Thread: Mates first deer

So a close mate of mine has been going through the process.

Gotten him his licence and we went down to H&J smith's outdoor world and got him setup with his first deer rifle.

He's used my 308 and 7mm08 and confidently knocked the gongs at 270y so we were after a 308. At the time no fully setup 308s for sub 2k so a like new Steyr pro hunter in 7mm08 with a dpt can, Bushnell trophy xlt 4-12x40 with the ballistic plex.

Got it zeroed for about 2 inches high at 100y.

Got him to group it. He was grouping around a inch off the bipod which for a relatively new shooter using factory is good going in my books.

Anyway a hunt was sussed with another mate. We well call new hunter: Hunter N, and other mate whose shot a fair few hunter M.

A bloody cold sleeting morning (stuff it deer dont live next to the fire so lets go!)greeted us so we all piled into the trusty mitsi including hunter N's young doggo.

Got in and started the fairly long walk to a place we all never been to.

Get to a sheltered gully and doggo starts winding.
Hunter N then looks up with his eyes bulging; there is a huge F!$&%^g stag just over there!.

So me and hunter M peer over keep low whilst looking through the tussock.

Sure enough a 8 point stag was spied.

So the stag is peering over and closing unsure as to what we are.

I gave a few fawn calls and he comes charging in from 120y.

Gets to 90y at which point I've got the vangaurd shooting sticks out and hunter N setup with the safety on.

I say to hunter N; when he stops just put one in the shoulder and squeeze the trigger really gently like you've done before.

Waiting waiting waiting... He can't see the stag through the scope.

I see he is on 12 power so I wind it to 4 power.

Then 2 seconds later he says; I'm good.

I reply; slot him.

Then bang! A hornady precision hunter load is on its way.

Hunter M; I can see blood coming from the shoulder that's a good hit.

However knowing full well hunter M had lost a fallow with said rifle a year ago as the stag runs away I give him some 7mm08 to get him down for good from my wee model 7 as I didn't want this one to get away for hunter N.

We get over with doggo leading us.

Sure enough one very very dead 8 pointer.

Hunter N is rapt and stoked would be the understatement of the year.

To see him smack his first deer with the guidance I've passed on as others have done for me was super special.

Hunter N was the MC at my wedding and a lifelong freind so bloody special.

We get the pics, the day isn't too old so I suggest we carry on which is agreed on.

We get to another sheltered gully and doggo is winding hard.

Hunter M isn't really after a deer but just keen to see new country.

So anyway we are all sitting tight and sure enough that feeling of being watched over comes me.

Sure enough 100y or so away a hinds head is present looking at us out of the scrubby shit in the matagouri Gulley.

I tell the others; sit still there's a deer dead ahead watching us and I'd like some extra venison.

So me and hunter N stalk in leap frogging flaxes, spear grass and the like.

I have my trusty model 7 and vangaurd shooting sticks.

I get to a point where we can see her whole body partly to instill identifying the deer as a whole animal to hunter N and partly to get a clean shot.

Sticks up, safety off at 80y and bang! One 160gr TMK is on its way from the muzzle at the eye watering speed of 2385fps haha.

She drops throwing her head up.

Then another deer appears from the same spot.

Then I second guess myself; shit did I slot her?. So I give this deer another one and it rolls over.

I tell the others; so guys I wanted to make sure I got that big hind but I think I may have got 2.

We walk over and not 5m apart a big wap x hind and big yearling are dead.

Righto that answers that!

Hunter M offers to help with the carry.

I gave him the yearling hindquarters and I carry the rest.

We get back to hunter N's stag and he learns how heavy a set of hindquarters, shoulders and the like can be!

We get back to the mitsi with doggo being the most energetic combined between us 3 humans haha.

Gear and deer loaded. Back home for a cold speights to reminisce!