Attack of the camels!!

[Westozadventures]

There has only been a few occasions when I have been concerned about my safety in the bush. Number 1 scariest moment was when my grandad, brother and I had a featherfoot in camp one night by far the scariest experience of my life!!!! The second time involved a puma/ panther type cat growling in the bushes at us in camp one night.

What happened to me the other day moves up to second place in my scariest encounters in the bush.

I wasnt having the best trip and really struggling to get good gold. I headed over to some hills where I had found gold in the past, it was maybe 2km from camp. I noticed some camels on the hill as I approached. I continued on towards them and they left off the back of the hill. About 20 minutes later I heard this huge roar!!! The biggest bull camel of the pack had come back and was roaring at me. I yelled at him to keep it down because Im trying to work over here!!!

The big camel started making its way towards me, I turned and started detecting my way back to camp. When I looked back the big fella was in full gallop like a bloody Melbourne cup winner. I started sprinting across the flats as fast as I could go with detector, pick and all my other equipment with me. I was really belting across the paddocks trying not to think about what this thing was going to do to me if he caught up.

I was looking for any way out but there was no where to go. I glanced back and seen the camel still gaining on me, now Im running for my life, gotta get back to camp is all Im thinking.

The chase lasted all of about a kilometre but I didnt stop running until I was back at camp. From the hill in front of my car I could still see him standing out there. I yelled at him to keep coming as I had a little something in store for him back at camp.

I didnt see the camel again that day.

Next morning I was detecting near camp, I was weary to go too far away so I was just up the track a bit and Nigel was back in camp crushing rocks when I heard some yelling, I made out the word camels!!! I dropped all my gear and bolted to camp to see what was going on. On a steep rocky ridge right behind camp the big bull camel stood with his mob. He was back for blood, I could see the murder in his eyes!!! I ran through the camp and dived into my cruiser, found some earplugs and grabbed a box of .223rem. The beast was about to start his descent down the hill and unleash hell on me in my camp. I have never seen nothing like this before!!!!

I grabbed my T3X out of its bag and started slamming rounds into the mag as fast as I possibly could, as I stepped out to get a scope on it they seen the rifle and started moving. I couldnt take a shot as they were on top of the hill so I put a round into the side of the hill then I went barreling up the hill to see if I could get him on the other side. Turns out those camels can really move and I couldnt see them anywhere.

Now Im in my early 30s and Im not very fit but Im not out of shape exactly either. I dont think I would have been able to get away if I had been in my 50s or older. Most prospectors I have met would have had no chance of getting away from that blood thirsty beast.

I believe Ill be looking at a bigger rifle such as a .300 or a .338 so I can reduce the number of these dangerous feral beasts. Im sure the pastoral lease holder here wont have a drama with a permission letter for me to get larger caliber firearms. I know they arent real fond of camels around here. I might start bringing a bike out with me too so I can park it close by when detecting.

It was an experience I wont forget anytime soon. If I didnt have a rifle with me when they came into camp next morning who knows what the outcome could have been.

 

[Goldfreak]

Never really thought about camel attacks out there. Might have to start wearing camelflage.

 

[Rockhunter62]

Never really thought about camel attacks out there. Might have to start wearing camalflage.

Do that and you might get humped. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Cheers

Doug

 

[goody2shoes]

Or shot

 

[Goldfreak]

Okay maybe not a good idea :lol:

 

[Ded Driver]

simple really, oop: just kick em bastards in the shin & spit on him layful:

 

[Gilly47]

featherfoot :koala:

 

[jethro]

Yes please tell us about your Feather foot encounter.

 

[Westozadventures]

Yes please tell us about your Feather foot encounter.

I will sometime. Will take me an hour or two to write most likely

 

[Jaros]

Why not burp at him with the Swan Lager breath.....

 

[Deepseeker]

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Featherfoot

Featherfoot

"A featherfoot is a sorcerer in Australian Aboriginal spirituality. A featherfoot is usually a bad spirit who kills people. In most traditional Aboriginal beliefs, there is no such thing as a natural death. Every death is caused by evil spirits or spells. It is usually because of an enemy, who wants revenge for something.[1]

A featherfoot is so named because they are believed to have supernatural powers, including the ability to fly. He wears special shoes made of feathers (usually emu) and hair, stuck together with human blood. Scholars say that the shoes leave no tracks (footprints).

South-West of Western Australia, which includes the Noongar people, have a local scary story to tell at night. When the featherfoot is hunting you, it waits till youre alone or in a small group, at night walking to a destination. The person or the group will start to get a sense of foreboding, followed by a strong sense they are being followed. The featherfoot is close behind, following. Its steps are silent and leave not tracks. The only way to survive a feathfoot attack is to never look behind you until you get back to a light source. Keep walking and dont look back, its when the person looks behind them, is when it attacks.

All is left behind after an attack, is a single large unknown bird feather and a spec of the victims blood."

[1] Spencer, Baldwin; Gillen, Francis James (2010), Native Tribes of Central Australia, Cambridge University Press, pp. 47680, ISBN 978-1-108-02044-2

 

[Goldfreak]

Some indigenous colleagues in North Queensland told me about the small "hairy men" abducting children. Only one lad was ever found but was never able to speak again after being taken. Made the hair on the back of my neck stand up especially since they did actually have some tribes of very small people up there.

 

[Westozadventures]

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Featherfoot

Featherfoot

"A featherfoot is a sorcerer in Australian Aboriginal spirituality. A featherfoot is usually a bad spirit who kills people. In most traditional Aboriginal beliefs, there is no such thing as a natural death. Every death is caused by evil spirits or spells. It is usually because of an enemy, who wants revenge for something.[1]

A featherfoot is so named because they are believed to have supernatural powers, including the ability to fly. He wears special shoes made of feathers (usually emu) and hair, stuck together with human blood. Scholars say that the shoes leave no tracks (footprints).

South-West of Western Australia, which includes the Noongar people, have a local scary story to tell at night. When the featherfoot is hunting you, it waits till youre alone or in a small group, at night walking to a destination. The person or the group will start to get a sense of foreboding, followed by a strong sense they are being followed. The featherfoot is close behind, following. Its steps are silent and leave not tracks. The only way to survive a feathfoot attack is to never look behind you until you get back to a light source. Keep walking and dont look back, its when the person looks behind them, is when it attacks.

All is left behind after an attack, is a single large unknown bird feather and a spec of the victims blood."

[1] Spencer, Baldwin; Gillen, Francis James (2010), Native Tribes of Central Australia, Cambridge University Press, pp. 47680, ISBN 978-1-108-02044-2

Yeah pretty scary stuff. My Nan has had a few run ins with them. She found a shoe once made out of feathers. I have been told many other stories by my other relatives.

 

[Westozadventures]

Some indigenous colleagues in North Queensland told me about the small "hairy men" abducting children. Only one lad was ever found but was never able to speak again after being taken. Made the hair on the back of my neck stand up especially since they did actually have some tribes of very small people up there.

Were they referring to the woodarchies?

 

[Goldfreak]

Don't know. They just said they were very small hairy people that will take the children if your not paying attention. They have also attacked adults. They told me they were excellent at hiding in clear sight. Enough to make you take a second look at everything when out in the bush. Especially when alone. Bloody good story, I am scaring myself just thinking about it.

 

[Dewalt]

What a shame Nigel didnt get that on video, definately would of been a good watch speaking of videos, cant wait for the next instalment. Stay safe out there and good luck.

 

[RM Outback]

I'm a featherfoot these days every time I walk over stones it hurts my feet layful: unlike when I was a kid and never wore shoes I use to use mums sewing needles to dig out the bindieyes, if it was a thin needle sometimes they snapped in two.

 

[Solid Luck]

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Featherfoot

Featherfoot

"A featherfoot is a sorcerer in Australian Aboriginal spirituality. A featherfoot is usually a bad spirit who kills people. In most traditional Aboriginal beliefs, there is no such thing as a natural death. Every death is caused by evil spirits or spells. It is usually because of an enemy, who wants revenge for something.[1]

A featherfoot is so named because they are believed to have supernatural powers, including the ability to fly. He wears special shoes made of feathers (usually emu) and hair, stuck together with human blood. Scholars say that the shoes leave no tracks (footprints).

South-West of Western Australia, which includes the Noongar people, have a local scary story to tell at night. When the featherfoot is hunting you, it waits till youre alone or in a small group, at night walking to a destination. The person or the group will start to get a sense of foreboding, followed by a strong sense they are being followed. The featherfoot is close behind, following. Its steps are silent and leave not tracks. The only way to survive a feathfoot attack is to never look behind you until you get back to a light source. Keep walking and dont look back, its when the person looks behind them, is when it attacks.

All is left behind after an attack, is a single large unknown bird feather and a spec of the victims blood."

[1] Spencer, Baldwin; Gillen, Francis James (2010), Native Tribes of Central Australia, Cambridge University Press, pp. 47680, ISBN 978-1-108-02044-2

Ok. I know we are going off topic here but I did have a strange encounter in the outback. Writing this is making my neck hair stand on end...

There is only one place I have been to that had me thinking to sleep in the car.
Not naming the place as I was naughty and took the back way in. Let's just say it was near water on the edge of the Simpson. One night before a full moon.
Got there just on sunset and there was no one else there.
Reason being it was off season.
The wind was shrieking like wild banshees changing tune as it swept through the trees and the bushes.
It was almost like I had the feeling that I should not be there.
I set up my swag and had a bite to eat, then got stuck into a few beers which calmed me down a bit.
I kept feeling like I was being watched.
In the end i decided stuff it, just sleep in the swag.
Woke at about 3 am to some corrugated sheet beating against whatever in tune with the wind.
Nature called and I made my way to the amenities, which of course had no power.
Next thing I know two dingoes cross my path.
Made me jump out of my skin.
Went back to my swag but the shrieking wind would not let me relax.
Got up and broke camp about 4.30 am.
Still having the feeling of being watched and feeling like I should not be there.
Wind still shrieking.
Sunrise came and I started making my way out.
Got bogged a few k's down the road with the wind still driving me mad.
Took me a couple of hours to get out of the bog and the wind finally stopped.
Never going back there again.

 

[justoverthehill]

There has only been a few occasions when I have been concerned about my safety in the bush. Number 1 scariest moment was when my grandad, brother and I had a featherfoot in camp one night by far the scariest experience of my life!!!! The second time involved a puma/ panther type cat growling in the bushes at us in camp one night.

What happened to me the other day moves up to second place in my scariest encounters in the bush.

I wasnt having the best trip and really struggling to get good gold. I headed over to some hills where I had found gold in the past, it was maybe 2km from camp. I noticed some camels on the hill as I approached. I continued on towards them and they left off the back of the hill. About 20 minutes later I heard this huge roar!!! The biggest bull camel of the pack had come back and was roaring at me. I yelled at him to keep it down because Im trying to work over here!!!

The big camel started making its way towards me, I turned and started detecting my way back to camp. When I looked back the big fella was in full gallop like a bloody Melbourne cup winner. I started sprinting across the flats as fast as I could go with detector, pick and all my other equipment with me. I was really belting across the paddocks trying not to think about what this thing was going to do to me if he caught up.

I was looking for any way out but there was no where to go. I glanced back and seen the camel still gaining on me, now Im running for my life, gotta get back to camp is all Im thinking.

The chase lasted all of about a kilometre but I didnt stop running until I was back at camp. From the hill in front of my car I could still see him standing out there. I yelled at him to keep coming as I had a little something in store for him back at camp.

I didnt see the camel again that day.

Next morning I was detecting near camp, I was weary to go too far away so I was just up the track a bit and Nigel was back in camp crushing rocks when I heard some yelling, I made out the word camels!!! I dropped all my gear and bolted to camp to see what was going on. On a steep rocky ridge right behind camp the big bull camel stood with his mob. He was back for blood, I could see the murder in his eyes!!! I ran through the camp and dived into my cruiser, found some earplugs and grabbed a box of .223rem. The beast was about to start his descent down the hill and unleash hell on me in my camp. I have never seen nothing like this before!!!!

I grabbed my T3X out of its bag and started slamming rounds into the mag as fast as I possibly could, as I stepped out to get a scope on it they seen the rifle and started moving. I couldnt take a shot as they were on top of the hill so I put a round into the side of the hill then I went barreling up the hill to see if I could get him on the other side. Turns out those camels can really move and I couldnt see them anywhere.

Now Im in my early 30s and Im not very fit but Im not out of shape exactly either. I dont think I would have been able to get away if I had been in my 50s or older. Most prospectors I have met would have had no chance of getting away from that blood thirsty beast.

I believe Ill be looking at a bigger rifle such as a .300 or a .338 so I can reduce the number of these dangerous feral beasts. Im sure the pastoral lease holder here wont have a drama with a permission letter for me to get larger caliber firearms. I know they arent real fond of camels around here. I might start bringing a bike out with me too so I can park it close by when detecting.

It was an experience I wont forget anytime soon. If I didnt have a rifle with me when they came into camp next morning who knows what the outcome could have been.

Hey Westoz any chance you can tell us about what happened with the feather foot in your camp?

 

[Wishfull]

I wonder if its the noise from the detector getting them upset. I had trouble With bees attacking me when using my SDC.