Here is part 1 of the introduction to caping a sambar stag, this sambar was taken by a hunter on a windy day of winter 2008. We videoed the sambar stag and three sambar hinds before and during the shot

Part 2 to caping a sambar stag, this is where we run through how much of the sambar stags skin is required for the taxidermist and run you through the process.

Part 3 explaining the first cut on a sambar stag, which is the beginning of the actual physical work on the sambar stag.

 Get more on a complementary rough as guts DVD

that has all the bits the others leave out!

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WHAT A VIEW!!!!

 An Introduction to Reedy Safaris - Sambar Hunting

Glassing sambar in the snow

Snakes live in sambar country all year round - Alpine Copperhead

Watching a sambar hind late in the afternoon

Hunter harvests his first sambar stag!

 Learn more on a complementary DVD when you join us…..

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After meticulous tracking and a long wait, this is the pay-off. You experience the highs and lows of tracking that elusive prize, but then, if you have done everything right, you find yourself at the climax of the whole hunt.  Don’t lose concentration, don’t slip up and make a noise, steady the nerves and take your best shot.

Hopefully, just one.

There are more deer hunting videos on the video page, just click the link on the menu.

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The fire glowed red and cracked sparks, just as easily as the two of us cracked cans. The hunter’s camp was set and the heated discussion glowed just as red too. Sambar deer created the most interesting topic when it comes to what caliber is best and what the projectile should do. No doubt many campfires have seen the flames of this topic. The talk went late into the night, imagine if you could have it all; “the perfect sambar round”.

“All” what you may wonder?

1. Large entry wound and wound channel
2. Full penetration and exit wound from most shot presentations
3. Massive energy release for “hydrostatic shock” and trauma
4. Compact bush rifle
5. Comfortable “felt” recoil
6. Short action if follow up shot is ever required
7. Medium to high velocity
8. Large bullet range from manufacturers, in both designs and weights

Wonder what that leaves you with?

It left me thinking………why don’t I try and build something? I have never done any wildcatting the most I have done is a small bit of reloading. The next week at work I sat down and penned a small sketch on paper. I have always loved the .375 bore however when researching projectiles I found that there was a limited range available. I wasn’t going to go smaller, so I settled on the .458 bore. This because of the 45-70 through to the 460 Weatherby in cartridges there were bullet weights from 250gn through to 500+ gns in all manner of designs from spitzers, hollow points, bonded, solids, partition even X bullets. So it was 458 caliber by elimination.

The existing problem with the powerful cartridges already in 458 cal was that they are all built on long actions. Legally the cartridge had to be 2” in length for use in Victoria; I had a few base cases to choose from, 416 Rigby, 460Weatherby even the 458win trimmed back to 2” was an option. Yet if this wildcat was going to be successful in my opinion it would also have to equal the famous cartridge already in 458, the infamous 458winmag. I was at the time hunting with a 300WSM, which gave me an idea, why not see what the WSM case necked up to 458win held in case capacity.

I searched the internet for answers and came across a site www.ammoguide.com this site had a cartridge creator (CAD) where you could put in the case dimensions and it would give you certain answers. Whilst in the process of mentally configuring a new round I also searched for magazine articles for what would be required to “build” a gun. I started with a list, barrel, action, stock, reamer and dies to start, then the most important thing; (more…)

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Not really, its a Swedish Beaver.

There is no end to the work we put in to get out catch.

Well after 3 months of planning Andrew has finally done it in the north of Sweden, Lapland.

I spoke to him Friday and after 3 days trekking wearing 7 layers of clothing on snowmobile, X-country skiing, skating and snow shoes one finally showed up along the river which he waited 1/2hr for the beaver to get into the appropriate position to take the shot with a 7×33 sako (unknown obsolete calibre since the WWII). After the 1/2hr he reckons for the first time he had “buck fever” had to take a deep breath and calm himself (he didn’t do that with sambar?) …… the pressure was on and seriously on you cant track a beaver. For those of you who think hunting beaver in season is easy think again……..

They are nocturnal, when top water is frozen they live and sleep underground and the only time they come out or can be seen on land is too feed. You have to take a shot that anchors the animal on the spot or they go straight back into the water and are lost forever! They have sentry’s on guard when out feeding and are prey to many other creatures like the lynx and wolverine.

Tough well i say yes because i spent two days hunting them without success in one of the most heavily populated hunting areas, only seeing the sentry’s for a milli-second, and no he is not better than me, just luckier!

Now today and for the next 3 days, he is chasing roe buck in the south of Sweden! But they are a lot easier……

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Stick, String and Sambar = Patience, Practice and Persistence

With immediacy the sudden tang of the distilled alcoholic liquor filled my mouth as the aroma of the rum sank deep into my nostrils. I lowered the hip flask and gazed at the lifeless hide, how could I possibly feel joy? This day, this moment in time had been stewing over 18 months, and like any good concoction, the mix of emotions from start to, well; this end anyway, had been from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other. A journey like this one had started so innocently, when “John” had placed a longbow in my hand. From that moment on I had vowed to longbow harvest a mighty Sambar, not to carry a firearm on any Sambar hunt until my goal had been achieved. Lightly brushing the dust from the wiry bristles on her forehead my mind in turmoil ripped me back; past the hype of half an hour ago, further……. yesterday evening.

Dialing, the ringing started I waited…….
“Boony?”
“Oi bud, is it alright to bring a load of garden waste up to your place for a burn-off?”
“Yeah no stress mate, what time?”
“I’m thinking of say, OMGIFE?”
“Well sun up at 6ish so 4.30am?”
“Done mate, speak then”
“Hey, I got a good feeling ‘bout tomorrow”
“Funny that, same here, cheers bud” As I hung up the phone, I hadn’t lied.

OMGIFE; even my wife knows that word; she smiled and shook her head. It was an acronym termed much earlier in my hunting career standing for “Oh My God It’s F-N Early” and there had been many times it had been coined in the past 5 years. Still something nagged me, so I searched. Finding the film camera under the bed I checked there was film and slid it into my pack, still my mind wasn’t settled so I grabbed the video camera and started to charge the battery. Then un-wrapping a new cassette whilst sitting on the lounge there was a voice; “You don’t even video the kids, I guess this hunting is more important?” Donna, my most patient wife queried. Looking up I smirked, no way was I falling for this one!

Reaching over I pushed the “off” button on the alarm clock and gently slipped out from the doona. I had planned well the night before, bowl on the bench with cereal just needing milk and coffee mug just needing the kettle to boil. I slipped into the shower for a “de-scent”. Taking the last mouthful of coffee, I picked up my bow and eased myself out the front door. I had done this so many times it had become a routine for a Sunday. The trip to Ant’s place was quick, my mind wandering to the weekend before when the two of us had had an amazing “stand-off” with two small stags at 42yds. I could only hope for a repeat, the full moon hung low in the twilit sky as I pulled into Ant’s driveway, n’er was there a better sign……………
Haphazardly throwing all my gear into Ant’s tray I gently lowered the bow and feathered arrows on top. Ant had backed me all the way, not a doubter. There of course had been. “If it hasn’t been done before what makes you think you can do it” went through many a punters mind. Hunting Sambar with a longbow I had definitely challenged myself. Almost every night for 18months I had put 20-40 arrows into a target. I had termed it “practicing instinct” (oxymoron); I hoped one day it would all pay-off.

“Get that into ya”. Jolted; Ant shoved a steaming hot coffee in my hand I could hear excitement in his voice. There would be four of us going out this morning; splitting into pairs we would be hunting either side of a 2 kilometer long spur. We each had been patterning the deer in this part of the forest for three long months, being public land we shared our knowledge as well as the woods with other hunters, bush users and of course, the deer. The headlights flickered catching spiders eyes and ‘roos hopping across the dirt track, then the tail reflectors of Millsy’s car flashed into view. Pulling the ute up along side there were energized whispers hushed around as we donned the head lamps and adjusted our gear. I had always been the last, and as usual stringing the 76lb bow was a little more tedious than the others just slipping a magazine full of rounds, “Shearer” topped it off by asking if I was always going to hunt with the bow!

Lamps on we headed for “abattoirs track”, it had been so aptly named because it was a goat trail that instead of contouring around the hill it almost plunged vertically straight to the creek about 250yds and then straight back up a mountain just as steep. So if you didn’t slip and crack your head on the way in, you’d definitely be knackered on the way out!! Wearing my trademark inside out moccies AKA “silent stalkers”, it made the track even more treacherous. My headlamp glowed red and made the leaves and stones merge together, making it difficult to pick a non slip surface to the bottom of the hill.

Picking our way through the native rubus and thistles ………read more

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