Something good happens at last. The hunt is on.

[Dai.S.Loe]

Been a bit of a bad few months for me lately but putting that aside I need to shout some good news.

At long last I have a hunt arranged. Well not exactly a hunt more a cull.

Phone call tonight from a mate asking if I would like to help hm out.

A farmer has just got  in touch with him and he needs his farm cleaned out of wild goats. The farmer raises bobby calves for a living and has 90 stock comming in this week. Unfortunately for him his farm has been overrun lately by wild goats. He told us that in one mob he stopped counting when he got to 48 and there are a few mobs. The farmer wants us to come down over the weekend and get rid of them. There are three of us going. Taking the .22 bolt action and the M1 carbine myself. Both are good enough on this farm as there is a lot of native bush which means we will be able to get within 30 yards of the animals. The other two are taking their cowboy rifles (Uberti 73's) and a .22 each. These are feral goats. Descendants of domestic goats that were brought over by the original settlers to New Zealand. The country is crowded with the damm stinkies. Not a hard shoot but after 25 years in the UK where I couldnt hunt and the last 4 years getting fit enough to go back to the bush, it feels good to be able to do so.

We should be able to cut the numbers down quite considerably for the farmer. In return for doing this for him he will allow us to hunt the bush on his farm at a later date for deer and wild boar, both of which are there in reasonable numbers. I have another farmer getting back to me next week. He has a major problem with rabbits and possums as does his neihbours and they want some people to come and cull the numbers of these down as well. Again the same payback, we cull and get the right to hunt their properties for boar and deer.

I would love to be able to take my revolvers down for the goats but unfortunately here in NZ pistol hunting is not allowed.  YET.

So I have a very eventful weekend planned. The farm is about 2 hours away from my home so we should be there by 8am. We will get straight down to the hunt.

I know that everybody that shoots cowboy isnt neccesarily a hunter and the thought of it actually turns some people off but these animals are a real pest here in NZ. They are feral. On farms they cause damage that costs the farmer his livelyhood. Even our government here encourages us to hunt. There is no "season on any of the animals mentioned. All you need is a rifle, the right equipment to survive the area you intend to go to and permission to take a firearm into the area and you can hunt anytime of the year.

Anyway I waffle. Signing off now.

Dai.

[Ozark Tracker]

Sounds like your in for a good time,  we have feral hogs here, open season all year long. they can sure tear up pastures.

good luck on the hunt.

when's the goat barbque gonna be.

[Silver Creek Slim]

I wish I can go along, but it is a bit of a travel. Have fun. I hear goat is good eating. 

Slim

[Dai.S.Loe]

I wish I can go along, but it is a bit of a travel. Have fun. I hear goat is good eating. 

Slim

Goat is very good eating but best to get them young. Get a bit tough as they get older.

The meat is particularly good in a curry.

Had goat curry in Fiji last year. Very nice. Similar to mutton but not as much fat.


Dai.

[litl rooster]

"Stinkies"    now that's a good one......................................Goats is too close to (Spit)

[Trinity]

Congratulations on the good news.  Sounds like some fun this weekend!

[Dai.S.Loe]

Congratulations on the good news.  Sounds like some fun this weekend!

Should be fun. Was a bit worried about only using a .22 on these animals but the distance of between 20-100 yards makes sense.

We are wierd here. .22 for goats and the weekend later 12 guage for possums and bunnies.

Lots of pig hunters use lever action .44's and favourite caliber for deer is .243

Lots of relearning to do.

[Delmonico]

Pard, I don't know how big your deer are there, ours average maybe 150 dress but can go to 250 or more.  I use a 243 with those Barnes X bulletets, it makes a real rifle out of them.

In and out, with a lot of damage and a blood trail that is incredable.

[Dai.S.Loe]

Pard, I don't know how big your deer are there, ours average maybe 150 dress but can go to 250 or more.  I use a 243 with those Barnes X bulletets, it makes a real rifle out of them.

In and out, with a lot of damage and a blood trail that is incredable.

Deer over in NZ run the whole range from Sika to Wapiti, Fallow to Whitetail. Most populous is Red. When I was a youngster with good eyes I used to hunt the bush with a .222 for Red Deer. In fact it was the caliber I used for mostly everything. Later I went to ,270 but a bit too much recoil for my personal taste.

A lot of hunters been telling me to use .243.

Load the Barnes bullets in .223 bolt rifle. They drop a wild goat. Massive exit damage. Too much when hunting for meat.

Weight I'm not sure of but our wild boars can run to 150kg (320 lb) plus.

[Delmonico]

Try the Barnes, I have little meat damage with them, we use them in 2 243's a 6mm, a 308 and a 270 and I have no complaints, A bit more money, but the results are worth it.  They basically cut a thumb size whole all the way through. 

The first one with the 243 was about a 150 lb whitetail at about 50 yards.  Went through the shoulder bone on the way in and a rib, went through a rib on the way out and the upper leg bone.  Might still be travelin' north for all I know, that was 14 years ago,

[Dai.S.Loe]

Delmonico,

Just orderd 250 Barnes 40gr heads in .224 for my 223 Weatherby.

$60 NZ for the box.

I'll load some up and take the .223 with me on the shoot also.

Dai

[Delmonico]

Let me know how you like them