there will be some added paperwork when bringing your own firearms into this country. In terms of rental rifles, the 22-250
Rem. or 243 Win. may be available for most varmint work, as well as heavy rifles in (probably) 375 H&H for water buffalo, camel hunting, and the like. Big stuff with big guns is the rule here, as it is almost everywhere hunting is undertaken. Don’t bring a pop gun to a big game event. Time will tell as this new program is developed. Clothes and Gear on the trail Because the weather is subtropical
for the most part, make use of light- weight, light colored clothing. Bush shirts, wide hats, and cargo pants are a good choice in this case. Boots should be leather and snake proof. A set of chaps or snake gaiters also is a good idea if hunting off the “gun truck” and in the bush on foot. Bug dope in some areas is advisable, especially near water holes, and sun screen is important. The Austra- lian sun is very strong. I got burned on the arms in only one day when wearing a short sleeve shirt. A good supply of photo cards
and a good camera are essential. This is picture country almost everywhere you look. If you have a telephoto lens for your setup, be sure to take it. Wildlife is everywhere. I shot many photos for the magazine, but even if not covering a story here I would have been very sorry if I had not taken the best photo equipment I could afford. Remember, all cameras, guns and other valuable items need to be pre-cleared by U.S. Customs. Lacking this American paperwork, you could lose, or at least delay recovery of, your stuff at the U.S. border upon your return flight. Check with your area U.S. Customs office for details. In terms of a passport, it needs to be at least a full year in good standing regarding its re- newal date. If not, get it renewed early. Australia won’t allow anything less in terms of expiration time . I have expounded upon the Big
Shooter Products program in Australia because this was who I used as a contact over there, and also because, to my way of thinking, it is the best show in town for the money. It maintains a flexible nature for a set up hunt in a foreign country. Australia is not America, and it sure has its share of an issue dealing with guns, but hunt it you can. With the
www.varminthunter.org Page 187
crack team at Big Shooter who know exactly what they are doing, problems are few and far between. When leaving Brisbane on my
international flight, I encountered an American hunter with his wife and three children who were being detained be- cause the paperwork involved in getting his guns out of the country was wrong. Here was the classic example of the “do it yourself” hunter in trouble. He was missing his flight home, and was told to go back and get a hotel room as it would take several days to straighten out this gun issue. I hope he got his guns home in good order because at the time it was not looking good for him. Watching this mess unfold, I can say for a fact that Marc McDonnell and the Big Shooter program never looked better to me. Please be advised I’m far from
an expert on Australia, but I have now been there, hunted the country to some degree, talked to its people, and learned a whole lot in the process. I’m going back, to be sure. It is a pain at times to get all the details together, but the rewards are overwhelming. When I return I’m specializing on dingoes (wild dogs), a
very good 38" spread angora wild goat, and a (new to the program) outback waterfowl hunt. Throw in a few big buck kanga-
roos, a hog or two, and I’m right in the saddle again. Australia offers a premium grade
of activity level in terms of the amount of shooting you are going to get for your buck. No hidden charges, no extra fees to shoot a varied selection of targets, and best of all you are still able to make the house payment when you return home. For the price of an American antelope hunt in about any western state, you can hunt down under for half a month with money left over. About the only lower priced hunt I know of today is to stay home. Not! It is a rifleman’s game down un-
der, and to my way of thinking there is none better in terms of rifle rounds down range and the results at the end of the bullet’s contact. Australia can turn out plenty of targets and the folks at Big Shooter will build the rifleman a hunt that fits the needs with plenty of flexibility to match.
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