Does it interest people - international hunting?

[JPHuntingAUS]

I've always wondered as it doesn't really seem to get much attention from Americans. I wonder if it's because a lot of people just don't know they exist or whether they just don't find them enticing.

In the day and age of mountain hunting raining supreme and people always looking for another challenge it's seems to fit the bill.

I'm talking about the aussie sambar.

A solitary deer, built more like a cow than a deer and weifhing on average around 700lb (though they get much bigger) that lives in the rugged mountains of Australia's south east. Some people hunt years (like up to a decade) before shooting their first stag. That's not because there isn't enough though. My states yearly harvest is estimated between 40-50,000 animals and the population is still growing!

I've offered them up as hunt swaps or simply suggested people put them on their lists to hunt one day but most Americans just don't seem to have an interest in them.

I quite enjoy hunting them, given that you can do some backpacking and get off the grid surrounded by very few if any other people is part of what I love about it. They're challenging but that's the thrill of it.

I'm curious as to why?

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[TEmbry]

I wouldn't mind doing that hunt one day I just have other interests that come first with my limited time off from work. New Zealand Chamois/Tahr and Aussie Water Buffalo would be my first two international hunts. So many critters I want to chase in America first though.


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[bojangles808]

the long flight is probably a big one and international taxidermy and meat care probably get expensive too. as to why sambar arent as popular a species to hunt? a lot easier for guys to hop in the truck and drive 12 hours and hunt the rockies. honestly, i think probably bc the horns on sambar dont get as big as red deer is why red deer are the more popular species to hunt abroad. ppl are horn crazy. when is the best season though and what would be the costs of the hunt? i might be interested down the road the flight isnt too bad for me

 

[JPHuntingAUS]

the long flight is probably a big one and international taxidermy and meat care probably get expensive too. as to why sambar arent as popular a species to hunt? a lot easier for guys to hop in the truck and drive 12 hours and hunt the rockies. honestly, i think probably bc the horns on sambar dont get as big as red deer is why red deer are the more popular species to hunt abroad. ppl are horn crazy. when is the best season though and what would be the costs of the hunt? i might be interested down the road the flight isnt too bad for me

High fenced sambar can be as impressive as those high fenced reds if that's your thing! Similarly to chital (axis), they're Asia Asiatic deer so generally on have 3 points on each antler.

Well that's the thing about sambar, the vast majority of their range is limited to huntable public land. Because of this there aren't that many guides for them as people can hunt them themselves, in that respect all it costs is a $50 license.
Season is 12 months long, no weapon specific seasons (I hunt rifle, BP or archery depending on how I feel that day), no defined rutting period has lead to no defined antler cycle which means some stags are hard, some freshly cast and some half way through velvet throughout the year. Having said that, there are peak times where more are hard antler than at other times.

The only catch if you'd call it that non residents have to hunt under the supervision of an Aussie hunter which just means you need to befriens and aussie (if you like to drink beer you'll be set).


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[PathFinder]

Dude I'm all over it! Soon as I can get school out of my way, a NZ/Australia hunt is top on my list. I'm talking a 2 month long trout/shark fishing + hunt everything that's legal in both countries kind of trip. Wilkes is coming over here in the spring to hunt bears, and I'll hook up with him when I go over there. If you are interested I'm all for a hunt swap.

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[Lockster]

Thanks for raising this JP. I'm not exactly the international demographic that you were pitching to, but I'm at least interstate! Deer hunting in general, but more specifically Sambar hunting, has recently (last year or so) elevated itself to my "must do" list. With Sambar clearly being the ultimate game animal in Australia they are firmly in my sights.

I've hunted plenty of pigs, goats etc as they are generally more plentiful/available since I'm based in Sydney. I have rwcently got my licence to hunt state forests in NSW but it is now out of season for most deer.

I've been meaning to look into the legal logistics of a hunter coming to VIC for Sambar hunting, or alternatively finding info of where in NSW they can be found in reasonable numbers.

My only main concern is incurring the costs and allocating the time off from work to do a hunt in VIC but then my lack of experience of the area, and of hunting these elusive ghosts of the bush, causing me to come up empty which would be very frustrating so I have determined to do as mmuch research as possible to determine good hunting areas, and their habits, before embarking on what could very possibly turn out to be a life long obsession .

thanks for raising it once again in my thoughts, the fact that there's no "season" as such for Sambar means I just need to get myself ready and lol to start planning a trip for a few months time.

Any suggestions that you can offer would certainly be welcome .

Cheers.

 

[elkguide]

I think that it is all about getting out of the safety zone that most of us here in the US live in. It is so easy to hunt here in the states and it can be as simple as jumping in the truck and go hunting.
I was in New Zealand hunting Reds, Fallow, Turkeys and even a Wild Goat, last year. It was amazing. And now that I've been once, I'm trying to figure out how that I can afford the money and time off to do it again. My guide went to Australia to hunt shortly after my hunting finished and he has been trying to entice me to come back down there and hunt with him. Hopefully sooner than later.

 

[Jimbob]

I think the reason is because it is not Africa. If North Americans are leaving this continent to go hunting then Africa is far and away the number one destination for that. The biggest reason for that is because it's Africa. There is so much history and nostalgia hunting Africa and there is no other hunt that can compete with that.

I would love to hunt Africa one day even though its seems like a boring hunt. Sitting in a blind over a water hole and picking your species does not seem that exciting. However hunting Africa and everything that goes with it does interest me.

The hunt in Australia sounds awesome but if I ever leave this continent it would probably be for an African hunt.

 

[SLDMTN]

Myself personally, I'm extremely interested in it but I can't afford it at this point in my life. It's bucket list for me to go to NZ/AUS and do a legitimate (no high fence) hunt. It may seem odd coming from Alaska but Russia is a dream hunt too. It would be awesome to sheep hunt over there.

 

[dotman]

Never even heard of this deer . Really I've never looked into hunting Aus, mainly due to cost to get there and the fact everything that slithers and crawls will KILL you!

 

[JPHuntingAUS]

Thanks for raising this JP. I'm not exactly the international demographic that you were pitching to, but I'm at least interstate! Deer hunting in general, but more specifically Sambar hunting, has recently (last year or so) elevated itself to my "must do" list. With Sambar clearly being the ultimate game animal in Australia they are firmly in my sights.

I've hunted plenty of pigs, goats etc as they are generally more plentiful/available since I'm based in Sydney. I have rwcently got my licence to hunt state forests in NSW but it is now out of season for most deer.

I've been meaning to look into the legal logistics of a hunter coming to VIC for Sambar hunting, or alternatively finding info of where in NSW they can be found in reasonable numbers.

My only main concern is incurring the costs and allocating the time off from work to do a hunt in VIC but then my lack of experience of the area, and of hunting these elusive ghosts of the bush, causing me to come up empty which would be very frustrating so I have determined to do as mmuch research as possible to determine good hunting areas, and their habits, before embarking on what could very possibly turn out to be a life long obsession .

thanks for raising it once again in my thoughts, the fact that there's no "season" as such for Sambar means I just need to get myself ready and lol to start planning a trip for a few months time.

Any suggestions that you can offer would certainly be welcome .

Cheers.

For you it's easy, just go to game management authority Victoria site and the deer stalking game licence is about $50. The site also has maps of legal hunting areas, they're literally almost everywhere through the high country.

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[16Bore]

I think a lot of the desires for Africa are more romanticism and continuation of some great writing. Mystery, danger, whiskey and all that stuff you read about in Ruark books. That's just my take. I've never given Austraila a thought. Likely because I barely have the time to hunt what's 2 hours from my house, much less a 2 days drive. A 2 day flight seems so far out of the question. Then throw in all the international dealings and it just seems more than I'd ever consider handling.

Now make that same trip a turnkey deal where all I need to bring is boots and underwear and it becomes someone else's "hunt" and a high fence vacation. The scouting is done as is all the gear details that we spend countless hours monkeying with for our perfect set up.


But it's only unknown because it seems so far outta reach. Maybe it really is easier than one thinks. Who knows.

 

[camping1601]

I have an interest in it, but I want to eat what I kill and that's possible on these type hunts. I mean I want to bring the meat back with me or I'm not willing to spend the coin on this.

Now if I was a rich man???

 

[njdoxie]

Lol, I can barely afford a yearly elk hunt in the USA, and time off would be an issue and I can't imagine not elk hunting yearly, could never do both, and hunting game other than elk is no longer interesting to me.

 

[TurkeyBowMaster]

We got sambar deer over here...never seen a writeup on them or heard of them until recently.

 

[oldgoat]

Figure out a way to teleport me there and I'm down for it!

 

[JPHuntingAUS]

We got sambar deer over here...never seen a writeup on them or heard of them until recently.

Speaking of write ups, I write a few articles down here for some of the hunting mags. I've always been tempted to write some to send in to American magazines to promote hunting in Australia. Doesn't seem to be much interest in it though

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[realunlucky]

Partly I think it has to do with vacation. Europeans take extended time off most Americans are lucky if they can have 14 congruent days. My work would never allow me to gone for three weeks straight

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[IA Monsterbuck]

What does a flight to Australia cost? I was looking at Africa once and I think it was $2,500 to $3,000.

 

[elkguide]

My flight to NZ cost me $2050 last year.