Running With The Bulls

Jillaroo Jess Called on Her Old Mates at Terrain Tamer to Create a Bull-mustering Beast.

- Justin Walker

ANSWERING a job advert for a bull mustering gig back in her native state of Queensland, Jillaroo Jess knew she was up for it, but for one thing: she needed a bull buggy. These vehicles are the toughest of the tough; traditionally FJ40s stripped down to the bare essentials mechanically and, in regards to body panels, they’re then wrapped in protective bar-work and accompanied by the odd tyre or two attached to the sides and front.

BUILT FOR PURPOSE

THE FINAL result of the bar-work, chopped roof and attached tyres is akin to a Mad Max-esque rig, but it is all done for a reason. The main task of a bull buggy is to assist in mustering cattle that… err… may actually not want to be mustered. The bull buggy allows the driver to ‘nudge’ recalcitrant bovines in the direction they’re supposed to go when being mustered, which isn’t always an easy task. These rigs don’t see much in the way of formed tracks – all the work is offtrack, deep in the bush – so having to plow through track-free terrain and cop the odd knock or two means the mustering vehicles must be tough enough for those accidental impacts. They must also be mechanically basic, allowing for an easy bush-fix if the worst does go wrong.

WE CAN REBUILD HIM

FOR JESS, a short-wheelbase Toyota BJ70 was the perfect choice; it’s just a more modern BJ40. A short wheelbase vehicle is ideal for bull-buggy work, as it needs to be highly manoeuvrable for winding through the densely forested areas that runaway cattle like to use as hiding spots.