The Pursuit Series: Hunting in North Queensland

Hunting in Queensland means dealing with real country, real conditions, and real decisions. There’s no script and no guarantees. Success depends on reading the land, understanding animal behaviour, and knowing when to push and when to hold back.

This series follows Venture Hunting founder Tim Neilsen during a North Queensland hunt near Ayr, targeting introduced species including chital deer, water buffalo, and camels. Each hunt stands on its own. Different ground, different challenges, different outcomes. What connects them is the approach. Ethical shots, full recovery, and respect for both the animals and the country they live on.

This isn’t about chasing numbers or highlight reels. It’s about how hunts actually unfold in Queensland, the decisions made in the moment, and the work that comes after the trigger is pulled.

Part One: Chital on the Burdekin

Hunting in QLD – Near Ayr, North Queensland

Tim Neilsen, founder of Venture Hunting and Outdoors, is hunting in North Queensland near Ayr, working along the Burdekin River system. It’s productive country, but not forgiving. Mangroves, tidal flats, high game numbers, and enough risk in the landscape to keep everyone switched on.

The target is chital deer. An introduced species that’s well established across parts of northern Queensland, chital require active management. For Tim, this hunt isn’t rushed. Meat matters, but so does the animal itself. He’s looking for a mature stag with an even set of antlers.

The deer are moving into the rut, which changes the entire pace of the hunt. A local guide, Chancy advises starting later than usual. Rather than pushing hard at first light, the plan is to let the stags move when they get hungry mid-morning.

Deer numbers are high. Hinds and young spikers are everywhere. The challenge is not finding animals, it’s avoiding blowing them out. One spooked hind can clear an entire paddock and shut the hunt down.

The morning is spent moving slowly through dry creek beds and open flats, using what little cover is available. After close to a kilometre of careful stalking, deer are located near the mangroves. The group holds position, backs off when needed, and waits. No suitable stags show themselves.

The decision is made to pull out. It’s the right call. Hunting in Queensland often rewards restraint more than pressure.

That afternoon, the group shifts to another nearby area. Hinds are spotted feeding from the buggy and the hunt continues on foot. After settling into position and waiting, stags begin to filter through.

When the opportunity presents, Tim takes the shot.

It’s not the biggest stag Tim has taken, but it’s a mature, even animal. Exactly what he came for. The deer is taken back to camp and processed properly. A clean hunt, done the right way.

Part Two: Buffalo on the Flats

Buffalo Hunting QLD – North Queensland

Day two starts the way it should. With work.

Before heading out again, the morning is spent butchering yesterdays chital deer. Shooting an animal comes with responsibility, and nothing moves forward until that’s handled properly.

The focus then shifts to water buffalo.

The afternoon before, while waiting on deer, Tim and the team watched a large herd cross the flats roughly 500 metres out. After the stag was shot, part of that herd came back past them. Cows and calves only, but close enough that they had to stand and make their presence known. No bulls, but the encounter confirmed regular movement through the area.

Buffalo are not deer. Their hearing and sense of smell are sharp, and spooking them at close range can turn serious quickly. A blind had been set earlier downwind near water, knowing the buffalo would likely come back to drink.

After waiting, a big bull is spotted further out, with more animals nearby. The decision is made to abandon the blind and stalk instead. It’s a longer approach, but it keeps cover between the hunters and the herd.

The stalk is slow and frustrating. Thick scrub, mangroves, and unexpectedly large numbers of deer complicate everything. Several times, the group has to adjust course to avoid pushing deer into the buffalo.

Eventually, it feels like the opportunity has slipped away. The group starts heading back.

Then they hear movement.

They set up near a tidal creek and wait. The herd emerges slowly. Cows and calves first. As some of the cows pick up scent and drift off, a bull steps into the open to assess the change.

That’s the moment. Tim takes the shot. The bull goes down.

What follows is several hours of work as the sun drops. Buffalo are big animals, and processing one properly takes time. The butchering continues well after dark.

On the way back to camp, the buggy bogs and fuel runs low. It’s a reminder that nothing in this country goes exactly to plan. 

Two days in. A chital stag and a buffalo bull. Solid, earned results.

Part Three: Camel Hunting Australia – North Queensland

Before heading out on the final afternoon, Tim makes a decision. He’s satisfied with his chital stag. It’s not about chasing numbers or upgrading animals. The deer was taken properly, and that’s enough.

That leaves one final species. Camels.

Introduced to Australia in the 1800s, camels are now widespread, with Australia holding the largest feral camel population in the world. They’re tough animals, cover ground easily, and when handled correctly, provide a large volume of quality meat.

The group has been watching camel movement across the property. Females move between water and feed during the day, with bulls often following later. The plan is to set up near a swamp where the bulls are expected to cross. Crocodiles are a factor, so positioning and recovery options matter.

While gear is still being unpacked, the bulls arrive earlier than expected. Something puts them on edge and they start moving faster than usual. The group packs light and goes on foot, using scrub to keep cover between themselves and the animals.

Camels move faster than many people expect. The chase is physical and requires constant adjustment. Eventually, the bulls move into shallow water and settle, believing they’re safe.

That creates the opening. Tim takes a clean shot and the bull drops in the water, immediately creating a recovery problem.

The area is checked carefully. A drone is used to assess risk. With no signs of crocodile activity, the decision is made to proceed.

Winching is the only option. Care is taken not to damage the areas intended for mounting. The animal is pulled clear, and the work begins again. Caping and butchering continue until well after dark.

Not everyone in the group takes an animal on this trip, and that’s accepted. Success in hunting isn’t only measured in trophies. It’s measured in decisions made, effort put in, and respect shown to the land and animals.

Three hunts. Three animals. Plenty of meat shared. A solid trip hunting in QLD, done properly.