did you eat the donkey?

Nope, PJ, we don't eat donkeys. The pigs made short work of him, though. We tried to time an ambush off the carcass, but missed the rendezvous.

Well, another highlight of our traditional bowhunting year took place today. Dave and I left town at 0400, and went out to check some swamps and creeks for pigs. It really was a bit of a bonus weekend, as anyday now the rains will arive, and scatter all the feral animals for the next five months. Anyway, Dave shot a sow with his 60# Tomahawk longbow and cedars tipped with Magnus broadheads. It was his first traditional bowkill; finally, after all that effort and practice, it paid-off for him! I'm stoked for him. Here's the picture:
 

Awesome job Ben! Where are the crocs?

i was just wondering why you would kill a donkey that is all, they arent good for anything else

We kill them because there are five million of these introduced pests in our country, and their small hooves tear the fragile topsoil up, which then erodes in wind and rain. This destroys the homes of our little native animals, like quolls and kangaroo rats, etcetera. Further, five million donkeys is a lot of competition for our native animals, which are becoming rarer and rarer, in some cases close to extinction, because of the animals our European ancestors introduced here a hundred to two-hundred years ago. We only hunt these introduced animals in Australia. In some parts where native kangaroos are abundant and are over-running farmland, farmers can apply for tags to cull these, but that is done with rifle only. Recreational hunting is only for the introduced animals. Because they are such a huge ecological problem, and because of difficulties with heat, distance and inaccessibility, we don't have laws about utilising meat, because it is, in most cases, impossible to do so, and yet the need is still there to limit their growth.

Pitbull, most waterways in northern Australia have either freshwater crocodiles or saltwater crocodiles or both. The salties are the baddies, and live in both fresh and salt water, which goes to show that you just can't trust them, seeing they call themselves salties in an attempt to trick you into thinking freshwater is safe. The one in the photo was, thankfully, a larger freshy. Freshies are pretty harmless.

i didnt mean anything by it ben, was just curious sir.  id like to kill them here in the u.s.

Hey Ben not a bad put together there some nice photos there as well.Old slim has a place in your heart somewhere there I think,

Cheers Wayno

Fantastic, Ben. Thanks for sharing!

Awesome Ben, great pics, makes me wanna get back out there. thanks for sharing

Northern Ben
as always ...well done mate . great stuff . and well done to Dave on his sow ... good hog with a nice bow .
what now the rains have come ?
sambar hunting is the answer !!!

Southern Ben

Great slides looks like you had a lot of fun

That was great, thank you.

Fantastic as always!!!

Very cool!  Thanks for sharing.

Oh Man!!! That was awesome!!!    Well done on all accounts Ben, just outstanding.  Thanks for taking to time to put that together for us to enjoy!

Very nice Ben...thanks for sharing!

very cool, you hunt some animals that we definitely don't have around here.

I'm glad you liked the slideshow, fellows. When I made it, I didn't think there would be anymore hunting opportunities for the year, but the rains seem to be just a little later. Today I was blessed with the taking of this boar (thread on PowWow with more details).



Cheers,

Ben

It's been a heck of a week - our most successful week of local bowhunting ever; today, Dave shot a beauty of a boar, which was his first with a traditional bow, again his 60# Tomahawk, cedar arrows and, this time, Tusker broadheads. There was rain at the station yesterday, so time really is running-out.