| herdsman |
| (.224 member) |
| 19/11/07 11:30 AM |
Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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How many hunts have been conducted in the Wet Season in the Territory for Water Buff? Why does it all stop when the rain comes?
| 500Nitro |
| (.450 member) |
| 19/11/07 12:43 PM |
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Re: Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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Have you ever tried to seriously get around in the wet season?
40 - 50 degrees, 80 - 100% humidity, Flood plains wet and boggy so vehicle access difficult, easily cut off if it rains hard and floods the creeks so a 2 - 3 day wait for the creeks to drop.
I'll walk kms in 35 - 40 degrees but above that it starts to take it's toll.
That's just my experience.
| herdsman |
| (.224 member) |
| 19/11/07 01:16 PM |
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Re: Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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There must be internationals who want to hunt at that time of year & cant cause nobody operates!!
Just bought this Airboat, what do you reckon?
| MarkR |
| (.333 member) |
| 19/11/07 08:06 PM |
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Re: Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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Looks like "shady camp"???
Cheers,
Mark.
| 500Nitro |
| (.450 member) |
| 19/11/07 08:16 PM |
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Re: Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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Herdsman
You pay anyone enough money and they'll operate
but your limited to where you can go.
And what about camps etc - most / alot are pulled down
so they aren't fucked by any cyclones that come over
during the wet.
It would be an expensive trip if you had 5 days to hunt
and a low / depression / cyclone came in on day one and
rained for 3 - 4 days.
I wouldn't risk it, having spent 3 days sitting on my ass
up there while it dumped rain and then 2 days clearing the
creeks and fences.
| herdsman |
| (.224 member) |
| 19/11/07 08:32 PM |
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Re: Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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Yes Mark you are spot on. I drove the boat from the freshwater side , up the ramp & then around to the mudflats. Went like a rocket in the mud. 0-60 in 6 seconds.
| herdsman |
| (.224 member) |
| 19/11/07 08:38 PM |
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Re: Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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Yes Mark you are spot on. I drove the boat from the freshwater side , up the ramp & then around to the mudflats. Went like a rocket in the mud. 0-60 in 6 seconds.
I have access to the Arafura Swamp (Arnhemland) with air conditioned cabins, airstrip etc. Heaps of Buffalo & Pigs. Just got to look out for the big Crocodiles..
| Marrakai |
| (.416 member) |
| 19/11/07 09:35 PM |
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Re: Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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Airboats are certainly the way to get around in the wet season.
That's my Jeffery .400 double in the "suicide seat".... !
The main impediment to hunting in the wet season is the long grass.
Animals are just too difficult to see. I do a bit of early morning tracking
sometimes, after overnight thunderstorms, and it can be productive.
Very exciting when you come up on a buff unexpectedly in 2 metre high spear-grass!
| herdsman |
| (.224 member) |
| 19/11/07 09:59 PM |
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Re: Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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What brand boat is that? Do you use it for commercial use ? ie spraying. Mine is 20ft Panther with twin props.
| herdsman |
| (.224 member) |
| 20/11/07 01:36 PM |
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Re: Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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Anybody else hunted from a weird vehicle or boat?
| Marrakai |
| (.416 member) |
| 20/11/07 11:38 PM |
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Re: Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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herdsman:
That's a Parks & Wildlife vessel in the photo, not sure of the hull but they use a Lycoming aircraft engine. That one does a fair bit of weed spraying during and after the wet.
On the subject of weird vehicles, a mate has ripped into the pigs with a shottie from the front seat of an ultralight! Even though it was flown by the property owner on a western queensland cattle station, might not be strictly legal, so he should probably remain anonymous!
NitroX
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| (.700 member) |
| 27/11/07 03:50 PM |
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Re: Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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Wet Season hunts might well be possible in some areas with appropriate equipment/vehicles/boats but how would you get enough clients to make it economically feasible?
Also most foreign clients and a lot of Aussies would find the conditions oppressive, which is why many book for the cooler "winter" dry season season months.
| AussieHunter |
| (.224 member) |
| 27/11/07 04:50 PM |
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Re: Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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How much are you looking at for one of those air boats herdsman?
| herdsman |
| (.224 member) |
| 27/11/07 07:32 PM |
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Re: Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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Around $85,000 Aus Dollars.
Costs alot to get them from the States.
| 500Nitro |
| (.450 member) |
| 27/11/07 08:53 PM |
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Re: Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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$85,000 !
Jesus, you could build one for that,
albeit not as good but that is a hell
of a lot of money for an airboat.
| herdsman |
| (.224 member) |
| 27/11/07 09:21 PM |
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Re: Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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Yeh, Its a fortune, I bought mine second hand with only 11 hrs on the meter. Much much cheaper..
They are quite a complicated piece of equipment, counter rotating 10 props, 500 hp Chev..
| herdsman |
| (.224 member) |
| 28/11/07 08:19 PM |
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Re: Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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Going out again this Saturday, I'll get heaps of photo's of some good size buff & bulls.
| Marty |
| (.300 member) |
| 29/11/07 01:24 AM |
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Re: Water Buffalo hunts in the Wet Season
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Then anonymous it will have to be...
There is an airboat for sale in Darwin right now. No idea the price. Its on the Stuart Highway though so when I see it I will get a price and dealer.