I noticed a Pig chas’n rig parked out from my office window at work . I wrote a short note introducing my self and expressing my desire to go hunting and tucked it under his windscreen wipers. Dan answered my note with a lengthy Txt setting up an opportunity to go a chasing on Sunday night Waaa hooo
Toyota land cruiser flat back, 6 cylinder diesel, accessories of bull-bar, winch, jacks and sand trays are essential parts of the setup. Aluminium flat tray on back with a custom cage and rack for pig hunting. A hand winch and swivel arm is attached to the back right corner to raise the dead pigs up to spacer racks that are installed as the numbers of processed pigs are hung, head down to drain.
Water is carried in zig zaged 100 mm drain pipe which is attached back and forward behind the dog cage. Water for temporary clean up is essential. The dogs have protective harnesses of webbing breast plates. They are light flexible and durable with fluro markers sown on for identification against the spotlight. Coloured flashing LED lights identify each dog, Red, Green, Blue and Yellow.
A GPS collar is attached under the protection ensuring the antenna is vertical. His movement and direction can be followed on the screen with in the cabin. Gun rack, torches, knife racks, binoculars and portable spotlights have strategic mounts in the cab. The main spot light a Blazalite is permanently attached to the roof of the Ute. Control for this super beam is able to be manipulated from with in the cabin.
A K9 medical kit is carried onboard. Antiseptic fluid / nutritive collagen spray for the management of superficial wounds, injured foot pads, and for more traumatic wound management. A Hydration pack is prepared to give the dogs a reviver drink of rehydrate. This is carried on your back-pac so that the K9 medical field kit is always on the spot along with a refreshing drink for the workers.
“What’s the best dog to use for catching pigs? ”. Breed and type will not in itself determine a good pig hunting dog. Time and effort and the way you train your animal will determine how good your dog will develop as a hunting dog. Wolf hound, Mastiff, Boxers, cattle dogs, Arabs, to name a few breeds have there own traits in what they excel in.
Dan finds that he selects a pup from top working parents, proven workers, smart, brainy dog which pass on their genetics give the best chance of a top dog. Young dogs are best educated with experienced dogs. To have an inexperienced dog run with a trail- barker, or a timid half hearted dog will expose them to bad habits.
Harvested Sorghum crops are the lollie shop for feral pigs. They travel 10 to 15 km from the protection of the forest to feast on the remnants of the crop. The stubble and flag remains at knee height. Only the larger pigs back protrude above the crop. Driving around the perimeter of the crop slowly with the dogs scenting the breeze from the back of the ute gives the best opportunity to locate entry and egress points.
The feral pig is now widely distributed throughout aussie and are descendants of various subspecies of the domestic pig. It is the responsibility of landholders to control feral pigs on their land. The feral pig is smaller, leaner and more muscular than domestic pigs with a well developed shoulders and necks, and smaller, shorter hindquarters. The hair is generally sparser and course. It has a longer larger snout and tusks: straighter tail, smaller mostly pricked ears and a much narrower back than the domestic pig. In this area of Queensland they are mainly Black, Buff coloured or spotted black and white.
They generally rest up during the daylight hours, away from the heat, around water holes and under shade trees. Grunters have good hearing and smell. Most need glasses as their vision is poor. Dan has found that they are intelligent and cunning constantly changing the feeding routine to avoid the hunters.
The sows and juveniles usually live in small groups. They give birth to 4 to 10 piglets twice a year and wean the young pigs after 2 to 3 months of age. The larger Boars are often found leading an isolative lifestyle and on the rich sorghum crops soon reach weights up in the high hundreds of kilograms. In a good season the population can increase five fold in 12 months
During smoko at work, I have been sucking on dehydrated dog biscuits to develop my stamina, strength power to run ‘em down and hold ‘em down. I went to Vinnies ( ST Vincent De Paul Second hand clothes ) to get my pig hunting regalia. I needed loose fitting cool, washables, preferable with some luminosity strips in case I get on front of the search light. Dan made me a strong perked coffee at his home to further stimulate my night vision. We discussed and develop our hunting strategy.
Once the three dogs were saddled up with their uniform of protective harness, GPS sender unit and identity lighting attached, we need only to have opened the dog cage on the back of the ute and the three enthusiasts tried to enter the door in unison. Each had lolling tongues and were looking about for Dan to start the action.
Dan has several stations to choose from. Because we had planned to be out for about 3 hrs we went to a nearby harvested sorghum field. The dispatcher, a lever action 357 magnum with a short butt and an infra red scope to direct the bullet to its make. The butt of the gun was smashed when it was used in a defensive Ricky Ponting type manoeuvre with a massive boar in the past.
Out at the block we pulled over to open the dog cage and activate the GPS system. This is the indicator to the dogs that we are now in hunting mode. They hurriedly empty their bowels while still sniffing feverishly at the atmospheres. We trundle off at about 15 to 20 kmph around the edge of the crops. In the rear vision mirror, I watch the dog’s ears flapping in the wind as they sent the air for swine smells.
Travelling along the side of the fields, common barn owl with its heart shaped mask and tawny coloured plumage is illuminated and sits as a marked contract on the barbed wire fence. In flight they seem to be all wings as the head is retracted to be just in front of large beating wings. I assume they are seeking small rodents, frogs and lizards.
The most experienced dog, Spud, hasn’t had a hunt for about a month due to a variety of reasons. He has put on about a kilogram in weight and is busting with enthusiasm. He leaps from the moving vehicle with a sharp bark as he detects a scent. The other two hounds follow in quick succession and sprint off into the sorghum stubble with their lights flashing following the scent trail. The remote GPS screen is detached, ute engine killed and we follow their progress.
The unit receives separate signals from each dog which is revealed on the main screen. North South East and West indicated. The top right corner displays the distance travelled. 300 meters out the dogs are seen to be circling and then retracing their trail back to the vehicle. Dan puts this down to an old scent trail and that possibly the dogs were too keen to get underway and had responded to a faint or old scent. The GPS screen has several displays modes. One intrigued me in that it can give an overview of our movement over the distance we have travelled so far. Our systematic progress around the station with targets can be recorded and saved for later use tonight.
Hounds back on board, with the ‘Dixie Chicks’ as background music, we continue our reconnaissance. I get Dan talking about kangaroo shooting and the Queensland Government code of compliance. “Its not as stimulating as Pig Hunting . We will need to go further out west, out near Jericho were I have several block to hunt”. “ Im sure we can arrange a night or two out there hunting roos before you go back to NZ “ WAAA HOO !
There are three types of shooter's licence issued in Queensland. The Commercial Wildlife Harvesting License for commercial shooters, Damage Mitigation Permits issued to landholders and the Recreational Wildlife harvesting licence. TAFE courses are now a requirement for new Commercial hunters to ensure they are au fait with the code, have a gun licence and can shoot straight.
I noticed that Dan had canvas leg gaiters on his lower limbs. This prompted me to thinking about the environment that we may be galloping through to catch up with the dogs. If they were to buggered off into the forested area, next to the crops, then the going would be very tough having to ducking around trees and in and out of gullies. It would be easy for a Kiwi to get lost with just a small head torch. I think I should have a GPS sender unit and a flashing light around my neck also. Having engaged my cognitive functions and given consideration to snakes and other bites. The lord above has, in his wisdom, planted the world’s most deadly snakes in Australia. Brown Snakes, Copperhead Snakes Death Adders, Red Belly black snakes, Taipans and tiger snakes are all found in the scrub around Emerald. I hope the snakes are having a night off tonight.
Cruising and listening to Vavaldi classical music, the three dogs leapt from the back of the ute with a yell something akin to pain. Aaaaahooo . They disappeared in a flash. Dan pulled up, turned off the engine and located the GPS Screen. I looked over his shoulder to see all three had quickly picked up the scent and were going like a Bat out of hell in a northerly direction in a straight line. At a distance of 800 meters the tell tale squeal and barking indicate the dogs had bailed the pig. Within the next minute the GPS screen was indicating “The Quarry has been treed” The technology must have been set up in America for mountain lion hunting. In this instance in the aussie bush, it meant the dogs had bailed the pig in one area for more then three minutes.
Its imperative to ensure the seat belt is fastened before the chase begins. I was tugging at the seat belt trying to extract and latch as we flew across the stubble and out onto the rough stuff. The chances of the Dan stopping were nil so I adjusted my feet and latched on to the hand grip and peered into the future watching for logs and dips
Whaa Hoo
A boundary fence appeared in the head lights. Bugger, now it was run time. Dan was aware the river was to the north and that where the grunter was heading. We checked our electronics. The main dog was now 1.4km away and the two lesser dogs had returned towards the ute. Their eyes bouncing through the Baffle grass directly towards the headlights.
We donned the auxiliary gear switched on the head light lamps. Dan held open the barb wire fence and I slipped through. The manoeuvre was reciprocated and we set out at a fast jog. Running through knee high buffle grass soon took it toll on me. I initially was able to jump over the bigger clumps to keep in a straight line behind the fast disappearing Dan. At 300 meters I was blowing and sweating. I was too rugged up with my overalls and luminosity jacket and definitely unfit. I slowed to a walk to fend off a heart attack. The terrain changed to low scrub and bolder strewn, dead logs, tripping type country. I could see a headlight way in the distance. No animal noises were being emitted from afar, so I pulled up for a blow.
Over the noise of the blood pulsing in my head, I heard a yell to indicate the chase was over. The Boar proved too much for just one dog and made his freedom. The main dog had located Dan out near the bank of the river; they were on their way back. I turned to look for the ute or retrace my path to no avail. . Small trees look exactly the same and without a compass I was totally bam-boozeled. We didn’t leave any lights on at the vehicle so that was no assistance. Dan soon located me with the head torches and we walked back to the ute. Dogs panting heavily walking beside us, their massive tongues lolling to the side of their mouths.
We debriefed and realised a big lone boar had heard us coming and had tried to make his exit out of the crop and back to the safety of the river. He had a trail which he knew and was indicated by the bee line taken by the dogs with the GPS. He made it to the river and was able to give the single dog the slip somehow.
We lubricated the dogs and swilled some water ourselves, cranked up Vivaldi and recommenced the reconnaissance. These sorghum crops are massive by NZ standards. We drove 15 kms to circle just one crop. 30 minutes had passed when the dog let out their distinctive howl and leapt from their transport cage. Switching on the Blazalite to follow their direction we could see a large pig going for the lick of its life with the three dogs in hot pursuit. The swine was out of the stubble and into the next paddock in short order. We had to charge back to the gate about half a kilometre back then roar down the fence line to catch up.
The flashing LED lights of the dogs next to a big log attracted us to the action. The Boar had push his arse back into a vee in the log, head down facing the three barking dogs. Frequent loud chomps of his jaws indicated that he meant business. His tusks flashing as he flicked his head in defence. I checked my escape route as we approached. The ground was uneven with broken branches strewn about. Dan, unperturbed, proceeded around to the rear of the Pig to get a clear shot. The dogs seemed to sense the climax was near and increased the crescendo of barking and lunging. The red laser spot from the infra red scope roamed around the boars head and neck. A deafening ‘Bang’ and it was all over. The bullet entered just above the eyes. dead centre. The young dog sensed his opportunity and latched onto the left ear for a short time while the grunter was in the throws of involuntary twitches.
Toyota land cruiser flat back, 6 cylinder diesel, accessories of bull-bar, winch, jacks and sand trays are essential parts of the setup. Aluminium flat tray on back with a custom cage and rack for pig hunting. A hand winch and swivel arm is attached to the back right corner to raise the dead pigs up to spacer racks that are installed as the numbers of processed pigs are hung, head down to drain.
Water is carried in zig zaged 100 mm drain pipe which is attached back and forward behind the dog cage. Water for temporary clean up is essential. The dogs have protective harnesses of webbing breast plates. They are light flexible and durable with fluro markers sown on for identification against the spotlight. Coloured flashing LED lights identify each dog, Red, Green, Blue and Yellow.
A GPS collar is attached under the protection ensuring the antenna is vertical. His movement and direction can be followed on the screen with in the cabin. Gun rack, torches, knife racks, binoculars and portable spotlights have strategic mounts in the cab. The main spot light a Blazalite is permanently attached to the roof of the Ute. Control for this super beam is able to be manipulated from with in the cabin.
A K9 medical kit is carried onboard. Antiseptic fluid / nutritive collagen spray for the management of superficial wounds, injured foot pads, and for more traumatic wound management. A Hydration pack is prepared to give the dogs a reviver drink of rehydrate. This is carried on your back-pac so that the K9 medical field kit is always on the spot along with a refreshing drink for the workers.
“What’s the best dog to use for catching pigs? ”. Breed and type will not in itself determine a good pig hunting dog. Time and effort and the way you train your animal will determine how good your dog will develop as a hunting dog. Wolf hound, Mastiff, Boxers, cattle dogs, Arabs, to name a few breeds have there own traits in what they excel in.
Dan finds that he selects a pup from top working parents, proven workers, smart, brainy dog which pass on their genetics give the best chance of a top dog. Young dogs are best educated with experienced dogs. To have an inexperienced dog run with a trail- barker, or a timid half hearted dog will expose them to bad habits.
Harvested Sorghum crops are the lollie shop for feral pigs. They travel 10 to 15 km from the protection of the forest to feast on the remnants of the crop. The stubble and flag remains at knee height. Only the larger pigs back protrude above the crop. Driving around the perimeter of the crop slowly with the dogs scenting the breeze from the back of the ute gives the best opportunity to locate entry and egress points.
The feral pig is now widely distributed throughout aussie and are descendants of various subspecies of the domestic pig. It is the responsibility of landholders to control feral pigs on their land. The feral pig is smaller, leaner and more muscular than domestic pigs with a well developed shoulders and necks, and smaller, shorter hindquarters. The hair is generally sparser and course. It has a longer larger snout and tusks: straighter tail, smaller mostly pricked ears and a much narrower back than the domestic pig. In this area of Queensland they are mainly Black, Buff coloured or spotted black and white.
They generally rest up during the daylight hours, away from the heat, around water holes and under shade trees. Grunters have good hearing and smell. Most need glasses as their vision is poor. Dan has found that they are intelligent and cunning constantly changing the feeding routine to avoid the hunters.
The sows and juveniles usually live in small groups. They give birth to 4 to 10 piglets twice a year and wean the young pigs after 2 to 3 months of age. The larger Boars are often found leading an isolative lifestyle and on the rich sorghum crops soon reach weights up in the high hundreds of kilograms. In a good season the population can increase five fold in 12 months
During smoko at work, I have been sucking on dehydrated dog biscuits to develop my stamina, strength power to run ‘em down and hold ‘em down. I went to Vinnies ( ST Vincent De Paul Second hand clothes ) to get my pig hunting regalia. I needed loose fitting cool, washables, preferable with some luminosity strips in case I get on front of the search light. Dan made me a strong perked coffee at his home to further stimulate my night vision. We discussed and develop our hunting strategy.
Once the three dogs were saddled up with their uniform of protective harness, GPS sender unit and identity lighting attached, we need only to have opened the dog cage on the back of the ute and the three enthusiasts tried to enter the door in unison. Each had lolling tongues and were looking about for Dan to start the action.
Dan has several stations to choose from. Because we had planned to be out for about 3 hrs we went to a nearby harvested sorghum field. The dispatcher, a lever action 357 magnum with a short butt and an infra red scope to direct the bullet to its make. The butt of the gun was smashed when it was used in a defensive Ricky Ponting type manoeuvre with a massive boar in the past.
Out at the block we pulled over to open the dog cage and activate the GPS system. This is the indicator to the dogs that we are now in hunting mode. They hurriedly empty their bowels while still sniffing feverishly at the atmospheres. We trundle off at about 15 to 20 kmph around the edge of the crops. In the rear vision mirror, I watch the dog’s ears flapping in the wind as they sent the air for swine smells.
Travelling along the side of the fields, common barn owl with its heart shaped mask and tawny coloured plumage is illuminated and sits as a marked contract on the barbed wire fence. In flight they seem to be all wings as the head is retracted to be just in front of large beating wings. I assume they are seeking small rodents, frogs and lizards.
The most experienced dog, Spud, hasn’t had a hunt for about a month due to a variety of reasons. He has put on about a kilogram in weight and is busting with enthusiasm. He leaps from the moving vehicle with a sharp bark as he detects a scent. The other two hounds follow in quick succession and sprint off into the sorghum stubble with their lights flashing following the scent trail. The remote GPS screen is detached, ute engine killed and we follow their progress.
The unit receives separate signals from each dog which is revealed on the main screen. North South East and West indicated. The top right corner displays the distance travelled. 300 meters out the dogs are seen to be circling and then retracing their trail back to the vehicle. Dan puts this down to an old scent trail and that possibly the dogs were too keen to get underway and had responded to a faint or old scent. The GPS screen has several displays modes. One intrigued me in that it can give an overview of our movement over the distance we have travelled so far. Our systematic progress around the station with targets can be recorded and saved for later use tonight.
Hounds back on board, with the ‘Dixie Chicks’ as background music, we continue our reconnaissance. I get Dan talking about kangaroo shooting and the Queensland Government code of compliance. “Its not as stimulating as Pig Hunting . We will need to go further out west, out near Jericho were I have several block to hunt”. “ Im sure we can arrange a night or two out there hunting roos before you go back to NZ “ WAAA HOO !
There are three types of shooter's licence issued in Queensland. The Commercial Wildlife Harvesting License for commercial shooters, Damage Mitigation Permits issued to landholders and the Recreational Wildlife harvesting licence. TAFE courses are now a requirement for new Commercial hunters to ensure they are au fait with the code, have a gun licence and can shoot straight.
I noticed that Dan had canvas leg gaiters on his lower limbs. This prompted me to thinking about the environment that we may be galloping through to catch up with the dogs. If they were to buggered off into the forested area, next to the crops, then the going would be very tough having to ducking around trees and in and out of gullies. It would be easy for a Kiwi to get lost with just a small head torch. I think I should have a GPS sender unit and a flashing light around my neck also. Having engaged my cognitive functions and given consideration to snakes and other bites. The lord above has, in his wisdom, planted the world’s most deadly snakes in Australia. Brown Snakes, Copperhead Snakes Death Adders, Red Belly black snakes, Taipans and tiger snakes are all found in the scrub around Emerald. I hope the snakes are having a night off tonight.
Cruising and listening to Vavaldi classical music, the three dogs leapt from the back of the ute with a yell something akin to pain. Aaaaahooo . They disappeared in a flash. Dan pulled up, turned off the engine and located the GPS Screen. I looked over his shoulder to see all three had quickly picked up the scent and were going like a Bat out of hell in a northerly direction in a straight line. At a distance of 800 meters the tell tale squeal and barking indicate the dogs had bailed the pig. Within the next minute the GPS screen was indicating “The Quarry has been treed” The technology must have been set up in America for mountain lion hunting. In this instance in the aussie bush, it meant the dogs had bailed the pig in one area for more then three minutes.
Its imperative to ensure the seat belt is fastened before the chase begins. I was tugging at the seat belt trying to extract and latch as we flew across the stubble and out onto the rough stuff. The chances of the Dan stopping were nil so I adjusted my feet and latched on to the hand grip and peered into the future watching for logs and dips
Whaa Hoo
A boundary fence appeared in the head lights. Bugger, now it was run time. Dan was aware the river was to the north and that where the grunter was heading. We checked our electronics. The main dog was now 1.4km away and the two lesser dogs had returned towards the ute. Their eyes bouncing through the Baffle grass directly towards the headlights.
We donned the auxiliary gear switched on the head light lamps. Dan held open the barb wire fence and I slipped through. The manoeuvre was reciprocated and we set out at a fast jog. Running through knee high buffle grass soon took it toll on me. I initially was able to jump over the bigger clumps to keep in a straight line behind the fast disappearing Dan. At 300 meters I was blowing and sweating. I was too rugged up with my overalls and luminosity jacket and definitely unfit. I slowed to a walk to fend off a heart attack. The terrain changed to low scrub and bolder strewn, dead logs, tripping type country. I could see a headlight way in the distance. No animal noises were being emitted from afar, so I pulled up for a blow.
Over the noise of the blood pulsing in my head, I heard a yell to indicate the chase was over. The Boar proved too much for just one dog and made his freedom. The main dog had located Dan out near the bank of the river; they were on their way back. I turned to look for the ute or retrace my path to no avail. . Small trees look exactly the same and without a compass I was totally bam-boozeled. We didn’t leave any lights on at the vehicle so that was no assistance. Dan soon located me with the head torches and we walked back to the ute. Dogs panting heavily walking beside us, their massive tongues lolling to the side of their mouths.
We debriefed and realised a big lone boar had heard us coming and had tried to make his exit out of the crop and back to the safety of the river. He had a trail which he knew and was indicated by the bee line taken by the dogs with the GPS. He made it to the river and was able to give the single dog the slip somehow.
We lubricated the dogs and swilled some water ourselves, cranked up Vivaldi and recommenced the reconnaissance. These sorghum crops are massive by NZ standards. We drove 15 kms to circle just one crop. 30 minutes had passed when the dog let out their distinctive howl and leapt from their transport cage. Switching on the Blazalite to follow their direction we could see a large pig going for the lick of its life with the three dogs in hot pursuit. The swine was out of the stubble and into the next paddock in short order. We had to charge back to the gate about half a kilometre back then roar down the fence line to catch up.
The flashing LED lights of the dogs next to a big log attracted us to the action. The Boar had push his arse back into a vee in the log, head down facing the three barking dogs. Frequent loud chomps of his jaws indicated that he meant business. His tusks flashing as he flicked his head in defence. I checked my escape route as we approached. The ground was uneven with broken branches strewn about. Dan, unperturbed, proceeded around to the rear of the Pig to get a clear shot. The dogs seemed to sense the climax was near and increased the crescendo of barking and lunging. The red laser spot from the infra red scope roamed around the boars head and neck. A deafening ‘Bang’ and it was all over. The bullet entered just above the eyes. dead centre. The young dog sensed his opportunity and latched onto the left ear for a short time while the grunter was in the throws of involuntary twitches.
