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.