Aussiehunter Blog
Nature

Tilapia Threaten State Fisheries
A couple of ABC news items caught my eye yesterday. First up, there was a report on the alarming spread of tilapia in Queensland rivers. Tilapia are an introduced fish that breed and spread prolifically in our environment. They pose a significant threat to our...

Dry Times in the Wet Tropics
The last two days I have been busy watering our landscaped gardens and the many trees and shrubs in them. Looking back through my diary, I see that the last drop of rain here was back on 5th July, when we received a paltry 5mm (quarter inch). Since then there have...

Birds of Prey
With the trail cameras showing a glaring absence of wild dogs I am giving those spots a rest for a few days. Kathy and I are just enjoying a few quiet days at home. Today I did finish a review of two pair of German Optical Precision binoculars for the SSAA. I am...

Nature Calls
This morning I resumed painting the front doors. That was until an excited call from Kathy brought me into the kitchen. Another Cairns Birdwing butterfly had emerged. When pruning the garden we are wary of any cocoons hanging from branches, but sometimes their...

Close to Home
Our road has been unusually busy in the last week. There are a couple of building projects underway on the neighbours’ places. There have been tradesmen and concrete trucks flitting back and forth. We also hosted a largish social event at our place as well. With...

Nature Photography
With some cool, misty, wet days I find myself writing about what I get up to when the weather permits. I prefer to be out of doors. Now that the weather has cooled down I am trying to avoid getting wet, and cold, on my little hunting forays about the area. Other...

Seeking Wildlife in the Wet Tropics
When I am not hunting I am photographing wildlife, mostly birds. In fact, on the basis of hours per week, I probably spend more time bird watching and photographing than I do hunting or shooting. In all those activities I am lucky to live in a rural area with a...

Cairns Birdwing Butterfly
Now, for something different. When I was at the rifle range a day or two ago I got a cryptic text from my wife that had me puzzled for a little while. “I will shut the windows in case he flies” was the message. Then, after a delay, the second text arrived with a...

Elusive Wild Dogs
Not long after I got back from my deer hunting trip I had a phone call from a local farmer with a wild dog problem. He asked if I had been out on his place (he told me I had free access at any time) and, if so, had I seen his dog. It had been missing a day or two...

Thylacine the Tasmanian Tiger
The press has been getting excited about another search for the thylacine, this time in far North Queensland. The following article from NPR is a good summary of the situation....

Conservation Efforts
I have just returned from a visit to a large property at the bottom of the Gulf of Carpentaria. A dozen of us, at our own cost and effort, travelled there to initiate what will be an on-going contribution to the conservation of a major wetland. All of us will be...

Tropical Birds and Bugs
I try to keep the aussiehunter blog mostly focussed on shooting and hunting topics. I do however have a number of other keen interests. I actually spend more time birdwatching and indulging in wildlife and nature photography than I do shooting. Kathy and I are also...