river forks ) Before we left, Les ( always a good story teller ) Started off with one about shooting up hill with his .303 But had his pipe in his mouth. Fired the shot and broke a tooth.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bos
He then goes on to say.
" oh I've shot Chamois from the door of that hut, check out the bluffs on the true left if you get to the hut"
We got there alright, its a bit hard to find. ( I have a photo of it in another old thread about huts ) We had stalked in looking for Chamois from the river bed ( you werent allowed to shoot deer on the Bluff station at that time..... live recovery was the thing then. )
It must have been mid morning when we got there, and as you do we checked out the hut, dicked around for a while and fired up a gas stove and had a brew. Sitting outside blowing on our mugs, One of the guys says real quiet like.
"dont look now but there's three Chamois staring down from where Les said they would be"
After a bit more whispering we decide to do the old 1, 2 ,3 bang trick.
We all got settled behind the log, 1,2,3,bang!
Nup they all ran away! Maybe we should have all aimed at just one of them.
If you are keen on DVD's here's a good spot
https://videosouth.com/2021/04/13/ne...-live-capture/
Mate after a bomb up with the 303's. Skin hunting. In the Puketois.
Bill's foresight was a filed blob solder.
https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...080&fit=bounds
