Fact Box – Chital Deer

The wild dogs I account for are taken in three ways; stalking, stake-outs and chance. I reckon I enjoy stalking the most. Drifting slowly along a cattle track, stopping regularly to glass the surrounds, noting what tracks are present in the fine dust and being constantly aware of the wind requires some discipline and a lot of focussed attention. Time absolutely flies when in the zone with this game and I regularly find that what seems like half an hour can easily be the best part of a morning.

When I say morning I mean that best time of the day, from first light, when most folks are still a couple of hours off waking to their alarm. Early starts pay big dividends when hunting and that is never more so than when chasing wild dogs. Hunting wild dogs is not an office hour’s activity. You definitely want to be in action as soon as there is enough light to see by. Wild dogs are generally still on the move at that time of the day, especially around the dark of the moon when they hunt in the dawn rather than under the light of the full moon.

The full grown adult dogs will be looking to get back to their day camps after a vigorous morning hunt that may have taken them many kilometres. Particularly wary old dogs will make a point of being laid up before dawn and these cunning old so-and-sos can be very hard to come to terms with. The young adults and adolescent dogs will often stay feeding on a carcass well into the morning. For that reason, and their lack of learned wariness at that age, I find that a bit more than half the dogs I shoot are young adults or mature pups.

These younger animals are definitely a bit easier to stalk and they are likewise fatally careless in a stake-out situation. Chance encounters too are generally the younger dogs that have not yet learned to avoid man and his vehicles at all costs. A lot of younger dogs are killed in the September to February period of the year, after being chased out of home by their parents, and before they have acquired the wariness required to survive the efforts of man to kill them.

Despite what politically correct disinformation circulates about wild dogs it is an incontrovertible fact that they kill a lot more animals than they ever eat. Anybody who spends a bit of time in an area where wild dogs are active will rapidly see the evidence of that for themselves. Big male dogs, when courting a bitch in mating season, will often indulge in a killing spree, probably seeking to impress the prospective mate with their strength and vigour. When stalking such challenging quarry with my old mate, Robbie the professional dog hunter, in the ranges of central Queensland we regularly find such evidence.

On a recent hunt with Robbie we had gone on a long circuitous walk before climbing up the rough and stony slopes of the range to stalk the plateau where a pair of wary old dogs was based. The corner we snuck into was a killing ground where steep gullies and great protruding boulders formed a large semi-contained area. There were crisp fresh tracks in the dust and a lot of bones and rotting carcasses of wallaroos killed by the dogs. There were even a couple of roos killed only minutes before we arrived. The bodies were still warm and limp with blood flowing from the gashed neck where the strong male dog had bitten in and crushed the vertebra.

Sheep seem to invoke a particularly strong killing lust in wild dogs. The west is full of stories about wild dogs decimating penned sheep during the night. While strong adult dogs chase and kill prey the younger dogs are also responsible for a lot of stock and wildlife deaths as well. These mischievous adolescent dogs, like delinquent teenagers, often go on rampages. They rarely actually kill many animals during these attacks, but do bite any animal within reach. That is much more a problem than it might sound. The mouths of dogs, especially wild dogs, are full of bacteria and a bite generally leads to severe infection and often a painful death for the afflicted animal.

After a successful sale, a cattle stud close to where I live had a dozen bulls penned and ready to be collected by their new owners. Three young dogs entered the pen during the night and inflicted bites on every animal there. Naturally, the buyers then rejected the animals and a hefty veterinarian bill was incurred. Despite the best efforts of the stud and the vet, two of the expensive bulls died from blood poisoning. That is not an isolated occurrence.

Only this morning, before sitting down to write this story, I was out and about on a return visit to a cattle property. In recent days a pack of young dogs had bitten a lot of cows in a breeding herd. The owner was quite distraught when showing me a couple of fine, pregnant cows, with stiff, massively swollen legs and weeping puncture wounds. Quite likely a few cattle will lose their calves and may well die themselves. Earlier in the week I had staked out an area near the dam where the cattle water and where the attack had taken place. My hunting buddy Jan and I had managed to shoot one of the dogs.

We then stalked a couple of kilometres to another smaller dam hoping to find more dogs. When we arrived at the dam there were no dogs, but rather a mob of feral pigs. With some quick shooting we downed four big sows. Being on a wild dog hunt we only had a few rounds of ammo in our rifle magazines. Having used those to good effect we could then only watch the rest of the feral hogs run off into the bush. We dragged the four dead pigs well away from the dam and left them on the bank of a dry gully close to where the cattle track passed. This morning, on the assumption we would find dogs feeding on the pig carcasses, we made another early morning stalk. In that we were again successful and claimed another young wild dog. A couple of others fled rapidly at the first shot. I will try for those again in the coming days.

The area close to where I live has a lot of dairy farms and these too suffer from wild dog attacks. Hunting wild dogs on the smaller area of a dairy farm requires a different tactic to that used on larger beef cattle properties. Stake-outs have proven very successful for me on the dairy farms. Again, early morning starts are definitely the best option and I like to be set up well before sunrise. Shooting at long range across rolling open pastures necessitates a good rest and a flat shooting, accurate calibre. Currently I am enjoying great success with a Vanguard in 257 Weatherby Magnum. It is a fabulous choice for long shots at distant dogs. I use both the factory 100 grain soft point loading and my 110 grain Nosler Accubond handloads to equally good effect. For pure stalking, where 200 metres is the expected maximum range, I am a great fan of the 223 Remington. My Savage model 11 FCNS handloaded with 60 grain Nosler Partitions it is an excellent combination for wild dogs, and medium game in general.

In flat country, especially where there can be a mixture of stalking and impromptu stake-outs, I have used bipods to great advantage. I particularly like the 23 inch Champion bipod which has both cant and swivel; an absolute must in any bipod by the way. However, on the deeply grassed and steep slopes of the dairy farms’ ridges even the long legged bipod is just too short to give the clearance needed. In these situations I have taken to using the oddly-named, but very effective, Pig Saddle mount which allows me to use my sturdy, long-legged camera tripod. It provides a wonderfully stable mount with a great range of movement. Teamed up with the 257 Weatherby Magnum and its Swarovski z6i 2.5-15x56 scope it is an unbeatable choice for long shots in the poor light of the pre-dawn or post-sunset.

On the subject of optics, they are one of the essentials for chasing wild dogs in low light. With any game animal your chances of success are maximised if you can spot your quarry before it sees you. Good binoculars and specialist optics come into their own in these circumstances. When staking-out a valley where long shots out to 400 metres, or further, may be called for I mostly use my Swarovski 10x42 EL binoculars. When stalking with the 223 Rem I more often opt for the compact and lightweight Swarovski 10x25 CL pocket binoculars. Similarly, the superb low light performance of the big Swarovski z6i 2.5-15x56 scope, with its illuminated reticule dot is an asset for long range shots in fading light.

It is probably fair to say that chance can be thanked for wild dogs taken by hunters seeking other game. I have to admit that some of the particularly wary old dogs I have shot were aided by varying degrees of lady luck. Occasionally, even with cunning old dogs that have eluded bullets, baits and traps for a decade, and killed a lot of stock in the process, they can sometimes just be in the wrong spot at the wrong time. When driving about in wild dog country I generally like to poke along slowly and quietly, keeping the engine revs constant and avoiding changing gears. For me, I find the easiest way to do that is by putting the vehicle in low range 4WD, second gear, and just letting it idle along at about 900 rpm. It gives you time to have a good look about and is surprising effective in getting you close to game, especially wild dogs.

A few years back my hunting buddy Mike and I were checking out a new location, a large cattle station that was suffering a lot of dog problems. The owners had given us a mud map, and few directions, after which we spent the morning driving about getting our bearings. We had stopped for a cup of tea and snack late morning. It was a promising looking spot, so I gave the predator squealer a few raucous bleats and kept my 223 Rem handy while sipping my tea. About five minutes later, a pair of dogs showed up, sighted us and bolted. I took a long running shot and had the great satisfaction of seeing the bullet strike home. It turned out to be a big old male dog. The bitch with him made good her escape.

Driving back to the house we came upon one of the workers who knew why we were there. He asked how we were going and was visibly pleased when he heard we had dropped a dog already. He asked a few pertinent questions about the location and of the dog itself and then said, “By golly that old bastard has killed a lot of calves. He wouldn’t go near a bait or a trap and has had more hot lead thrown at him than the mound at the rifle range.” The owner was equally happy with our chance result and it did not do our reputation any harm either.

People who know I spend a lot of time chasing wild dogs often comment that I must hate them a lot. Not at all. In fact, I am particularly fond of dogs in general, finding them a pleasant, affectionate and sociable creature with a good sense of humour. Unfortunately, sometimes the only effective option for wild dog control is poison and trapping. Personally, I would much rather hunt them by stalking or sitting over a stake-out.

© Don Caswell 2016

If you are seeking a feed of venison, or a trophy set of antlers, you need to know your aiming points. Don Caswell provide a guide for deer hunters.

Deer are the epitome of a noble, desirable quarry. Stately and elegant, they glide through the bush with grace and style. Deer often choose to live in picturesque terrain, which enhances the pleasure of hunting them.

The stags carry impressive antlers and many hunters have developed a passion with trophy hunting.

Venison is rightly regarded as a prized, high-quality meat. This alone, in my book, makes deer a desirable quarry. At this time, there have probably never been so many deer in Australia.

Populations of deer are growing and spreading into country where they were previously unknown. Most farmers do not begrudge a few deer feeding off their lucerne and oats. However, the charm wears thin when times are tough and there are dozens of deer or more competing for food with the farmer’s livestock. 

At times like this, you can be of assistance to the landowners and be amply rewarded with prime-quality meat for your efforts.

Hunting & Shooting

Once again, it is important to draw the distinction between shooting and hunting. 

To me, hunting means stalking through the bush, seeking game, taking your shot from whatever field position the situation allows. Under these conditions, adequate calibres are needed.

Deer in general are rather delicate and do not require particularly heavy calibres. The .243 is a popular and very successful choice worldwide for deer hunting. In the past, during the heydays of deer culling in New Zealand, vast numbers of deer were taken with the .222 Remington.

I know a few very successful deer hunters who have used .223 and .22-250 rifles to great effect over the past few decades. When targeting small deer for prime venison I like to use a single shot stalking rifle in 223 Remington.

However, it has to be stressed that you must be a good stalker and get close. The other essential is good discipline and only take shots you know you can pull off.

An important consideration in recent times is the recognition of deer as valid game species and the introduction of regulations for minimum calibres for different deer species. Typically, there are variations between states, so if you do hunt interstate, it is important that you make yourself aware of these requirements. As familiar and successful as you may be with Old Betsy, your long-time deer rifle, you may need to be thinking about a change of calibre if the laws or regulations command.

Over the years I have found the 7mm calibres to be great all-round performers on deer. Some of my buddies are great fans of the 30 calibres for deer. This is particularly so if you are chasing bigger bodied specimens. Sambar hunting is of course in its own league and the 7mm and thirties are entry level for those big, wild country deer.

Background Check

For shooting or culling purposes, either from a solid stand or from a vehicle, especially if using a spotlight at night (where legal), then the legal minimum centrefire calibre rifle is okay, as long as the shooter can do their part.

Safety is very important when shooting deer off cultivation and this is another reason to use a lighter calibre.

With deer feeding on open, cultivated paddocks, you need to be very aware of your background, especially if you are going to use a calibre where there is likelihood of a projectile exiting the target animal. Livestock, nearby houses, farm equipment, vehicles travelling on nearby roads and of course, passersby may be at risk in these circumstances. So if you are going to be shooting deer off cultivation, do your homework first. Determine your shooting positions and fields of fire before the event. If potential hazards limit your options for taking deer on the cultivation, another option is to ambush them at their point of access.

Deer, when entering to feed on crops, are pretty predictable, and will generally have a set path they follow to reach the paddock in question. Typically, this will be up from a bordering creek bed or down from a gully that runs up into a timbered ridge. Take the time to walk around the paddock. If it is not obvious from tracks, deer pellets and hair caught in fence wire where the deer are accessing the paddock, then the landowner should be able to point you in the right direction.

Whether you are targeting deer in the middle of an oats patch or bushwhacking them on their way, you need to ensure safe background conditions. Ideally, you want a hill, gully-side or heavy timber behind the animal you will be shooting. Failing that, you need to be confident that there are kilometres of unpopulated wilderness in the zone behind your quarry.

Aiming Points

When culling deer off cultivation, we normally seek head and neck shots. This presumes that we have a solid, stable shooting position and are limiting ourselves to a maximum range of 150m. If a longer shot is needed, or we are obliged to move location and have a less stable shooting position, we would take a chest shot.

In hunting circumstances, safe background conditions are generally more easily met. Deer stalking is usually done in heavily timbered ridge and gully country. Adequate calibres are preferred because of more difficult field-shooting conditions, intervening bush and uncertain distances. Obviously, there is nothing special about those particular calibres and anything from the minimum calibre on upwards, that you can shoot well with, will be fine.

In deer stalking-style hunting, we normally restrict ourselves to chest shots. Occasionally, in field conditions, you will get the opportunity of a close-range shot at undisturbed game. Sometimes, in these circumstances, a neck shot is a viable option. Normally, we would not be tempted to take a head shot under hunting conditions.

In culling situations, where you may be dropping as many as a dozen or more deer in a sitting, head and neck shots deliver instant kills. The animal just folds up and flops to the ground, without unduly disturbing the rest of the nearby mob. Most times too, with head and neck shots, there is good bleeding, which enhances the subsequent meat quality. Our goal is always to harvest as much meat as possible.

As you can see from the accompanying illustrations, the neck and head target zones are quite small. The chest shot is much bigger by comparison and a better choice under hunting conditions. A well-placed chest shot is very effective and need not damage too much meat.

Projectiles

Choice of projectile is most important.  There are a wide range of premium projectiles that have been developed specifically for hunting deer in both the USA and Europe.

With the smaller calibres it makes sense to check and ensure that it is a game projectile and not one intended for varminting. When taking chest shots on deer the ideal projectile is one that expands rapidly to a wide diameter (for shock) but which retains all or most of its original weight (for penetration). 

Varminting projectiles can be unreliable if they hit bone because they are designed to shed most of their weight in a rapid, explosive expansion and will deliver a non-fatal surface wound on game animals, which is the last thing anyone wants. A well constructed game bullet will punch through the shoulder bone, and any ribs in its way, cause catastrophic damage to the heart and arteries along with massive shock to the animal for a quick and numbing death.

I consider the perfect shot is one just above the point of the shoulder, which just misses that bone structure, takes out a rib, then the heart and arteries before breaking the off-side shoulder and pulling up just under the skin on the far side.

Such a shot demonstrates to me, besides correct placement, the ideal balance of bullet construction, weight and calibre with delivered velocity.

Obviously, you can’t guarantee that sort of performance with every shot, but when you have found your hunting load and are shooting similar sized animals, you may be surprised at how repeatable it is.

Exit Okay

There is nothing wrong with exit wounds. In fact, if I took a side on shot at a deer which took out a rib or two and the coronary area, but managed to miss both sets of shoulder bones, I would want to see an exit wound. 

Otherwise I would consider that particular load under-powered and would be looking for something with more penetration. Obviously, you can’t always expect your quarry to pose nicely side on for you. 

Your choice of calibre and loading has to contend with the likelihood that the target animal may be angled either toward or away from the shooter. I generally avoid quartering away shots on game animals and will wait for a better angle to present itself before taking the shot. 

With an animal angled toward the shooter, there may be no option but to punch through the on-side shoulder and maybe a parcel of ribs too. That is why premium game projectiles are required. 

It is to ensure ideal performance and outcome when the target animal presents a less than perfect stance to the hunter. Luckily there is a great selection of factory ammunition loadings with premium game projectiles for most popular calibres.  Handloaders naturally have even greater options.

Practice Makes Perfect

To maximise your chances of success it pays to practice.  That definitely includes some range work and field shooting too. I normally only use one particular loading in any rifle, once I have found one that shoots accurately and performs to my expectations.

This is because of differences in point of impact between loads. You may be lucky though. I have buddies who have rifles that shoot a variety of projectile weights to exactly the same point over hunting distances. 

Still and all, I prefer to get my game load sorted and then I use that for everything. Shooting various small feral pests with your game load will ensure that you are more than familiar with functionality of your rifle and in its field use.

That familiarity, combined with good shot placement will put venison on the table.

© Don Caswell 2010

This story was published by the SSAA in Hunter 48 - April 2014.

About the author

Since 1981 Don Caswell has been a freelance writer, photographer & illustrator. Don is the author of hunting stories and the provider of technical shooting information. Don an independent reviewer of hunting, shooting & outdoors products, in addition to being a blogger & webmaster with Facebook & Instagram presence. Don is also a senior writer for the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA) and his articles appear regularly in their publications. This article was originally published in the SSAA in April 2014.

Visit Don Caswell's Aussie Hunter Website here

Whether it’s just a knife & knowledge, or 30 kg of the latest hi-tech wizardry, all hunters have firm ideas about the bare minimum in gear needed to survive in the bush, as Don Caswell explains.

I consider myself a minimalist.  No more so than in what I elect to carry on me when I am out hunting.  My hunting buddies often carry a lot more gear than I do and are always on the lookout for new items of the latest gee-whiz gizmos.  They spare no expense and do produce some amazing bits of kit at times.

When it comes to absolute, comfortable minimisation though, my aboriginal hunting companions have it mastered.  A good example of that comes from some years back when I took off on a buffalo hunting trip.  It was a few hundred kilometres of dirt track to a remote community where I collected my regular hunting buddy, Mickey.

He was barefoot and bare-chested when I pulled up and surprised me by jumping straight into the cab and declaring, “Let’s go!”.  I looked at him for a few seconds to see if he was kidding, but it was clear he was serious.  I said, “Mickey we are going to be out bush for four or five days.  Don’t you need some gear to take with you?”  He thought about that briefly, nodded in agreement, and returned to his house. 

He was only gone a minute and when he returned he was equipped with everything he needed; a shirt, a billy, a knife, a box of matches and a packet of smokes!

/> 

It goes without saying that Mickey is a master bushman with an incredible knowledge of the bush.  To him, the wilderness is both a well-stocked grocery store and a hardware shop.  As I know and have seen, Mickey can survive comfortably in the bush with no equipment at all.  To him a knife and a box of matches are useful luxuries, but not essential.

When you are bush-bashing with a vehicle then you can carry a plenty of gear and lots of luxuries.  If you are back-packing on Shank’s Pony, then you need to be a lot more pragmatic.  Nevertheless, I am at times amazed at what people consider essential and tote around with them on a foot safari.  Clearly it is very much a case of personal preferences and priorities, not right and wrong.

There are a few things that are essential when considering an extended hike in the wilderness.  I would say the list starts with good hiking boots.  They will give you every chance of getting in and out under your own steam – which is the ultimate goal of the exercise.  Be prepared to pay for good quality boots.  You may be lucky and find a budget pair that is perfect for you.  I spent quite a bit of money buying lower range hiking boots over the years and was continually unhappy with the result.

When I finally convinced myself to shop in the higher priced section I reckon my annual spending on boots reduced significantly.  Instead of buying a new pair of budget-priced boots every year, I now expect to get 5 or more years of comfort and reliability from each pair of the higher priced variety.  It pays to visit the larger specialty trekking and camping shops and try a variety of boots on for fit and comfort before committing. 

Another item of footwear we all carry which is really useful in the tropics, is a pair of thongs each.  At the end of the day when camped up it is great to relax in those and let the hiking boots air.

The other essential is water.  You need to be confident of finding water and carrying enough to get you between watering points.  This is particularly so in the tropical north where the exertion of outdoor activity in the warmer months (not necessarily the hottest, which are best avoided) may require as much as 10 litres per person per day.  In cooler climates a litre or two may be enough to get you through a day.  This is an important point to note for folks not used to the tropics.  What works perfectly well down south could end up killing you in the far north. 

There are a number of distressing examples of just that happening to cold climate European tourists who arrived in the NT for a dream holiday and did not survive their first day due to dehydration and heat stroke.

I consider the next most important consideration is a risk assessment of just what could happen on your trek and how the group would deal with that.  Snake bite, attack by wild animals, sprains, broken bones, dehydration, even death are unfortunate possibilities for those folks who head off into the wilderness.  I don’t consider it feasible to carry a lot of extra gear just in case of such events.  But the group must consider what they would do if something untoward does occur. 

It is best to work this out before you set off and have a clear plan.  If you don’t do that and something serious occurs then the group is quite likely to make a bad choice under duress and put more people in danger.

Close to essential is a good night’s sleep.  When on an extended foot safari it is important to select a good spot to sleep each night.  I look for a soft, sandy patch near a tree.  In selecting the tree, its shade value is not relevant.  My concern is having somewhere safe to scurry behind, or up, should a wild animal come calling.  Other things to consider are making sure there are no resident ant or wasp colonies making use of the immediate vicinity. Also check for any dead branches that might fall on to you. 

Even a relatively small branch can cause surprising injuries in falling from a height.  There have been well publicised, and tragic, cases of Aussie campers being killed by falling branches, so it is a real risk.

You might ask why I would want to hide behind a tree when there are heavy calibre rifles in camp?  The only thing more dangerous than a nocturnal visit from a boar, buffalo or scrub bull is someone firing off a 458 Winchester Magnum in the dark.  Think about that for a moment.

Sleeping on the ground need not be an uncomfortable experience.  There are a few things to consider.  The key is to scratch out a bit of a hollow to accommodate your hip when you roll onto your side.  A light blanket is needed, even in the top end.  On sandy ground a mattress is not essential.  On harder ground a thin, expanding sleeping mat is most useful in getting a comfortable night.  For a pillow I generally sleep on my rolled-up clothes.  Alternately, if the mosquitoes are not a problem I use my bundled up mossie net as a pillow and let my clothes air over night.

A lightweight mossie net can save you from a restless and disturbed night’s sleep.  I have learnt that the hard way on a number of occasions when I thought there would not be many mosquitoes around and I elected to save weight in my backpack.

Food is an essential of course.  Even when planning to live off the land it would be wise to carry some compact satchels of hiking food in case Mother Nature does not provide.  Again, aboriginal abilities at hunting and gathering are really something to behold.  A year or two ago my adult boys joined me and my old mate Mickey on a walkabout in a very remote part of Arnhem land.  We had left it a bit late for that and it was already pretty hot in late October when we set out.  As a result we only moved about early and late and spend the middle part of the day cooling off in shallow sections of river.

We had the bare minimum of food and were planning on shooting wild cattle and buffalo for meat as we travelled.  As luck would have it, game was a bit elusive for the first few days.  That was not a problem for Mickey.  We had brought along a hand line and some hooks for fishing. 

Mickey walked about fifty metres down the river to a deeper hole.  Along the way he grabbed a passing grasshopper for bait.  The line was not in the water more than a minute when he pulled a good size tarpon out onto the bank. With pieces of fillet from the tarpon he in no time landed a brace of fish and had them threaded onto a stick.  There were black bream, tarpon, saratoga, barramundi and catfish in abundance, but we took only what our immediate needs required.

A shallow hole was dug and a fire lit in it.  Pieces of ant nest were added to provide a heat source for the cooking process.  While the fire was burning down to coals Mickey gave us a lesson in gathering from the creek.  In short order we had a billy of small clams and also a collection of yam-like roots from the water plants. The fish were laid on bed of leaves on top of the coals and hot pieces of ant nest. 

The make-shift oven was covered with pieces of the ever useful paperbark and then a layer of sand was delicately spread on top to seal in the heat.  A small fire was lit nearby and billies brought to the boil.  The roots and clams were then added to the boiling water.

A touch test revealed that the layer of sand covering the cooking fish was getting hot.  That indicated that the fish was done.  The sand was swept off and the paperbark carefully pealed back to avoid spilling any grit onto the steamed and smoked fish.  The smell was delicious.  The leaves, specifically selected and not eucalypt, had added a lovely herb and light smoke flavour to the fish, which was cooked to perfection.  Our feast of fish, clams and yam was served up on platters of paperbark and very nice it was too.

Survival kits are a very personal item, ranging from nothing right through to some pretty extensive collections of gear.  Survival kits should not be confused with your camping equipment.  To me a survival kit is a small, compact kit that you carry with you when you leave camp to go hunting, or exploring.  It is there in case you can’t make it back to camp and have to spend a night, or longer, in the bush alone.  That could happen through unexpectedly bad weather, getting lost or through injury or sudden ill health.  In such cases the ability to light a fire, shelter from the weather and take a dose of Panadol are invaluable, perhaps even life saving.

There is no right or wrong in the choice of a survival kit other than that it makes enormous sense to carry one.  My belief is that it should be with you when you walk out of camp, either in your backpack or on your belt.  This is essential if you are out and about alone or with a companion, less so with larger groups.  I don’t bother with food in my survival kit at all because it is no problem for the average outdoors adventurer to go days without food should circumstances arise.

My concerns are at being either injured or lost and the contents of my survival kit reflect that.  I have a foil blanket for retaining body heat and shelter from sun and rain.  Bandages and Panadol tablets are there for injury.  Matches and lint are there for starting a fire.  I have a couple of wads of lint taken straight from the laundry clothes drier.   I keep the lint in small zip-lock plastic bags.  I also have a larger, folded-up plastic bag which can be used to collect and store water in an emergency.  There is ten metres of light but strong cord and a signal mirror, compass and whistle.  It is all packed into a compact camera case.

There are lots of excellent books and guides, not to forget TV shows, on camping and survival available and these too can be of great interest and educational for those who enjoy trekking and hunting in the more remote wilderness.

© Don Caswell 2011

About the author

Since 1981 Don Caswell has been a freelance writer, photographer & illustrator. Don is the author of hunting stories and the provider of technical shooting information. Don an independent reviewer of hunting, shooting & outdoors products, in addition to being a blogger & webmaster with Facebook & Instagram presence. Don is also a senior writer for the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA) and his articles appear regularly in their publications. This article was originally published in the SSAA in April 2014.

Visit Don Caswell's Aussie Hunter Website here