AUSTRALIA: Sambar-Australia-Errol Mason- Secrets Of The Sambar

[CBH Australia]

I just got home from a Sambar hunting educational course.
The course is run in the East Gippsland of Victoria where Sambar populations are high and the instructor has access to private land with great features to maintain the population and provide opportunities for to observe these animals and their habits.
It is around 20 hours in duration split over a half day start followed by a full day then a half day finish to aid travel.
Participants can camp onsite and spend time discussing anything Sambar around the campfire in the evening or compare Binoculars on dusk for evaluation giving hunters to opportunity to compare their own with others and the ones that Errol uses and another brand he retails in the moderate price range.
Errol demonstrates the geographical features and how Sambar use the landscape.
He has spent more than 30 years hunting and studying Sambar. He has researched many references and famous hunters giving credit for the information he has researched and talking of his own experience and observations from experience.
Errol has produced 4 books and 18 issues of his magazine.
He guided clients for a while and later focused on the study and educational activities of his business.
A mate of mine is a keen Deer Hunter with most of the Australian species under his belt. He completed the course some years ago and spoke highly of it.
I have friends that have either completed the training or know Errol.
I really enjoyed the course and the opportunity to learn their habits and life cycle to get a better understanding of how to successfully hunt Sambar or just observe them in the Victorian forests that have the highest concentration in Australia.

 

[rifletuner]

Ive read the "Secrets" book cover-to-cover, but havent done the course. I used to read his articles in Guns And Game magazine which I used to write for occasionally as well. I would but the "Secrets" magazine when it was in print, but it depended what was in it.

 

[CBH Australia]

 

[Fordy]

Gday Cbh
Good stuff not done the course myself but heard good things about it & looking forward to seeing your results

Cheers

 

[Huntforever]

CBH i sent you a PM

 

[CBH Australia]

CBH i sent you a PM

Reply sent.

 

[cperso]

View attachment 701786

Haven't done the coarse but have but do have a few of my own Secrets of Sambar

 

[CBH Australia]

Haven't done the coarse but have but do have a few of my own Secrets of Sambar

Nice work. I nave seen some of your hunts posted elsewhere.

I’m hoping to try my luck on Sambar sometime. I will be happy with a meat animal and the experience.

I will probably be using a .300wm load with an Atomic 29 projectile.

 

[cperso]

Nice work. I nave seen some of your hunts posted elsewhere.

I’m hoping to try my luck on Sambar sometime. I will be happy with a meat animal and the experience.

I will probably be using a .300wm load with an Atomic 29 projectile.

You'll be hooked once you hunt the mighty Sambar Stag.
I've done quite a bit of testing for Cameron at Atomic29 Projectiles on game from Sambar to Cape Buffalo in calibres 300wsm, 8x68s,325WSM, 338Win Mag, 375h&h, 416RM, 450 Rigby Rimless
They are a very good monolithic projectile and very accurate in all my rifles

 

[BlueFlyer]

View attachment 701786

He is a bit soft. Not like Reg Gordon who actually has a chew on the dried pellets to see what they have been eating!!!!

 

[CBH Australia]

@BlueFlyer
Mmm, that reminds me of an old joke.

Goes something like this.

Reg and Errol were out hunting together and they came across some fresh Sambar scat. Errol asks Reg, what is that. Reg says they are “smart pills” smart pills says Errol, Reg is like yeah go on try one they make you smarter. Being pretty big Errol takes a bite and starts chewing on one. He exclaims, this tastes like Sh!t, Reg says, “see they are working already “

Credit unknown

 

[Muskox]

I was a poor enlisted kid when I lived in Canberra, I wanted to do that course so bad.

I had known a couple of F-class shooters from Canberra that had taken his course or knew him. I was always impressed by what he shared.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I just got home from a Sambar hunting educational course.
The course is run in the East Gippsland of Victoria where Sambar populations are high and the instructor has access to private land with great features to maintain the population and provide opportunities for to observe these animals and their habits.
It is around 20 hours in duration split over a half day start followed by a full day then a half day finish to aid travel.
Participants can camp onsite and spend time discussing anything Sambar around the campfire in the evening or compare Binoculars on dusk for evaluation giving hunters to opportunity to compare their own with others and the ones that Errol uses and another brand he retails in the moderate price range.
Errol demonstrates the geographical features and how Sambar use the landscape.
He has spent more than 30 years hunting and studying Sambar. He has researched many references and famous hunters giving credit for the information he has researched and talking of his own experience and observations from experience.
Errol has produced 4 books and 18 issues of his magazine.
He guided clients for a while and later focused on the study and educational activities of his business.
A mate of mine is a keen Deer Hunter with most of the Australian species under his belt. He completed the course some years ago and spoke highly of it.
I have friends that have either completed the training or know Errol.
I really enjoyed the course and the opportunity to learn their habits and life cycle to get a better understanding of how to successfully hunt Sambar or just observe them in the Victorian forests that have the highest concentration in Australia.

@CBH Australia
Errol has a good reputation.
I learnt some of the secrets free of charge from the property owner where I used to hunt. His father owned the property before him so a wealth of knowledge.
You would be surprised how easily a big sambar stag can disappear into a big clump of blackberry bushes and not leave a trace.
He used a 30-06 with federal blue box 150 or 180 grainers in a tikka and to him it was more than enough gun.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Nice work. I nave seen some of your hunts posted elsewhere.

I’m hoping to try my luck on Sambar sometime. I will be happy with a meat animal and the experience.

I will probably be using a .300wm load with an Atomic 29 projectile.

@CBH Australia
Leave the big Boomer at home mate, just load up that 280AI with some atomic 29s and have fun.
The last one I shot was with a 270( that became my Whelen) with a 130gn ACP @3,100+ fps. Dead before it hits the ground.
They ain't armour plated.
Bob

 

[cperso]

@CBH Australia
Leave the big Boomer at home mate, just load up that 280AI with some atomic 29s and have fun.
The last one I shot was with a 270( that became my Whelen) with a 130gn ACP @3,100+ fps. Dead before it hits the ground.
They ain't armour plated.
Bob

Bob, I have a slightly different opinion to yours based on 30+ years stalking Sambar.
Sambar stags can take lead even,with well placed shots in larger calibres and rarely drop at the shot unless spined or brained.
I've lost count of how many stags ( hundreds)I've bush stalked over the years with calibres 270win,300wsm,338WM, 8x68s,325WSM,375h&h and 416RM and I'd estimate over 90% ran with well placed shots before expiring.
I've found the smaller legal calibres (270 min 130g) and up will do the job but the bigger 30 cals do it with more authority and perform better especially for those shot angles that are less than ideal.
I've found the 338WM to be just about ideal.
@CBH Australia You are definitely not over gunned using a 300 Win Mag, in fact in my opinion it's an ideal starting calibre for big stags.
@Bob Nelson 35Whelen Even the Whelen might knock one down

 

[CBH Australia]

@CBH Australia
Errol has a good reputation.
I learnt some of the secrets free of charge from the property owner where I used to hunt. His father owned the property before him so a wealth of knowledge.
You would be surprised how easily a big sambar stag can disappear into a big clump of blackberry bushes and not leave a trace.
He used a 30-06 with federal blue box 150 or 180 grainers in a tikka and to him it was more than enough gun.
Bob

Sounds like that rifle is a donor to be Whelenised.

I know they are not armour plated and many are taken with a .308.

Yes Errol certainly knows his Sambar. It was interesting to me because I knew nothing about Sambar. He has a ton of experience and years of research and observation recorded in his book set

 

[BlueFlyer]

Leave the big Boomer at home mate, just load up that 280AI

I have shot a few with my 280AI and it is a fovorite rifle. BUT I am yet to have one drop on the spot.

You would be surprised how easily a big sambar stag can disappear into a big clump of blackberry

They don't have to go far, to take hours to find. Even with destroyed hearts and broken shoulders they still can be a pain to find if the bullet has not exited and left a good blood trail. Thats why I have gone bigger with heavier projectiles.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bob, I have a slightly different opinion to yours based on 30+ years stalking Sambar.
Sambar stags can take lead even,with well placed shots in larger calibres and rarely drop at the shot unless spined or brained.
I've lost count of how many stags ( hundreds)I've bush stalked over the years with calibres 270win,300wsm,338WM, 8x68s,325WSM,375h&h and 416RM and I'd estimate over 90% ran with well placed shots before expiring.
I've found the smaller legal calibres (270 min 130g) and up will do the job but the bigger 30 cals do it with more authority and perform better especially for those shot angles that are less than ideal.
I've found the 338WM to be just about ideal.
@CBH Australia You are definitely not over gunned using a 300 Win Mag, in fact in my opinion it's an ideal starting calibre for big stags.
@Bob Nelson 35Whelen Even the Whelen might knock one down

@cpreso
My experience is hunting the fringe country on farms so a bit different to hunting in thick scrub.
My grand total is six or seven using a444 Marlin loaded with 265 FTX or 280gn Woodleigh rnsp.
The marlin with those big 44s travelling at 2,400-2500fps sat them on their arse right pronto.
One stag was heading north so he copped a 280gn Woodleigh in the south end and tore the rug right out from under him. A finisher to the chest ended the argument. Unfortunately he had antlers like frozen dog turds. Upon gutting the owner said he had never seen so much blood in an animal.
The one shot with the 270 was a high lung shot that just dropped him.
Carry out in the fringe country is easy. Bring the tractor up with hay tines and hang them from . the Achilles tendon and drive the tractor back to the shed
Bob
I know I've had it easy and have had easy carries but now I use the muscles above the shoulders not the muscles below the shoulders.
I'm basically a lazy old bastard nowadays.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Sounds like that rifle is a donor to be Whelenised.

I know they are not armour plated and many are taken with a .308.

Yes Errol certainly knows his Sambar. It was interesting to me because I knew nothing about Sambar. He has a ton of experience and years of research and observation recorded in his book set

@CBH Australia
Wait until you get honked for the first time. Sounds like a Mack truck coming for you but a great feeling.
When Ted Mitchell got honked the first time he said it scared the shit out of him.
Bob

 

[cperso]

@cpreso
My experience is hunting the fringe country on farms so a bit different to hunting in thick scrub.
My grand total is six or seven using a444 Marlin loaded with 265 FTX or 280gn Woodleigh rnsp.
The marlin with those big 44s travelling at 2,400-2500fps sat them on their arse right pronto.
One stag was heading north so he copped a 280gn Woodleigh in the south end and tore the rug right out from under him. A finisher to the chest ended the argument. Unfortunately he had antlers like frozen dog turds. Upon gutting the owner said he had never seen so much blood in an animal.
The one shot with the 270 was a high lung shot that just dropped him.
Carry out in the fringe country is easy. Bring the tractor up with hay tines and hang them from . the Achilles tendon and drive the tractor back to the shed
Bob
I know I've had it easy and have had easy carries but now I use the muscles above the shoulders not the muscles below the shoulders.
I'm basically a lazy old bastard nowadays.
Bob

@Bob Nelson Whelan
Yes, the 444 is a great choice for bush hunting Sambar as well where most of your shots are under 100m.