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Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
NZ Hunter Gatherer's New Becker BK2
- Thread starter coote
- Start date
Ethan Becker
Moderator
- Joined
- Sep 1, 1999
- Messages
- 3,564
Welcome Coote, welcome.......
First of all thank you for buying a Two and many more thanks for your kind words about it!!!........ I really enjoyed your tutorial on traps and the fine pix that accompanied it...... Learned some stuff and it is always a pleasure to see how other people solve problems.......
New Zealand is on my bucket list...... Damn that is pretty country you live in........
I do hope you are a frequent visitor here and a frequent poster as well.......
Many Thanks....
Ethan
By the way where do I find your books?..... E
First of all thank you for buying a Two and many more thanks for your kind words about it!!!........ I really enjoyed your tutorial on traps and the fine pix that accompanied it...... Learned some stuff and it is always a pleasure to see how other people solve problems.......
New Zealand is on my bucket list...... Damn that is pretty country you live in........
I do hope you are a frequent visitor here and a frequent poster as well.......
Many Thanks....
Ethan
By the way where do I find your books?..... E
Thanks Ethan !
I'm giving away the book "Ancient Skills" from our website here:
http://www.jackiemac.co.nz/books/books.html
The book about primitive trapping, "Harvesting Wild Meat" is for sale as a Kindle edition on Amazon for three bucks. I'm not sure if a link to it will work, but if you search for Harvesting Wild Meat by Stephen Coote, it should come up. Paperback copies can be purchased from a distributor in NZ.
http://www.amazon.com/Harvesting-Wild-Meat-Primitive-Trapping-ebook/dp/B008XXLULY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1426908710&sr=1-1&keywords=harvesting+wild+meat
I'm giving away the book "Ancient Skills" from our website here:
http://www.jackiemac.co.nz/books/books.html
The book about primitive trapping, "Harvesting Wild Meat" is for sale as a Kindle edition on Amazon for three bucks. I'm not sure if a link to it will work, but if you search for Harvesting Wild Meat by Stephen Coote, it should come up. Paperback copies can be purchased from a distributor in NZ.
http://www.amazon.com/Harvesting-Wild-Meat-Primitive-Trapping-ebook/dp/B008XXLULY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1426908710&sr=1-1&keywords=harvesting+wild+meat
Ethan Becker
Moderator
- Joined
- Sep 1, 1999
- Messages
- 3,564
Hey Coote....
Did the PDF download and got the kindle version.... At first glance it looks quite useful....I will be taking some time with them on the morrow........
Thanks again....
Ethan
Did the PDF download and got the kindle version.... At first glance it looks quite useful....I will be taking some time with them on the morrow........
Thanks again....
Ethan
I followed the advice and bought a Covert MP8 Black trail camera. I quickly read the instructions, installed the batteries and SD card .... then went and strapped the camera to a tree on a property where I've been trapping pigs.
I haven't noticed any fresh pig sign after I caught the fourth pig, so I wasn't expecting too much excitement when I downloaded the photos.
Naturally we got a photo of Lizzy who went to check out the camera:
And this morning I got a 'selfie' (note the knife):
Apparently only one critter walked past the camera:
So thanks for the advice. I'm looking forward to having a lot of fun and learning some stuff with this new toy. Much appreciated.
I haven't noticed any fresh pig sign after I caught the fourth pig, so I wasn't expecting too much excitement when I downloaded the photos.
Naturally we got a photo of Lizzy who went to check out the camera:
And this morning I got a 'selfie' (note the knife):
Apparently only one critter walked past the camera:
So thanks for the advice. I'm looking forward to having a lot of fun and learning some stuff with this new toy. Much appreciated.
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2009
- Messages
- 859
Cool, hope you get lots of critters on it.
Might want to get it off the ground a little more and point it up the trail, this will help keep the grass blowing in the wind from triggering it and also give the camera time to wake up when it spots movement sooner. Might work fine where it's at though, play around with it, you'll figure what works best for your area.
Going to check mine in about a week, had a bunch of pigs, deer, coyotes, gray fox and a bobcat on them from my last pull, I've moved some cameras, can't wait to see what they got.
Might want to get it off the ground a little more and point it up the trail, this will help keep the grass blowing in the wind from triggering it and also give the camera time to wake up when it spots movement sooner. Might work fine where it's at though, play around with it, you'll figure what works best for your area.
Going to check mine in about a week, had a bunch of pigs, deer, coyotes, gray fox and a bobcat on them from my last pull, I've moved some cameras, can't wait to see what they got.
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2009
- Messages
- 859
Not really, got the land back in June and have just been using the cameras to determine quantity and quality of deer on my land and to pattern their habits and travel routes. So far I review and delete the pics but maybe should post some every now and then.
There's a couple pics in this thread. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1274062-Pig-Sticker
ETA: found this pic of a gray fox that was still on my laptop, had saved it to show my boy.
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I'm having trouble posting this. I will try sending it in smaller parts....
I like to be able to walk on the wild land close to home. From my yard I can see up the valley to a range of low hills.
Today I was just about to start working on some sculpture frames for our home business, and just before I did I got out my binoculars and checked out the one bit of land on the nearby hills that I have permission to hunt on. I saw a flash of white... figured it was a goat... so I gave up the idea of working, grabbed the rifle and the dog, and headed up there.
I had seen some goats in the area recently, and I'd figured out a plan to get a good shot at one of them. I'd sussed out a good place to shoot from, the distance I'd be shooting ... and where I'd have to aim to allow for bullet drop at the long distance. The dog is my wife's pet, but I reckoned it wouldn't hurt to take her along because if I was going to be shooting at maybe 280 yards she'd be unlikely to spook the goats considering the layout of the area.
I like to be able to walk on the wild land close to home. From my yard I can see up the valley to a range of low hills.
Today I was just about to start working on some sculpture frames for our home business, and just before I did I got out my binoculars and checked out the one bit of land on the nearby hills that I have permission to hunt on. I saw a flash of white... figured it was a goat... so I gave up the idea of working, grabbed the rifle and the dog, and headed up there.
I had seen some goats in the area recently, and I'd figured out a plan to get a good shot at one of them. I'd sussed out a good place to shoot from, the distance I'd be shooting ... and where I'd have to aim to allow for bullet drop at the long distance. The dog is my wife's pet, but I reckoned it wouldn't hurt to take her along because if I was going to be shooting at maybe 280 yards she'd be unlikely to spook the goats considering the layout of the area.
I couldn't see the goats where I thought they may be when I arrived in the vicinity. I was just about to climb up on to the plateau I had planned to shoot from, when I noticed the dog staring hard down the track ahead of us. Then I saw some color and movement.
I wanted to lie down to get a sure shot, but now the dog was between me and the goats. She didn't bark or rush at them, and a couple moved into view. I had to take a standing shot as they started to move away. I shot at a black nanny... which disappeared into the scrub as soon as i fired. I thought I heard the bullet hit. A big billy was still in view, so I quickly chambered another round and shot it in the neck. It dropped on the spot.
I dragged the billy into the shade and went looking for the first goat. The dog led the way, and we found it dead just a few yards into the scrubby bush.
The dog didn't seem to be bothered by the shots. I have a moderator, but the gun still makes quite a bang. Previously Lizzy has shown symptoms of being gun-shy when I was butchering some sheep for a cousin.... and the gun back then was just a .22 rimfire fitted with a silencer and shooting subsonic loads. So I'm pleased that she didn't run off this time.
I boned out the meat up on the hill, and I managed to carry it all out at once in my pack. I'm not really a trophy hunter, but I also carried out the billy's horns as they are quite good ones. I guess I'll have to boil the meat off the skull soon.
The rifle is a Mossberg .308. An ATR model I think. It has a full barrel silencer. I was shooting my own handloads with 150 grain projectiles. I've already tried the meat, and it is a bit chewy. But it tastes great. I've saved some of the better bits for my wife and I, but I've boiled up a heap for the dog. I'm glad to be able to give her some real food instead of the supermarket sausage with the additives.
Sorry, there is no BK2 featured in the picture. Best wishes from NZ.
I wanted to lie down to get a sure shot, but now the dog was between me and the goats. She didn't bark or rush at them, and a couple moved into view. I had to take a standing shot as they started to move away. I shot at a black nanny... which disappeared into the scrub as soon as i fired. I thought I heard the bullet hit. A big billy was still in view, so I quickly chambered another round and shot it in the neck. It dropped on the spot.
I dragged the billy into the shade and went looking for the first goat. The dog led the way, and we found it dead just a few yards into the scrubby bush.
The dog didn't seem to be bothered by the shots. I have a moderator, but the gun still makes quite a bang. Previously Lizzy has shown symptoms of being gun-shy when I was butchering some sheep for a cousin.... and the gun back then was just a .22 rimfire fitted with a silencer and shooting subsonic loads. So I'm pleased that she didn't run off this time.
I boned out the meat up on the hill, and I managed to carry it all out at once in my pack. I'm not really a trophy hunter, but I also carried out the billy's horns as they are quite good ones. I guess I'll have to boil the meat off the skull soon.
The rifle is a Mossberg .308. An ATR model I think. It has a full barrel silencer. I was shooting my own handloads with 150 grain projectiles. I've already tried the meat, and it is a bit chewy. But it tastes great. I've saved some of the better bits for my wife and I, but I've boiled up a heap for the dog. I'm glad to be able to give her some real food instead of the supermarket sausage with the additives.
Sorry, there is no BK2 featured in the picture. Best wishes from NZ.
Ethan Becker
Moderator
- Joined
- Sep 1, 1999
- Messages
- 3,564
Plus on the curry!....... Thanks for the post and pix........ Always good to get a twofer like that...... Nice......
Ethan
Ethan
I saw some fresh pig prints at my neighbour's place. I set some snares on the path where I found the prints, but none of the snares were disturbed. The next night I set up my camera not far from where I set the latest snare. The following morning the snares were not disturbed, but I was surprised to find this picture on the camera when I got home:
It was hard to judge the size of the pig from the photo. I wish that I'd included something in the camera's field of view that I could have used as a measuring reference. Maybe I should have had a stick in the ground with marks on it a foot apart or something.
Anyway, last night I set up an elaborate foot snare ... as the evidence suggested that the pig was somehow skirting around the neck snares. This morning the whizzy new foot snare was undisturbed... but about fifty yards down the hill in the orchard I could hear something crashing about. I'd caught the pig in a standard neck snare, that had somehow snagged it by just one back hoof.
This pig raised a few questions for me. Was the pig recognising and avoiding snares? Was it travelling by different routes?
When I got home I measured the carcass. With a distance from a front hoof to the top of the shoulder of around 25 inches, I realized that some of my neck snare were set too small and too low. But this measurement indicated to me that the pig was unlikely to be pushing under the snares without disturbing them significantly. Trapping would be a lot simpler if all pigs were the same size
I have a lot more to learn. The longer I'm here, the more I realize that I don't know.
According to our bathroom scales, the gutted and beheaded carcass weighed 73 pounds.
The pig was understandably aggressive when I got to it. I felt fairly inadequate armed only with a cut down Bushman knife on the end of a pole. I've used this makeshift spear several times to dispatch animals, but this particular hog kept lunging at me... defending its vulnerable target areas with its nuggety head. But I eventually managed to make a couple of successful thrusts. I'm glad the braided nylon snare cord held together.
It was hard to judge the size of the pig from the photo. I wish that I'd included something in the camera's field of view that I could have used as a measuring reference. Maybe I should have had a stick in the ground with marks on it a foot apart or something.
Anyway, last night I set up an elaborate foot snare ... as the evidence suggested that the pig was somehow skirting around the neck snares. This morning the whizzy new foot snare was undisturbed... but about fifty yards down the hill in the orchard I could hear something crashing about. I'd caught the pig in a standard neck snare, that had somehow snagged it by just one back hoof.
This pig raised a few questions for me. Was the pig recognising and avoiding snares? Was it travelling by different routes?
When I got home I measured the carcass. With a distance from a front hoof to the top of the shoulder of around 25 inches, I realized that some of my neck snare were set too small and too low. But this measurement indicated to me that the pig was unlikely to be pushing under the snares without disturbing them significantly. Trapping would be a lot simpler if all pigs were the same size
I have a lot more to learn. The longer I'm here, the more I realize that I don't know.
According to our bathroom scales, the gutted and beheaded carcass weighed 73 pounds.
The pig was understandably aggressive when I got to it. I felt fairly inadequate armed only with a cut down Bushman knife on the end of a pole. I've used this makeshift spear several times to dispatch animals, but this particular hog kept lunging at me... defending its vulnerable target areas with its nuggety head. But I eventually managed to make a couple of successful thrusts. I'm glad the braided nylon snare cord held together.
Thanks Gassy, great guess on my age. Pretty much spot on mate. 
Yep, I've processed the meat. This looks like a good one even thought its a boar. I'm boiling up the ragged and tough-looking bits for the dog, but most of it is in the freezer.
I have the heart, kidneys and a few fatty bits of steak in the 'fridge to fry up soon.
I have sacrificed the testicles by promising them to a buddy of mine who also enjoys them... and who has helped me catch pigs in the past. I've only recently started consuming game testicles, but I should have started keeping them for human consumption years ago. Very tasty with a great texture. An acquaintance who spent some time around Egypt gave me the idea that they were good tucker, and he was quite correct.
I've had a lot of good pigs over the years. But one or two of the hogs I've brought home have been pretty awful. And one of those danged hogs I carried for miles. I should have left it in the scrub.
Yep, I've processed the meat. This looks like a good one even thought its a boar. I'm boiling up the ragged and tough-looking bits for the dog, but most of it is in the freezer.
I have the heart, kidneys and a few fatty bits of steak in the 'fridge to fry up soon.
I have sacrificed the testicles by promising them to a buddy of mine who also enjoys them... and who has helped me catch pigs in the past. I've only recently started consuming game testicles, but I should have started keeping them for human consumption years ago. Very tasty with a great texture. An acquaintance who spent some time around Egypt gave me the idea that they were good tucker, and he was quite correct.
I've had a lot of good pigs over the years. But one or two of the hogs I've brought home have been pretty awful. And one of those danged hogs I carried for miles. I should have left it in the scrub.
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2012
- Messages
- 774
Thanks Gassy, great guess on my age. Pretty much spot on mate.
Yep, I've processed the meat. This looks like a good one even thought its a boar. I'm boiling up the ragged and tough-looking bits for the dog, but most of it is in the freezer.
I have the heart, kidneys and a few fatty bits of steak in the 'fridge to fry up soon.
I have sacrificed the testicles by promising them to a buddy of mine who also enjoys them... and who has helped me catch pigs in the past. I've only recently started consuming game testicles, but I should have started keeping them for human consumption years ago. Very tasty with a great texture. An acquaintance who spent some time around Egypt gave me the idea that they were good tucker, and he was quite correct.
I've had a lot of good pigs over the years. But one or two of the hogs I've brought home have been pretty awful. And one of those danged hogs I carried for miles. I should have left it in the scrub.
Yeah i think factors like habitat and diet come into play as well. Where we get them is extremely dry and not much water at all nor vegetation. Havent tried the gurras (Aboriginal for balls) but have tried bulls Gurras and they are bloody lovely. Got to say not a fan of offal (excluding tongue), grew up eating lambs fry (liver) and tripe (stomach in milk) but struggle to eat it nowadays. Ive turned more to rabbit.
Anyway mate, enjoy your posts and look forward to seeing more! take care.
Thanks, Gassy, for helping to enrichen me culturally. I'm delighted to have learned a new word for testicles. I can't wait to drop it into the conversation at the next high-class dinner party I attend.
I agree that diet and environmental conditions can affect game meat.
I like 'offal', but I'm inclined to not eat a lot of pig and possum liver nowadays. With all the poisoning that has been done down here, I figure it is safer not to eat the organ that I think is likely to carry the majority of any poison residue in an animal. I wish that our Conservation Department would pick a better option than poison for animal control. There is a strong body of opinion against the use of poison, but unfortunately it is still being used. I'd like to see its use reduced in my lifetime.
Catch you later.... Coote.
I agree that diet and environmental conditions can affect game meat.
I like 'offal', but I'm inclined to not eat a lot of pig and possum liver nowadays. With all the poisoning that has been done down here, I figure it is safer not to eat the organ that I think is likely to carry the majority of any poison residue in an animal. I wish that our Conservation Department would pick a better option than poison for animal control. There is a strong body of opinion against the use of poison, but unfortunately it is still being used. I'd like to see its use reduced in my lifetime.
Catch you later.... Coote.