Where were you doing this? Were you ever successful? How did you do it, like what were your tactics? So many questions!

I’ve never heard about modern people doing serious persistence hunting, except for a stunt that I read about years ago. I think it was organized by like Outside or some running publication that got pro marathoners to try and they failed because they didn’t know anything about hunting

Right? Where’s the well written blog post on this I want?

I'm honestly surprised that anyone would care to read about it, we just called it 'hunting' with knives.

Third. Tell the story!!

Answers inline. Had to break this up into two comments.

All of which I have done is legal, I do not hunt native animals, only introduced species. I apologise for anyone who may find the following details grotesque, the damage that these animals did was often quite nasty.

> Where were you doing this?

Central Queensland, Australia. I had to get permission from farmers and national parks and wildlife if I was to go on their property. I started this when i was around 5 years old , doing walk hunting which is just the same thing but for a full day. I think this prepared me as a child to 'long distance' the tracking. Knowing what tracks looks like, mud and fur on trees, how animals traverse rivers, where to start and stop looking for tracks so that I don't waste time looking at the wrong spots.

I have also done this on properties in Daintree, in far north Queensland (tropical). I found rainforest hunting much harder because finding tracks was a challenge and I had to spend time worrying about crocodiles and snakes and poisonous trees, being prey myself.

I might be doxing myself, however I don't think many of the kids I went to school with end up on HN, but I've been wrong before, if you know who I am, please stfu.

> Were you ever successful?

Regularly, almost every time that I found tracks I was able to catch at least 1-2 animals, largest take down was about 13 animals, I would say less than 10 times over the course of 5 years I came home with nothing. I would hunt almost every other weekend.

I followed the steps taught by my father, who is a australian bushman who seems to know every tree and animal, can see and hear animals hiding in the bush that I can only see after trying to look for 10 minutes, my mother is equally as good in the bush but with less hunting and more capable when it comes to the people side of things.

> How did you do it.

I hunted with my brother and father and sometimes mother.

Basic equipment: - Knife - Arm guard(s) - Water - Dried meat - Backpack - Matches and lighter. - Tourniquet - First aid kit (not always)

I did use a modern knife, I don't know if that is cheating or not, but I feel like strangling or bashing an animal to death was a bit cruel. I have hunted with dogs a few of times, but you can't bring them on national park land so this limits the success.

I sometimes wore leather guards (leather vambrace ? made by my mother) on my arms and ensured i had some kind of leather scarf around my neck because cats get scratchy, dogs get bitey and pigs will try to gore you with tusks. I once used a kickboxer arm guard but it had holes and I was bitten through the holes, so not doing that again.

I did not wear shoes when hunting in the central Queensland, it seemed safe enough and I didn't impale myself too often, feet adapt.

I mostly hunted pigs, dogs (not dingos), large cats, or deer. I have successfully only caught deer less than handful of times.

> like what were your tactics?

This is the 'ideal' situation, it doesn't always work this way but it's what the goal is, one needs to adapt to the changes as they happen.

Tracking phase:

Walk an area that had prints, track the prints, follow the freshest ones. These paths you can use later, because animals will frequently go back to an area they know if you lose them.

Usually the best place to start tracking is around crops and other large animals, pigs and cats will separate the young offspring from the group and kill them for food.

By paying attention, you can get a good idea of their behavior, the animals will repeat successful behavior that gives them food and water.

This usually, but not always means that they will be going for water at dusk and dawn. The first step is denying them that water, wait near the place they get water.

Hunting phase:

GOLDEN RULE: NEVER UNSHEATH THE KNIFE UNTIL YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO GET THE KILL. (I have had friends come hunting and cut themselves slipping down an embankment with the knife drawn, infuriating!)

SILVER RULE: DRINK WATER, ALWAYS HAVE ENOUGH FRESH WATER SOMEWHERE.

BRONZE RULE: If you get lost, do NOT just start wondering, you idiot, relax, don't panic and listen, drink some water, look for smoke and light.

You (the first) will need to be there before they get there, so this often means being there well before the sun rises. Stay downwind so that the animal doesn't smell you and not come to the water.

Ideally you want to be running them east so they are looking into the rising sun, not the biggest deal but if you have this option, take it. next best option is to have them running 'on the plain' , aka not in trees, this allows you to track them by sight.

If it is a herd animals (aka, everything in my list but cats), a small group will typically test the area first and the full group will join them when they consider it safe.

At this time it helps to have a second person circle around and take the position about 1000-1500m (call this person the second) on the return path, again downwind from the tracks (this can screw up if you have changing winds)

Wait till the full group appears, hopefully the sun is up enough that you will be able to see prints left behind.

You want there to be enough light that you can see the tracks, so sometimes this means letting them 'start to drink' before you begin the hunt.

You have to make yourself seen as the biggest threat possible, make noise, appear large, use a torch to make light, sometimes you can sneak up close enough and get the first kill by hand and then make a lot of noise (sneaky sneaky!) . This may mean shoulder checking the bigger animals, diving on them or booting them to get them moving.

Chase them (direct them if possible) towards the person hidden ~ 1000m away, be as aggressive as possible in the movement to keep the moving quickly. This -will- tire you out but the second person will continue giving chase.

Second must also be as 'aggressive' as possible while trying to keep the main group together.

The animals will USUALLY split, this is very common, but you need to make an educated decision on which animal to pursue. I've had most luck with the males (more reasons to follow).

You can usually hear the animals (and the human making noise) and catch up within 15/20 minutes at a moderate pace. We have 'woops' and 'aaahs' sounds which travel well and are clear over distance to signify left and right directions (if the animals are ahead / too quick). I believe that this is an older aboriginal hunting trick in some tribes.

Because the first person is trailing, it is usually a shorter path to catch up. Once caught up, the second take take a breather, give them some water and you keep going.

By this point you are usually at the 5.0/6.0 km mark. Your first animal will either collapse or stop in its tracks (easy kill). Some smarter animals will attempt to fight you when they realise they are tired.

If you find a log nearby, (some people carry a short staff/walking stick) you can hit it/throw it to spur it onwards, into further tiredness. You want them to be so tired they can't put up a fight. Pigs will often do this in an attempt to allow the sonder/mob to gain extra distance while you deal with it, but ideally you want to keep them moving together.

Large cats also will defend their group this way, usually this will give them time to get up a tree or hide, but you must keep on them so they don't have that luxury. Its quite hard to kill a large cat this way because they will try to claw you or get on top of you and attack you, bad times.

If you are lucky enough to have a third person, you hopefully position your third person in high ground nearby, so that whatever direction they need to go, the travel is downhill (it's easier, better visibility and you can adapt to changes when things change).

This should usually be the older person (or the newest) because they have the animals tired and need to continue to present a threat, but not too long.

By this time the animals will be out in 'new territory' and this is where risk happens, they will no longer be following the usual routes they know and can act erratically.

Here is where the persistence is, you kinda need to 'rotate' the front chaser, have someone who is has the energy to chase the main group, and the trail people shepard anyone who breaks free back to the main group. This can be anywhere from 10-20km. Keep someone at the front, continually giving chase, this person should make tracks as CLEAR as possible, footprints on mud and dirt, leaving arrows in the dirt, pointing to the direction they are going (when tracking humans foot position is NOT always the direction they are going).

This is where most injuries happen in people, do not ignore them. Rotate the people at the front, leave people behind that are too tired, hurt (but not dying), tell them to start a small fire, hydrate, and rest, do NOT keep going.

If animal group has any offspring, they usually can't walk by now and mum won't leave them alone, you need to make the decision on if you kill the mum + kids now (usually the first and second can do this) and the group continues on.

After a few rotations of slow jogging, backtracking and tracking, you will find even the most hardened of animals has tried to find cover/hide.

The cats go up trees, the pigs try to hide in logs/brush/wherever, deer will go to a thicket/grass and crouch and hide. You can usually just meet them where they are, let them try to take the first blow (on your armored parts) then go in for the kill. Most times though they are simply too tired, panting on the ground in a state of fatigue.

Always aim for a one cut kill, go for the jugular and be sure, it is cruel to have to go for two, sometimes you must, but don't aim for it.

Since the group has split, circle back.. the footprints will be very easy to follow now because they will be deeper (since they are panicked) fresher (because today), and if there was a sow with piglets, they will be noisy. Usually they will not be resting not too far from the group. The sun will be about 10/11AM and they'll be hot, tired and thirsty.

If you can't find any, wait downwind for a few hours and see if they come back to the water at dusk, if they haven't had any water they will be very thirsty and this chase usually won't go on for more than about 1.5km.

Dragging carcasses back to civilisation can be a real pain in the arse, if you know there are other feral animals in the area, bury it deep or burn it. The fire can be a good method of finding/giving directions your hunting mates if you are lost or new.

Most of the pigs had some kind of worms (only good after being cooked, and then only for dogs), so the meat was not so great. The dear meat was 'passable' for jerky and cats and dogs were not worth the trouble.

I respect the marathon runners for even trying, its very different as you need to both plan, think, run and pace yourself. The whole hunting isn't a sprint, its a slow methodical paced plan, I have many fond memories of spending time with my family in the Australian bush, hunting and camping.