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A lot has changed in a year.. or has it?! :)
It's been a while since I wrote up a wee report for you lot and today I felt the need to share a few words. So here goes.
I've come a long way since that first goat I shot with a borrowed .243 (ewwwwww poofourthree) out at a possie in Nelson with VC. I hacked away at it's bum hole with my blunt as knife and ended up needing some pretty serious help ripping the guts out of it. I even dragged it, belly side down, the whole length of the gravel road back to the truck. What a rookie ;) Thanks for VC for helping me out on that one and not laughing too hard at me!!
I've still remembered to not slam the truck door and this afternoon when I rocked up to my regular spot X just a 15 minute drive from my place, I shut the hatch quietly as I had been taught! The wind was howling in true Wellington style and right up my ass so I wasn't exactly chuffed with the conditions. Still, I plodded up the track towards where I had spotted what looked like two wee baby goats and mum in a sheltered spot much higher up the face.
I've been loving the capability of my .223 at longer distance but the wind is my enemy with my 200+ yard shots. I decided to ninja up as close as I could, pick off the little ones, then go after mum. I really love lamb and I have perfected the art of cooking young goat to taste near the same! I dreamt of a beautiful Moroccan roast as I grabbed at the grass at eye level to help me climb the steep slope. It wasn't long until I'd lost sight of Mum and could see only one of the kids sitting down in a slight dip, still chewing grass.
I cut up to my right with the hope that I might actually snipe Mum first in the higher clearing and then get the two younger meals. I popped back in view of the clearing and was a bit closer than I planned! The wind wasn't as bad in this area so I quieted my approach. I ended up on hands and knees crawling through the soggy grass towards the goats. I thought a bow would be pretty cool at that moment! Then I thought....shit, I wonder if I would be in trouble if I brought a live goat home..I was so close I could almost tackle the wee thing and it had no idea!!!!
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I took a short video and some snaps and then set up the bipod. At just 10m, I squeezed off a successful head shot. The kid's wee mate dashed up from the noise and further up the hill. I hoped that her bleating might bring Mum back down as she was nowhere to be seen!
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I unloaded, pocketed my brass and headed over to assess the damage. Not a scrap of meat was wasted - yes!!
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As I cut the ears off the mutton for my mate's dog (he has some weird idea about using animal ears to train his boarder collie to track... :wut: ) the second fluffy came back for a fatal look! With a quick reload and simultaneous drop to my guts, I squeezed off an up-hill neck shot and in a moment, doubled my meat. Wahoo. What fun!
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I set up my camera to film the gutting of the head shot goat as I wanted to show you guys how much I have improved. Two minutes flat and I clicked the 'end record' button, only to find that it was on the camera setting, not video!!!!! I guess I am still a numpty.
I piled the two animals together and headed up to find something bigger for dog food for the farmer. The wind had majorly picked up and was tugging at my hat. An hour wander around the back of the property proved no results - the adults were hunkered down under the gorse and broom. No more shooting for me.
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I made it back down to the farm house in time for a cup of tea with the property owner's wife before she left to pick up the kids from school. We yarned about random stuff as we always do and I managed to just save my last bit of fudge from the snapping mouth of the new cheeky Springer pup they kept from their last litter. I downed my tea as we realised the time and Mrs had to leave.
Still a bit hungry, I popped into the farm next door for another cuppa, some home baking and to admire one of my largest paintings up on the lounge wall. After writing out a special recipe for home made Baileys, I grabbed a nanny out of the wagon and whipped a back leg off for the older lady to roast up.
Back home now, Baileys in hand, ahhhhh what a good day.
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Might need to finish this last glass and then butcher up my wee goaties. The new meat pikau I got from Mainly Hunting at the Sika show is just the treat to keep my wagon clean - it's a huge canvas sack that doesn't let blood out and keeps the flies/dirt/dog from the meat ;) I might keep updating this thread with a few pics as the night progesses.
Hot barrels!
