Hunting report from The Blue Mountains

Gday Fellas

Hope the roar, rut and duck shooting has gone as well as you hoped.

My Roar was not great, only had 2 days, tried to make the most of it. We hunted Leithen Bush block 2, some nice country and a few animals around, not a whole lot of Roaring heard. Roared a wee 4 pointer in, managed to pull a shot over the top, buggar.

I didn't go duck shooting on opening, more concerned with getting the dog tuned on deer before trying to teach her something new. This brings me to the rut for fallow. Originally 5 days weather reduced me to 3, all good though.

Day 1 was spent on a large flatish area at the east end of Garden Gully for those that know the blocks. We spent the day just stalking into a shifting breeze, Max the dog indicating well, and we sure stopped and checked out a few we guts etc. We also managed to stalk down a wide open ridge, dog indication straight ahead into the wind. We stalked slowly and then the dog started indicating off the to the left. Figuring there may be 2 deer I decided to continue straight into the wind...not my first or last mistake this trip. We had only stalked another 20 meters, I was checking off to the left as well, a tiny flash at the edge of my vision had me looking at a decent buck in a pile of windfall, onto us in a flash, he sprinted for some heavy cover. we stalked further down the ridge but no further animals spotted.

Crossing a wee gut to get to the next ridge we got within 10 meters of a hind in the crown fern, she must have been sleeping soundly as we were making a bit of noise! She even stopped after getting a fright at about 15 meters offering an easy shot, we passed as really hoping to get a buck. We stalked up onto the ridge another 30 meters and we spook a yearling, little beggar ran off and disturbed a decent buck, as he did not see us and did not wind us we followed slowly trying to catch up with him but never seen him again.

Remainder of the day we did not really get onto anything, still happy enough with 2 good bucks sighted and a further 4 animals seen.

Next day we decided to revisit the spots we had seen the bucks, wind dictated a different approach. Within 15 minutes of stalking another open flat ridge the dog is really indicating hard out, step...look, look some more, step...look, look some more. There is a deer here somewhere. This kept up for 30 minutes as we very slowly made our way along the ridge, suddenly 15 meters away a deer peers over a bush, neck and ears is all I have, a nice eating size(read I can carry this out) hind. I really wanted to reward the dog so lined up and put the deer on the deck, dog naturally happy as was I, this is really the first deer the dog has indicated so well on. Lucky it was only a 20 minute carry to the truck so quick gutting job and sling in a tree for collection later.

Rest of the day a bit quiet, only 2 further animals seen, again both spooked out of the crown fern where they were bedded up, dog had no chance of letting me know they were there as the wind was all wrong, she certainly took some interest in the deer crashing off. Both times remaining steady which pleased me no end.

So the weekend out of the way we had different blocks for the Monday-Wednesday. Monday was shit weather, we did head out late in the avo, I dropped my mate off for a wee wonder down the Packers faces, I meanwhile had a much more dry time in the truck. i let the dog out for a piss and she winded a deer straight away, just in a wee native down below the road, wondered down to have a look but nothing poked its nose out. Wondered back to the ruck and picked up my mate who just wondered back, as we pulled off a deer standing on the road where we and been about 10 minutes before, bloody good I reckon the dog is pretty well tuned into the smell of deer now.

Remaining 2 days the weather was better, hunted Smithys spur, 1st morning and out the truck down the track about 20 meters and the dog starts winding. I wave to my mate to go and have a look, he does not come back straight away and I figure the deer may be a bit further down below us in the gut, as I wonder down the deer who my mate just watching trots off. i did ask him why he didn't tip it over, nice we eater just 200 meters from the truck????

Anyway rest of the day spent bashing through bloody wet crown fern and lots of regen, we managed to see buggar all, just one deer at the bottom of a gut wondering up the crown fern face opposite. She was safe, bucks only today. Some nice areas seen including some open tussocks at the top of the block, no deer seen though.

Last day and I wanted to get to an area I hadn't hunted before, quick walk along the track and then a quick walk up through a whole lot of fairly tight regen had me in an area we were going to hunt. Beautiful day after a hard frost, the sun came out, made it a bit more comfortable to munch on sandwiches!

After mooching around in a swirling breeze we head down the hill, finally the breeze plays along and we have a steady breeze to stalk into. Dog indicated well and we slowly make our way down about 100 meters of fairly open country. We come to a stop with a decent view further down the hill, I figure a good place to stop and scan, wait for a deer to show itself. About 2 minutes later a wee spiker starts feeding towards us, then takes a turn down the hill to a broadleaf gut below. Right in time he does another 90 degree turn this time straight towards us. I look at the dog intently looking at the deer, she then looks over at me with the WTF face, we let it feed a little closed and finally I succumb, not the biggest buck in the world but a light carry and tasty...Attachment 23862

We then managed to find a completely shit ridge to wonder down to the rankle burn, then a friggin steep spur to wonder back to the track, friggin stuffed when we got back to the truck just on dark.

Bloody pleased with the dog, she is really taking to her task well now, hunting the next 2 weekends so hopefully will get a bigger buck then, if not maybe a freezer filler, at any rate we will have fun doing it!

Cheers

Dino

Dog going very well by the sound of it:thumbsup::cool:

Good stuff. All your work Maxi is paying off. She is looking good.