Just back from a week out in the west of NSW, for Sept we had a couple of records days of heat (40degsC) accompanied by howling winds, the inland here (and much of the east is well and truly in the grip of drought and it shows, the tanks (dams) are still holding water at the moment but that wont last much longer. For the much of the week I was out there with my best mate and his two kids (my Godkids 19 and 16), to start with, in the week walking around I didn’t fire a shot at a single critter, saw a number but the urge didn’t take a shot. So some pics…. This one is snapped mid afternoon on one of the stinking hot days… A couple of Chital that wandered into a tank for a drink in the heat… Skippy through the thistles…. While heading in and out from the old homestead I had my eye out for a log to take some slices off as I wanted them for some Euro Mounts I want to do with some deer heads I have here at home. The owner has been fencing and cutting some fire breaks, so there were lots of downed trees about but none of the required diameter accessible (as I didn’t want to climb to the top of a pile and start waving the saw around). Then I spotted one on the far western boundary and returned with my truck and saw….. And after some sawing….. Godson (apprentice carpenter) saw the dozen or so I took and asked if we could head out and grab some more as he would like to have a go at working some. I also took some smaller diameter slices for us both they may work for some pig tusks etc. Along the way I managed to get the first ever puncture I have had in a Cooper tyre (this is the third set), could not actually see the issue and it may be a valve. Still holding air for over six hrs when pumped back up but changed it out none the less…. ….the pic is more to show the three Toyotas that made the trip as I never did get one of them all lined up… Did I mention it is dry ??? This is the spot I was bogged up to both axles last August!! That was about the last good rain they had !! Spotted a little Goanna sitting up on a fence post catching some sun but he didn’t cooperate for a pic, the post was hollow and he dived in….I risked life and limb to climb up and snap a pic down into that post (he could have mistaken me for a tree and climbed me !!!)… Sunrise… Godson packed up and left early (as the sun rose above) and the mate and Goddaughter packed and took off shortly after…. Leaving me alone for the next few days. We had already toyed with rifles on the little range we use here, and I chrono’ed the .375H&H loads to took to Africa (just out of interest) but I was not happy with how my renovated SSG had shot so had another go. It “patterned” with Fed GMM and shot under 1MOA with Winchester 175gn Match, for giggles I threw in a group with my Sako’s hunting load (165gn Ballistic Tips over AR2208) and was VERY pleasantly surprised and then threw a second right after that was almost as good!!! So I guess it makes loading easier when it is the same in both rifles !! SSG…. And in the dirt and burrs…. Bipod arrangement sucks a pole so now I know it will shoot I am happy to spend some $s on a better setup. I have owned this SSG since 1986 and it dates to the early 80s. And what would a trip of mine be without a couple of “knife porn” pics…. My new cleaver…. CRK 25… ASH1 (of course!!)… And for the Chevy fans…
Yep, those pics look right out of the Crocodile Dundee movie. I like the old Chevrolet truck hood. Looks to be a 50 to 52 year model. Had one growing up and one of the toughest pickup trucks we ever had on this farm.
If they'd ever build a road there then I would show up for a visit. I aint flying over the Atlantic ocean just to come to Austria though. Once they get the bridge built....
... you could take a boat, no flying involved !!!! I will meet you in Vienna !! .....yes it is.....the beer fest may be in jeopardy !!
As an aside....we have yet to be able to actually find a puncture in that tyre....maybe the valve maybe something intruded on the bead a little. But at 80PSI and in a tank of water nothing was evident.
I harvested my first ever deer last weekend (a small fallow doe), I was running a Browning BLR in .308. Taking a deer was my primary hunting ambition for this year so I am SUPER excited about achieving it. Now I wish I'd got into deer hunting 20 years ago, it's certainly addictive!! After a few failed attempts to find game in some closer forests, and with the end of the deer hunting season rapidly approaching, I decided to drive about 15 hours round trip to a state forest with reliable deer numbers down near the state's southern border, a lot of driving and a lot of hard hiking through some truly BRUTAL terrain, but a thoroughly life-changing experience, I am now a deer hunter!! Hopefully Andy doesn't mind me putting a few photos up, it's still Aussie hunting!!