Thread: Advice for first big Hunting trip

Reminds me of the bloke next door. Can be seen jogging/walking on the odd occasion but pays someone to mow his lawn.

Originally Posted by Nugget connaisseur

Its on a conservative side, but when you have little experience and in an unfamiliar area and still trying to sort gear out it will be good to be cautious.

Take note a lot of hunters getting shot are a result of hunting together and then splitting up. Sometimes to look for a shot deer or what ever. Then one hunter sees what they think is a deer and shoot their buddy. People say they would never miss identify a target but it happens, including those that fired thinking it was a deer but it was a person.
Avoid splitting up if possible, or if you do split up and are within the same area for what ever reason No meat is better than No mate.

Im looking for an article but i cant find it but it states a bunch of things to do when lost in the bush etc.
If you dont have walkie talkies or they fail. Make a plan for if you get separated. Meet up at last clearing or back at camp.

We didnt make any official plans but on my trip to nelson lakes we were making our way down a ridge from the tops and i stopped to take a leak. Friends carried on down the ridge. As i set off after them i could see them up a head no problems. Eventually i lost site of them because of the dips etc. Where the ridge meet the bush line i still hadn't seen them. I decided they probably dropped down off the ridge a little bit earlier to where we came out of the bushline. 15mins later i hear a shot, i assume its them wondering where i am. I put my plugs in and let off a shot. a few seconds latter they pop their heads up from the next spur over. They had dropped down off the ridge a little bit earlier than i expected and i would of walked within 20m of them and not seen them.
It wasnt a big deal the hut was not too far away. But it avoided the waiting and wondering etc.

Hectic stuff bro. The bro and I dont plan to split up but will take this advice into consideration. Thanks again nugget.

Originally Posted by berg243

... and hopefully anyone else in the area will realise deer don't whistle and not shoot it again.

Unless you are in Sika country...

If you are hunting together it's a good idea to only have one rifle.
Next best option is decide who is the shooter for the next hour and the other guy slings his empty rifle until it's his turn.

Originally Posted by berg243

another thing to take if you are going to a new area and or splitting up is a plastic sheperds whistle each . easy to blow and doesn't waste bullets when trying to relocate each other and if carrying a deer out on your back you can whistle while you walk and hopefully anyone else in the area will realise deer don't whistle and not shoot it again.

I carry a flashing red LED light the kind you might find on the back of a bicycle and will quite often clip it on the back of my pack when walking out at dusk, anyone else do this ? any reason why I shouldn't continue this practice ?

Originally Posted by dannyb

I carry a flashing red LED light the kind you might find on the back of a bicycle and will quite often clip it on the back of my pack when walking out at dusk, anyone else do this ? any reason why I shouldn't continue this practice ?

Good idea. Might do that myself.

Originally Posted by dannyb

I carry a flashing red LED light the kind you might find on the back of a bicycle and will quite often clip it on the back of my pack when walking out at dusk, anyone else do this ? any reason why I shouldn't continue this practice ?

No, I don't want to look like a possum.

Keep in mind the weather can change quick as too.
Me and a mate walked up to Purity one New Years is stinking hot sun....woke next morning to complete white out and a foot of snow that wasnt forecast.

Originally Posted by Bagheera

No, I don't want to look like a possum.

Never thought of that, it is like a strobe flash so wouod be pretty hard to mistake gor a possum, I guess I could get a white flasher

Originally Posted by dannyb

Never thought of that, it is like a strobe flash so wouod be pretty hard to mistake gor a possum, I guess I could get a white flasher

Disco possum. Bloody pests. They play Abba and Earth Wind and Fire all night long.