Memories of better times

I had a visitor today who had spent many years shooting the same areas as me & it was funny talking about past memories (espescialy as we were in direct compertition against each other ) Now I'll give you a little back ground info on how the Pro Shooting Kangaroo industry works other wise you won't know what the implications are ! Right Every Roo shooter has to be accredited these days in The Handleing of Game for human consumption ,Pass a shooting course (which includes reloading ,& forensic data on bullet wounds ! Yeah great ain't it? ) A property owner applies to a Gov Dept for permission to Cull Roos ! He is given a Quota.Which he passes on to the Shooter who works his property (most shooters have up to 20 farms that they shoot ) Some whole areas are zoned so the shooter can only sell to one Processor who buys the Roos & then remarkets the finnished product ! The Shooter works for himself & incures all costs in shooting & then is paid by the Kg (Not enough ) ! This was the subject of disscussion today !
Some years ago I caught Clarey (Me Mate who visited today ) Shooting on one of my properties ! I was not impressed !!!!!! I asked him what he was doing & he explained with a straight face, that he was lost ! Not supprizing you say? considering the distance we would travel in a night ? No not really I suppose .except he was 150kms from were he normaly shot !!!!!:evil: Now being the decient Chap I am I could'nt really cut crook at him (Read very mad to the point of killing him) Also there was the fact that I'd been quietly poaching one of his properties ! Whilst he'd been trying to make a living on a property that I'd almost finnished with for the year ! Now we were laughing about this today when I pointed out that my best night ever 2.5 ton of Roos was shot on his alotted lands !He never flinched ! Just replied to ask me if I remembered the night that he supplied his Processor with a load of Roos none being under 30kg (big for a dressed Roo ) Yeah I remembered ! He smiled & pointed out they were shot on my Place whilst I was out at work !!!! Bastard:cry:

Dave

Dave, thanks for the heads up on the roo hunting in your Country, I never understood how it was allocated to certain individuals that were licensed for certain areas or zones.

I seem to remember a couple of decades ago the anti gun media in Australia was giving guys with guns a bad time about night shooting of roos in the outback with scoped rifles, trying to report you guys were wontonly killing huge species of game.

I didn't believe then and still don't, the media sucks.

We have our anti hunting media over here, one of the biggest farsical messes is an outfit called PETA. They are a really whacko bunch being friends of animals and such, and to prove that I remember a news telecast in SLC Utah that showed two ugly broads walking down the sidewalk buck naked holding a banner across their unmentionables that screamed PETA friends of animals...plus some other written gibberish I've forgotten. Of course the picture was of back shot that had no banner. [smilie=w:

The world is a strange place...is it not. :mrgreen:


Jim

Even with all the redtape still sounds like a neat way to make a living

What is "The Kg" down there ? :???:

Kg is short for Kilogram (about 2.2 Lbs). Pro Roo shooter's are the last Ph's in the world who make their living solely from shooting! Yet althouh it is a muti million dollar industry ,we have & always be the brunt of the Anti's attacks ! Yes the work is done at night & is done with a spot light ! The Thing is though No Tree hugger has ever looked into the life & practices of a Pro ! Everytime the Media has come out to have a look at what we do (or in my case did ) They went very quiet after as it was our turn to fight back at the Treehuggers ,Government ,Even the Processers! But best of all at the public who have treated us as second class! Since time emortal !
In over thirty five years (with the exception of 6yrs as a guest of the Army ) I have only ever made a living through shooting ! From Rabbits through to Water Buff!& I must admit I've seen changes for the good in some cases & the bad in others !
Many people have said that I & those like me lived a great life ! But ! What has to be realised is you never hear of the times we were injured ,Puntures Breakdowns, Too windy or nothing around to shoot ! It basicly comes down to the fact that your working in a mobile Slaughter house! Away from home for long periods of time Living not much better than a animal& at the end of the day it's long hours & bloody hard work by yourself !
Now on the other side of the coin! My Office was where ever I was working ,the roof was the Milkyway .I never had anyone telling me what to or not to do ! Above all else I've had the Fun of cork ! with more great memories than Bad Even now I can look back & have a laugh about times that I was bogged,down to the running boards with a full load on board! I have met men that defied discription in their methords of shooting & would change nothing ![smilie=w:

Dave