Sambar Oz
New Member
I’ve been hunting deer here in Australia for 30 years and have been fortunate enough to also hunt in New Zealand and Canada. I hope someday to make a trip to the ‘old country’ and sample some stalking.
Luckily my colonial ancestors released many deer species into the wild here in Australia with 6 species surviving and most expanding in numbers and territory. Red, fallow, chital and rusa exist in good numbers with herds in most states. Hog deer originally from India can be found scattered along the Victorian east coastal strip.
The deer that has best adapted to its new home has been the sambar, which are considered the premier game animal Down Under. After liberation near Melbourne in the mid 1800’s they have colonised all of the mountain forests of central and eastern Victoria and are rapidly advancing along the Great Dividing Range deep into New South Wales toward Sydney 1,000 km to the north.
I hunt sambar in the magnificent eucalypt forests of the Victorian high country at between 2,000 and 4,000 feet with frequent snow experienced at this time of year. Not something most people associate with Australia.
The minimum legal calibre for sambar is .270 with 130 gn bullet. The most common calibres used are 30/06 and 300 magnums with 180 grainers. My favourite sambar rifle is a left handed Browning A-bolt stainless stalker in .338 winchester magnum. Heavy calibres are favoured due to the size of the sambar and preferred forested habitat.
Look forward to reading of the experiences of the other members and hopefully I can contribute with some info and stories from the other side of the world.
Some pics of Australian sambar deer country:
Cheers,
Sambar Oz
Luckily my colonial ancestors released many deer species into the wild here in Australia with 6 species surviving and most expanding in numbers and territory. Red, fallow, chital and rusa exist in good numbers with herds in most states. Hog deer originally from India can be found scattered along the Victorian east coastal strip.
The deer that has best adapted to its new home has been the sambar, which are considered the premier game animal Down Under. After liberation near Melbourne in the mid 1800’s they have colonised all of the mountain forests of central and eastern Victoria and are rapidly advancing along the Great Dividing Range deep into New South Wales toward Sydney 1,000 km to the north.
I hunt sambar in the magnificent eucalypt forests of the Victorian high country at between 2,000 and 4,000 feet with frequent snow experienced at this time of year. Not something most people associate with Australia.
The minimum legal calibre for sambar is .270 with 130 gn bullet. The most common calibres used are 30/06 and 300 magnums with 180 grainers. My favourite sambar rifle is a left handed Browning A-bolt stainless stalker in .338 winchester magnum. Heavy calibres are favoured due to the size of the sambar and preferred forested habitat.
Look forward to reading of the experiences of the other members and hopefully I can contribute with some info and stories from the other side of the world.
Some pics of Australian sambar deer country:
Cheers,
Sambar Oz