Thread: John Duxbury Gets His Stag

Went to the Arawhata for the second period. One of our group got both the biggest trout and the oldest stag I ever saw. Rabbits for Africa. Nasty sandflies. Two days of enforced rest in a small tent due to heavy rain.

I shot this mature stag, and was well pleased. Taken with my fully wooded .243 Husqvarna at 25 metres using a 90 grain ELD-x (They are not just for long range, I wondered if they would blow up in close shots, but no)

He was out roaring too long past dawn. He had about ten hinds with him. I sneaked up on him in the bracken through the clearing. When I saw the tops of his antlers I declare I became a little overexcited. I had a split second head shot at that moment, but I am glad I didnt take it, I would have missed. Even so, the suspense that followed nearly damaged my heart. It took another ten minutes of positioning, with the risk f him simply walking into the nearby forest to get away. I was jumping hinds as I went and they were trotting past him - one even barked at me. Thought I lost him for sure then. But he was busy trying to wrangle the hinds and didnt get alarmed.
I waited for him to step out from behind a bush, rifle up, and then I had him in my scope - solid neck shot and he dropped backwards out of sight.
I never had to roar, he roared me in. I am sure he heard me and thought I was another hind.
You can hang a ring on the 13th point.



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