Forum Spot Burning

[9STAGS]

I give info freely on Stewart Island blocks generally . Its a haul for most hunters and cost to get here. Any help is good.

Good on you for helping out other fellow hunters who choose to make their way to your wonderful island.
I'll never disparage people who give out knowledge or their time to help other hunters.

Just to counter from my perspective and to maybe help other people who may be apprehensive or unsure about visiting new or different hunting grounds without any prior knowledge or intel.
I visited Stewart Island for 10 days a few years ago now.
Hunted one of the eastern coastal blocks.
Never had been there before and maybe never will again.
Could have asked for info or intel before hand, but why lesson my experience.
Did I need to or have to shoot a deer to make the trip a success. No that's not how I gain enjoyment from the outdoors. Did I want to shoot a Whitetail. Too bloody right.
Hunting whitetail isn't that hard, or should I say no harder than any other of our deer species in areas that receive regular hunting pressure.
Maybe as a North Island bush hunter used to hunting constantly pressured deer in a bush environment gives me an edge over say maybe a long range tops shooter. Dunno I wouldn't be so arrogant to call myself great or even a good hunter, but I back myself and my rolling average seems to be pretty consistent at approximately 1 chance for a shot for every 3 days invested.
I therefore expected a chance for a shot knowing I had 8 full days of hunting available to me.
Seeing new country and exploring the different landscape was an enjoyable experience and having no prior knowledge made the trip just that little bit more special as everything was new and different and unexpected but in some ways also the same.
It wasn't scary or daunting. I want apprehensive or unsure, just probably too keen for the first 2 days to see and explore, so bumped a couple of animals from being too enthusiastic to see whats around the next tree or over the next rise. After what I like to call the settling in period I slowed down after that.
Ended up shooting 1, missing another and letting a doe walk after watching it feed for a few minutes in an area with fresh buck scrapes.
Didn't feel like I had missed out on anything important without prior knowledge of arriving and wouldn't change anything or do anything differently if I were ever to go back.
I like the challenge of hunting. I like the hunt rather than the shot. Probably why I like to keep my kit basic. A swannie, a rifle and a bumbag. Its me vs them, not me and others input vs them.
It seems because we have such individualistic needs and wants and outcomes from our sport, its probably why as a collective group we aren't united and have a stronger voice in the greater public arena.
Just some ramblings of an old weirdo.