G'Day Gents.

[Cooch]

Permit me to introduce myself.

I hunt Sambar in the Victorian Alps, with Bloodhounds and Beagles. I also do a little fox and rabbit work with on my own property with a mixed pack including JRTs, a couple of running-dogs, and kelpie sheepdogs.

I may post photos from time to time, and see how the other half of the hunting world does things.

Apart from that, farming keeps me busy, and we are currently facing up to a Federal election in which we are battling to keep anti-hunting "green" parties from gaining a controlling influence in the Senate.

Some things seem common to all of us, don't they.

Peter

[Cooch]

The following , rather poorly posed , shot is of a double taken a fortnight ago over a team of Bloodies.


...... and here we have one of my favourites of a fox at bay.

[Benny G]

Nice photos Peter, that fox seems to be in a precarious position. Welcome to the board.

[pegleg]

do you only hunt your kelpies or do they perform stock work to ? the kelpies i've worked with are among the most intense and intelligent dogs i've ever been around. hope to hear more from you.

[raisinriver]

nice pics like the looks of those bloodhounds

[Cooch]

do you only hunt your kelpies or do they perform stock work to ? the kelpies I've worked with are among the most intense and intelligent dogs I've ever been around. hope to hear more from you.

Pegleg.

I'm a sheep farmer, so those kelpies are first and foremost working dogs. However they enjoy a hunt as much as anything else. I bought my original whippet because they weren't quite fast enough to catch foxes, but they tried. This pair are not quite hard enough to be good catch-dogs. They enjoy mugging a fox when they have plenty of company, but their blood needs to be up before they'll have a crack as a fox that will face them.

RaisinRiver.

The law restricts us to just two breeds of dog for this style of deer hunting. We're legally required to register every hound used, and they must undergo reassessment every 3 years to ensure that they are true to type. The organisation to which I belong (Victorian Hound Hunters Association) arranges for internationally accredited judges to attend our major events every year, which means that they get the ruler run over them. The big dog in the middle made "Best Dog" at one of them a couple of years ago.

BennyG.

That fox didn't help himself with his choice of den. It was a hollow tree with a branch that arched over to nearly ground level, and he'd tried to get out that way after giving my terrier a bloody snout. I had to use the chainsaw to get him out, and then the dogs took him away from me.

Peter


PS.... I'm not sure of your forum's rules regarding photographs. Some regard pics like this as being a touch too graphic. While I do not agree, I can understand those who wish to consider the sensitivities on non-hunters. If any cross the line, please let me know. Your house, your rules, and thankyou for the welcome.

Peter

[Benny G]

Peter, there's a chance you'll catch some grief over photos that show a fight. As for me personaly, go get 'em! There is not a politicaly correct bone in my body, and I personaly believe that if we were to stand up against the "antis" instead of bow down to them all the time, we wouldn't be losing our rights near as fast as we seem to be. Good to see your photos.

[bency]

Welcome, and thanks for sharring.

[PIGLET]

hey that first photo looked like my pack, a deer ain't safe in the woods with my potlickers!

[bency]

Go get'em Lucy!

[Lynxhunter]

Great looking Bloodhounds there Cooch!
Glad to see some that are doing what they were intended to, instead of those showdog types that get winded from a trip down the lawn.
Do your bloodhounds catch up to the sambar and bay them or do they chase them and you shoot them running?

Hans

[Cooch]

Do your bloodhounds catch up to the sambar and bay them or do they chase them and you shoot them running?

Hans

Hans.

Sorry for the delayed answer.

The majority of deer would be taken while running ahead of the hounds, and that's what we plan for. A smaller percentage are taken in a bail, and too hear those big voices helps you understand why some blokes love their Bloods.

The big dogs weigh over 100 pounds, so after leading them in to a mark in rough country or lifting them into the truck at the end of the day, you can also understand why some blokes like Beagles.

Cheers.... Peter

[Cooch]

This one was taken on the run at about 5 yards range. More like shotgunning than rifle work (reminder to self, always return variable scope to lowest magnification.) The first hound came through under a minute later.

Peter

[ferjr]

great photos cooch! any one that doesnt like the picture of that fox being mauled shouldnt be on this web site!

[Cooch]

Thankyou ferjr, but I have met different attitudes in other forums.

For more on the same theme, we have fox-extraction, steps 1 and 2.
First, the digging.....

..... and here we are.


The JRT disappeared, and after a couple of hours checking known dens, I found her down this one. Still hard at it. She was a bit burred-up and subdued once the adrenaline wore off, but she got her licks in.

Peter