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Heyy and welcome

Works for me. I do prefer hunting now at night with thermal over day time but have been a day time hunter for 50 years I just don't hunt through the day time much these days. I have seen game laying up in covert hrough the day that I would never have seen without thermal As much as I hate the cold weather and cold winter nights I still prefer to hunt by night because you see far more oportunities with thermal but thermal is a big plus for daytime over a conventional scope even in the daylight. I've used thermal spotters in the day time with a regular scope on my rifle [zeiss] and at times I cant find in the scope what I can see in the thermal. The last good day out calling foxes with thermal was mid afternoon and I can honestly say it was enhanced because I was using thermal. I spotted foxes that were in range of my 22 hornet that weren't going to come in but were curious enough to allow them to be seen with the thermal I'm and sure I wouldn't have seen them unless they were on the move so I was was able to harvest 4 of the 6 I saw that afternoon. Not a result I have matched before or since in the midafternoon daylight with a conventional scope. EVEN THROUGH THE DAY A THERMAL WILL SHOW YOU MORE GAME. I usually reset my brightness and contrast to suit the conditions though

I just had a phone call regarding this subject, it is a difficult one to give a full answer to. So I have made a page on my web site Australian night vision, down on the facts about thermal page to try to explain my thoughts on this subject. I stand by to be proven wrong though. 😊

interesting stories guys.

I'll find some more photos and do a post on him. 🤙

I was enjoying the Hank c detour 👍

Well we better get back to the original post and save Hank for a separate one, and I'll hunt around on the old external hard drives for more photos.🤣 Back to Exo. I have the K2 5500 which if you guys like watching youtube like me, there's group of youtubers called Born and Raised Outdoors. Based on 2 brothers and there mates that grew up enjoying the outdoors. They are 100% sponsored by EXO no questions there. These guys walk around all day with full packs on stalking Elk with bows most of the time. They asked EXO if they could do a pack for them and it was based off the K2 5500 with a few mods. The main mod was to have Velcro hold the back section in place and when they need to put the meat between the harness and the pack in the meat section instead of undoing all the straps it was just held in place with super strong Velcro. Also the side pockets a bit bigger and had their youtube logo on it. Then when they released there new K3 this was added and now is part of there K4 range as well. I had to get a couple of holes repaired on mine as I used my pack as an anchor to save a mate in NZ from falling to his doom. The place I used was in Melbourne called Remote repaires https://www.remoterepairs.com.au/ These guys are the best, will fix everything from pack, tents sleeping bags you name it. well I got a few photos off a mate that just up graded to the K3 from the K2. So I showed the team and there was no issues at all. So if you get a K2 second hand and you want the area modified they can do it and I don't think it was much more at the time than a little over $100. This pack will most likely see me out as it works fine and no real need to up grade. I've added a few photos of the Moroka pack as well as the EXO pack.

Holy shit thats big

I think he was a bit of a pirate.🤣 He had me in a pine plantation one time. In his day no licences or permits and you could hunt anywhere for deer. Then the Karan's started to stop everything.

I've got that photo somewhere as well. How big is that🤪

Hank said the Dingo was his best dog. He just had to learn to read its behavior. He also said the dog would work out when he wanted to head back to the car. So he had to try and trick the dog into thinking that there not then put a lead on it. I don't know anybody that could train a Dingo to hunt sambar this days. Man was an absolute legend.

Hallelujah, found it. Here is the man holding a very heavy antlered beast of 42 inches.

Re the 42" sambar Hank was holding in the pic here are some excerpts from an email exchange between Errol M and myself from 2007. On 14/05/07 Hi John, Hadn't seen it before. I have to say SHIT!!!!!!!!! or is it PhotoShop. Unreal gotta to be India. Who took the photo? Where was it published? Incredible antlers. How long? Best Wishes Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 3:21 AM Subject: Re: Stag Gday Errol, I know stuff all but i would assume its def Indian, bloody thumper eh, anyway here`s my old mate Hank C with a bigger one that is in Melbourne, we know nothing of this head except to once again assume it is Indian also, enjoy it mate. Oh i have the measurements somewhere on the back of the pic but where it is? At this time I only remember it as a neat 42", another beast too eh with some very important weight in my mind, John G

Hank did quite a bit over Georgey McCormick's hounds also and at times joined in but mostly it was stalking, he had a dingo that he caught as a pup before Fang and used to take it up the bush as a half wild hunting dog. #### me, Fang the #### was as wild as the dingo and one arvo Hank arrived at my joint, we had a cuppa and I suggested that we go down the creek from home with all the dogs to give them all a run. #### me the first thing Fang did was nail a neighbours ewe, he was never broken to stock. Piranha was by Fang out of GG`s elkhound bitch iirc. She walked with him and stayed up high on the ridges and spurs with Hank and as he was pretty hard of hearing he always said that "she is my ears" as she would alert him to Fang having one bailed usually in the river way below. As a bloke to listen to its a real shame that he wasn't videoed for the new generations on YouTube and for ADA presentations. He would have had the halls crowded on those nights with even the experts attending to listen. So much more knowledgeable he was way back then and the internet crowd of youtube fame today could still learn and that is a sambar quality as just when you think you know the deer they show you another trick.

They did when the police chopper saw his tarp from the air and relayed their possy to the ground cops....that was a court day eventually for having a dog in the park...spoilsports.

Yep I remember I said to him as he was just going to sleep under a tarp on the ground that he can sleep in my tent as there's plenty of room. phuck me he went all night yacking away. You would just fall asleep and he would start again. hahaha bloody gold.

With out a doubt the greatest Sambar hunter to walk the hills. I was very lucky and blessed to have known him and spent funny times in the bush with him. when I was in my late 20's we would back pack into Dan area and would always find all this dog food, sleeping bags and pots and pans you name it, all stashed in logs. One time sitting in camp I could see coming down the ridgeline this wolf. Now we did have a little bit of alcohol in camp but not much as its all weight when back backing, so I new I wasn't pissed. Next thing I could see pink paint and pink ribbons on the dog. The dog came right up to us and just sat down. This was Fang as Piranha was just getting too old. We looked at each other and thought WTF. Then this old guy came down the hill with his combo rifle/ shotgun, old shitty pack he got from the Op shop and hunting attire from the same shop. Who needs Kuiu gear 🤣. He then notice the old guy with us and it was like 2 school kids yacking away for hrs. That trip turned into a full on educational tip and probable the best one I've been on. Over the years as Hank got older we would take him away a lot more and was more about taking the piss out of each other with a little bit of hunting put in. Hank was the toughest guy I have met. He told me one time he new there was a nice stag up this gully, so he just slept overnight under a tree with his poncho on in the rain. Next morning he got up and shot the stag. No Instagram or Facebook to get likes in those days🤣 He stories of his life is truly amazing and fascinating. Life of adventures. From working on the ships in the merchant navy to logging in Canada and in the query's blowing shit up. He story's of at sea are unbelievable. One ship he was on got hit by a torpedo and he was stuck in the water tied up too a fellow ship mate. Taking in turns to sleep, Hank woke up and his mate looked asleep. Hank pushed him to have a go at him for sleeping and he began bobbing in the water. A shark came up and ripped off the bottom half of his ship mate. When your number is up, its up. There a many, many, many stories about Hank and his adventures. We wanted a book to be written about him but he always said I don't remember dates. I remember years ago we would go to Western port ADA meetings. It was more a night out for us than been at the meeting. Now no one would ever really talk to us but that didn't worry us at all. But this one trip we asked Hank if he wanted to come. Now Hank pretty much kept to himself in his latter years but he agreed. Well we had a few old guys come up to use and we had the great KP started talking to us. Anyhow the next meeting, Hank didn't come but we became the flavor of the month. But one thing I will remember was KP said to us that we all follow in his footsteps in the bush. I have heaps of cool stories and that's just me. I find it so sad that hardly anyone knows of him and the new modem Sambar hunter would not last a day with him in the bush. No Maps, No GPS nothing but his brain. The man was a Gps and would remember everything. Parks changed laws because of him and his dogs. They could never find him when they went looking for him. Was funny as he didn't need any mod cons and would go a few days with out food but would always have food for the dogs.

He had lots of yarns.

oh to be a fly on the wall for some of those yarns!!!!!

Hank C ...legend! You have to take your hat off to Hank, there was no 'modern' gear about in the day and he had no need for this pack or that pack that seems to be a requirement these days. I first met Hank in the early 80`s in the Yarrarabula and it was at a dead deer he had shot off our hounds lol. He used to drop in for a yarn and cuppa on his way home from a hunt and at times with a sambar to show. Among my memories is from when we walked into the head of the Dan when he was in his 70`s for a few nights he was a tough pioneering sambar guru and when he spoke I listened and learned, something a lot could do too. He used to pick a spot on a map and get dropped off "up the top" and would walk through to a pick up point in virgin country after looking at a map with no ####in gps and other aids in those days, just using bush skills. The bare necessities were all he needed and he certainly never carried or had the huge amount of shit that so many carry in their packs today. Hank being Hank would have a chuckle after seeing what the 'modern' hunter needs today. I took a couple of Taswegian mates to Hank`s joint after we had rolled a couple of deer and one of the boys recorded Hank and the conversations on what else..sambar! Unfortunately it was done on VHS and back in 1993 (?) and the tape simply died, lost and gone. Hank had at the time SIXTY TWO ####en rifles....true. The Dan is a place he often hunted and is still a good place to walk into only the best walk into those places when they are in their 70`s. I put his dog Fang over my bitch and produced some very good dogs too....if you knew him well then you know the tale of the seven knotted silk scarves lol, we laughed about that. Below is a pic of my dog Red with his mother, Red`s a son of Hanks famous Fang is on right,pic taken early 80`s. The pic brings back a real memory of that day. Unfortunately Hank was pre digital cams/internet/mobiles etc and so many of his adventures were never recorded. Hank gave me a printed pic of him in the basement of the Melb Museum holding a 42" stag. I posted it on here oh so long ago and atm cant find it. I put it on the net when the internet was born and occasionally it turns up online. I will have another look for it as it really is something to behold. Kenny Pearce, Hank and yours truly at a mates do one night, we stayed away from the sheilas and talked Sambar for the whole night, by #### it was a good sesh too. Just another old pre digital pic that`s ed.

I find my k3, i can carry weight with it easier than my k4. I find walking the bush the k4 is alot more comfy than the k3. k4 carries about 2/3rds the weight of the k3 both bags have carried 2 back legs, 2 back straps and 1 head out the same time

Ha absolutely soft.. it’s definitely different now that’s for sure my grandad thought my dad was soft and I’m sure mine thinks I’m soft.. it’s all relative at the end of the day isn’t it

I have the EXO K2 5500 pack and over the years I've had a lot of packs and with out a doubt it's the best I've had. I think there's just a hand full of packs that have been designed for hunters by hunters on the market. There's also other packs out there that are really well made and designed for serious mountain hiker's that track all over the world in hard conditions. Top end packs like Kuiu, stone glacier, Sitka, first Lite, EXO are not cheap, but there is a real difference with them if you right into you back country hunting. Guys I know that run with them now, have had all types of packs and in the end pulled the trigger and bought one and not looked back. Yes I also have the Moroka 30 pack as well and have been to NZ with it and I found it to be no more than just an average pack IMO. I was lucky I got it very cheap as a mate got caught with his dick in a different woman's vagina and he needed coin fast. 😁 I found for simple hunts here its ok, but was too small and not real comfortable for me up them big mountains of NZ. I just have it as a spare now. The better packs are designed to fit your hips and have a better center of gravity to help keep you back straight and comfortable. Few guys that have gone with me on back country tips in the end bought a EXO. At the time and still now I suggested if there in Mansfield to pop into MHF as they sell stone glacier packs and there $hit hot and well made. But I think we are all a little soft now as the late great Hank Cotchin would just have a hessian bag with a bit of detonator wire across he's shoulders and walk from one end of the bush to the other and not complain a bit. 🤣