I would love to hunt scrub bulls in Australia. Has anyone here gone there just for that reason?
My only kills on them have been with rifle. They're hair-raising enough then! One of my goals is to take one with my bow. I reckon they're more scary than buffalo.
I don't think we had anyone come there just for scrub bulls, but we had lots of folks decide they wanted to, after they had seen them. The real scrubs bulls are very hard to get a shot at with a bow, most of the time, they take off at a run as soon as they know you are there. I seen several that I would have shot in a second, if I had the opportunity and I had lots of hunters kill them with a rifle, but I only ever had one bowhunter actually kill one and it was a monster. I had several bowhunters that could have taken big ones, IF they had made their minds up faster, but since it seldom happens that you get a big one in trad bow range, its always a surprise and there is no time to discuss it. As Ben said, they can be scary also, I've seen them attack Toyotas!
Scariest thing i've ever come across...ever. I've been a doorman in the worst pubs in australia, been charged by wounded and angry boar and even once ate my fathers cooking..and nothing compares to scrub bulls.
seriously though, at close range, scrub cattle can be downright angry, dangerous and most importantly unpredictable. even with a rifle i was still very wary
cheers
b
Thanks!
I have to chime in because I never heard such a thing, living where I do. I had a chuckle from imagining a feral dairy cow going wild across the landscape. :biglaugh:
Do they look like a cow or are they similar looking to a cape buffalo?? Any pics?
that's some Bad Beef...are they as thick-skinned as Buff? Quite a bit of Brahma in that one, if they're not used to humans they can be pretty gnarly.....
I guess they're similar looking to the Brahman cattle as fatman just said above. Back home in Africa, I've seen Brahman cattle get out of the padocks and fences and more often than not, when they did get out, they were so wild, it was just like hunting a wild animal and they'd get shot because it was impossible to get them back into the padocks. I'd love to get a chance at a scrub bull when I'm over in Aus next September! ;)
:scared: Wow thats FAR from a cow around here!! That thing looks mean!!!
Wow, even dead that thing looks pissed off and mean. Must of been quite an experience putting an arrow in him.
They can look like almost anything, since they are running wild in the outback, they are a mix of whatever cattle escaped or were released. They don't come close to the thickness of the hide or ribs on a buffalo, but they are harder to get a shot at, they have no curiosity, so if they hear or see something they just bugger off! Lots of hunters don't think they have an interest in shooting a "cow", but that almost always changes after they see them. They are just as wild as any other wild animal. The ones we hunt in Australia, have been running wild for many MANY generations. If its a mature scrub BULL, he has been chased and harassed by humans and escaped everytime, otherwise he would be a scrub STEER or hotdogs! On some stations they just shoot them on sight, as its easier than trying to catch them and they want the brahman stud bulls to do the breeding.
thanks for a great thread....just goes to show that our domesticated stock is just a STEP away from wild...
I've read some stories about scrub bulls on the big Island in Hawaii. Same thing, big, wild and mean! They might taste a little better in HI though... :D
I hunted this one with the camera only. I knew exactly where the nearest climbable tree was, and carefully positioned a ditch that he'd have to go around between us, should he decide upon that course of action, which he happily didn't.
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Australian%20Live%20Game/Taylors1019.jpg)
Ben, looks like he has you pegged. I would have never guessed that Australia had such a feral population. You are a privileged bowhunter!
Yeah, he's got me pegged alright! But, from a counting-coup point of view, I'd been there for about five minutes, about twenty metres away, before he was aware of me.
Ben, you have to actually TOUCH them to count coup!
I read about a tribe in Africa who would play a game whereby they had to put their painted handprint on a rhino's posterior! Thanks for the pointer though, Rick! Any scrubbers running about out there with your painted handprint on their rump? When are you coming over next?
Ben, if they got my handprints on them, they are already tanned and hanging on someones wall! I'd like to come over this year, but I don't know at the moment, Monty Browning and I are doing a seminar on buff and other "exotic" location hunting this week at the PBS convention. I am hoping that it fires up some interest. I'm probably changing jobs as well, so I have to see how that works out. Cheap fares now to OZ though! I would like to get after those camels and such!
We also have a breed of Indonesian cattle called Banteng that were introduced up in the Top End of Australia. They are small but I understand very hard to stalk and also capable of getting the better of you if you are not on top of your game.
where I live on the edge of the Little Sandy Desert nearly all the cattle are wild... It's always fun at mustering time the 4wd parts dealers do a good trade.
Plenty of Camel around at the moment.
A mature bull banteng is a very cool looking animal, expensive to hunt though and I was told extremely difficult for bowhunters. They live in a jungly area and have no curiousity, so if you snap a twig, they are gone.
I have had the pleasure of guiding quite a few guys onto big Scrub Bulls in Cape York Australia. It is debatable but the true Scrub Bull are a derivative of the Shorthorn Breed. These cattle don't have huge horns but are extremely large up to a good 800kg in the real big guys. Average size around 500-600kg.
The horn size really starts getting bigger when they mix with Brahmans and the like.
Colors are endless but majority of the Red/Tan colours.
Here is a bit of footage taken a long time ago and it is NOT the recommended way of getting one. But good for a laugh at my expense.
The Bull was taken with a 60lb Samick Recurve some years ago.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/trophybowhunts/th_NVECapture0002.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v518/trophybowhunts/?action=view¤t=NVECapture0002.flv)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/trophybowhunts/th_NVECapture0003.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v518/trophybowhunts/?action=view¤t=NVECapture0003.flv)
As you can see not the best place to be but a happy ending.
Mick
Mick that is cool but the second clip freezes up.
There had to be a lot of "pucker" that day.
Wow Mick, I bet that got the heart rate up a bit hey!?!? lol... Thanks for sharing! ;) :thumbsup:
Seeing that always cracks me up Mick, I love it. :biglaugh:
Scrub cattle actually have a very good flavor to the meat, "free range beef", but most of them are so tuff, even the burger(mince) is tough!
its a winner!
Those clips don't show just how Awesome that bit footage really is!
i wont forget sitting there watching that with my jaw on the ground and Mick just sitting back laughing.
I have to get to Oz one of these days.
QuoteOriginally posted by Benha:
I would love to hunt scrub bulls in Australia. Has anyone here gone there just for that reason?
G'Day,
I have a good number of Scrubbers here where i am on the east coast of OZ. ( on the Great Barrier Reef :p )
if you come over here any time,i'm only to happy to take you out and get you onto a few.
i also got a very healthy population of feral pigs to play with as well..
Kind Regards, Brett ;)
Brett, now that sounds inviting!
It sure does.
Hay fellas,
yah got onto a block that has not been mustered for 20years, lots of beasts on it, as well as a mob that wander onto one of my propertys form out the forestery reasonably frequently.
have only really got back into shooting in the past 4 weeks i suppose, so once im proficent enough i'll be heading out chaseing them myself.
got good numbers of brumbys as well,so another future target.
Kind Regards, Brett
gday there, i got this brute yesterday while out boar hunting. i had just got a boar in one of my favourite swamps. after the photo session and removing the jaw, i continued on hunting. about 250m from where i got the boar i saw this guy feeding all by himself.(a major advantage) anyway he was feeding right behind a forky paperbark tree which i used to my advantage. using the tree as cover i quickly got to 10m. but he sensed something was amiss and trotted out from behind the tree and stopped to see what i was. at about 17-18m he stood broadside looking at me. i picked a spot, drew and released. i can still see the arch of the arrow flight! the arrow buried itself to the feathers right where i was looking. he took of, but i knew he was a dead bull running. he piled up about 200m away. on inspection the b/head exited! b/head used was an aussie made blackstump 2 blader. the amount of blood was phenomenal. he's not the biggest bull by any means, but i'm sure proud, as it's my 1st bull with trad gear. (http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/recurvescrubbull-1.jpg)
BTW, bow used was a samick deerslayer 62" 55#@28". arrow- g/tip 3555 125gr b/head+125gr adapter, 3gr/" wt tube. four fletch. total wt= 580gr. FOC 20%
P.S. i was hunting alone!
Nice!
Well done dude, he is a nice bull!
Good on ya Clint. Good to see you getting out there with 'em.
AK.
Yep, you've done superbly well!
Clint,
sensational trophy mate!
i'm currently shooting a #55 @ 28 Internature Viper Delux Longbow, pulling to 29.5" draw so around #60 i suppose.
hunting arras are similer weight to yours ,so basically i'm now feeling secure with the things after your take.
Kind Regards, Brett
What arrow and Broadhead set up are you going to use Brett?
AK.
Al,
mate got some 60/65 Vic Ash shafts here and 125 vented Black stumps and ribtecs,so was just gunna have a crack with them and see how we go.
Kind Regards, Bretto
Clint, very nice! A great trophy, and a hog to boot. What a great day afield.
Al, I also wanted to tell you thanks for the article in the recent TBM. Struck a chord with me as I have three boys that need time with dad and attention too! Looking forward to seeing more material from you....and Ben.
nice bull, Clint :thumbsup:
Bulla Bulla Ryan!
Thanks mate for the kind words. That was my 3rd article in TBM and I plan to submit more whenever TBM wants overseas items. Keep an eye out.
AK.
Great job on that bull. A hog and a bull, I hope you went and got some help! What a feast!
Clint ,nice bull with the trad gear..
good gear those blackstumps broadheads..
pat.
had to change to magnus II 2 blader. blackstump isn't taking orders.
hopefully they will be back in action soon...
Clint, you'll have to tell us how those big scrub rascals taste.....kinda looks you got a start rubbing in the marinade already....
the lethality of a well placed arrow is just something to marvel at. Well done Mate!
Actually the best tasting beef I ever ate was from an old scrubby, it wasn't the most tender however!
Great thread. Really got the blood pumping! I would love to make a trip over there one of these days.
Way to go Clint! Man your living the dream!
Apparently there is a herd in Alaska near hatcher pass, one of my buddies shot a big feral heffer a couple years back
Fantastic thread!!! The thought of chasing one of those big bulls just sends a shiver down my spine. Great pics. Great posts. Why did I wait so long to join trad gang?! John
PS When I was little my Grandfather had a big Brahma bull in Texas and that was one mean bull. You could not even go in the pasture whithout him charging you. Once he got a hold on my Grandfather one time too many and we had him for dinner!!!
there's got to be someone else out there who has taken one? don't be shy.
I hate to jinx it by posting,because it is not set in stone yet.BUT Tracy and I may be heading to the Cape York Peninsula next April.I will definately be keeping an eye out for these big guys.
Bill
WOW... I have heard of feral cows in FL.. but I sure they are nothing like these..
some day... some day
hunting axis deer, pigs, and scrub bulls is my dream hunt, we have pigs in the swamps here but they have gone nocturnal
I guided a few hunters to them, but not many bowhunters take scrub bulls, they just don't hang around long when they know you are there, most times you just see them moving out at about 80 yards. I would have been happy to take several I have seen, but when I was hunting, I couldn't find a good one and when I did find one, I always had a paying hunter. If you see Cory at the top of the page with his buffalo, we actually saw a couple of really good scrub bulls on that hunt, one was a big old gray bugger that we could have taken if we had thought quick enough, but Cory wasn't sure whether he wanted it or not and it was his shot, before we could get it straightened out he was long gone. I did have two other bowhunters who took a really big, golden colored bull with some bramhman in it, if SCI was accepting scrub bulls still it would have been the new world archery record.
don't want to hijack the thread.
rick, PM me if you want. cory's bull is an exceptional one! what was the gear used? what was the pre/post shot ordeal? thanks
Scrub bulls = bovine
North American Bison = bovine
cape buff = bovine
water buff = bovine
No bovine more dangerous, and killed more people, than a Holstein Bull. at the turn of the 19 century more men under 40 killed by bulls (mostly dairy) then anything else. Get up close and personal with a 3000# holstein bull and you will know what I mean. big cape buff, big water buff, big bison bull, big rodeo eared bull (Brahma cross) = 1800 pounds max. Holstein bulls are man killers, they won't run away. Most dairy farms will not keep them around, all AI. They have killed farmers that were inside the cab of a skid loader. Those that do have them work them use only healers, (australian cattle dogs)
Make ya think again about old bossy (or at least her ol' man)
Where can I book a Holstein Bowhunt :saywhat:
Sorry couldn't resist
Many years ago one of the anti-hunting groups advocated the "hunting" of domestic cattle, for some reason (attention from the press, most likely). Guess they didn't know how exciting it could be!
QuoteOriginally posted by michaelschwister:
Scrub bulls = bovine
North American Bison = bovine
cape buff = bovine
water buff = bovine
No bovine more dangerous, and killed more people, than a Holstein Bull. at the turn of the 19 century more men under 40 killed by bulls (mostly dairy) then anything else. Get up close and personal with a 3000# holstein bull and you will know what I mean. big cape buff, big water buff, big bison bull, big rodeo eared bull (Brahma cross) = 1800 pounds max. Holstein bulls are man killers, they won't run away. Most dairy farms will not keep them around, all AI. They have killed farmers that were inside the cab of a skid loader. Those that do have them work them use only healers, (australian cattle dogs)
Make ya think again about old bossy (or at least her ol' man)
Just did a search. Big bastards.
(http://unihi61.com/clip_image002.jpg)
At least part of the reason domestic cattle, Holstein or otherwise are successful at killing people is just a matter of opportunity. A dairy farmer is in the pasture and barn with his cattle 365 days a year AND he isn't carrying a big rifle and dosn't have a ph with a big rifle. The little time I have spent with feral cattle hunting and in mustering and in the yards with them, I have had a number of close calls and seen a LOT of VERY close calls and we were being as cautious as possible, NOT going into the yards with mature bulls, that would be just suicidal. In the scheme of things I read somewhere that annually DONKEYS kill more people worldwide than plane crashes, why? They just have more opportunity, donkeys are used all over the world everyday as transportation. They just have lots of opportunity.
Stopped by the farm we hunt to chat with the farmer and got a great "mad cow" story. Just were chatting with him and mentioned about a "stray" hereford that was in the woods last season and he mentioned that the guy just last week came and got her. Long story short this cow was nuts and would go crazy when you got near it. The guy when he came to get her didn't believe how "wild" this cow was. He took her back to his farm and put her in a pen. Some neighbor came by to see him and asked about the cow. The guy proceeded to go back to the pen and somehow this yearling(?) cow got him on the ground and started stomping him. When his buddies heard the commotion they ran back and they felt that if they hadn't been there that guy might not have made it. I can only dream of going to OZ to hunt but this cow was in the woods where we hunt and might be as close to a ferral cow as I ever come.
oh wow. if i saw one of those id be afraid to shoot haha! :scared: :eek:
We had them on the Rio Grande Delta a few years ago. Undergrowth so high folks said you'd be crazy to go after them. Some healthy respect for these bulls. Any wild bovine would be very exciting to bowhunt. Love to read the stories too.
this is really good thread scub bulls are one of the most underated animals buy people who have never been close to one but ask anyone who has and they will all give you the same answer.
they are agro they are very aware of there surroundings and who or what is in it.
most water buff are quite curious nutil you hit them and then they get agro but scub bulls have generally been chased by station hand trying to muster them so they see or smell a human and they either charge or run like the wind for cover.
relly nice bull by the way clint
There's no way i could shoot straight on one of those crazy cows!!!!
For much of the 70's we live caught buff and scrubbers from Lake Argyle to Arnhem land. The Buff at that time were in big mobs under the led of the dominant cow. The big bulls had the life of Riley wallowing or sharpening their horns on ant hills or just resting in the paper barks. Folk should be aware as the swamps recede over the dry the fringe between thr ridges and the water line grows with nutritious feed as the water drys up. Pet meating only required dropping them in the field and dressing them from cradles on the ground. They had banned spine shooting and crocks as well by then as refrigeration and Tojos and the odd grader had made things a little more accessible. The big $ were in live animals paid by the kilo in unbruised dressed meat,hence our goal of individual selection of the biggest. The main method till then was mustering with the occasional help from a chopper. Buff because of their water weight bruise easy. A former shooter Kal Karric developed the mechanical arm, I helped and drove but mainly hased till he got ousted then Me and Bobby Big eye kept it going. We pursued big bulls only for the export of game meat to W. Germany, and the US, later Japan, our main markets. There was only one abattoir in the alligators were most big herds still were (All human consumption had to go through this process while pet meating was still field work). From the closure of Cannon hill to us, now Kakadu National park, the Kimberlies station owners required the clean up the big roan bulls that had been loose for decades as they were trying to introduce Brahma Bulls to alter the long term production of their stations. Most remote scrubbers had never seen a ringer. The nearest abattoir's then were Katherine in the NT and Wyndham further down, where u could see crocks and tiger sharks rolling about fighting the offal pumped out into the bay. The live catching of all big animals regardless if it be horses, camels or either of these two crackers presents their own specific problems as does the terrain specific to these regions. Of the many thousands of individual animals caught and were interested in the bigguns there is no doubt of these fellas running away when chased in this manner, eventually if u loose momentum or the advantage of flanking directional dictation most would turn in a spin and charge at u and the tojo flat out with a smash send horns flying and do real damage. These fellas had NO fear. Big Buff are strong enough to rip in a horn to the belly of another bull and shake it round like a rag doll. An impression is left on one.
Dark faced scrubb bulls were always the craziest while not as strong as the muscle of a buff built up by the plodding in mud were equally dangerous. We had played with bows then but had no real access to the good stuff from the states. A few of the boys are still flinging arrows while others of us are just taking up the string again. Many of us injured and alive will argue that any other "BOVINE" whether statistically or otherwise can be as close a shave and produce the tang of adrenaline and the pucker of your nethers to this degree. Happy hunting!
R we there yet are my points building up, bugger! U all only have o put up with me for another 78 poststs
Never heard of feral cattle but I got a mate down under and I will send him a mail straightaway and see what he says about it.
http://unihi61.com/clip_image002.jpg
That's alot of burger!!!
Hope I get to give them a go sometime.
Is there a season them or can they be shot on sight?
No season, you just have to find a property owner that wants them killed.