Thread: Roar Mistakes that are still Raw

About five years ago I had a solo "post roar" trip in late April in an eastern Fiordland valley. Just before I started tramping in I spoke to a local who told me some young fellas had heard a few stags roaring the night before. I walked in to my valley, including a few hour after dark, but didn't hear anything. I didn't hunt the next morning, just tramped on as I intended to go further up the tussock valley bottom and base myself closer to the headwaters. About 10am was surprised to hear a roar about 200m into the beech. I dropped my pack, gave a roar, and took a leak on the basis I'd wait for a reply to pin point him. Half way though emptying my bladder there is a crash and here he is standing on the edge of the scrub, and a good head for the area too. Shut off the water works, picked up rifle and away he went before I could get a round chambered.
Lesson learnt, and that was the only roar I heard for the trip. I did get a stag feeding up on the tops, but the head wasn't flash at all.