Thread: Wet Whisker Crossing Hunt & How To Make A Venison Fart Cushion

Bit quiet on here of late, so thought l would throw up another quick report to try & kick things along -


So today at the Bach we had a small break in the weather before more rain settles in & with the pressure on from the "God Fathers of Salami " to fill the Game gathering list , for ingredients for our next Salami & Sausage making session ,l planned to head off in the Jet Boat down to a spot where a Farmer had asked us to wipe out a big mob of Goats, that were in a very difficult bit of country for them to reach from Farm side of the river.

The plan for the day was to get the missus some field practice with her new favorite rifle, the Old School 90's Remington Mountain Rifle in 280 AI, l had just inherited , that she has now nominated as the rifle she will use during our annual couple of weeks hunting trip over the Roar . I worked up a nice accurate & very mild load for light game, of the 120 grn Nosler Ballistic Tip pushed along at just over 3180 fps, that was putting 3 shots into 18mm consistently at home on the farm range .

At first light l loaded the missus & 2 hounds into the Jet Boat & headed off up the river, it was well up from the recent floods ,so apart from there being a heap of flood & tree debris floating down in the main river ,what was before a tight & tricky run up the side creek in the Jet to get into the back country where the goat problem was ,now was a easy push through , with only low hanging branches on the risen water levels to watch out for ,after a couple of smacks in the face of the curious dogs ,they soon decided the floor was the best spot & had a snooze cuddled up to the warmth of the engine box .



After around a hour & a half run ,l found a good spot to beach the Jet out of the fast moving water ,but unfortunately much closer to where we were going to hunt than usual ,as the little sandy beach l normally use was well under the flood waters. Me the missus & dogs started the steep climb up into what we nick named Billy Goat Basin ,where on previous hunts we had seen large groups of separate mobs of 10 or so happily bedded down in their family groups across the basin . It took us around 3/4 of a hour to make the climb up & we were both surprised how long the grass had got with the recent consistent rain & it made for a very slippery & wet going ,any wonder the Deer ,Goats & Pigs were all in prime condition , even the hounds were happy to have a breather ,so on a sheltered rise before Billy Goat Basin, we settled in for smoko by firing up the Jet Boil for a cuppa & a feed of some of our home made Salami ,Biltong ,Jerky & cheese & bikkies which the dogs were only to happy to share .

So after giving plenty of time for any noise that may have drifted up from the Jet Boat to be forgotten by any game in the immediate area ,we started the low creep up to a glassing point, again there were scattered groups of goats soaking up the morning sun ,the grass was that high it hid from clear view many of them , after searching for a close group of good looking meat animals suitable for what we needed , l checked the swirling wind what seemed like 20 times & while it had a spell ,led the missus & hounds to a little rocky out crop where l hoped the missus would get a good over view of the target group of good eaters l had selected & a good solid rifle rest .

I had sized up the lay of the land & thought the goats would take off along a particular game pad in the the high grass, trying to reach the safety of the other side of the mountain ,through a narrow rocky pass ,the missus would hopefully be able to nail a couple as they angled up in plain view of our rocky vantage point & if necessary l would back her up with the 284W.I went over with the missus how l thought the group would react at her first shot & to advised her set herself up to take the shots along the game trail l guessed they would try to escape along .

I let the missus know to take a large black Nanny in the group first, which l ranged at 114 mtrs as she would be perfect for the Salami making mix & then work her way through any small Billy's which are perfect for our Game Sausage mix ,the dogs were behind us trying to look intelligent ,heads held straight up scenting & seeing who could shake the most with excitement ,l wanted to use this as a opportunity to reinforce control of them too, even in strange for them environments, where they were fanging to see what was going on & making sure they kept any excited whimpering to their best ventriloquist impression, of only quietly as they could through closed mouths & gritted teeth .

I made sure the missus had a great rest using our day pack ,but also as usual made her do it herself ,so any time she is hunting alone she will quickly know how to do it herself & what works best for her .I wound the NF 2.5-10 x 32 on the 284W down to 2.5 power so if any wounded animal took off on a Zombie run, l could take it on the run & said to the missus to count to 3 when she was ready ,but reinforced she was the only shooter ,so to take her time picking her targets & she would be fine ,at 3 the Nanny went down with out a flinch ,the next shot dropped a young Billy while they were still all looking around to see what had happened & then the missus did a fine job picking off another 2 young Billys as they worked there way along the pad l had guessed they would use .

Again was very pleased how the missus handled the "stress " of having to quickly pick her shots & perform under pressure & the Hounds are coming along in leaps & bounds doing exactly as asked ,it was interesting to see how unlike how the gleefully lick downed Deer & Pigs as if showing "l did dis " they would not have a bar of the goats ,both turning their noses up ,although as suspected having the standard doggy competition of seeing who was quickest gobbling down tid bits while we were cleaning the goats was not a worry .The 120grn BT's performed perfectly ,bang flopping every one of them & make a great choice for small light skinned game like Goats,Chammy & Snak Pak sized Fallow etc & will see a lot of use in the coming meat animal hunts .

After we had loaded the goats onto the back of the Jet so we would not have their smell blowing in our faces all the way ,we needed another Deer for the chiller & with not knowing what the weather would do next ,l headed off to another spot we had seen good Deer numbers last time , but unfortunately it would mean a wade across the chilly river crossing to reach & by now we had a threatening sky & light drizzle falling .

After a half hour run & finding a good spot to moor the boat out of the fast river flow ,after a deeper than expected, chilly river crossing (especially for those lacking in the height department ) at the now named Wet Split Whisker Crossing & a lot of swearing coming from she who knows best, choosing to ignore my advice & trying for the shorter ( & as we now know deeper ) route ,

we all set off up the thick scrubby hillside we were going to try our luck on , after a hour of fighting our way through to a good hunting height, Muttley locked on to a scent ,so l got the missus to get Sako to heal & let Muttley run the show ,after 20 mins of slow tracking ,Muttley had the tell tale sign of the Tail up in the air like a flag pole & quivering the tip like a Rattle Snake, a sure sign a Deer was close , l never shoot over my dogs & as l stepped past Muttley with my gun at the ready a rustle came from the bushes ahead, as l got myself a steady footing a hind burst from the bush & tried to make its escape up hill ,the 284W swung smoothly & it dropped at my shot ,rolling down hill until it came to rest next to a tree .

It was a great eating size & fat as mud so would make perfect game sausages ,we would have a full boat on the way home so ,we decided to call a early day & would head out for a hunt in the morning ,where l will try to put the missus onto another Velvety for the Salami mix & she was keen to try her hand at working with Sako alone to track one .

Again the 140gn Barnes-X pushed along to around 3000fps from the 284W performed like a bone grenade had gone off in the chest cavity , when l put my foot on the chest as it laid at the base of the tree, it sounded like a Venison Fart cushion .I noticed the sharp bones poking through while l was carrying it out, so when l got back to the Bach curiosity got me to skin it out for a look before hanging for a start , rather than skin on as l normally do . Sure enough the Barnes had absolutely smashed the shoulder blade ,showering bone fragment shrapnel into the chest ,shredding Lungs & the Heart with enough force to puncture the rib cage skin & making it look like a pin cushion & the off side shoulder was like jelly .

Rachies Billy Goat Basin Bomb Up



Muttley Trying To Look Intelligent



Rachie At Wet Split Whisker Crossing



Snak Pak



140grn Barnes ,Venison Fart Cushion

Cool story , you and your missus are a well oiled machine. Well Done.

Sounds like a great day out and some Salami curing to come. yum

Originally Posted by CBH Australia

Sounds like a great day out and some Salami curing to come. yum

@CBH Australia Yep she will be a big one ,we just finished one with 6 families as the Flood /Cyclone fronts bore down on us ,over 70kg of Salami alone ,we are heading over on the way home & helping move the stock around in the climate chamber & giving the older ones a wipe down in readiness for the final hang & picking up a couple of Chilly Bins worth to take back to our farms chiller & drop this hunts ,Deer ,Pig & Goat carcasses off, l will try to remember to get some pics.

Here is a couple l took from the latest session of clearing out the climate chamber for the new stock to go in -



Mmmm Baconnnn

Looking at the weather forecasts last night for the next few days & looks like we have rain & wind settling in for the next week, so we decided to get in a early hunt this morning & then head off taking the Deer,Goat & Pig carcasses from our hunts over the last few days over to the mates chiller to hang in readiness for the next big Salami making week end & help him with rotating the Salami's etc we made at our last session while the floods/cyclone fronts were going through last week .

So we were up at 4am & then after a hearty breakfast of home made Bacon & eggs & with a couple of cups of caffeine under the belt we were off for a pre dawn run in the Jet Boat down to what in the past has been a very productive river flat ,to try to get another as requested Velvety for the up coming Salami & Sausage making session . With the river being up from the recent floods l knew we would have no problems with any of the usual rock/sand bars & would just take it easy under the Jets light bars .

We timed it to perfection & the further we pushed up the river ,as the false dawn gathering light grew, we could spot the odd Deer out feeding already ,so l took it nice & steady as we got closer to the selected river flat ,after finding a suitable spot to leave the boat out of the current we headed off through the bush to creep in on the river flat . Sure enough there were 8 Deer out feeding on the sweet river flat grass & a good looking fat Velvety at just 86 mtrs away ,the only problem was its body was obscured behind some bushes while it was slowly walking along feeding .I told her to get a good rest on a handy tree branch in front of her & wait until it stuck its head up for a look around at what the other deer were up to & take a neck shot ,while l backed her up , once she was settled in behind the rifle it only took a couple of minutes for the deer to stick its head up above the bushes & she dropped it on the spot , even with her Yahoo & the dogs getting in on the celebrations as we walked over to where the fat bastard laid in the long grass, another 2 hinds burst from the bush as we disturbed their breakfast ,but with the Chiller back at the Bach chokkers they were safe for now.

The 280 AI & 150 Barnes at just over 3000fps did the job again, nearly decapitating the Deer at the base of the neck & making sure both shoulders would end up in the Salami mix .

@CBH Australia here are some pics that may interest you .

Dropped our Deer,Goat & Pig carcasses l had prepped & sitting in the Bach Chiller from the hunt off & am giving the "Salami God Fathers " a hand in the laborious task of rotating the freshly made Salami etc in the climate chamber & wiping down with vinegar those due .It may not sound like much ,but when you remember we made over 70kg in Salami alone the other week & it all has to be lifted up & down from over shoulder height ,it does make a good work out & when you take into account my mates who organize it all are both well over 70 yrs , l try to help out when ever l can (as much as they resist in best German & Italian tradition ) & for me it all helps in learning the Dark Art of the Salami & Sausage making game & with both being "retired " Chefs ,the opportunity to learn from the best is too good to knock back & it is a good excuse to catch up with mates whose knowledge & experience on life l treasure ,plus it is always a good laugh .

All of these products are made with Game animals l have provided added to the mixes, both the mates are still keen hunters but steep hills & a life working long hours on concrete floors their lives has taken its toll ,so a few years back l brought a SXS just to carry them on hunts ,to enable them to get out in the field for as long as they can ,it has been a huge game changer & being lucky to have great hunting on private property in under a hour from our farm gate, they now can hunt when ever they want & they are both looking forward to our annual Roar trips.

Part of over 70 kg of Salami out of climate Chamber & getting ready for long term hanging



Ready for the long hang



Looking forward to taking some of these bad boys home to make way for the new stock



Wapiti Pastrami made from my last years Bull ,l wanted to wait for the Fellas to show me the tricks in injecting/Brining such large bits of game meat & it turned out great ,we have had a few feeds from it now, can thoroughly recommend doing it to Wap .



Our Home Made Game Sausages ,that were a hit at my Birthday Bash ,Xmas get togethers & our 30th Wedding Anniversary parties & were a hit & we have had everyone asking for some .Base is a traditional Italian with Wap , Tahr, Deer, Goat & Hog we hunted into the mix.

@bunji I was already "Interested"
Wow those Salami and sausage look great, and Bacon nice.
Made by a couple of old guys the traditional way, hell yeah. Thats the best stuff. The home made stuff I've tried is mostly pork from domestic pigs where they kill the pig for Salami season using the washed intestine for natural casing etc.

What is Bach? Guessing a town/Village.

It's hot and dry where I am so pigs eat carrion and deer are not found in the area.

I should be deer hunting with freinds at Easter so it's gonna be interesting.

@CBH Australia a Bach is a house you own to holiday in. Typically not as flash as your own actual house, basic but suits the needs. Usually by a beach, bush or lake. A kiwi icon!

Nice haul of small goods!

Ah, it's a Shack, a holiday house at the River or the beach.

We say Shack you say Bach.

And we say Crib in Southland .

@HILLBILLYHUNTERS Yeh l didn't think anyone under 40 or not from deep Southland would know what a Crib was anymore & l grew up on a Cattle run in the 60's & the Scottish & Welsh workers always referred to the old one room tin shack on the back block as a Crib, as it was unpowered & no running water ,like the Old School Welsh/Scot miners would called their Smoko rooms in the underground mines because it was the same set up & when you had a Bach it meant it was larger ,powered & had running water .

When l was guiding in Wales in the Lake Country Pheasant grounds ,the small single roomed ,white washed ,stone huts on the Lakes were also called a Crib & the larger versions & large farm out buildings were called a Bach .

I grew up with the family that owned / built our Bach & they still have the original tin Farm Crib around 1/4 a mile down the road & it is named as long as l can remember (so over 30yrs )with a beaten copper sign over the door as the Family names _ _ _ _ _ Crib

Wow, a Crib might be a baby bed/cot.

My town started life with a ton of Cornish/Welsh miners setting here to work the mines.
In fact many pushed their belongings about 350km from Burra in South Australia.
My surname/Ancestors circa 1880 something came from that area too.

Here Crib is lunch, a term used at the mines. The lunch was kept in a small tin with a semi circle lid . Tin to keep the rats out and the semi circle lid to hold the Thermos Flask.
At lunch they played Crib, as card game using match sticks as markers to move along the board or keep score.

So lunch became crib you sit in the "Crib" room, playing Crib.

@CBH Australia Yeh just what we call our Holiday houses ,with the Crib & Bach coming from the old Welsh & Scottish settlers/immigrants use here.

Here is a couple of Pics of our Bach/Holiday house it sits on 5acres & is a German Pre Fab Huf Haus ,that one of the sons imported after marrying a German Ski Instructor back in the 90's,so it is all fitted with those Euro multi open windows & insulated/air locked at a better rate than we can do even now in most cases ,again showing how far behind we are . The eldest son lived on this block while they dabbled in WARO ,so it has the 2 bay hanger,Pad & a small Chiller still on site, it is 4 Br & 2 Bath room ,with the top floor being the Main Br /Ensuite & home office. Hangers will be where our boats the 8mtr Walk Around, 6mtr CC Dive Boat & Jet Boat will be stored from now on .

I grew up with the 2 youngest sons back from the 70's & they are some of my longest mates, stayed/school holidayed at the farm & their original Crib from when l was 9yrs old & they became like a second family as we would spend holidays as kids at each others farms as we grew up & even when we were adults the father & brothers have hunted & dived with me around the world while l was guiding.

At the start of the year the father died & as happens things were not as rosy financially as he made out ,the elder brother has taken on the farm but has had to free up some assets, l told their old man over 2 Decades ago l wanted first option at buying it if they ever did sell it & the boys honored that hand shake deal & we took it over just before Xmas.One thing l do know is l am never shifting/moving again, it has to be the worst fucking job in the world & shits me too tears,l turned 60 just before Xmas & Semi retired ,so plan is we will have 3-4 day week ends down here away from our Farm, from now on .

You will see it when you get over here any way , if our travel etc plans match up ,how are you going with your travel plans ?Our mob are still sticking to the 10 day Covid isolation aren't they?



Living Room with the new Paint & Carpet,8 gun safe



Waro 2 bay Hanger , CC Dive Boat

Originally Posted by 300wsm for life

Nice haul of small goods!

@300wsm for life Yeh bloody great on the tooth ,just finished Vak Pak'n a load of Home Made , Smoked , Bacon to keep us going for a while,it helps heaps having 2 Chefs showing you the ropes & having Industrial Restaurant grade gear & a proper Climate Controlled chamber to do such large quantities of different varieties at one time ,while there are plenty of hands to help,with thne proper gear & plenty of help it actually takes about the same effort as me doing a 1/4 the amount here on the Farm .

I am going to start watching Auctions closely for stuff coming up from foreclosed/ shut Restaurants etc ,l already got our Smokers & Mincer/stuffer from one years ago,but big proper ovens & large proper heat pumping Hobs ,mixers etc make a huge difference & it is all designed to be a lot easier to clean up ,l just pressure wash my cabinet smokers spotless now in 5 mins ,rather than fiddly shit with consumer crap.