Thread: Competition Time

Got a story and some pics, just need a few minutes this evening to write it down!

So got some time to put together this story and pics at last!

Through one of my very good buddies we are lucky enough to get access to a hill station very close by and the owner there has been fantastic to us every time we have been up there. Its the place I shot at my first deer but as I wasn't the only person to shoot it I can't claim it as my own, pretty sure all I did was put a hole through the antler. So this is a story about a few firsts!

Jeremy, Laudy and myself set off on Saturday afternoon after loading up the bikes and getting everything sorted, the weather was great for the drive up there but the forecast for the Canterbury high country was crap for Saturday night but it was going to be awesome on Sunday morning.



We rocked up to our chosen campsite and got everything sorted at about 5pm, just as the lovely Northwest wind died and turned to a wet Southwester.



After a quick chat, we decided it would be worth going to have a look around and see if any deer might be bedding down in some shelter as there was still plenty of daylight. We found a few promising little guts up in the pines but even after some hard climbs in thick wet scrub there was nothing seen.



As we sat on the track feeling a bit damp and ready to head back to camp for some noodles Jeremy spotted some movement down in the river bed, it was a Red hind. We decided it was a worth a crack but we had to lose a lot of height fast, we quickly walked along the track trying to make sure we were downwind of the hind before dropping down the back side of a spur. A little over half way down we were gutted to hear some splashing and looked up to see the hind trotting through the river glancing back occasionally before disappearing off up the other side into the pines. I ranged a tussock near to where she stopped and was surprised to see the answer of 325yds with a 20deg down angle. The wind had been swirling around on the spur and we think she must have caught some of our scent, she was definitely spooked but kept stopping to look back and try to work out what it was. Feeling a bit dejected that she had got away, Laudy pointed out that it was the first wild deer he had ever seen (coming from Glasgow) it put a bit of a smile on our faces as we turned back uphill to make our way to the track and camp. The climb back up was wet, steep and prickly and we were all knackered by the time we got back to camp.

After a bit of feed and getting the fire going again, the boys got into the whiskey. Although I fancied a night cap I don't get to go out too often with two young kids so I was keen to make the most of it and I headed out for a walk on my own about half an hour before dark. I headed up the river towards an area that we have seen deer before but I wasn't hopeful as it was very wet by this point. After a couple of river crossings I was pleased with my new boots and gaiters and very grateful for my new jacket as well which was doing an awesome job of keeping me dry. After a sketchy climb round a bluff and not seeing anything and it was getting dark I turned back for camp, happy in the knowledge I had given it a go. As I climbed back round the bluff I noticed something sticking out of a matagouri bush and went to investigate, it turned to be a fallow buck that had either fall down the bluff and got tangled up or been washed down the river at some point. I got my knife out and managed to get the head untangled and took him back to camp with me to show the boys, I didn't get a pic but he is now our camp mascot!

We all had a couple of whiskies and hit the sack ready for an early start in the morning, crossing our fingers hoping the weather would clear. We didn't set the alarm quite early enough unfortunately and it was starting to get light when we got out the tent, nevertheless we knew it was going to be good day and we were in with a chance. We headed up to a saddle which overlooks a couple of clearings where we had seen deer before. As we quietly walked up the track through the pines just before we got to the saddle we saw a dark shape run across less than a hundred yards in front of us! We knew if there was one there would be more and it was perfect conditions so we were excited to get up to the saddle. We creeped up on our bellies with binos and rifles at the ready and started to scan the clearing in front of us, we knew from a previous trip the ranges to some of the more obvious spots so I was happy to take a pop at anything that walked out. As we glassed for a couple of minutes concentrating on the clearing ahead of us, Jeremy nudged my leg and pointed back down at the edge of the pines just in front of us. The dark shape we had seen run off had come back out lured by the fresh wet grass, it was a yearling fallow doe. I lined up quickly and fired! As my barrel was low to the ground and it was so damp the concussion seemed to vapourise the water on the grass in front of me so I didn't see my shot hit, I looked up and she set off to our left but wobbling. In my excitement I jumped up and set off after her losing site of her on the edge of the pines I started to worry that I hadn't hit her at all. Thankfully my shot was true and the 140gr Accubond had gone in just behind the front shoulder, smashing a rib which punctured the heart and both lungs. I couldn't believe it.



Only a little one, but my first wholly mine deer, first blood for my rifle and first deer with my own loads! I was absolutely stoked! High fives all round!



We set to gutting her and taking as much meat as possible. As I was gutting her, Jeremy was still glassing and noticed something didn't look quite right on the clearing we had been looking at originally, it turned out it was a white fallow buck in velvet on the skyline watching us. As I had one already we set up Laudy with the 7mm08 on backpack, I got my gun as back up as this was going to be Laudy's first shot in anger with a centrefire. The whole time this fallow just watched us still as a statue, Jeremy ranged him at 225yds 14deg up angle, both rifles were zeroed at 200yds so cross hairs dead on. He was facing towards us at a slight angle so we got Laudy to aim for the crease between the neck and shoulder, he fired and the buck sprang up in the air a good metre or so and half ran and stumbled down hill 20yds. He stopped completely broadside so I took the chance and fired as well, again he jumped up clean in the air and stumbled off out of sight. We waited a couple of minutes watching in case he moved off but it looked like he was down. We walked quietly up to where he was, reasonably confident he would be dead when we got there. As we got within about 10yds he sprang up and bolted uphill through the thick scrub away from us. We couldn't believe it! A quick scout around and we found some blood, knowing he was hit we knew we had to find him. We set off following his tracks up the hill seeing occasional drops of blood. We lost his trail and it took a while to find it again, he had headed into the pines. We followed him in looking for tracks and fresh blood, we spotted some blood that was full of foamy bubbles it looked like spit we kept finding the odd track here and there but in the pines it was very hard going especially with so many sheep about on the station as well. After an hour and a half we sadly called it quits. We were all gutted we couldn't find him and after doing a bit of reading yesterday I realised we made an important mistake being quite inexperienced in all this. Looking at the blood and the way he reacted it seems like one or both of us shot him in the lungs but not well enough to kill him. What I now know we should have done was upon seeing that reaction we needed to leave him for half an hour or more before going to look for him, us following only upped the adrenaline levels and drove him off

We packed up our gear and our venison from the deer I had shot and headed out and with every passing km our moods lifted it was a beautiful day and we had been out and done it. We got back home and all the missus's were there so we wound 'em up and said we hadn't got anything before I walked in with the meat!



We had a great time and although we lost the second deer we learned a heck of a lot! Heres to the next one!

(Oh if anyone recognises the area, please keep it quiet, the owner has been very good to us and as we were driving we came across two of his kids patching up a fence where some c**t had driven clean through it in their truck a couple of nights before, right next to a locked gate!)

Scribe wants that knife bad!

Sent from my GT-S5360T using Tapatalk 2

Nothing beats a root in the great out doors Great read there Scribe

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Scribe wants that knife bad!

Sent from my GT-S5360T using Tapatalk 2

How are you Cam. This is a story I have been wanting to write for awhile. But yeah you are right about the knife and pouch.

I am annoyed because I had to put up the unedited copy. I lost the other copy and my neighbours daughter will come and look for it in the recycle bin tomorrow she says.

Good thanks Scribe.


Sent from my GT-S5360T using Tapatalk 2

Hi Guys,

Only 1 week to go so get your photo and story in, entries must be in by 16/12/14 so we can choose a winner and send knife

Cheers

Hamish

Who won?

No one yet, John and i have both been away, will let you all know in the next day or so

Hamish

Good luck to you guys. Theres a lot in the magazine section and here. Big job

your telling me!!

Originally Posted by Bavarian_Hunter

I think competitions like this are great and more people should be getting in on it. To move the ball along I'll do a quick write up on a recent hunt that left me with a smile from ear to ear. No bulls, big stags or bucks this time just pure enjoyment of what the hunt meant.

A month shy of her first birthday and my GSP Ellie had already outdone herself. I'd never had a gundog before and wasn't sure what to really expect from her as a hunter early on and just what to expect from the experience as a whole. At four months she'd done her first duck opening and retrieved two ducks which I thought was about as good as it could get for a young pooch. While young, I kept her entertained with a bit of bird hunting while trying to shift her focus over to deer. At six months she pointed her first deer, a young 3yo fallow buck, and did she think she was pretty good! The only thing was I'd been watching it for the last 50m hoping she'd get her head up and spot it, not long after that she pointed her first samabr, again after I'd watched it. Then a couple of months later and she had her first big leap forward, I'd shot a red hind at 250m with one of Tui_man2's muzzlebreaks without wearing earplugs and it really rattled me (cheers Abe), in the midst of clasping my ears in pain I lost sight of the hind. When we got to the spot I thought it was she was nowhere to be seen. We looked and looked and looked but couldn't even find a drop of blood. I let Ellie go and was talking to my brother suggesting we give up when I realised Ellie was out of sight, I called her and she came running into view, clearly wanting me to follow her. I walked over and there was the deer, she'd done her first solo track job! That hind is now caped out for a pedestal mount to go next to my 2013 red stag.

All these things were great, but she still hadn't achieved the ultimate yet; to point a deer I didn't know was there.
At about 11 months old, just shy of her first birthday I decided to go for one last little meat hunt with Miss Ellie before the snakes really got going and she'd have to spend the rest of summer in the backyard.
I took off her perimeter collar and allowed her to follow me into the house. As anyone who know's GSP's would be aware at this point all her xmas's had come at once and she was carrying on like a right old pork chop. As she followed me into the bedroom and saw me starting to put on my hunting clothes she started her high pitched whine her whole back end shaking with excitement. I almost grabbed my blackpowder but really couldn't be bothered cleaning it afterwards so I just grabbed the 300WM and set off.

After a 20 minute drive I pulled up, turned off the car, hopped out and stood still. I let the breeze gently caress my face, pleasantly coming from a northerly direction which would play quite well into my hands. I tied up Ellie as she still roams out a bit too far in semi open country so I keep her on a lead attached to my waste just to be sure she doesn't get right out,

As we pushed through prickly acacia Ellie pulled up on a hard point, I followed her line of sight and there about 20m away was a black wallaby. I praised her before turning and making a detour and continuing on.
We finally made it to the creek crossing, albeit covered in prickly acacia thorns and fortunately it was down quite low at this time. I unhooked Ellie from the lead and slowly waded my way across, cautious to not cause more than a ripple in case I should make too loud a sound and scare any deer just over the opposite bank. Ellie generally has different priorities when it comes to water where the challenge is to pull her out of it willingly. Fortunately though, she is becoming attuned to hunting and what it means so this time she swam across as silently as a snake. On the otherside after she had a shake I put her back on the leash and very carefully poked my head over the bank, nada.

I glassed the semi open stuff directly in front of me very thoroughly and after a couple of minutes was convinced that there was nothing in the near vicinity.
There was another creek flowing from south to North which had a bit of cover along it riparian area and I thought that if deer were here and feeding on the open paddock that's where'd they'd be staying. There was a spot about 1km up that I new was really good and I set my sights on getting there.
This type of country is unlike anything I've come across in NZ, large red gums grow up and out, some of them hundreds of years old. Scattered throughout the area are the dead and dry remains of the giants of days gone by, younger trees growing around them, as if paying homage to their great ancestors. Shifting you're gaze downwards there are scattered patches of prickly acacia strewn across the landscape and to fill in the rest of the land are rushes, reeds and a few wallaby and kangaroo grasses.

We moved along the edge of the bush, peering around every tree and patch of acacia as we progressed. My eyes kept fixing ahead though as I was sure that would be where the deer would come from. We moved along maybe another 200 m when all of a sudden Ellie started air scenting heavily and then bang was on hard point. She was pointing at a patch of prickly acacia and was dead set confident on something being there. I through up the binos and glassed every nook and cranny of it but couldn't see a thing. I figured that she had just seen a rabbit as there was a few about. I told her she was a good girl and started off again. Well I didn't take two steps when out burst 3 fallow does. I was in shock, she'd done it, she'd finally pointed a deer I didn't know was there and I dismissed her and stuffed it up.
I was determined not to lose these deer as she deserved to get her just deserts for this effort.
They didn't stop in view, so I pressed on at a jogging pace and made it to the next clearing and there they were about 70m away. The youngest one was quartering towards me, clearly about to run. I through up the Bavarian, leaning on a tree I put it just under her chin and squeezed the trigger.
I could drag it out and make up an elaborate story about losing sight of her, not knowing whether or not I hit her etc. etc. but the truth is I saw her collapse through the scope into a heap and let out her last couple of kicks before all was still.

Ellie was very excited, she'd seen the deer and followed the two companions as they ran off with her eyes so lost sight of the one I had downed. I walked in it's general direction and when in line with the scent let her find it. It wasn't long until she had her signature helicopter tail motion going and I knew she was locked on the scent and she quickly found it after that.

I've shot plenty of deer in my time and some great stags among them but this little hunt with my girl is one that'll cherish forever.

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BH

Just discovered this BH, great story there mate, Ellie is a cracker, well done mate!!!!!!

Originally Posted by sparky1000

So got some time to put together this story and pics at last!

Through one of my very good buddies we are lucky enough to get access to a hill station very close by and the owner there has been fantastic to us every time we have been up there. Its the place I shot at my first deer but as I wasn't the only person to shoot it I can't claim it as my own, pretty sure all I did was put a hole through the antler. So this is a story about a few firsts!

Jeremy, Laudy and myself set off on Saturday afternoon after loading up the bikes and getting everything sorted, the weather was great for the drive up there but the forecast for the Canterbury high country was crap for Saturday night but it was going to be awesome on Sunday morning.



We rocked up to our chosen campsite and got everything sorted at about 5pm, just as the lovely Northwest wind died and turned to a wet Southwester.



After a quick chat, we decided it would be worth going to have a look around and see if any deer might be bedding down in some shelter as there was still plenty of daylight. We found a few promising little guts up in the pines but even after some hard climbs in thick wet scrub there was nothing seen.



As we sat on the track feeling a bit damp and ready to head back to camp for some noodles Jeremy spotted some movement down in the river bed, it was a Red hind. We decided it was a worth a crack but we had to lose a lot of height fast, we quickly walked along the track trying to make sure we were downwind of the hind before dropping down the back side of a spur. A little over half way down we were gutted to hear some splashing and looked up to see the hind trotting through the river glancing back occasionally before disappearing off up the other side into the pines. I ranged a tussock near to where she stopped and was surprised to see the answer of 325yds with a 20deg down angle. The wind had been swirling around on the spur and we think she must have caught some of our scent, she was definitely spooked but kept stopping to look back and try to work out what it was. Feeling a bit dejected that she had got away, Laudy pointed out that it was the first wild deer he had ever seen (coming from Glasgow) it put a bit of a smile on our faces as we turned back uphill to make our way to the track and camp. The climb back up was wet, steep and prickly and we were all knackered by the time we got back to camp.

After a bit of feed and getting the fire going again, the boys got into the whiskey. Although I fancied a night cap I don't get to go out too often with two young kids so I was keen to make the most of it and I headed out for a walk on my own about half an hour before dark. I headed up the river towards an area that we have seen deer before but I wasn't hopeful as it was very wet by this point. After a couple of river crossings I was pleased with my new boots and gaiters and very grateful for my new jacket as well which was doing an awesome job of keeping me dry. After a sketchy climb round a bluff and not seeing anything and it was getting dark I turned back for camp, happy in the knowledge I had given it a go. As I climbed back round the bluff I noticed something sticking out of a matagouri bush and went to investigate, it turned to be a fallow buck that had either fall down the bluff and got tangled up or been washed down the river at some point. I got my knife out and managed to get the head untangled and took him back to camp with me to show the boys, I didn't get a pic but he is now our camp mascot!

We all had a couple of whiskies and hit the sack ready for an early start in the morning, crossing our fingers hoping the weather would clear. We didn't set the alarm quite early enough unfortunately and it was starting to get light when we got out the tent, nevertheless we knew it was going to be good day and we were in with a chance. We headed up to a saddle which overlooks a couple of clearings where we had seen deer before. As we quietly walked up the track through the pines just before we got to the saddle we saw a dark shape run across less than a hundred yards in front of us! We knew if there was one there would be more and it was perfect conditions so we were excited to get up to the saddle. We creeped up on our bellies with binos and rifles at the ready and started to scan the clearing in front of us, we knew from a previous trip the ranges to some of the more obvious spots so I was happy to take a pop at anything that walked out. As we glassed for a couple of minutes concentrating on the clearing ahead of us, Jeremy nudged my leg and pointed back down at the edge of the pines just in front of us. The dark shape we had seen run off had come back out lured by the fresh wet grass, it was a yearling fallow doe. I lined up quickly and fired! As my barrel was low to the ground and it was so damp the concussion seemed to vapourise the water on the grass in front of me so I didn't see my shot hit, I looked up and she set off to our left but wobbling. In my excitement I jumped up and set off after her losing site of her on the edge of the pines I started to worry that I hadn't hit her at all. Thankfully my shot was true and the 140gr Accubond had gone in just behind the front shoulder, smashing a rib which punctured the heart and both lungs. I couldn't believe it.



Only a little one, but my first wholly mine deer, first blood for my rifle and first deer with my own loads! I was absolutely stoked! High fives all round!



We set to gutting her and taking as much meat as possible. As I was gutting her, Jeremy was still glassing and noticed something didn't look quite right on the clearing we had been looking at originally, it turned out it was a white fallow buck in velvet on the skyline watching us. As I had one already we set up Laudy with the 7mm08 on backpack, I got my gun as back up as this was going to be Laudy's first shot in anger with a centrefire. The whole time this fallow just watched us still as a statue, Jeremy ranged him at 225yds 14deg up angle, both rifles were zeroed at 200yds so cross hairs dead on. He was facing towards us at a slight angle so we got Laudy to aim for the crease between the neck and shoulder, he fired and the buck sprang up in the air a good metre or so and half ran and stumbled down hill 20yds. He stopped completely broadside so I took the chance and fired as well, again he jumped up clean in the air and stumbled off out of sight. We waited a couple of minutes watching in case he moved off but it looked like he was down. We walked quietly up to where he was, reasonably confident he would be dead when we got there. As we got within about 10yds he sprang up and bolted uphill through the thick scrub away from us. We couldn't believe it! A quick scout around and we found some blood, knowing he was hit we knew we had to find him. We set off following his tracks up the hill seeing occasional drops of blood. We lost his trail and it took a while to find it again, he had headed into the pines. We followed him in looking for tracks and fresh blood, we spotted some blood that was full of foamy bubbles it looked like spit we kept finding the odd track here and there but in the pines it was very hard going especially with so many sheep about on the station as well. After an hour and a half we sadly called it quits. We were all gutted we couldn't find him and after doing a bit of reading yesterday I realised we made an important mistake being quite inexperienced in all this. Looking at the blood and the way he reacted it seems like one or both of us shot him in the lungs but not well enough to kill him. What I now know we should have done was upon seeing that reaction we needed to leave him for half an hour or more before going to look for him, us following only upped the adrenaline levels and drove him off

We packed up our gear and our venison from the deer I had shot and headed out and with every passing km our moods lifted it was a beautiful day and we had been out and done it. We got back home and all the missus's were there so we wound 'em up and said we hadn't got anything before I walked in with the meat!



We had a great time and although we lost the second deer we learned a heck of a lot! Heres to the next one!

(Oh if anyone recognises the area, please keep it quiet, the owner has been very good to us and as we were driving we came across two of his kids patching up a fence where some c**t had driven clean through it in their truck a couple of nights before, right next to a locked gate!)

Another great story, well done Sparky....cant beat that first animal......