It's funny how the important calls always seem to come when you're not there to take them! I had just popped around to see one of my neighbours for a while and when I got back here was a message next to the phone‚ Geoff Shallycom(!) and a number. I knew who that was, spelling notwithstanding! What could the old fella want with the likes of me? I call, Jeff's lovely wife, Jude, answers and I explain who I am, exchange pleasantries and ask to speak to Jeff. We repeat the pleasantry ritual, I babble on for a while on a totally unrelated matter and then Jeff finally gets me to shut up long enough to hear what he has to say...and what he says hits my brain like a razor sharp Ribtek through a goat... HOLEY SMOKE, IT'S THE MOMENT!! The one I have waited three years for, the moment when an experienced, knowledgeable hunter asks would I like to join them on a hunt! I considered my options...for about a nanosecond then blurt out “Yep! I'm in mate!". He's pleased to hear this and proceeds to fill me in on the details. Where? ...Cunnamulla, of which I had heard but knew basically nothing except it's an awfully long way from Coochiemudlo Island... who is joining us?... The big fella LB Rod 55 and Jeff's son, Jay. I'd met Rod once or twice on his frequent day trips to Brisbane but had never even knew Jeff had a son so was looking forward to meeting both him and Jeff, who I had spoken to countless times in P.M.s and on the phone. We arranged for me to drive up to Jeffs in Maryborough on the 13th to leave on the 14th, with me going on to Bundy to pick up Rod first.
The drive was longer than I had anticipated and I didn't get to Rods until late arvo with us leaving right on dusk. Poor Rod looked a little antsy at being in the passenger seat, an unfamiliar perspective of the road apparently. I did my best to calm him by casually mentioning that with my glasses on, the windscreen tends to go white on me when oncoming vehicles have headlights on. I was bewildered to see this had no calming effect at all and after an appropriate period of contemplation (I really was getting a bit nervous myself by now, some of those trucks on dark regional roads have remarkably bright lights!) I pulled into a servo and offered Rod the chance to take the wheel. He must have been pleased by this offer as in his enthusiasm to do so near knocked me to the ground, brutal fellow! Before an altercation could arise, the mobile rings and here's Stickbow, wanting to know just where we are. We are minutes from his house so proceed in a much more relaxed atmosphere, save the excitement of going on a hunt tomorrow, my first at that!
We are greeted with fine food and hospitality, pack Jeff's Landcruiser and pretty much head off to bed, eager for the dawn.
4:30am comes around and I can no longer take it! Maybe if I get up the sun will rise a bit earlier. I'm up and enjoying a cigarette on the footpath - no-one smokes at Jeff's, so it's fair enough to take it away. Next thing here's Jeff, then Rod and after the usual things done on arising it's goodbye to Jude and right on 5:58am, we are away!
Now, I've been on a few long drives in my day but WOW, this is one of the longest! We had a few stops in various Qld regional towns like Dalby and St. George for coffee (and a quick drag or two for me, which is beginning to be noticed by the less vice-bound) but eventually we arrive at the Cunnamulla Roadhouse, where we meet up with Jay. Intros done, it's back into the cars for the last hour of our trip, out to the place Jeff has hunted for twenty years and knows as well as he knows his own back yard... this is gonna be great!
Right on dusk we arrive, unpack, set up our beds in the house we have been very generously supplied with for the duration of our stay, and settle into the usual night time things- showers to wash off the dust of many miles of South Western Qld red dirt roads, then a feed, a bit of a yarn and off to bed for an early start...well Jeff's idea of an early start anyway. I s'pose some of us must need more beauty sleep than others?
I was having an early morning smoke outside when the Big Fella comes out to say "Mornin" and then the old bloke finally rises, followed by Jay, who knowing his father way better than us had the good sense to bring himself earplugs. Wish I'd thought of that!. Ok, quick breakfast for those that do, showers, camo on and in the car, LETS GO!
After a short discussion Jeff knows where he's taking us first and we peel our eyes to watch as we drive out to our destination. This place is huge, with one of the sites Jeff shows us being thirty kilometres from the homestead! Still, we see plenty of potential (well, the other guys did, it was all new to me) but also observe that the land is in such good condition after recent good rain that any game will be spread out and not as easy to find as when they must come in to the only water around for miles. This may be so, but about 45 mins after we have begun our hunt we spot goats! Jeff has a good look at 'em with his binocs, see's billies and says “Craig, get in there, young fella!". If the offer of first shot doesn't endear him to me, the “Young Fella" certainly does! He's a mate for life, this bloke! Ok, so I quietly go to the back of the 'Cruiser, string the bow, Jay pulls down his face mask and says “Follow me" and that's it, I'm on my first stalk on real, live game! “Pumped" is a pretty weak description of how I felt right now, I was ready to bust right out of my skin! So many thoughts jostling for space to become the primary one, “They don't know we're here!" “Try to watch out for the others, don't just watch the two billies you're perusing" "Hells Bells, what if I mess this right up in front of THESE blokes?" Jay was both guiding me in- showing where to put my feet so as not to make too much noise, when to stop and freeze, when to advance, etc.- and gently encouraging. “You could shoot it from here, but let's go in a bit more and get a better look while the wind is being good to us". Once we were close enough to work out which billy we wanted, Jay very selflessly steps back and says “go and get him, mate" while staying right with me to whisper last minute advice. Ok, now it's up to me. I take a few more very tentative steps slowly forward with a bush between me and the two young billies that are feeding contentedly just 15-20 meters from us. I know which one I'm going for, even though his mate has a wider spread of bigger horns. I'm not certain about my ability to shoot over one to get the other, so it's the slightly younger, smaller of the two. I pull up my bow... put it back down... “Wait, wait" I say to myself and here it is, he has turned into a good position, a tiny bit quartering on but very close to broadside. Then he bent his head around the other side of his body to scratch his off side ribs, both obscuring his eyes so he cant see me, and opening up his onside ribs “Now!" yells in my head, I stand up from my bent, semi crouching position behind the bush, pick a spot where there is a tuft of white in a black patch right behind his shoulder, draw, anchor, release and it just sails straight in, right up to the fletching in the white spot! Jay says “Oh, Good Shot!" and the billy looks a tiny bit surprised, but not really all that bothered. He takes a few steps, thinks he might like to browse on a branch, rears up on his hind legs to do so, and then gets a bit wobbly. Puts his front feet back down, looks around a bit, then over he goes! Right there in front of us! No tracking blood trails, no looking for my dead billy, nothing! We wait a minute or two, but it's obvious he's cashed in his chips, y'know? WHOO-HOO!
In we go (his mate only now decides his presence is no longer required and takes his leave) and here's the blood pool with a lot of frothy bubbles, I've lunged him! I'm incredulous by now, I just CA'N'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING.!! I'm trembling, Jay's pumping my hand and saying “Well done, mate, good onya!" and I need a deep breath or two or I'm gonna tip, I'm just so primed! What a rush!!
I know I have made it sound quick, but it took about 40 minutes from start to Billy down, and I was living on adrenaline for most of that. Then Jeff comes around the trees to see what happened, ready to commiserate with this novice hunter on the blown stalk or shot... when he see's my face, then Jays, He says "Did you get it?" with a grin beginning to split his face. “Yep! Look!" I near shout 'cause I'm still stoked and I'm pointing to Billy on the ground. Well, I've rarely seen a happier man! He was just so pleased ! Backslapping and handshakes ensue then Rod comes in and he's grinning too! He almost looks proud of me and shakes my hand vigorously too while checking out my billy. Out come the cameras, many shots are taken on everyone's respective devices and then the head is removed for preparation into a trophy for my wall. My first, but you had better believe, in no way my last! I am truly renewed in my enthusiasm and am setting my sights on improving all areas of my archery, gear, practice, research and the search for that most elusive of targets, access to decent hunting properties! Next time, it's my shout, Jeff!
Much more happened this week, but I have had more than my fair share of time in the spotlight, I'll leave it to one of the others to tell more of the week from their perspective.
- A Happy Man!!!
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- Thanks Jay!
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- In Good Company!
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- Very proud of this pic!
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Top effort & I look forward to many more sensational stories in the future 
), handcrafted by our very own "Ivorycollector" here on Ozbow. On this trip I used "Grizzly Stick-Banshee 500" arrows from the Alaskan Bowhunting Company with Ribtek140grn W broadheads, razor sharp after Jeff had finished showing me how to properly sharpen a broadhead, with 60grn adapters for carbon arrow inserts making them 200grn. All up my arrows weighed around 570-590 grns. I also had some Carbon Express "Heritage" 250s with the same broadheads, but did not get the opportunity to use 'em. Next time, WOODS! I have set myself the challenge of learning to make the best woods I can, tailored to each trip.
) where's your accounts of the week 
Too many fantastic pics to keep 'em to yourself, Jeff! You too, Rod, where's ya footage??
