DON'T PLAN TO FAIL

Thanks for the opportunity given to this (77 year old ) lad from outer Sydney, at the foot of the BLUE MOUNTAINS, who bought his first rifle  at age 15, a Winchester '61 Model .22 LR, Takedown pump,

I have hunted pretty much since then ,mostly with a combination of rifles and calibres from .222Rem,243, 270, 30/30 7x57 ,308 and 5 years ago fell for what became my dream rifle,SAKO BROWN BEAR ,in .375 H&H.

However, rather than go on into a life's journey with all that ,(yes, maybe later,) I thought I would like to offload a tale that still haunts me some 30 years after it began.

Fisherman would relate to 'The tale of the one that got away.'Yes' this is the one.  I still have anxieties and night sweats about it.  There were  no gills or fins on this beast it isn't a Great White, no, just the biggest Black boar   that maybe ever walked who, never should have made it away, but did. May I go further..

I'd found a property some 8 hours away from home  in NWNSW, just outside a dry little town called Coolabah, it was about 27000 acres of near desert with great accommodation, a decent number of waterholes  (tanks) in outback talk,and a seemingly never ending supply of wild Pigs, that just begged me to keep returning.I loved this place ,loved it.

At about this time in my life Id been fortunate ,Id learnt a bit about this Pig hunting caper, in fact I felt I was close to knowing 'enough' to 'bring home the bacon'.

There came a time when a dear friend of mine was wanting to get away with me and see what all  the fuss was about..''Sure Pete,'' said I ,yes the 'vibe 'was good ,we made plans and away we went. 

I say 'plans',well, we shall see what transpired, after all there wasn't much to it, was there? 'Been there, done that'. HMMM.

First day out, beautiful warm Autumn weather, typical of that part of the world, wed come across an odd Pig or two, good numbers of 'Roos,' yeah we just cruised eyeing of signs here and there., I felt that tomorrow would bring us to something , and yes it sure did.

Having done 'the rounds' for the day we headed back to the little 'home away from home',with plans to follow the same route next day, things felt right.

Now at this point ,let me make it clear that I had indeed made my first mistake because I hadnt checked  both rifles,I had used my 30/30 only weeks before and that old '94 with its Lyman peep sight was still gonna be ,'on the button'.

Little did I know that part of that sight had ,in fact been borrowed by my son who had  just 'forgotten 'to put it back,having put it on his.

You know I didnt even notice this at time of loading that morning,,just shows you what building excitement can do.!

''We set to go Dave?'' says an equally excited Pete, ''Yeah ,mate ,set to go..''

Within 5 minutes of heading down that dusty familiar track that would take us to our first waterhole,Pete yelled,''Dave, pull up''.What is THIS"?

Well, what that was ,as you will see in the photo was the largest 'one snout' of digging I have ever seen, to this very day.

Given how hard packed the ground was ,you would wonder how ANYTHING other than a 'Dozer ' could do so much digging,I mean it was simply amazing.

''What the hell could of done this Dave, it wasnt here yesterday''/

My mind raced, I began to wonder, truly, NO BOAR could  do this on his own ,I mean the ground was solid hard. Surely not....

''Well Pete, I'm not sure to be honest'',said I ever mindful of just WHAT might lie ahead..I think I knew, cause Sea -Fishermen in Sydney Harbour will tell you of a JAWS experience ,just once in their life, I felt this was about to be mine..

 The rest of the day came and went uneventful, we headed back with serious plans of  'thinking about tomorrow'.

 The following morning I believe what I should have done was of course give my 30/30 a quick sight in, but I didnt, and the price I paid was huge, no, it was a life changing moment I regret it still, besides I had brought my Custom 6mm Rem,recently shot in, and NOTHING ever escapes that .244, Still 'best laid plans'...No, actually its ''He who fails to plan PLANS to fail''.....

 So like 2 excited schoolboys we headed out., perfect day ,light breeze blowing at us, everything felt good.

 3 miles later as we closed in on '3mile waterhole' I decided we would walk from here.

 We hadnt gone any distance when Pete said ,''Mate do they have horses here, cause I thought I just saw one,or something similar.''

 Oh gosh, there it was ,in all its insane majesty, built like a Rhinoceros, nothing less...Oh my can this be.?Where is the camera, ? No dont tell me we left it back at the hut.no; where is the 6mm no..dont tell me..Oh gosh, Dave, no, this simply cannot be..

At this point Pete said ''Dave Im not going after him with my little 25/20, sorry mate cant do it."

 I understood,yes completely,this was NOT the time to be  pulling out an aged wallaby rifle on something that needed a .375 H&H..!!

 Before I had even began to make my move this 'brute from hells garden' started shuffling away.I reckon he felt vibration in the ground or maybe just caught wind of us but whatever,  he was moving and I was chambering a round,as I did so I noticed that the sliding peep sight was gone,simply not there, I was lost ,I was a poor defeated soul,I knew it..What the hell??

 I inched closer ,tree to tree, he was about 300 yards ,would he rest up along the way,?would he slow?

 He picked up speed ,he truly was immense,armour plated shoulders from an oversized Rhino, a head outrageously huge, Tusks from  a bigone age,oh my, he was it..What I had dreamed of all my life and to this very day, a  total 'one off''JAWS of the outback.'

 I rushed a shot, it was hopeless couldnt begin to get close. No sight picture just a virtual open Barn door.. That boar, he cast a look over his shoulder ,and somehow moved that giant weight off at a speed...Pete by then had caught up to me.

He could read my bitter disappointment,''Gee mate, maybe better he did decide to bolt eh''?"..Well ,Pete, I guess thats one way of looking at it mate."'

Was the best I could mutter..

So I say this to all sons ...''If you borrow Dads Peep sight, maybe let him know eh""?

To all mighty  experienced hunters I say this.....'' HE WHO FAILS TO PLAN...PLANS TO FAIL''......

Thanks for listening..

Your Aussie friend in hunting,

Dave Burt

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