Some call me a sharp shooter. Whether it is with a pistol, rifle, or shotgun, I can be very deadly. Squirrels don’t stand a chance when I am behind the sights. At least that is what I hope squirrels and people say about my shooting skills. Really though, I always hit air and dirt. Rarely do I even get remotely close to what I am aiming at. I don’t let this get me down. I love going with friends, chasing squirrels and pigs, usually acting as a spotter and moral support.
Darting between anthills in a left-handed stick shift truck, it wasn’t squirrels and pigs we were chasing. Colton, my new Australian mate Darcy, and I were chasing kangaroos and emus on Allensleigh Station in Queensland. This was at the stage where I was in awe at all the kangaroos, having never seen them before. They were everywhere. We would be driving around and spot a group of roos under a tree, and be able to drive within thirty feet without them budging. At home I can go squirrel hunting whenever I want. Roo hunting opportunities on the other hand don’t come up very often. So, I may have tried a little harder to hit a roo than I do squirrels.
Six empty shell cases later, my one shot one kill motto was going great. I am responsible for six less roos in the population that has to be in the millions. Colton on the other hand was having a heck of a time. He usually is the one who never misses. I had the good Australian luck on my hands though. Emus proved themselves to be much harder to hit. Unlike roos who never move a muscle as you take aim, emu’s heads bob up and down as they are moving. Colton and I couldn’t connect, so Darcy had to show us how to do it. He proved that emus are very easy to fool.
Walking away from the truck, Darcy performed an Egyptian dance and prance. He stopped a ways from the truck, and lay down on the ground. Continuing his odd movements, this time only horizontally. The emus began to get curious. All of a sudden they came running from a long distance off, maneuvered over a fence, and came near pecking distance to Darcy, who was lying on the ground. Sitting up fast, the birds never moved as Darcy took aim and fired. One shot later, we had emu appetizer for dinner. Emus are suckers for some good outback dancing.
Darcy has his way of getting very close to wild animals, and I have my own yet different way. Mine involves using a rope. My wild animal-roping portfolio includes a fox from my middle school days and now a wild pig. Armed with three ropes, a four-wheeler, and a motorcycle, Colton, Luke from the Taldroa Station, and I set out in search of wild pigs. With me at the wheel of the four-wheeler and Colton sitting behind me, Colton threw a few coils of his rope, catching the pig around the middle. I bailed off and roped the head before it got out away and Luke came in and caught two hind feet. When we went to turn the pig loose, we all jumped on the four-wheeler and took off, the big boar we had just roped fresh on our heels. My one loop one catch motto proved perfect, as we didn’t see any more pigs. This was one difference from home as usually we see lots when we go pig hunting.
Whether it is chasing kangaroos, emus,or pigs, I can now say they better watch out, as I am pretty successful in this big Australian outback. In the city though it’s a whole new story. As we visited the wildlife park, I found myself feeding roos and emus out of the palm of my hands. I communicated to them with love, as I would do my cows at home. Their soft fur indicated they aren’t considered pests as in the outback but instead pets. However, one things for sure, I never found myself behind the wheel adding one more road kill kangaroo to the side of the road on our long journey.
Life In Shorts And Sandals 