Feral Camel Hunt in Oz

[jimmy 76]

what do you do with them? do you eat the meat?

[martin 332]

Hi Code4,I watched a tv documentary about 25yrs ago,it was on the then new tv channel 4 and it was called 'The Hunter' and it was all about an Englishman that had gone over with his wife with the idea of buying farmland to grow cereals,but,when he found out that he couldn't afford the type of land he needed he went and bought so many thousands of acres of scrubland with a view to shooting feral Camels and Horses for pet food.It was an excellent programme and I wish I could watch it again,have you heard of it at all?

 

Martin

[kingnewport 19]

Great read, i love all the camping and hunting holidays. Sounds like you had a good time.

[mackem 26,800]

I watched a tv documentary about 25yrs ago

Did the guy live right out in the boonies,and have shipping containers converted to freezer units?The meat truck used to come and collect when the freezers were filled with brumbies,kangaroos and camels?I remember a similar program from years ago.

[swamp thang 16]

Having heard about renegade camel bands plundering precious water supplies and such in Oz, I can understand the rationale for having to thin them out, particularly since they are not a native species to Australia, and are multiplying like bunnies.

 

Saw some scary video of camel bandito gangs laying waste a homestead in the Australian outback some years ago, and I remember wondering why nobody thought of harvesting them for meat. Thanks for the camel-hunting account Code4. If you don't already, may I suggest taking along a butcher to save at least some the meat, though I have no idea what it tastes like.

 

Since nobody asked for an apalling poem on this subject, I decided to compose one.

 

There was an old camel named Hamell

Who lived in the land of Oz

He thought nothing of fences and property lines

And scared the horses just becoz

 

Along came Code4, and off went old Hamell

And soon the chase was on

Through sandy waste and billabong

They zigged and they zagged

Until Code4 dropped the hammer And Hamell was bagged

Edited December 4, 2011 by swamp thang

[Code4 3]

I'm told if you get a youngish camel it tastes Like beef. We did not collect the camel meat. The vast majority of hunting in Australia is done with feral introduced animals. All buffalo, deer, pigs, wild horses and dogs etc are introduced. For us, there is only the ethical consideration of a quick kill to consider. Land owners are responsible for controlling the number of feral animals on their land and can be penalised for not doing so. The property owner was glad to see us as it saved him the cost of doing it himself or having to pay the costs of the relevant authority to do it.

 

There are three abattoirs in Australia dedicated to processing camel meat for human consumption. The market for this meat is mostly South East Asia. Health regulations require the animals to be slaughtered on site and this is where the cost and time taken to transport the animals to slaughter becomes expensive. Too expensive for most land owners to consider. Meat used for pet food production is another matter.

 

This trip was a cull and I hope I had made that clear in my report. Our previous trip had involved a lot more stalking (as well as culling). http://forums.nitroe...ge=1#Post184434

 

I see a number of members here are familiar with the problems caused by camels.

Edited December 4, 2011 by Code4

[swamp thang 16]

I reckon I could make a modest living culling camels in Oz, Code 4, but maybe processing the meat into commercial fish-feed or such, if the laws would allow. Then again I woudn't last long in that desert heat, and with my luck I'd get lost in the dunes while stalking the one that got away.

 

Seriously though, my hat is off to the riflemen down under who traverse from desert to jungle and back without breaking a sweat. Also, without the help of huntsmen willing to control the numbers of those galloping eating machines, camel mega-herds would lay waste all that makes life liveable not only for human inhabitants of the infested areas, but also for native wildlife and plantlife.

 

I never thought I'd have cause at some point to write these words, but hey, Good bag of camels, and I look forward to hearing about tallies on later hunts.

[staffs riffraff 1,068]

Every day I want to emigrate to oz more and more going to look into what skills are required to gain entry. Thanks for sharing sounds a great experience

[long dogs 580]

great write up them camels are huge

[martin 332]

I watched a tv documentary about 25yrs ago

Did the guy live right out in the boonies,and have shipping containers converted to freezer units?The meat truck used to come and collect when the freezers were filled with brumbies,kangaroos and camels?I remember a similar program from years ago.

 

Thats the one bud,great doc,would love to see it again.

[foxing machine 144]

great pictures mate and a very good right up pal atb fm

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Propper job mate ,well done .

[SLAUGHTER SQUAD 13]

GREAT WRITE UP GOOD TO SEE SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT

[Simoman 110]

Every day I want to emigrate to oz more and more going to look into what skills are required to gain entry. Thanks for sharing sounds a great experience

 

Its harder than many folk think nowdays, i had my animal science degree with gave me zero points, although i did get 5 of the required 65 points for being married to somebody who had the full quota We never went as i wouldn't leave the dogs but perhaps that was a mistake lol.

 

Fantastic read