Jump to content

Another Ruddy Australian


Recommended Posts

Young "Jimmy" is coming on well. He and my little whip bitch sorted this one yesterday while I was fixing a fence.

 

utf-8BSU1BRzAwOTYuanBn_zpsb0ff086b.jpg

 

 

Even after I'd hung it up, he insisted that it was HIS fox, that HE had caught and HE was the one to say whether it was dead or not.

 

utf-8BSU1BRzAxMDBfMS5qcGc_zpsfd7fa5af.jp

 

Ended up with 2 out of 3. The third beat us through the rocks and ended up in a big, solid white-box with a trunk too vertical for the Jacks to climb.

Edited by Tsayad
Link to post
Share on other sites

I remember reading these posts when the first appeared. Just came across them again. Brilliant to read and the pics are great. We've just had friends emigrate to Oz and the pigs they've e-mailed us are fantastic - warm and glorious!!!! Jealous? Maybe???

 

Keep them coming Tsayad. Thank you. :thumbs:

Link to post
Share on other sites

Can I ask a few questions about the hounds that you employ for the deer? Are one or two of them pure Bloodhound? How do you find them for the job compared to other types?

 

Would enjoy more stories of the deer hunting, and the hounds!

 

All the best

 

Tusker

Link to post
Share on other sites

Can I ask a few questions about the hounds that you employ for the deer? Are one or two of them pure Bloodhound? How do you find them for the job compared to other types?

 

Would enjoy more stories of the deer hunting, and the hounds!

 

All the best

 

Tusker

Tusker....

 

It's the closed season for that game here at the moment. :( Not that we would hunt anyway, as the heat is too hard on the dogs and there is too much risk of snakebite.

 

We are legally restricted to three breeds of hounds, which must be assessed as true to type and registered with te authorities. It's a pain in the neck, and most unreasonable, but we came within a whisker of losing the ability to hunt with hounds completely.

 

The legal breeds are Beagle, Bloodhound and Harrier. No crosses. The Harriers have only become legal this year, so the number of blokes hunting with them will be limited. The argument between bloodhound owners and beagle owners is like any argument between two bunches of blokes devoted to their dogs. "Classic" show-ring bloodies are insufficiently athletic. Too heavy and too slow. That is not to say that they cannot hunt reasonably well, but those breeding for hunting ability tend to breed to the leaner and "cleaner" end of the standard - looking for a dog that can hunt for hours.

 

It is far easier to find beagles from good hunting lines, and some argue that they work better in heavy scrub..... but their height and length of leg is considered a limitation by those who want a faster dog. Blokes chasing this have been butting their heads against the maximum height limit for the breed, so having the Harriers legalised is considered a big gain.

 

To put it in perspective, the number-one breed used before the restrictions came in was the English Foxhound.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Tsayad: I didn't know there were restrictions on using scent hounds in Oz. Does that mean that fox hunting with hounds is banned then? And what about using lurchers to take fox? Be interested to know what the laws are over there.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Tsayad: I didn't know there were restrictions on using scent hounds in Oz. Does that mean that fox hunting with hounds is banned then? And what about using lurchers to take fox? Be interested to know what the laws are over there.

 

Skycat...

 

My bad for failing to clarify the target.

 

I was referring specifically to hunting Sambar deer with scent-trailing hounds. The sport involves using hounds to locate and push the deer while we hunters try and get ahead for an "ambush".... or until the deer bails an we can walk in on it. We nearly lost the ability to do this some years ago when some rocket-surgeons used larger dogs to pull down deer, then allowed video of their pack killing deer slowly, to get out in public. We managed to save the sport by arguing that we should be allowed to continue using dogs that were not physically large, fast or aggressive enough to actually pull deer down..... but the foxhounds were banned and if you want to see some tough men in tears, ask them about having to shoot their canine mates.

 

Legislation may vary from state to state, but it is possible here to legally hunt fox with horse and hounds in the traditional method. There's not a lot of it, but there are several hunt clubs.

 

There is one state - Victoria - in which it is illegal to "cause" one animal to "fight" another, and that wording has been interpreted in some quarters as making it illegal to use catch-dogs on rabbits or foxes. However that interpretation has never been enforced to my knowledge.

In my state, there is no legal impediment beyond normal anti-cruelty legislation, which is why I am not shy about posting picks of my staghounds on prey, although I include the caveat that I ensure that death is not prolonged.

Pig-hunting using holding dogs has come under fire from the animal-crackers these last few years. I'm not sure about the legislative restrictions, but I think that it's limited to the normal cruelty provisions. Dogs that lug-up and hold (generally by the ears, hence the name) are fine. Dogs that maul are considered non-kosher and contrary to the APDHA (Australian Pig-Dog Hunters Assoc) voluntray code of conduct.

 

It probably helps that foxes and pigs are exotic, and significant pests of agriculture. There has also been, at times, a significant market for wild pig meat, sold as "game" into the European market, and the right style of dog has been a major assett for people wanting to make money from that game. The market for fox-fur is well down on what it was in the 80s, but at least one state has a bountry on them, and another is considering one.

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

Can I ask a few questions about the hounds that you employ for the deer? Are one or two of them pure Bloodhound? How do you find them for the job compared to other types?

 

Would enjoy more stories of the deer hunting, and the hounds!

 

All the best

 

Tusker

Tusker....

 

It's the closed season for that game here at the moment. :( Not that we would hunt anyway, as the heat is too hard on the dogs and there is too much risk of snakebite.

 

We are legally restricted to three breeds of hounds, which must be assessed as true to type and registered with te authorities. It's a pain in the neck, and most unreasonable, but we came within a whisker of losing the ability to hunt with hounds completely.

 

The legal breeds are Beagle, Bloodhound and Harrier. No crosses. The Harriers have only become legal this year, so the number of blokes hunting with them will be limited. The argument between bloodhound owners and beagle owners is like any argument between two bunches of blokes devoted to their dogs. "Classic" show-ring bloodies are insufficiently athletic. Too heavy and too slow. That is not to say that they cannot hunt reasonably well, but those breeding for hunting ability tend to breed to the leaner and "cleaner" end of the standard - looking for a dog that can hunt for hours.

 

It is far easier to find beagles from good hunting lines, and some argue that they work better in heavy scrub..... but their height and length of leg is considered a limitation by those who want a faster dog. Blokes chasing this have been butting their heads against the maximum height limit for the breed, so having the Harriers legalised is considered a big gain.

 

To put it in perspective, the number-one breed used before the restrictions came in was the English Foxhound.

Thanks for the reply, its a type of hunting I just didnt get into during my life in Australia. I spent pretty much my entire hunting career catching pigs. Things aint changed much since arriving in the UK, But we have a few restrictions to work around, which to tell ya the truth, aint so bad.

 

Ive opted for the welsh hound as the base scent hound in my line, as these are a determined sort, not unlike the english or fell for ability, but with a harsh rough coat which is essential to me up in these spruce thickets, and gorse.

 

All the best

 

Tusker

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...