*a sick or wounded animal with the back of an axe .*

Ah Jim, I am sure that all the animal libbers on OLO will
just love you now :)

Thats after them telling us about us *civilised* Aussies, versus
those *barbaric* Arabs.

Rather then a blow in and out like yourself, I'd rather trust
the judgment of the P&G, people who grew up on stations and
have run them all their lives.

Kartiyj Jim

Forget the libbers hes got to get past us first.

We wernt talking about a sick or injured beast Jim. We we talking about a animal charging remember.?

You must be getting pretty long in the tooth because they mostly use bikes or four wheel drives now and run the crap out of them then knock them with the bull bar.

You still have your stock men for some areas but they usually only rely on those riders for the areas not able to be got at by the four wheel drives and bikes.

Its sort of an art they have refined over the years.

Yup to knock a bullock or beast with the bull bar of the four wheel drive is consiered real clever and of course heaps of fun too.

By some.

What they do need guns for is to put down something suffering and they come in mighty handy if you come across a deadly snake while walking to the loo.

People dont walk around carrying their rifles every step of the way.

As for your cracking a beast over the back of the head to put it down if its sick- Umm



We need to make sure the guys are carrying the right gear to do a proper job.

You dont kill a large beast with one crack of the back with the back of any tool.

Also you still havent explained what you do if the beast is 'not' sick and charging you. I see see you now tarzan rushing in with your tool.

Then again some people are just after all tools

"What they do need guns for is to put down something suffering and they come in mighty handy if you come across a deadly snake while walking to the loo."

That snake would want to be curled up asleep or you would want to be a mighty good shot!

A shotgun, which is still available to farmers, is the only way to get snakes.

BTW, snakes are a protected species :)

Raging bulls and camels are no excuse for allowing handguns to be easily accessible to the wrong kind of people. If they are such a problem then one would assume you would go prepared in these situations? Just wanting to behave like a cowboy is no excuse for carrying such a weapon.

PF
If they are an old established farmer then I say leave them alone.

Some of the old drovers have paddled their own boat all their life.

I mean I suppose yeh they should have a licence but still.

You say snakes are protected. Yes well that might well be so but they mustering contractors I have met dont tend to get about with the latest stupid animal libbers bible or the latest laws of the Parliment.

I am talkng about the real outback people here not this modern corp lot who wouldnt know the difference between a pigs@ and a cows bum.

It might be all the go now with Bindi declairing snakes are her favouite pet but some of us have other ideas.

So many people in the city now are having trouble with snakes as they move into those areas.

I am on the Gold Coast after selling my farm and there is a family not far from me where I lease land from the main roads to keep my Dads old horses.

This family are moving in two weeks time because they have young children and the place is over run with dangerous snakes.

My own horse last year was killed by one on that property.

They had four pet chooks for their kids and three of them were killed by snakes.

I have the last one here. Last new years eve as they were about to leave the baby sitter started screaming and there was a six foot brown right in front of the door.

Another huge thing is in the roof.

One morning there was a brown on their daughters bed.

There tried every Government and council department to try to get some assistance.

My point is that real cowboys do kill snakes and their life is more important than a snakes.

However I am NOT suggesting we hand out handguns to city people because they might shoot their foot or neighbour.

Funny you should mention snakes. I am slashing today. I try hard NOT to miss!

Yabby,

Believe it or not ,to have a heap of people carry handguns around for years on the off chance yours or their bad management may put someone in danger isn't sensible at all .

One can almost guarantee more people than wild cows or bulls would be shot, either by accident or on purpose .

Who would carry the gun ? The boss ,if he happens to be about ,or the station worker ? Or everyone working with cattle ?

Maybe WA has degenerated back into the wild west .

I have never seen a rodeo clown pack a handgun .

Perhaps they should all be issued with barrels!

kartiya jim

Since you are an old ringer who worked in the outback could you please outline some of the most common practises a normal crew would follow and especially the leader.?
You know just basic stuff =ie dress behavouir etc.
Thanks.