Australian Hunter Magazine

20/11/2023

RMK Leather Works Australia is giving you the ideal opportunity to win just in time for the festive season!

One winner will take home a prize pack worth $459!
1 x butt stock wrap
1x rifle sling
1x ammo pouch
All in colour and calibre of the winner’s choice.

Visit https://gleam.io/DKGDM/rmk-leatherworks-and-ssaa-inc-giveaway to enter

and if you're keen for a shop in the meantime....

RMK Leatherworks offers SSAA members an exclusive discount via our partners program - https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=ssaa-member-discount-partners

17/11/2023

Just one day left to be in the running

You could win an OZtrail Australia prize pack worth $149.98!

Enter now - https://gleam.io/zIGHi/win-with-oztrail-and-australian-hunter

16/11/2023

Our friends at Conservation and Hunting Alliance of SA - CHASA have become aware of an RSPCA campaign calling on the SA Government to suspend the 2024 SA duck season.

CHASA believes that if we can have as many of our supporters as possible complete this survey it will provide some balance to the end results.
The fight to retain the right to hunt ducks in SA is not over yet, if you are a passionate duck hunter, please take 5 minutes to complete the survey.

Please keep your responses respectful and positive.

Remember it has been scientifically proven that duck and quail hunting are both, ethical and sustainable with no impact on the environment or the bird population.

Please note - the survey does ask for your name, but you can complete it anonymously.

Link -

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

15/11/2023

The real adventure begins after the shot for Mike Arnold in Africa as he talks us through a hot hunt for a Damara springbok.

READ MORE: https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=hot-hunt-for-a-damara-springbok

13/11/2023

Just a few days left to win an OZtrail Australia prize pack worth $159.98!!!!

Get your entries in now - https://gleam.io/zIGHi/win-with-oztrail-and-australian-hunter

ALSO don't forget you can get 10% off of all OzTrail products through our SSAA Member Discount Partners program with the code SSAAOZ10

Visit https://www.oztrail.com.au/

12/11/2023

Sam Garro has hunted all sorts of game from field-shooting rabbits, quail and duck, spotlighting rabbits from a vehicle, stalking pigs over bait to a buffalo-hunting safari in the Top End.

But in this throwback to 2020, he tells us about his first time spotlighting rabbits on foot.

Intrigued?

READ MORE: https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=spotlighting-rabbits-on-foot

07/11/2023

The role of recreational hunters helping land owners control their pests and protect the environment from overabundance is under threat in WA, where the Government is planning to restrict law-abiding firearm owners with the rewrite of the Fi****ms Act.

Read more below and if you're in WA make sure you have your say on the plans via Western Australian Fi****ms Community Alliance - WAFCA and Sporting Shooters Association Of Australia WA Inc.

02/11/2023

Have you taken advantage of SSAA's Member Discount Partners?
It's a collection of some premium suppliers that offer exclusive discounts just for us!

These include RMK Leather Works Australia, PH8 Natural Alkaline Water, OZtrail Australia, Smokey Q, Upfitter AND NOW

Dog & Gun Coffee !!!!

Discount – 15%
Code – SSAA15

Dog & Gun Coffee is bloody good! Their approach to coffee is simple: Enjoy the highest quality, best tasting coffee possible when out on your adventures. That's why they handle the sourcing, sampling, roasting, processing and packing of all of our coffee in-house. The quality of a coffee starts with the quality of the green beans. They source only specialty-grade beans from the best coffee growing regions in the world including Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Colombia and Ethiopia.
Each coffee has unique attributes and flavour profiles depending on the altitude it was grown, the richness of the soil and the processing methods used after harvest. And, coffee makes a great catalyst for conversation… so get the billy on and grab yourself some of the good stuff.
Website – https://www.dogandguncoffee.com/

Visit https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=ssaa-member-discount-partners to find out more.

01/11/2023

Can you spot a fellow hunter from a crowd when walking down the street?

In this throwback, Brendan Jones discusses how he found a hunting buddy in the most unlikely of places... such as pilates!

READ MORE: https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=pilates-pigs-and-a-new-hunting-buddy

31/10/2023

Be one with nature

Improve your hunting prospects with this environmental insight from Sam Garro

Understanding and appreciating animal traits and behaviours can improve a hunter’s chances of bagging game or scoring a long-pursued trophy beast. Sometimes it’s more a matter of accumulating knowledge and applying logic and reasoning, rather than trying to overthink or unsuccessfully outsmart game.

READ MORE: https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=be-one-with-nature -4

30/10/2023

Hunters perform a valuable role in controlling pest animal populations that cause havoc on the environment but can also present a huge biosecurity risk.

While we serve as one method of many in the toolbox of pest animal control, it is clear more needs to be done on a larger scale to tackle this issue.

Off the back of Australia's failed eradication of varroa mite, researchers are testing the country's ability to control an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease among the feral pig population. The results are troubling.

26/10/2023

There's always a great range of prizes on offer through Australian Hunter mag and SSAA's other publications.

Enter online and be in the running for some Ridgeline Australia, SSAA merch and some great stuff from WI******ER AUSTRALIA

Enter via the link - https://www.ssaa.org.au/our-media/competition/

24/10/2023

Matthew Cameron reminisces about hunting ‘the real Australia’ over two decades.

It all started with a crew not really sure what they were in for, some lessons about how to hunt pigs and finished with many years of memories.

READ MORE https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=looking-back

23/10/2023

In a throwback for this Monday, we revisit Don Caswell's story hunting black jungle dogs in Far North Queensland.
The wary predators are not for everyone, requiring smarts, equipment and patience.

READ MORE: https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=the-dark-side-of-jungle-dogs

17/10/2023

Ever thought of making your own knives? John Denman has.... and he takes us through the process

READ MORE: https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=the-cutting-edge

13/10/2023

From over on our Great Australian Outdoors page:

THE DESERT BORE RUNNER

'Out here there's no lies, only truth. A man's word is in his eyes.' - Amelia Olsen

'The Desert Bore Runner' is a micro documentary about an Aussie bloke, Riley Olsen, who gets the job done. It's rough, it's raw and it's real. This is home-grown storytelling in song directed by Amelia Olsen and the videography captures the relentless tough tasks of this Australian Outback lifestyle on a 1.76 million-acre property.

Those familiar with our current issue might recognise those names, as it was Amelia who wrote the book we reviewed: 'Dirt and Dust', which is a fair dinkum story reflecting on the su***de of Riley's father as the duo embark on a 1400km ‘journey’ together on dirt bikes to the tip of Cape York - see here: https://t.ly/c_i7r

'The Desert Bore Runner' is about as fair dinkum as it gets too and instills as sense of pride in this great country of ours in a beautiful way.

Watch below, with sound on - approx. 4 mins.

'The Desert Bore Runner,' is a micro documentary about an aussie bloke who gets the job done. It's rough, it's raw and it's real. This is home-grown storytel...

03/10/2023

In modern times, hunters are made and not born.

In this throwback story, Sam Garro talks about the journey that made him a hunter.

Read his story and share with us how you were "made" a hunter.

READ MORE: https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=long-journey-in-the-making-of-a-hunter

28/09/2023

The critically endangered malleefowl is easily predated on my cats and foxes and one WA town is doing its best to save the local population.
Hunters play their part in managing pest animals, but are just one tool in the toolbox of managing the environment. When initiatives like this complement on-ground efforts, we can help ensure the future of endangered animals such as the malleefowl for years to come.

RURAL TOWN FIGHTING TO SAVE ITSELF AND ITS FAVOURITE BIRD

What do malleefowls and the rural town of Ongerup, about 400km south-east of Perth, have in common? They're both battling a dwindling population.

The locals have chipped in and bought the service station, supermarket, pub and houses in the past to ensure the town has a future. But it was the introduction of the Yongergnow Australian Malleefowl Centre that was perhaps the biggest achievement.

The sanctuary has brought in tourists, supports the community and provides employment while educating people about what can be done to help save their feathered friends. "It tells a story looking through the eyes of a malleefowl from [Indigenous times to] when Afghans scoured the country for sandalwood, and they came through early 1890s, and then farming and clearing the land commenced in the 1910s," Ongerup farmer and centre volunteer Kingsley Vaux said. "We're not on a major tourist route or highway so it is hard to attract people here but anyone who comes here raves about it and loves it."

Malleefowls are timid, ground-dwelling birds that are roughly the same size as chickens. They are constantly seeking refuge from feral cats and foxes. According to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, malleefowl are critically endangered in the Northern Territory and endangered in Victoria and New South Wales. The bird is vulnerable in New South Wales and Western Australia.

Read more: https://rb.gy/v9q3q

27/09/2023

Would you go hunting on a bicycle? Don Caswell tests the mode of transport and might be a convert!

Check out his experience via the link below.

26/09/2023

In Hunter 86 Scott Heiman reviews the SportCo Model 62A in .22LR and tests out the Thermtec Outdoors Ares 660 dual field of vision thermal scope.

If you've read the stories, then head to SSAA TV for the Ares 660 video review!

Hunt The Night

25/09/2023

New to shooting and hunting?

SSAA's Comprehensive Guide to Shooting & Hunting in Australia gives a great overview of everything you need to get started.

Get your copy today!

READ MORE:

SSAA’s Comprehensive Guide to Shooting & Hunting in Australia is an introductory publication intended for those new to the Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia (SSAA) or to sports shooting and recreational hunting in general.

22/09/2023

With spring well under way across Australia and prime weather to be outdoors and enjoying hunting, take inspiration from the international award-winning cookbook Field to Fork - Second Helpings when preparing your quarry.

You'll thank yourself when you sit down for your next meal!

Get your copy today.

https://greataustralianoutdoors.com.au/product/field-to-fork-second-helpings/

20/09/2023

HOT PRODUCT THURSDAY
Our monthly snapshot of items that could be on your shopping list this month…
OSA Australia with Shadow Systems
Visit shadowsystemscorp.com for more information about the range and look out for their products via your closest OSA dealer - osaaustralia.com.au

**To have your specials and new products included next month, send us a message on Facebook**

19/09/2023

A bit of a throwback for Tuesday... back in 2021, David Hughes discussed where our hunting instinct may come from.

The process of evolution favours attributes which enhance survival. Given our history was one of a successful meat-eating predator, it logically follows our instincts and associated genetics were continuously fine-tuned by evolution to support that role. The more deeply embedded the hunting instinct, the more effective men would’ve been in securing their core food source. Of course other attributes would’ve been synergistic and critical, particularly the ability to work cooperatively to hunt prey much larger than humans.

READ MORE: https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=desire-to-hunt-nothing-more-than-an-inbuilt-instinct

18/09/2023

Bob Boland goes rabbit hunting for the pot and employs a good ol’ recipe from a shearers’ cook in about 1952. As shearers will strike if the tucker is not up to scratch, its history means it’s a great concoction.

The history is also indicated by the fact as it only uses ingredients which are common, non-seasonal and do not require refrigeration. In fact, this meal can easily be cooked in the bush with a camp oven.

READ MORE: https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=the-rabbit-of-oz

14/09/2023

Woodleigh Bullets are widely recognised and reputed for their extensive array of premium hunting projectiles and their effectiveness on all manner of game, bigger options in particular.

On November 27, 2021 the family enterprise headed up by Geoff and Shirley McDonald suffered a crushing blow when the office and manufacturing plant burnt down, destroying everything they’d worked so hard to establish, not to mention the financial loss.

Contributor Sam Garro charts the rebirth of iconic Woodleigh Bullets.

READ MORE: https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=woodleigh-bullets

13/09/2023

SSAA Member Discount Partners gives SSAA members access to special discounts on some amazing products and services.

RMK Leatherworks is one of those partners offering 15% off their range of their quality handcrafted leather goods.

Take a browse of their website https://rmkleatherworks.com/ and use HUNTER15 at checkout to access your discount.

To view all of the partners under the program visit - https://www.ssaa.org.au/ssaa-member-discount-partner

RMK Leather Works Australia

12/09/2023

SSAA Victoria has uncovered acts of political inference during to the Victorian Government’s Select Committee Inquiry into Victoria’s recreational bird hunting arrangements. They have not minced their words in calling the whole inquiry a ‘stitch-up’.

READ MORE: https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=vic-govts-bird-hunting-inquiry-a-stitch-up

11/09/2023

LAST DAY TO ENTER!!!!!

Check out this great competition over on our sister publication Great Australian Outdoors, where OZtrail Australia is giving you the chance to win an OZTrail prize pack.
Win an OZTrail Titan Elite Chair and a Lumos FR1200 Flashlight.
RRP $249.98
Kindly donated by OZTrail

Enter now - https://bit.ly/458sj4O

This competition is in no way associated with Facebook or Instagram and parent companies. Winners will be contacted via email only. Please exercise online safety and awareness and do not accept DMs or tags regarding this competition.

07/09/2023

Check out this great competition over on our sister publication Great Australian Outdoors, where OZtrail Australia is giving you the chance to win an OZTrail prize pack.
Win an OZTrail Titan Elite Chair and a Lumos FR1200 Flashlight.
RRP $249.98
Kindly donated by OZTrail

Enter now - https://bit.ly/458sj4O

This competition is in no way associated with Facebook or Instagram and parent companies. Winners will be contacted via email only. Please exercise online safety and awareness and do not accept DMs or tags regarding this competition.

06/09/2023

On the fence about thermal optics? Or just want to know more? Regular contributor Mark Van Den Boogaart from The Hunters Campfire Podcast gives us his thoughts on the new DTI 6/40 Handheld Thermal Monocular.

Check out his video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eWKboLST3w

05/09/2023

Over on our sister publication Great Australian Outdoors there's a book review covering topics of importance to all. It might not be hunting-focused, but it is a great insight into some of Australia's great terrain and important topics around mental health. Why not have a look?

A JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME: DIRT AND DUST by Amelia Olsen

Dirt and Dust is a tumultuous fair dinkum story of circumstances surrounding the su***de of a father narrated by his son Riley and written by his widow Amelia. Readers join the cautious duo as they embark on a 1400km ‘journey’ together on dirt bikes to the tip of Cape York. An important read for all men (and women), helping us to understand and better process why we feel the way we do. It asks the question ‘How do you even know when you are depressed?’

Read GAO Editor Thomas Cook's review here: https://greataustralianoutdoors.com.au/dirt-and-dust-by-amelia-olsen/

Amelia Olsen Author ***deprevention

04/09/2023

For a hunter who prefers to stalk quarry on foot, the weight of a hunting outfit encompassing rifle and scope is something that’s taken seriously. While varmint and long-range set-ups have their place in hunting and shooting, lugging a rifle which can weigh 4.5kg or more over hill and dale isn’t conducive to a pleasurable trek.

The Howa Super Lite might be what you're looking for according to Con Kapralos.

READ MORE: https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=howa-super-lite-rifle

31/08/2023

Wildlife experts have warned a minimum of 6000 wild brumbies need to be killed each year in order for the NSW government to reduce its feral horse population at Kosciuszko National Park.

29/08/2023

Salvaging velvet antlers

Looking for the best of both worlds on your deer hunt? Joseph Nugent explains how to fill the freezer and secure a trophy at the same time
Each hunter’s motivation is without doubt a personal thing. For some, it is simply being outdoors engaging with nature, regardless of whether an animal is taken or not. For others, particularly those on the land, feral animal control is an outright necessity.

READ MORE: ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=salvaging-velvet-antlers

21/08/2023

SSAA Members Fi****ms Protection is peace of mind when hunting for just a small annual fee. For $35, you have $25,000 worth of protection for your fi****ms and fixed accessories against loss, theft and damage at home and away.

Take up the SSAA Mutual cover option with your renewal, call 02 8805 3900 or email [email protected]

Any commentary provided in the advertisement is general information which does not take into account your individual situation and you should consider SSAA Mutual’s Financial Services Guide and Statement of Protection (www.ssaaib.com.au) before deciding to become a member and to purchase and hold discretionary protection issued by SSAA Mutual Limited. ACN 655 675 862

Claims are settled for replacement value (up to 5 years), assessed by an approved fi****ms dealer and settled promptly. Compare it to your Home and Contents Policy, which may have an excess greater than $100 and may only cover your fi****ms at home. Don’t risk another year without cover - Trust SSAA Mutual to safeguard your fi****ms and fixed accessories.

21/08/2023

SSAA Members Fi****ms Protection is peace of mind when hunting for just a small annual fee. For $35, you have $25,000 worth of protection for your fi****ms and fixed accessories against loss, theft and damage at home and away.

Take up the SSAA Mutual cover option with your renewal, call 02 8805 3900 or email [email protected]

Any commentary provided in the advertisement is general information which does not take into account your individual situation and you should consider SSAA Mutual’s Financial Services Guide and Statement of Protection (www.ssaaib.com.au) before deciding to become a member and to purchase and hold discretionary protection issued by SSAA Mutual Limited. ACN 655 675 862

Claims are settled for replacement value (up to 5 years), assessed by an approved fi****ms dealer and settled promptly. Compare it to your Home and Contents Policy, which may have an excess greater than $100 and may only cover your fi****ms at home. Don’t risk another year without cover - Trust SSAA Mutual to safeguard your fi****ms and fixed accessories.

18/08/2023

Are these Lightforce Performance Lighting HTX2 hybrid driving lights what you need next time you go bush?

Check out Nicholas Rositano's review below.

Lightforce Performance Lighting's HTX2 hybrid driving lights impressed Nicholas Rositano when he put them through their paces.
He headed off for a deer hunt in the south-east of South Australia and appreciated the option to use driving lights or flood and spot lights.

READ MORE https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=lightforce-driving-lights

17/08/2023

The economic impact of Australia's growing feral deer population has been quantified for the first time, with farmers copping the worst damage.

03/08/2023

The role hunting plays in land and animal management has been a hot topic in news and current events around Australia in recent months as previously flooded land becomes flush with vegetation and fi****ms laws are rewritten.
Despite the clear connection between hunting and strategies to control pest animals and the cultural place hunting has in society, the validity of the concept is often questioned by our state’s leaders.
SSAA National has recently extended its support to the Australian Bowhunters Association in its bid to protect the future of bowhunting in South Australia, as the SA Government considers banning recreational bowhunting.

READ MORE - https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=australian-landscape-needs-hunting-now-more-than-ever