It's that time again... Sambar Rut

[Mooseman]

Things are warming up nicely with the Sambar starting to rut. Beeman's camera's are busy catching rutting activity in all the areas frequented by Sambar.
Since late April stags have been recorded scraping out pads, preaching and closely following hind groups. At present there are several stags showing up on a semi regular basis, two or three are small six pointers and there are a few spikers running around trying to get in on the action, but there are at least two that have our undivided attention at the moment.
The first is a stag we named PD ( Pencil Dick ) for obvious reason as he always seems to have his dick out when on the camera shots. This stag was very good last year and I had a very close call with him on a little spur ridge where I seen his antler top coming up through the pines only to have him cut my wind. Beeman had a close call as well the weekend before so he was rather lucky.

The second, I think was seen on camera last year a time or two but didn't seem to hang around much, but has turned up again looking pretty good. We have named him Dopey as he was seen several times on Dope Cam along with several other camera's. The two stags are distinctly different in antler structure PD has huge tops and a shape similar to a Rusa stag but definitely isn't Rusa. The other, Dopey, has the classic sweeping antlers both stags possibly a little short in the brow tines but everything else is spot on.

Last weekend as I checked the camera's on my route I started down that same little spur I seen PD on last year. As I approached a small clearing I glanced to my right into a sunny spot to see a big Sambar Stag wheel around and gape it down the spur, what I did see was those long sweeping antlers as he took off, most likely Dopey.
This block is an un pruned pine block with large trees so you have a lot of small branches that limit your vison which makes it hard to pick up animals especially if they are stationary.



The following two pictures are of PD one in 2017 the other on the 5th June this year. Interestingly PD turned up in 2017 late in June and the last time we seen him he was bald in late November, this year he turned up again a little earlier but again in June where he went for those 6 odd months nobody knows.


The next picture is of Dopey doing the rounds

A couple of weekends back Beeman and his son found an area ploughed up and at first it was thought to be pigs but further scrutiny showed it was a battle between two Sambar stags, the grass area was turned over by the two heavy weights as they fought, what a sight that would been.
Dopey has two scars, one on either side of his body which we think was from this fight as it is in the block PD has turned up in.
The next several weekends are going to be busy for us as we try to locate these big boys so watch this post and we will keep it updated.

[hillclima]

Good luck tracking them down, those tops on PD are very impressive!!

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[Danny]

Interesting read mate. Keep up the updates and good luck.


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[Tahr]

That was a wonderful post thanks @Mooseman . There will no doubt be a tinge of sadness when you do catch up with one or the other, or both. They are fine looking gentlemen!

[Mooseman]

Yes it is a pity you can't tag and release like fish but one thing is for sure there genes will already be out there. We haven't had a lot of luck getting a shot a these big fellas we get on camera, the couple of good ones I have got weren't recorded on camera. One thing is for sure it is exciting looking for them.

[craigc]

That’s a neat relationship you have going there. Like the others have said, taking them may come with a bit of regret.

[hotsoup]

They are monsters, shot my first Sambar hind the other week.

Mean looking stags.

[Mooseman]

Congrats on your first Sambar hotsoup. These boys are monsters alright especially PD, we will be on the trail again in the morning.

[Gibo]

Good luck Brian

[Mooseman]

Cheers Gibo, will keep you all posted.

[Shearer]

Great photos. Having a history with animals always makes it more interesting.
A good shot with a hand held camera is as good as catch and release. More difficult to get than with a rifle too.

[Flyblown]

Loved the writeup, part 1 of who knows how many, they are elusive breasts alright. After years on NZ reds and various American deer species, when I first went into the Vic and NSW High Country I thought “how hard can this be”... tee hee very over confident I was and man did I pay in blood and sweat it just about did my head in. My Aussie mates had a good laugh at my expense as I battled the Sambar in the eucalypts... came out empty handed the first 3 times but finally came right in the fourth with a good stag. Please keep is posted mooseman, love the surveillance and want to know more.

[Mooseman]

Thanks guys we love the challenge, today we did our rounds and had PD turn up on two of the camera's. I put up two different animals the last one was in the gully below the camera ( approx 100 m from camera) I checked the camera and found that PD had been there last night so there was a good chance it may have been him who I spooked. Beeman had him preaching at the camera he got him on. ( Amazing how those big animals stretch out on there hind legs to scent mark trees)
All the way around the lines we encountered a fair bit of sambar sign, then in several other areas we seen shit loads of red sign where they have been tearing up the skid sites.
When Beeman sorts out a few pictures I will post them, PD is looking humungas the best pictures are on the videos so he is going to try and take a still of them.

[Mooseman]

Over the last couple of weekends we have been busy checking the camera's for the big boys who are busy rutting. Beeman has had our big boy PD show up a couple of times and has spent a bit of time trying to catch him out but to no avail thus far. Unfortunately Dopey appears to have been shot as a stag looking very much like him has shown up on Facebook saying it was shot in the BOP region, the antler structure certainly looks the same and we have not seen Dopey on any camera's since the 23 May and the stag on Facebook showed up on the 8th June so it don't look good for him.
Another sign that he is likely gone is the appearance of a "New Kid on the Block", he is a nice-looking but young stag that needs several more years growing to become a monster like PD.
The last couple of weekends I have had several close calls with animals along the line I do but have yet to sight anything since the one earlier in the month.
This is a picture of the New Kid.

[Gibo]

He looks well fed