Thread: Pureora forest

Originally Posted by 308

Right - you're more advanced than I gave you credit for

Prints and droppings look for how sharp the edges of the hoof marks are, shit look for how dusty -old- or moist without rainfall - fresh they are
Look for what they are eating leafwise - they will eat up as far as they can stretch
Some people cut down a favoured feed tree or look for a windfall tree after a storm to stake out

Downwind you'll often smell them before seeing them, a musty sort of smell

Do you have access to a trained dog?

Catabatic winds often mean that you're better off going up high in the morning then working your way downhill to your exit point as the day wears on

I find I need to stay alert to spooking them when I have gone across a bush terrace that has several streams that cut across it, when coming up out of that stream bed look before popping up and out
Also level changes like coming up a trail onto a flat piece stop and take a breather then look before jumping up that last bit

Also consider hunting up a stream, not one that is too steep and gorge-y but the stream noise can sometimes cover your noise of progress

Sika I don't try when it's too dry underfoot as walking on cornflakes makes too much noise but I'm not a very good hunter - I've had better luck just after a rainfall keeps the beech leaves on the forest floor a bit quieter


Also keep us posted on progress both good or bad, plenty of local folk will have better specific area advice I'm sure

Best of luck

308

I’m not advanced in the slightest, but I appreciate it nonetheless haha. Thanks for all the info mate, I’ll try to take as much of it that I can into my next hunt. I’ll be sure to put another post up in the next month or so with how I’m getting on. I’m planning to get out as much as I can over the holidays so should have about to report back on. Thanks again