Name and birthplace?
My name is Brenton Mitchell. I was born in Ipswich QLD back in 1977.
When did you first start hunting?
I first starting hunting when I was old enough to hold up the old .22 rimfire my father Ted had modified for me by cutting down the stock length and barrel so it was more of a suitable size for kid. The humble rabbit was the first species I hunted with both the .22 and also my first bow and arrow, which was a cheap fibreglass longbow.
What are your three favourite species to hunt?
The three animals that I would have to call my favourite to hunt would be: red stags during the rut, the mighty buffalo bulls of the Northern Territory, and the wild boar is definitely a favourite. I enjoy hunting all species of game whether it is big or small as they all offer us a different challenge and take us to different parts of this great country of ours.
What’s your favourite hunting technique?
My favourite hunting technique is definitely spot and stalk. There is no greater sense of achievement than spotting a once-in-a-lifetime trophy, then stalking in nice and close before taking the shot at an animal that is oblivious to your presence. That is true hunting.
What’s your favourite hunting destination?
At the moment my favourite hunting destination would have to be the Northern Territory. There is something that just keeps drawing me back to this beautiful part of the country. Each time I leave the NT and hit the road for home I am already longing to return. Must be something to do with massive buffalo bulls and boars I suppose…
Tell us about the top three favourite firearms that you own (or bows).
My favourite firearm is my trusty old Ruger M77 in .30-06 Springfield. That rifle has taken everything from rabbits to buffalo and done the job with ease. The other two favourites are my two 70lb Mathews bows the Helium and my favourite the Monster MR7. I have taken 12 of the eighteen huntable species here in Australia with my bow. One of my finest achievements in hunting was taking out the Trophy Bow Hunters Australian Bow Hunter of the year award for 2013 statewide. This was something I worked very hard for and was lucky enough to have a great hunting year taking out some great Record class game animals including red stag, chital stag, fallow buck, buffalo, boar, goat, fox, cat, donkey, shark, stingray, and a rabbit. That was a busy year indeed.
When did you start writing for Sporting Shooter?
I started writing for hunting magazines back in the mid 90’s. My father Ted Mitchell used to write for a lot of different magazines and I learnt most of the basics from him. I started writing for Sporting Shooter around the same time that Marcus O’Dean took over the editing role – so it’s been quite a few years now.
What do you enjoy about writing/working for a hunting magazine?
I enjoy writing hunting articles and informative articles. It’s always nice to see your hard work put into a nice spread in the magazine where other people can read and enjoy listening to your hunting yarns. I also have learnt a lot of different techniques and things about hunting through reading other articles, so it always feels good to do an informative article where someone may learn new hunting techniques.
What is the best or most satisfying article you have written for Sporting Shooter?
I have had quite a few articles published over the years and picking just one favourite is hard as they are all very satisfying to see when the mag comes out. I guess I really enjoyed the Big Game Bowhunting article written about hunting the mighty water buffalo of the NT. Hunting buffalo with a bow was an awesome experience and sharing the tales of the highs and lows of the trip is always great.
What advice can you give anyone wanting to get in to hunting writing?
My advice for anyone that may want to write an article for Sporting Shooter is just to relive your hunting adventures in your mind when starting to write. That way you will have the memories flooding back when you need them. It’s quite common to sit there thinking ‘where do I start?’, so you’re not the only one. Remember that every writer started the same way as you are now, sitting in front of your computer, or even a pen and paper. As long as you can remember the way your hunt unfolded, and even other parts of the hunt like things that didn’t quite go to plan, put them in as well. We all know these things happen and bit of comedy in a story always breaks up it up. Marcus is a good editor, he will get your story reading well, so give it a go you’ve got, nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Good hunting , Brenton Mitchell
Please supply three of your favourite hunting photos from past or present.
Brenton lists red stags in the roar as his favourite animal to hunt.
Brenton has taken 12 of the 18 huntable species in Australia with his bow, including chital stags.
Brenton’s favourite hunting destination is Australia’s Northern Territiry. He reckons it could be something to do with the buffalo and boars!
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