AUSTRALIA: Big Bulls, Big Boars, Big Fun With BIG COUNTRY SAFARIS AUSTRALIA 2026

@whitetail
If you get the chance Litchfield national Park is well worth the visit, just out of Darwin.
Bob
Will do! We were able to add 2 days to the trip for extra time to tour the sites between the water buffalo hunt in the south and banteng on the coast!
 
Ben had the goal of decking a nice old Buffalo bull with his bow. He'd hunted Arnhemland with us back in 2021, and managed to get an arrow into a bull. But that didn't go entirely to plan and required a follow-up and finishing with a rifle. This time, he was determined to get it done.

Early this morning, Alex spotted a great old bull in the ideal position for a bow-stalk, he was fast asleep behind a large tree which covered their approach. The horns hanging out either side of the tree were impressive!

Benno slowly closed the gap, getting to within 30 metres and waiting patiently for the right opportunity. When it came, he double-lunged him and the bull took off, mortally wounded. Ben followed him up a rocky ridge, managing to put in a couple more arrows to accelerate the process.

Another fantastic old bull, with well worn tips, good length and nice sweeper shape. We were all stoked for Ben, a great reward for his persistence.

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Another high priority on this hunt was a trophy boar for @Mark R. Now, Mark has done far more NT hunting than any of us, and has guided up there as well. He's shot a lot of pigs, including some seriously big ones, but for one reason or another he'd never caped one for his extensive trophy room. So we all had our eyes open for a good pig (he wasn't really talking to me after I shot my big boar on day one) ;)

Both crews had met up at a swamp this morning, before heading off in separate directions. We'd only gone a kilometre or so, when Yabbie spotted a big boar feeding along on our right. The buggy pulled up and binos hit faces. When the boar shook his head I saw ivory, and I knew we had to get Mark here quickly!

Luckily both buggies were running Starlink setups, so a quick phone call was made to guide Matt in the other buggy, and a few minutes later the boys pulled up. We sent them off in the direction the boar was last spotted, in amongst some magnetic termite mounds. Mark and young Matt circled around and eventually, waiting back in the shade with the buggies, we heard his VC 450NE double bark once in the distance, a good sign. We gave it 10 minutes and walked in to find Mark grinning with another cracking trophy boar. He never made it out of bed thanks to the 480gn Woodleigh Hydro. This boar was caped out to be a great mounted representation of all the good boars he'd hunted over the years.

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So that was two very big priorities for the trip ticked off in fine style! That definitely took the pressure off with three full days left to hunt.
 
A few images from Big Country's fantastic Bonanza camp. It extremely remote, there are no roads, permanent buildings or blacktop within several hundred kilometres. There's serious logistics involved in running a camp like this. Drums of diesel are carted in along with all provisions. The guys have top-notch equipment that is fastidiously maintained, including four 4x4 buggies. One can't just duck into town, nor take days off mid-season when problems arise, so the guys have have to be highly proficient at keeping the wheels turning and repairing things in the bush.

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Accommodation is canvas frame tents, each with proper raised beds that are very comfortable. There's power to each tent from the main generator, along with a cordless fan. Camp has every comfort you may need, running water, gas hot showers, flushing toilets, kitchen with fridges and freezers, Starlink, and a great dining area and firepit, where buffalo can be see daily crossing the river. Even at the end of the dry season like now, there's plenty of permanent water around. Food is hearty and plentiful. All in all, it's a real home away from home, yet manages to maintain a remote tented-camp feel. A great place to spend a week!

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Hunting is done from 4-seater buggies which go almost anywhere. Animals are either spotted and stalked, or the buggies are used to access remote springs and creeks where hunting can then continue on foot. You'll see literally hundreds of buffalo a day. The main valley is full of cows, calves and young bulls. But getting out into the remote springs are often where the mature old lone bulls hang out. As the season rolls on, the country dries out and tracks are pushed further into the wilderness. Right until the last days of the season, there's still unseen bulls moving into the area.

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The next day we all headed to major river system the other side of a large plateau, about 2.5 hours drive via buggy from camp. Meeting up with the other crew, we enjoyed a BBQ lunch by the river and took in the scenery.

Now, to backtrack a little....

Back on our 2023 hunt with Big Country Safaris, a friend of Alex's named Brian flew his helicopter out to camp on his way across "The top end". We got along famously, Brian is a fantastic, humble guy with a some nice rifles and a wealth of hunting experience.

Now, to our surprise and Brian's, he landed in Bonanza Valley camp this year to again share camp with this bunch of Southerners. To use his words, "I knew there'd be clients in camp, but I didn't know it'd be you guys!" He was a very welcome addition to our merry mob, and always pitches in around camp.

Brian flew his R22 out to share lunch and a coke with us by the River, what a spot...

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Now, my mate Yabbie already has a very nice buffalo bull and Scrub Bull mounted on his wall. So he decided on this hunt to try for a big trophy cow instead. When Brian flew in for lunch, he mentioned seeing a massive cow on a remote swamp. So Alex decided he'd take Yabbie back in to try and find it.

Find it they did, and two shots from Yabbie's 416 Ruger had her down quickly. What an amazing old trophy to take, well past breeding age with very unique horns.

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To cap off another already fantastic day in the Territory, Brian very generously offered us each a ride in his chopper. In pairs we went, for a half hour flight each. @Mark R and I were lucky last, so we got an express ride back to base camp, via several springs and swamps, seeing plenty of game along the way. It was incredible to see this country from the air. We already knew it was a massive concession area, but this really put it in a whole new perspective.

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Great thread Tim.
Some really good pics too.
Well done and thanks for posting.
 
That afternoon, thanks to our early chopper arrival back in camp, @Mark R and I headed up to a special place, the waterfalls just above camp. It's always a great spot to revisit and always feels sacred to me. I'm not a spiritual guy, but there's definitely something about this place, and it's easy to see why it was important to our indigenous people.

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We got back to camp and the buggies came rolling in just after dark, both Matt and Yabbie had managed to shoot big boars on the way back, to cap off their buffalo trophies.

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Another perfect morning in camp...

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We were now well over the hump with only a couple of hunting days left. So along with Matt and guide Dylan, @Mark R and I headed out on another perfect morning, to get serious about Buffalo bulls. As I've mentioned, Mark has hunted up here a lot and taken beautiful trophies, so these days he just hunts for old management bulls, past their prime with breaks or worn tips. I was still really undecided on what I'd take, I was really just hunting to see what I could find, and what blew my hair back! Either trophy or management, I just love the experience of getting in close with these big bulls and the awesome country they live in.

After covering many miles by buggy and a few more by foot, we found a prime management bull for Mark, and he stoked his VC 450NE double with a pair of Woodleigh Hydros for the stalk. I went along in his footsteps with my 458WM, planning to catch it all on camera.

After a patient stalk in through a dry creek bed and up behind one last tree, we closed in to 40 yards. When the bull stepped out to face Mark he hammered him with both barrels. The bull staggered off 20 metres or so and got the wobbles, and another pair of Woodleighs accelerated the process. A great old bull to take out, he was never getting any better.

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We were coming back from shooting Mark's bull in the heat of the day, so Dylan drove in to a patch of river he liked to check out. Sure enough, a big trophy bull was standing in the water, surrounded by cows. Dylan had seen him before and said he was a definite shooter. I jumped out of the buggy, loading my rifle, but as soon as the bull saw my movement he turned and bolted. The only chance I had would have been to shoot him from the buggy, and I had no interest in that for such a nice trophy animal. So we returned to camp for lunch.

Mid afternoon we headed out again to check the head of a remote spring coming from the escarpment, where Dylan had seen a big bull on occasion. There were notably lots of buffalo around this evening as we weaved our way along the river. We approached the spring with less than an hour's light remaining in the day. Dylan's keen eyes picked up the bull first, feeding alone amongst some pandanus palms, right where we hoped he'd be.

One look through the Swaros and I knew he was 'the one'. Thumbing an extra 500gn Partition into the chamber and locking the safety, Dylan grabbed the sticks and we were off, with light fading fast. We had to carefully cross some open ground, and then sticking to cover, make up another hundred metres before we ran out of cover. Dylan set the sticks and ranged him at 70 metres. I was comfortable with that, but the bull lowered his head again so we opted to sneak in closer and improve our angle.

Now within 50m, I slid the 458WM over the bipod sticks and settled my breathing. Sensing our presence, the bull stopped feeding, lifted his head and turned to face us. The red dot settled on his chest and I fired. The bull took off to my right, as if uninjured. I swung with him and seconds later, fired again. The bull staggered and toppled over. I wasn't taking any chances with no light left and thick cover close by, so I sent a third insurance shot into the bottom of the bull's chest.

We headed over, the blood trail was incredible! I was very happy with the stalk, and this nice mature bull.

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With one day left, we spent it trying to get Ben onto a Scrub Bull with his bow. He had a few stalks on some good animals, but couldn't quite seal the deal...so that's another reason to return!

Another incredible adventure in the Northern Territory wilderness had been and gone, with the legends at @BIG COUNTRY SAFARIS AUSTRALIA. The place just keeps getting better and better.
I'd like to thank Alex, Dylan, Ethan and Matt for their hospitality and guiding skills. Brian for his great company and the chopper joyflight!

And last but not least, my good mates Mark, Matt, Ben, Yabbie and Rog for their awesome company and being the easiest blokes ever to share a camp with. Until we return.....

Thanks for reading folks! ;)

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We were coming back from shooting Mark's bull in the heat of the day, so Dylan drove in to a patch of river he liked to check out. Sure enough, a big trophy bull was standing in the water, surrounded by cows. Dylan had seen him before and said he was a definite shooter. I jumped out of the buggy, loading my rifle, but as soon as the bull saw my movement he turned and bolted. The only chance I had would have been to shoot him from the buggy, and I had no interest in that for such a nice trophy animal. So we returned to camp for lunch.

Mid afternoon we headed out again to check the head of a remote spring coming from the escarpment, where Dylan had seen a big bull on occasion. There were notably lots of buffalo around this evening as we weaved our way along the river. We approached the spring with less than an hour's light remaining in the day. Dylan's keen eyes picked up the bull first, feeding alone amongst some pandanus palms, right where we hoped he'd be.

One look through the Swaros and I knew he was 'the one'. Thumbing an extra 500gn Partition into the chamber and locking the safety, Dylan grabbed the sticks and we were off, with light fading fast. We had to carefully cross some open ground, and then sticking to cover, make up another hundred metres before we ran out of cover. Dylan set the sticks and ranged him at 70 metres. I was comfortable with that, but the bull lowered his head again so we opted to sneak in closer and improve our angle.

Now within 50m, I slid the 458WM over the bipod sticks and settled my breathing. Sensing our presence, the bull stopped feeding, lifted his head and turned to face us. The red dot settled on his chest and I fired. The bull took off to my right, as if uninjured. I swung with him and seconds later, fired again. The bull staggered and toppled over. I wasn't taking any chances with no light left and thick cover close by, so I sent a third insurance shot into the bottom of the bull's chest.

We headed over, the blood trail was incredible! I was very happy with the stalk, and this nice mature bull.

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With one day left, we spent it trying to get Ben onto a Scrub Bull with his bow. He had a few stalks on some good animals, but couldn't quite seal the deal...so that's another reason to return!

Another incredible adventure in the Northern Territory wilderness had been and gone, with the legends at @BIG COUNTRY SAFARIS AUSTRALIA. The place just keeps getting better and better.
I'd like to thank Alex, Dylan, Ethan and Matt for their hospitality and guiding skills. Brian for his great company and the chopper joyflight!

And last but not least, my good mates Mark, Matt, Ben, Yabbie and Rog for their awesome company and being the easiest blokes ever to share a camp with. Until we return.....

Thanks for reading folks! ;)

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A huge thank you for such a great hunt report!! It is certainly making me drool in anticipation for my wife and I's adventure with Alex and his crew at Big Country Safaris in late June, 2027!! What an amazing experience (and being able to have a helicopter flight?!- what a HUGE added bonus!!- hopefully he will come visit camp in late June and take me and the wife up for a ride- fingers crossed!!). My list will be a trophy water buff, banteng as well as a scrub bull and boar. This thread has me soooo stoked as I've always dreamed of hunting in the Northern Territory- but first- off to Munich and then on to Austria (hunting alpine chamois approx 2 hours outside Salzburg) and then on to Hungary (hunting the Hungarian slam with Laszlo Albert of Passion and Prey Hunting Hungary)- wheels up next week! Again- congrats on such an epic adventure!
 
Great adventure, congrats :D Cheers:
 
Once again Tim, thanks for the write up and thanks for sharing another adventure.
 
Awesome!! Thank You for sharing :D Beers:
 
Well done, glad y’all had a great safari and Congrats on some very nice Trophies. Excellent write up as well, brought back good memories. Such a wonderful adventure with an amazing Outfitter & Team.
 
A huge thank you for such a great hunt report!! It is certainly making me drool in anticipation for my wife and I's adventure with Alex and his crew at Big Country Safaris in late June, 2027!! What an amazing experience (and being able to have a helicopter flight?!- what a HUGE added bonus!!- hopefully he will come visit camp in late June and take me and the wife up for a ride- fingers crossed!!). My list will be a trophy water buff, banteng as well as a scrub bull and boar. This thread has me soooo stoked as I've always dreamed of hunting in the Northern Territory- but first- off to Munich and then on to Austria (hunting alpine chamois approx 2 hours outside Salzburg) and then on to Hungary (hunting the Hungarian slam with Laszlo Albert of Passion and Prey Hunting Hungary)- wheels up next week! Again- congrats on such an epic adventure!

That's going to be fantastic mate. Hell, I wish I was joining you. Alex, Dylan and the crew are so much fun. Banteng are a fantastic hunt too. Quite a different hunt.
 
Once again Tim, thanks for the write up and thanks for sharing another adventure.

Next one might have to be another Banteng mate.... ;)
 
Well done, glad y’all had a great safari and Congrats on some very nice Trophies. Excellent write up as well, brought back good memories. Such a wonderful adventure with an amazing Outfitter & Team.

It's one of my favourite parts of the world for sure! Cheers mate
 
Awesome stuff mate, he’s gotta be pushing 100?

We didn't measure anything but I'd guess mid 90's for my bull. With a couple of 100+ on the wall already, I was just happy to dodge another caping job :LOL:
 

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