Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-02-14
UNIQUE HUNTING METHODS.
How the Australian Black Fellows
Stalk Their Game.

Australian bush," says a writer in the
American Boy, "a blackfellow, his wife
and their two children were camped
near the creek which ran through our
farm. They had just arrived and were
both tired and hungry.
80 the blackfellow walked down to
the edge of the creek and had a look
around. Soon he saw a pair Of wild
/ turkeys, or bustards. feeding quietly
along a wide open space and about 800
yards away. Now, wild turkeys are
very good eating, but they are very shy
birds and difficult to get near.
The blackfellow had no gun, but
had three boomerangs, four spears and
a club called the nulla nulla. watch
ed him carefully to see what he would
do. He took the three boomerangs
and the nulla nulla. Then he broke
several branches Of a neighboring tree
and swan quietly across the creek. On
the other side he skirted around the
edge of the clearing, getting as close to
the turkeys as he could under cover.
Il soon lost sight Of him and kept
my eyes on the turkeys. After about a
quarter of an hour I suddenly noticed
we'll out on the clearing a bunch Of
shrubbery. Watching 1t carefully, I saw
that 1t was gradually approaching the
birds. It never moved except when
the birds had their heads down feed
ing.
AT last it got so close that the tur-
keys noticed 1t, but beyond a good
stare they paid no further attention to
| It, Nearer and nearer 1t approached
until it was only about twenty yards
away. Then with a jump that made
me start the blackfellow sprang up
from behind the boughs and, running
into the birds, threw his boomerangs at
| them. He seemed to hit both Of them,
but one flew away all the same. The
other one, however, was disabled and
the blackfellow soon finished 1t off
with his club.
1T is the fashion to speak contemp-
tuously Of the intellect of the Austria
| liam blacks; certainly in some respects
they are very deficient. never met
one, for example, that could count
more than five, and most Of them can
only count up to three. But, as hun
ters they are extremely skillful, very
patient, and possessed Of great fund
Of knowledge regarding the habits Of
the game they pursue.
II have seen them catch ducks In
much the same manner as the turkey
was caught. The hunter. with bundle
Of reeds, or other aquatic vegetation.
slips quietly into the edge Of the lake
or lagoon or river. and either wades or
swims with the vegetation on his head,
| noiselessly up to the ducks. Then, one
after another he quietly but swiftly
pulls them under water. where he
strangles them and attaches them to
his belt.
TT would be thought that the ducks
would either call out or flap their
wings and so alarm their mates; but
the blackfellow does his work 80
smartly that the duck is underneath
the water before 1t has time to do any
thing.
1.-The kangaroo is stalked in quite
different and rather peculiar manner.
Finding where there Is a kangaroo,
feeding alone II possible, the blackfel-
low crawls as close as he can to him.
His weapons this time are two spears.
io a w Ire
| until the kangaroo has its head down
and Is nibbling the grass. Then he
stands up beside a tree in full view OF
the kangaroo but absolutely motion
| less.
1.-The kangaroo looks up, but seeing
nothing moving, resumes feeding. The
| blackfellow then takes a few slow and
very cautious steps toward the animal,
| dragging his two spears carefully
through the grass with his toes. The
moment the kangaroo stops feeding he
becomes immovable, standing, with his
| hands at his side, like thin black
stump.
This strategy goes on for perhaps
twenty minutes, at the end Of which
the blackfellow is probably within ten
yards of his prey. Then, like light
ming flash, he bends for his spears, and
one after the other they are flung quiv-
ering into the fianks Of the kangaroo.
The animal bounds of. but the black
fellow follows confidently. as he knows
that before the second mile Is covered
the kangaroo will be exhausted.
| This Is the usual way in which the
kangaroo was taken. Occasionally,
however, it was killed with boomer
ang. The kangaroo has a very thin
skull, and II the boomerang hits 1t on
the head 1t drops instantly.
THE boomerangs I have been men,
tioning do not return to their owners,
as all boomerangs are so often stated
to do. Boomerangs used for killing
game or in war just go for the object
aimed at; and whether they hit or miss
they never come back. but end their
course just like any other missile. The
returning boomerang Is really a toy,
and is specially constructed. 1t Is made
/ anQ uSeQ Dy the SdIIle DidChlcliO" thot
uses the game and war boomerang.
Perhaps the most ingenious Of all
their schemes is the manner In which
they net ducks. A creek is chosen
which has, as creeks usually do. short
bushy trees along its banks. Between
| two of these trees, on opposite sides,
the blacks stretch their light, home
made net, at height Of ten or fifteen
feet above the water. The net is man
aged by two black fellows, one on each
side of the stream, who have hold of
the top controlling cord. Until the
critical time the net is allowed to sag
| we'll down.
"A few yards down the creek third
| blackfellow is concealed in the reeds.
Two or three others then make a de-
tour of perhaps a mile or more and
strike the creek again. Then they walk
back along the creek toward the net.
At once whatever ducks are on the
creek fly up and, as Is their invariable
= H.