4.35 miles!

[Gordoncourtney]

Crop farmers can get a cull permit for emu's in special cases,otherwise thats a HELL NO.

I cannot say Emus do much damage as they are so few of them in WA. Hope I am wrong , As you go north from Perth to Exmouth it becomes a barren land and no seabirds, as you go south to Bumbry it gets cold and wet we were feeding the big rays with shrimp in poring rain. Cold wind too Was not warm one November till we got to Coral bay for a week swimming with big fish . You cannot hunt in WA with a muzzle loader or a blow pipe, heard about hunters needed to cull wild goats and dogs up Canarvon way but I never saw any nor did anyone else Think Queensland and out of Darwin are for big game hunters. Big water buff. Perth WA a most beautiful city Love the place. We hunted gentle but deadly Tiger snakes on the banks of Swan river but never saw any, at 80 in March I think the 23 hour flight will be just too much again , it’s a long long way

Love to you all especialy in WA made is so welcome, and music in the parks Gordon

 

[Christophero]

I cannot say Emus do much damage as they are so few of them in WA. Hope I am wrong , As you go north from Perth to Exmouth it becomes a barren land and no seabirds, as you go south to Bumbry it gets cold and wet we were feeding the big rays with shrimp in poring rain. Cold wind too Was not warm one November till we got to Coral bay for a week swimming with big fish . You cannot hunt in WA with a muzzle loader or a blow pipe, heard about hunters needed to cull wild goats and dogs up Canarvon way but I never saw any nor did anyone else Think Queensland and out of Darwin are for big game hunters. Big water buff. Perth WA a most beautiful city Love the place. We hunted gentle but deadly Tiger snakes on the banks of Swan river but never saw any, at 80 in March I think the 23 hour flight will be just too much again , it’s a long long way

Love to you all especialy in WA made is so welcome, and music in the parks Gordon

Gordon,
I appreciate your style. As I age it is my strong intention to actively become less brusk and more enjoying of what this fleeting life has to offer. The fear of loss prompted my younger days to be bristly and more unpleasant than they should have been. This doesn't mean I have resigned to lay down the rights and privileges that free men should expect, but God did not promise sunshine and roses to all good men, so why should I demand with clenched fist and gritted teeth that which better men than I did not receive? I'll continue to vote, write congressmen, support just causes and rights for free citizens. Yet, your willingness to reflect fondly on those life events and communities of people that still warm your heart, instead of only focusing on the vile actions of that which heat your temper and dull the sparkle in your eye, has earned my respect. My hat's off to you, good sir.
Warm regards,

Christopher Owens

 

[Bigpete]

Well I was not referring to the Quakers on Rotness island, see utube. The most lovely gentle miniature size kangaroos you can imagine, like a big rabbit , so friendly, of course after my packed lunch The ferry has got terribly expensive like $23 return last time. It was $8. Such is life I did not like the taste RU snags , sausages to us

Have a good day

You mean quokkas

 

[Bigpete]

I cannot say Emus do much damage as they are so few of them in WA. Hope I am wrong , As you go north from Perth to Exmouth it becomes a barren land and no seabirds, as you go south to Bumbry it gets cold and wet we were feeding the big rays with shrimp in poring rain. Cold wind too Was not warm one November till we got to Coral bay for a week swimming with big fish . You cannot hunt in WA with a muzzle loader or a blow pipe, heard about hunters needed to cull wild goats and dogs up Canarvon way but I never saw any nor did anyone else Think Queensland and out of Darwin are for big game hunters. Big water buff. Perth WA a most beautiful city Love the place. We hunted gentle but deadly Tiger snakes on the banks of Swan river but never saw any, at 80 in March I think the 23 hour flight will be just too much again , it’s a long long way

Love to you all especialy in WA made is so welcome, and music in the parks Gordon

They do plenty of damage in the Millewa wheat belt.

 

[Bigpete]

Why yes of course. I found many of them exceedingly pleasant people. Wife’s doctor was indigenous too. Others , mainly kids, I’ll not comment on !!!!

Yes,the indigenous people are allowed to hunt native species without permits,not so true for the rest of us

 

[springfield art]

Yep Jess and I trampled, tripped, cussed our way through dense cover in search of woodcock and roosters.
It was Berti the topsy-turvy Beretta thingy muzzleloader today and when we did put a woodcock up I missed . I rushed the shot!
Eventually Jesse's nose was sniffing the air in a tangle of weeds and stuff and up pops rooster #1, I didn't rush this time and killed it outright.
View attachment 112228
One barrel still loaded I pondered flighting woodcock as night came but just 100yds from the first pheasant Jesse's nose was pointing in a thick clump of bramble!
I stepped into it and #2 rooster raised cussing his head off at me. BOOM and he was done ✔
View attachment 112229
Three shot for two birds, I'll settle for that.
4.3 miles of exercise and I can not believe how warm it is. Shirt and open coat weather!
Well, playtime is drawing to a close. Soon back to work, that is, if I don't get covid!

Thought that was Elmer Fudd for a second! Quite a shotgun you got there! Good huntin'!

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Yes,the indigenous people are allowed to hunt native species without permits,not so true for the rest of us

I looked up a water buff permit. 10 years back it was $8 and mandatory to shoot 150 , I meant to get a gold prospectors licence , same $8 but it’s for life You need a licence for everything in WA The only other place I know of is Muggi inland from Sydney if I spelt it right. It’s was I gather from distant relatives a town of hippies, weed, and other unmentionable things on a Friday night. Did some race sailing on Perth water on Fremantle side, too many sailors had skin cancer on lower arms. Haha. Did go to the big shooting ranges at Jondulup but no viewing for visitors. You might not believe it but west of London we have parrots everywhere I don’t think , from conversation, they like hunters in Perth . Ahh so our previous gentleman spelt right The name of little kangaroos on Rotness island , there are a few on the mainland . I went to a few gunshops in Perth but it was all modern .222 stuff certainly not ML or double rifles Yes Perth is a beautiful slightly boring place but I was glad after two months to get back to this green and pleasant land. With a Moslem London Mayor and now an Indian prim-mister how our colonial days have changed. London now more Moslem than Christian , God help us. Ha ha ha I have also lived in Nigeria for three years , you don’t want to go there. No animals to hunt anyway Lovely to chat. Horrors of aging , my son tells me I’ll be a grandad any day soon, least it’s a boy
photo of me now and obviously in Oz , I’ll be 80 in March ,

Brotherly love to you all from the UK

 

[Gordoncourtney]

They do plenty of damage in the Millewa wheat belt.

Ha ha ha. If it wasn't for you I would not have read up about Emu Most funny and interesting like the Emu war of 1932. When the Emu beat the hunters, very funny. Seems groups may be up to 1000 can attack fields of crops mainly trampling them down. Seems they take a bit of shooting to. No head shots they are so tiny so not much brain either . Seems better to cull them for meat than grow wheat they multiply so well. I said before I met them, at a little zoo nr Perth they were quite gentle and liked their head tucked under my arm, not so wild ones I guess Oz is an interesting place , so large , I could happily live there , bad side being skin cancer , my cousins family ate white they never go out in the sun . Swimming is a bit dangerous in places , did most of that on Rotness island , bad news I would miss the London gun auctions, I see some Ozzy guys coming over to buy up guns for sale . We know many Poms now back in Uk after the £10 trip to Oz , it did not work out My cousin went out in 1970s and have been most happy in Perth, the exchange rate £ to Au$ has not been good in recent years making it expensive to visitors I could chat for hours but nothing on ML in WA. Police very anti gun it seems too.

That’s it I wish you well

 

[Bigpete]

I looked up a water buff permit. 10 years back it was $8 and mandatory to shoot 150 , I meant to get a gold prospectors licence , same $8 but it’s for life You need a licence for everything in WA The only other place I know of is Muggi inland from Sydney if I spelt it right. It’s was I gather from distant relatives a town of hippies, weed, and other unmentionable things on a Friday night. Did some race sailing on Perth water on Fremantle side, too many sailors had skin cancer on lower arms. Haha. Did go to the big shooting ranges at Jondulup but no viewing for visitors. You might not believe it but west of London we have parrots everywhere I don’t think , from conversation, they like hunters in Perth . Ahh so our previous gentleman spelt right The name of little kangaroos on Rotness island , there are a few on the mainland . I went to a few gunshops in Perth but it was all modern .222 stuff certainly not ML or double rifles Yes Perth is a beautiful slightly boring place but I was glad after two months to get back to this green and pleasant land. With a Moslem London Mayor and now an Indian prim-mister how our colonial days have changed. London now more Moslem than Christian , God help us. Ha ha ha I have also lived in Nigeria for three years , you don’t want to go there. No animals to hunt anyway Lovely to chat. Horrors of aging , my son tells me I’ll be a grandad any day soon, least it’s a boy
photo of me now and obviously in Oz , I’ll be 80 in March ,

Brotherly love to you all from the UK

Water buff aren't native....

 

[Bigpete]

Ha ha ha. If it wasn't for you I would not have read up about Emu Most funny and interesting like the Emu war of 1932. When the Emu beat the hunters, very funny. Seems groups may be up to 1000 can attack fields of crops mainly trampling them down. Seems they take a bit of shooting to. No head shots they are so tiny so not much brain either . Seems better to cull them for meat than grow wheat they multiply so well. I said before I met them, at a little zoo nr Perth they were quite gentle and liked their head tucked under my arm, not so wild ones I guess Oz is an interesting place , so large , I could happily live there , bad side being skin cancer , my cousins family ate white they never go out in the sun . Swimming is a bit dangerous in places , did most of that on Rotness island , bad news I would miss the London gun auctions, I see some Ozzy guys coming over to buy up guns for sale . We know many Poms now back in Uk after the £10 trip to Oz , it did not work out My cousin went out in 1970s and have been most happy in Perth, the exchange rate £ to Au$ has not been good in recent years making it expensive to visitors I could chat for hours but nothing on ML in WA. Police very anti gun it seems too.

That’s it I wish you well

The second and continuing battles of the emu war don't go so well for the emus.....
The most common method I've seen is to use shotguns from vehicles,although I do know people who expressly head shoot them out to a 150m or so....

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Water buff aren't native....

Neither are foxes dogs cats , one hippo , camels horses sheep frog , humans, how long is the list And what about plant imports It’s a nightmare. And water buff and hogs , goats rats and mice from ships then there’s rabbits seems cats kill thousands of animals each day

 

[Gordoncourtney]

I read about a young hippo in a Perth newspaper. How he got into the wilds of Queensland , it did not day. No it was not a joke. We need more shooting of foreign animals in WA and rest of Australia Oh dear we will get kicked off the forum if we carry on like this. But it’s an important subject and guns are the only answer ML or not. I wish you well

 

[Bigpete]

Neither are foxes dogs cats , one hippo , camels horses sheep frog , humans, how long is the list And what about plant imports It’s a nightmare. And water buff and hogs , goats rats and mice from ships then there’s rabbits seems cats kill thousands of animals each day

We were talking requiring permits for native species....

 

[Bigpete]

I'd also love to see the $8 permit and requirement to shoot 150 water buff in writing. I've been trying to get onto a buff hunt for over 20 years and as yet can't find any way to do so for under 5k,excepting certain flogged out public land areas around Darwin.

 

[oldwood]

Brit........Congrats on the hunt. I'm old and must admit , the three of four woodcocks , I missed in the swamp we used to hunt , back in the 1960's , hopefully got away , and became breeding stock. I have never harvested a wood cock , and when I would miss ,my English Setter , Tiger,would give me "the look" , saying , partner , you are a bad shot. .....oldwood

 

[Gordoncourtney]

I'd also love to see the $8 permit and requirement to shoot 150 water buff in writing. I've been trying to get onto a buff hunt for over 20 years and as yet can't find any way to do so for under 5k,excepting certain flogged out public land areas around Darwin.

Some time back Marraki ( British military forums 577-500 no 2) out of Darwin was doing a weeks buff/ duck hunting forAU$ 8k. The permit is one thing getting hunting permission is another I met a guy from Queensland he said he shoots plenty of buff. He was over here buying guns at Holts auction Who knows. My cousins kids were at Darwin but came back to Perth after crocs took a couple of kids. All true or false information who knows. I’ll not be going back to Oz at 80 As to the permit I found it on google. Also their gold prospecting licence. I wish you well

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Some time back Marraki ( British military forums 577-500 no 2) out of Darwin was doing a weeks buff/ duck hunting forAU$ 8k. The permit is one thing getting hunting permission is another I met a guy from Queensland he said he shoots plenty of buff. He was over here buying guns at Holts auction Who knows. My cousins kids were at Darwin but came back to Perth after crocs took a couple of kids. All true or false information who knows. I’ll not be going back to Oz at 80 As to the permit I found it on google. Also their gold prospecting licence. I wish you well

No I have been on google nothing of Marraki or permits the years go by As you say plenty of buff hunting if you pay $$$. I guess get a truck and head off into the bush passing a few camels on the way Oz can be a wonderful harsh country I never got to see the giant crater inland from Canarvon. It’s a dangerous place if not well prepared for the trip, I gather few go there .

 

[PathfinderNC]

Barring the side conversations going on, this was another great hunting story! Brit and Jess are cleaning out the County hahaha. I am amazed at the variety of game you bag there. Obviously a very capable hunter who knows where they are and how to get them. Always a pleasure to find your stories

 

[Gordoncourtney]

I'd also love to see the $8 permit and requirement to shoot 150 water buff in writing. I've been trying to get onto a buff hunt for over 20 years and as yet can't find any way to do so for under 5k,excepting certain flogged out public land areas around Darwin.

Ok so it’s not a ml But can be BP that’s something BP ml. 440 g .5 bullet at 1600 ft sec

	Based on these initial experiences with the .500 No.2 on buff, I would be quite confident taking the Rodda against the biggest buffalo bull, providing he was undisturbed and offered me a good view of his ribs. Hopefully the opportunity will present itself the next time that marvellous vintage double accompanies me into the hunting field!​
	Only one of the .500-cal projectiles was recovered from the cow, the third bullet which had quartered forward and stopped at the front of the off-side shoulder. It hadn't expanded much, but then penetration is the more important criterion on large game and this one recorded almost a metre. One of the first two Woodleighs had traversed the chest-cavity, centering a far rib but bouncing back inside despite breaking the bone. Couldn't find it, though! ...and only God knows where the other one ended up!​
	I wasn't aware that Ralph had fired, but apparently at my first shot, the herd bull had stuck his head up out of the long grass to reveal an impressive rack, so he immediately caught a 410-grain Woodleigh .416 on the point of the shoulder! He turned out to be a very respectable trophy at 101 points SCI, and Ralph's largest by a fair margin, so it was a very satisfying result all round!​
	I didn't count on the herd turning down the overflow and feeding straight towards us, as we crouched in the open trying to hide behind 6-inch tufts of grass! Two cows with calves were in the lead: luckily one had an obvious weaner because it was she that offered the first opportunity, turning almost broadside at about 8 metres! With no time to lose, I gave her both barrels quickly behind the elbow, then hastily reloaded and put a third into the off-side rib-cage, quartering forward, as she about-faced to flee. Thankfully, the mob decided to head for the hills, although the cow was down within a few strides and quite dead by the time I reached her.​
	For the first trip, I took along one of my daughter's friends, Ralph, who had taken buff before but was keen to bring a really good trophy bull to bag. My wife Rebecca also came along for the bushwalking, and to help pack out any meat we might acquire. After following a drainage line upwind for most of the day, we finally bumped into a mob feeding in the creek-bed in the late afternoon. Rebecca and I ducked out to one side and knelt down in a dry overflow to cover their exit from the creekline, and to pick out a fat cow or good bull, whichever presented the best shot as they filed past. I was still being cautious with this calibre (the cartridge is no giant killer!) but assumed the 440-grain Woodleighs would do the job.​
	I wasted no time in developing a modern accurate load for the Rodda, settling on 74gr of ADI AR2208 plus 2 half-inch saddle-felt wads beneath the 440gr Woodleigh 'Weldcore' bullet. Cases were Australian Bertram brass. My handloads landed a little high on the test-target at 50 yards, but showed outstanding accuracy considering the rather dark bores. Composite 4-shot groups were always within 2 inches, and R/L pairs were usually touching! The time was fast approaching to reacquaint this delightful vintage hunting rifle with its old adversary: the asian water buffalo!​
	The provenance of this particular rifle is not known prior to the 1970s, when it was allegedly confiscated from a 'person or persons unknown' by the Elephant Control Board on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The rifle was subsequently disposed of by Government auction, at which time it was picked up by a visiting Australian and brought back to WA where it changed hands several times prior to my acquisition.​
	I had recently acquired a rather well-used but nevertheless quite sound hammerless double rifle built in Birmingham more than a century ago by W & C Scott & Son for the well-known ‘British’ firm of R.B. Rodda & Co. of Calcutta. With 28-inch barrels and an overall weight of 9 1/2 lbs, the gun features Scotts' patent ‘Crystal Indicator’ back-action sidelocks with gilt tumblers and Perkes-patent intercepting safeties. The engraving style is bold acanthus scroll with the retailer’s name in a banner on each lock-plate. Although chambered for the .577/.500 No.2 Black Powder Express, the action flats are stamped “CO EX” indicating that the rifle was proved for, and probably regulated with, the cordite express ‘nitro-for-black’ load. Ballistics at the time specified a 440-grain .510 bluff-nose jacketed soft-point at 1675 fps, for 2740 ftlbs muzzle energy. The Taylor Knock-Out value would be 53.7 with a 440gr solid, not brilliant by any means, but some 25% more than the .375 H&H Magnum.​

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Ok so it’s not a ml But can be BP that’s something BP ml. 440 g .5 bullet at 1600 ft sec

	I had recently acquired a rather well-used but nevertheless quite sound hammerless double rifle built in Birmingham more than a century ago by W & C Scott & Son for the well-known ‘British’ firm of R.B. Rodda & Co. of Calcutta. With 28-inch barrels and an overall weight of 9 1/2 lbs, the gun features Scotts' patent ‘Crystal Indicator’ back-action sidelocks with gilt tumblers and Perkes-patent intercepting safeties. The engraving style is bold acanthus scroll with the retailer’s name in a banner on each lock-plate. Although chambered for the .577/.500 No.2 Black Powder Express, the action flats are stamped “CO EX” indicating that the rifle was proved for, and probably regulated with, the cordite express ‘nitro-for-black’ load. Ballistics at the time specified a 440-grain .510 bluff-nose jacketed soft-point at 1675 fps, for 2740 ftlbs muzzle energy. The Taylor Knock-Out value would be 53.7 with a 440gr solid, not brilliant by any means, but some 25% more than the .375 H&H Magnum.​
	The provenance of this particular rifle is not known prior to the 1970s, when it was allegedly confiscated from a 'person or persons unknown' by the Elephant Control Board on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The rifle was subsequently disposed of by Government auction, at which time it was picked up by a visiting Australian and brought back to WA where it changed hands several times prior to my acquisition.​
	I wasted no time in developing a modern accurate load for the Rodda, settling on 74gr of ADI AR2208 plus 2 half-inch saddle-felt wads beneath the 440gr Woodleigh 'Weldcore' bullet. Cases were Australian Bertram brass. My handloads landed a little high on the test-target at 50 yards, but showed outstanding accuracy considering the rather dark bores. Composite 4-shot groups were always within 2 inches, and R/L pairs were usually touching! The time was fast approaching to reacquaint this delightful vintage hunting rifle with its old adversary: the asian water buffalo!​
	For the first trip, I took along one of my daughter's friends, Ralph, who had taken buff before but was keen to bring a really good trophy bull to bag. My wife Rebecca also came along for the bushwalking, and to help pack out any meat we might acquire. After following a drainage line upwind for most of the day, we finally bumped into a mob feeding in the creek-bed in the late afternoon. Rebecca and I ducked out to one side and knelt down in a dry overflow to cover their exit from the creekline, and to pick out a fat cow or good bull, whichever presented the best shot as they filed past. I was still being cautious with this calibre (the cartridge is no giant killer!) but assumed the 440-grain Woodleighs would do the job.​
	I didn't count on the herd turning down the overflow and feeding straight towards us, as we crouched in the open trying to hide behind 6-inch tufts of grass! Two cows with calves were in the lead: luckily one had an obvious weaner because it was she that offered the first opportunity, turning almost broadside at about 8 metres! With no time to lose, I gave her both barrels quickly behind the elbow, then hastily reloaded and put a third into the off-side rib-cage, quartering forward, as she about-faced to flee. Thankfully, the mob decided to head for the hills, although the cow was down within a few strides and quite dead by the time I reached her.​
	I wasn't aware that Ralph had fired, but apparently at my first shot, the herd bull had stuck his head up out of the long grass to reveal an impressive rack, so he immediately caught a 410-grain Woodleigh .416 on the point of the shoulder! He turned out to be a very respectable trophy at 101 points SCI, and Ralph's largest by a fair margin, so it was a very satisfying result all round!​
	Only one of the .500-cal projectiles was recovered from the cow, the third bullet which had quartered forward and stopped at the front of the off-side shoulder. It hadn't expanded much, but then penetration is the more important criterion on large game and this one recorded almost a metre. One of the first two Woodleighs had traversed the chest-cavity, centering a far rib but bouncing back inside despite breaking the bone. Couldn't find it, though! ...and only God knows where the other one ended up!​
	Based on these initial experiences with the .500 No.2 on buff, I would be quite confident taking the Rodda against the biggest buffalo bull, providing he was undisturbed and offered me a good view of his ribs. Hopefully the opportunity will present itself the next time that marvellous vintage double accompanies me into the hunting field!​

Marraki above out of Darwin Oz see google “Rodda’s first Buff “. Same gun but mine had hammers made by Thomas bland London