At the time Gary Bignall from Narrabri was present and held the bull catching contract. I was invited to join him one morning in the “bull wagon” which was an old short wheel based Toyota.

It was surrounded by sturdy steel pipe and truck tyres; long having been minus a muffler. (Gary ran it on leftover high octane aviation fuel, which was the excess that a helicopter could take out of a 205 litre drum. For safety sake a chopper pilot cannot use any more from an already opened drum).

We travelled a while then spotted a Shorthorn scrub bull and we went after him. I could only do two things at that stage, hold on like never before and dodge the scrub and anthills that were coming across the bonnet!

The procedure is this; after you chase the bull for about five hundred metres, he decides that what is chasing him is not that formidable so he turns to charge the vehicle.

With the bull side on the driver rams him “up the ribs” at which time he is pinned under the front of the bull wagon. Jump out and put one or two red hide hobbles on him. The bull is all yours. Simple as that!

Later in the day you return with a truck and winch the bull up the slide at which time he is dehorned and released. Then back to the holding yard at the outstation to join the like minded.