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Hunting >> Hunting in Australia, NZ & the South Pacific

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Ben
.400 member

Reged: 22/08/08
Posts: 1917
Loc: Northern Territory, Australia

A feral donkey hunt with the .416 Rigby...
#114190 - 11/09/08 06:51 PM

Well, yesterday afternoon as we drove along a station track, we spied a pair of donkeys moving through the light savannah scrubland quite a distance ahead. We stopped the Toyota, and I uncased my rifle, slipped in the bolt and loaded the magazine and my pockets. The wind was just right, steady in my face, and I began a stalk straight toward where we'd last seen them. They were steadily moving away, and it took some time before I spotted them again. I was hunched right over, and moving as fast as I could to catch-up to them. The grass was about waist-high for the most part, providing some good cover. They weren't stopping, so I was quite puffed by the time I was about seventy yards behind the trailing donkey, a smaller Jenny. She was cutting across nearly side-on at this stage, following the Jack. I crouched down, steadying the rifle against a tree, waiting for her to clear some timber. As she came into my chosen zone of fire, I settled the sight on her chest and squeezed-off. She whirled around, and another Woodleigh 410 grain RN/SN projectile hit her with a puff of grey dust. After that, I had no idea where she was. She'd just disappeared. The Jack had meanwhile turned and galloped back toward the Jenny, spooked by the noise but unaware of my location. As he went past, at only about 45 metres, I hit him through both shoulders, which broke them both and dropped him on the spot. I quickly jogged-up, and put another through his heart - I felt that fourth firing on my shoulder! Not too far away lay the dead Jenny. After that, we walked a creek, where my mate managed to shoot a sow with his .308. It was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon and evening, although I nearly choked on dust - I must've got a throat-full somewhere in the shooting. By the way, for those unfamiliar with our feral donkey situation - they are descendants of the African Wild Asses brought over to carry stuff around the interior before motor vehicles were invented, and then let loose. There are an estimated 5-million of these destructive beasts roaming our beautiful-though-fragile Outback (actually, 4,999,998 now).

Here's the Jenny:

Here's the Jack:

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Ben
.400 member

Reged: 22/08/08
Posts: 1917
Loc: Northern Territory, Australia

Re: A feral donkey hunt with the .416 Rigby... [Re: Ben]
#114191 - 11/09/08 06:56 PM

Oh, and here's an attempt at artistically-capturing an image of my rifle in its natural habitat:

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tinker
.416 member

Reged: 12/03/05
Posts: 4835
Loc: Nevada

Re: A feral donkey hunt with the .416 Rigby... [Re: Ben]
#114221 - 12/09/08 01:47 AM

Ben-

It looks like you're having a great time with the CZ!
I wish I could stop local time and put everything around here on hold -- and get up to the mountains to hunt...

--Tinker

--------------------
--Self-Appointed Colonel, DRSS--

"It IS a dangerous game, and so named for a reason, and you can't play from the keyboard. " --Some Old Texan...

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DarylS
.700 member

Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26556
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...

Re: A feral donkey hunt with the .416 Rigby... [Re: tinker]
#114222 - 12/09/08 01:51 AM

They used to be a problem in some areas in South Western USA some time ago, maybe still. P.O. Ackley spent some time in his boks talking about hutning and shooting them. Seems their .25/06's and the .17 Magnum's did a good job as well as your .416 Rigby.

--------------------
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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500grains
.416 member

Reged: 16/02/04
Posts: 4732
Loc: Salt Lake City, Utah USA

Re: A feral donkey hunt with the .416 Rigby... [Re: DarylS]
#114228 - 12/09/08 03:29 AM

sounds awesome! It would be fun to hunt donkeys sometime.

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NitroX
.700 member

Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39261
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...

Re: A feral donkey hunt with the .416 Rigby... [Re: 500grains]
#114230 - 12/09/08 04:20 AM

The last donkey I shot was shot with my 9.3mm. Where buffalo just fell over to it, the donkey just stood there, even after several chest shots. Eventually falling over but still not dying. Often the case with donks! Sometimes they just don't know they should be dead.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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eljefedouble
.300 member

Reged: 23/04/06
Posts: 189
Loc: Vic, Australia

Re: A feral donkey hunt with the .416 Rigby... [Re: NitroX]
#114233 - 12/09/08 05:39 AM

HI Ben, yes , as a newbie, I am surprised to hear about the feral donkey situation in Oz.A few clarifications please-
What did they weigh?If less than a zebra and did'nt keel over with a 416, must be really tough...what do you do with the carcass

--------------------
"it dont mean a thing, if it aint got no zing"
"Toa bunduki mkubwa"

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Ben
.400 member

Reged: 22/08/08
Posts: 1917
Loc: Northern Territory, Australia

Re: A feral donkey hunt with the .416 Rigby... [Re: eljefedouble]
#114237 - 12/09/08 07:05 AM

Yep, they are one of the toughest animals to put down on the planet! I've never weighed one, but I would guess that the bigger one, the Jack, would weigh maybe 250kg. How does that sound, John? They are possibly a little smaller than zebra. They are smaller than brumbies, on comparative models (mature Jack and mature stallion). In Australia, we do a lot of cull hunting. The quantity of animals that require shooting, combined with the heat and distance, usually dictates that we leave carcasses laying out in the bush. These disappear very rappidly, filling birds of prey, goannas, feral pigs, and dingoes (feral or native depending on which state or territory you're in). All animals can be eaten, but we tend to favour young goats, young buffalo, young scrub cattle or deer if we want to fill a freezer (these animals are not all in the same part of Australia).

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NitroX
.700 member

Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39261
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...

Re: A feral donkey hunt with the .416 Rigby... [Re: Ben]
#114260 - 12/09/08 01:51 PM

Quote:

I've never weighed one, but I would guess that the bigger one, the Jack, would weigh maybe 250kg. How does that sound, John?

No idea but the last time I picked one up I could only carry two at a time to the truck!

Sorry no idea. Small in body but appear solid. Similar to a zebra, maybe smaller, though I haven't seen them lying side by side. I imagine the same as donkeys in the USA.

Quote:

The quantity of animals that require shooting, combined with the heat and distance, usually dictates that we leave carcasses laying out in the bush. These disappear very rappidly, filling birds of prey, goannas, feral pigs, and dingoes (feral or native depending on which state or territory you're in).

One day they will be under control so we should enjoy our free shooting while we can.

As for leaving meat in the Top End to rot, the local blacks get most of their food from grocery stores, these guys get lots of government pensions, handouts etc. They might hunt as well and use some bush meat etc but it is not meat hungry Africa. Long distances, high humidity part of the year, high temperatures all year, the meat spoils quickly if not refrigerated and electricity and transport is expensive.

Plus dingos have to eat too.

Quote:

All animals can be eaten, but we tend to favour young goats, young buffalo, young scrub cattle or deer if we want to fill a freezer (these animals are not all in the same part of Australia).

Some guys eat donkey.

Why eat old and tough when an extra one can be shot young and tender!

PS Most deer shot are eaten, certainly in the Southern States, including stags. Make great venison mincemeat if nothing else. Deer are not as common nor in pest numbers like many outback species.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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ALAN_MCKENZIE
.400 member

Reged: 24/03/04
Posts: 1214
Loc: Western Australia

Re: A feral donkey hunt with the .416 Rigby... [Re: NitroX]
#114287 - 13/09/08 01:06 AM

I've probably shot 200 tons of donkey(Kimberley murray grey) for pet meat, and for small goods which was sent to South Australia as boneless meat.
Average donkey ,head and hocks off ,guts out and cut into quarters weighed an average of 250 pounds which at 4 cents per pound equaled $10-00 per donkey.
That was in the Kimberleys over 30 years ago.
It took 6 minutes to field dress the average donkey.

Al

--------------------
"Dogs always bark at their master"
Sir Seretse Khama.25th June 1949

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larcher
.416 member

Reged: 11/01/05
Posts: 2655
Loc: Saverne, Alsace, France

Re: A feral donkey hunt with the .416 Rigby... [Re: ALAN_MCKENZIE]
#115076 - 22/09/08 05:13 AM

Congratulations Ben,

Really wild hunting. We degenerated Europeans are struggling to understood your shooting pets.

Aren't You afraid of bumping onto a bad ass?

--------------------
"I don't want to create an encyclopedic atmosphere here when we might be having a beer instead" P H Capstick in "Safari the last adventure."

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shinz
.300 member

Reged: 11/05/08
Posts: 135
Loc: New Zealand

Re: A feral donkey hunt with the .416 Rigby... [Re: larcher]
#115088 - 22/09/08 07:16 AM

Quote:

Congratulations Ben,

Really wild hunting. We degenerated Europeans are struggling to understood your shooting pets.

Aren't You afraid of bumping onto a bad ass?

That would be why the 416 I'd reckon.

Steve

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