I initially thought it was someone pissing around on the beach with a shotgun. Not ideal. The wads were all in the same general area – which lead me to the (potentially incorrect) conclusion that someone was shooting at a target in the vicinity – so all the wads landed in the same spot. However,…
Winter Warmth: The Wonders of a Merino Buff.
The humble buff, one of my most underhyped, but essential parts of my lightweight hunting kit. What’s yours?
Venison Leg, Five Ways.
Making the most of meat. I guess it’s a dangerous assumption – just because someone is a hunter, knows how to kill, process and cut up an animal, doesn’t mean that have any idea how to cook it. Properly. This was part of the conversation I had over the week with a good friend and…
Ridgeline Deluge Anorak
A light weight anorak with great waterproof and breathability ratings. Throw your Deluge Anorak in bottom of your pack in case you’re caught in an unexpected downpour.
Guns & Suicide – an uncomfortable conversation.
Mike King was a logical first choice – his work relates to it, though we (the firearms community) have their own take that needs to be discussed. I am hoping to talk to a few other subject matter experts from all sides of the fence on this and create a bit of a mini-documentary -…
Rusty – on videography, business and more. After hours!
The original interview can be found over here – https://precisionshooter.co.nz/rusty-from-impact-dynamics/ – but it really made more sense to have this part of the discussion as part of good blokes. We talk about Videography, but soon drift into developing a business, handing off control, growth during the lockdown and much much more….
Hunting Ethics, Safety and Distances. A conversation.
Long range hunting, hunting conservation, discussions with Vegans – all covered. It’s a great listen. If you enjoy it – also make sure you are subscribed to the podcast – for the full version….
Bush Bash – Off Track Navigation
It was with this in mind that I thought I would head off into the Waitakeres for some basic off-track navigation practice.
It’s also a great time to test out any new gear you might have – prior to heading away overnight (or longer) where you may need to rely on those items. Better to have them fail when not too far from home, than when you are a day or so into the bush.
Heading into an area with plenty of existing trails is a good way to practise in a relatively safe environment. I am not suggesting you do this with no training at all, but as long as you understand the fundamentals and use the existing tracks as buffers – it’s a great way to push your off-track navigation skills.
Knowing where you are.
For example – in my case, I wandered up to a point I had been previously with the Deerstalkers during their Navigation Session. I had already plotted the point on the map where I started and the point I was heading too. This section was on track, which I generally travel at 4km/hour on. Add in 1 minute for the 10m ascent, and I had 46.5 minutes predicted time.
If I was a bit fitter (working on it) – I would have been bang on. But I didn’t stop the clock for breathers, so took a little longer than planned. I can live with a 5-minute variance though.
Knowing where you are going
From my known point, I then plotted a path from the track I was on to another – it was a very easy task really – as long as I headed 180 grid – I knew I was going to hit a track – it was really just going to be a matter of how long it would take me, and where I would come out.
Bush bashing can be done several ways – if you need to be super accurate, you can leapfrog from point to point, ensuring you come out bang on where you need to, or, in my case, I only needed a general direction – so while regularly referring to the compass, I essentially took the easiest path. Which still required a few hands and knees crawling at points.
Practise Practise Practise
The day was meant to be a bit of a recovery trip after a particularly gruelling gym session on Friday – I just wanted to get the legs moving again – so was only a couple of hours out in the bush. It all adds up though, and as you become more and more confident in your off-track navigation, you can push further and further out, until one day, you realise you don’t need tracks at all. Have fun!
Mythbusting – Alcohol can keep you warm.
I enjoy taking a little tipple of my favorite whiskey out with me when I go bush. Many people do. However, it’s important to understand the actual effects that ingesting alcohol is going to have on the body. It’s not necessarily what you think.