Sika SUCCESS

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06-05-2021, 01:45 PM
Mad_Fisho

5 Attachment(s)

Sika SUCCESS

I don't hunt Sika too often, usually one trip per year during the roar for the past 3 years and I've only ever shot a spiker, although I did miss a massive 8pt stag 2 years ago!
But I really enjoy bush stalking them so I'm going to spend more time doing it, rather than chasing reds and fallow all the time!

Last week I headed into the Kaimanawas on a solo mission, they were barely making any noise, so when I stalked in to about 12m on a young 6pt stag on day 2 I decided to take him, he hadn't made a sound and had no idea I was there so I was happy enough with my efforts there! Carried on stalking for the day but only seen hinds.

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This week I went back in with a mate, camping in -2deg, first day and a bit we hunted together but seen nothing and only heard one roar so I wasn't setting my expectations too high for the following day! 3rd day I headed off high on my own and dropped down into the bush from the open tops to have the wind advantage.
One stag let out a single call at about lunch time, he'd only roar once every 30-60mins then shut up again. I roared a few times and he would usually reply once before going quiet again. He made noise often enough that I was able to pinpoint where I thought he might be. I snuck in across to the spur I thought he was on and over the next couple hours I patiently made my way down the spur, coming across a big fresh rut pad and getting onto 6 deer over this period, but none of them being the stag I was after.

Attachment 166879

Once I reached the bottom of the spur I thought he had either given me the slip or was actually over on the other side. Every few minutes I could hear movement off to my right, but I wasn't able to spot any animals. There wasn't a lot of bush light remaining and I was a long way from camp so I started looking for a spot to cross the creek and head back up the ridge to make my way back to camp when I spotted a hind out to my right.... followed by another deer with some antler!
They had no idea I was there. The hind went out of view quickly and I knew the stag was only going to present me with a small window of opportunity to shoot, I lined up the gap in the shrubs where the hind had been and the stag would soon cross and I managed to get this nice 8 on the deck for my days efforts...

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Attachment 166881

Might have really got that Sika bug now I reckon!!
1.5hrs of bush bashing back to camp in the dark, but he got the last laugh with a tine just under my eye!

Attachment 166882
06-05-2021, 01:48 PM
Tahr

Nice.
Ouch. You were lucky with that eye.
06-05-2021, 01:48 PM
chainsaw

that's a real ripper 8 pointer.
06-05-2021, 02:04 PM
XR500

Gotta be a good bush stalker to close the distance on Sika like that. Well done.

Spent 7 days in the Kaimanawas just before ANZAC day. Day 1 they were very few and far between roaring and he hawing. Day 7 both reds and japs were going nuts...all night long, hard to sleep through sort of stuff. Japs pretty much shut up come dawn, whereas the reds kept going till 9am ish.

Just wished we were able to have stayed another 7 days!!
06-05-2021, 02:37 PM
Ted6. 5

Mean as well done
06-05-2021, 03:08 PM
Lucky

Thats a nice Jap , well done , thanks for pics and story
06-05-2021, 03:19 PM
Gibo

Cracker!
06-05-2021, 03:26 PM
jono7

Bloody well done for sticking it out to the end, that's a very nice head. :cool:
06-05-2021, 04:05 PM
piwakawaka

Shithot
06-05-2021, 04:07 PM
Sika Seeker

Nice mate those 8’s don’t come easy. Found this roar pretty bloody quiet on the japs where I was
06-05-2021, 06:01 PM
Huk

A veeeeery good day, both are good:)
06-05-2021, 07:49 PM
Shearer

Lovely head. Well done.
06-05-2021, 07:59 PM
Chur Bay

Nice stag. Bloody lucky with that eye alright.
06-05-2021, 08:28 PM
i41do2

Good work mate top effort
Gotta be happy with that and the battle scar makes for a good story
Thanks for sharing
06-05-2021, 08:50 PM
25 /08 IMP

Bloody nice stag young fella

Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk
06-05-2021, 08:57 PM
Rangidan

Awesome work.
06-05-2021, 09:05 PM
Trout

Nice photos and sika,lucky with the eye.Thats why i didnt wrestle fallow buck.Minus 2 getting cold out there.
06-05-2021, 10:13 PM
Mad_Fisho

Cheers for the comments guys, pretty stoked with him! Definitely lucky the tine didn't get any closer to my eye
07-05-2021, 08:38 AM
tetawa

Think you have Sika hunting sorted, excellent effort.
07-05-2021, 09:21 AM
veitnamcam

Well done thats a nice 8!
Gonna get it scored?
07-05-2021, 10:31 AM
Mad_Fisho

Quote:

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Well done thats a nice 8!
Gonna get it scored?

Thanks mate.
Probably not. To be honest it's really not as big as those photos make it look. Not sure if it just looked bigger with the head on the body or if the photos made it look good. I'm definitely stoked with him but he's not big. In saying that, I haven't seen many sika stag heads in the flesh so maybe he's better than I think
07-05-2021, 11:09 AM
Sideshow

Well done!
But how on earth did you end up trying to shave with him?
Or did it happen as you set him up for the photo? Sort off looks like tape around the top tips.
Looks like you had a blue bird day on it!
Top man:thumbsup:
07-05-2021, 11:16 AM
Mad_Fisho

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sideshow

Well done!
But how on earth did you end up trying to shave with him?
Or did it happen as you set him up for the photo? Sort off looks like tape around the top tips.
Looks like you had a blue bird day on it!
Top man:thumbsup:

Haha nah it was a pretty boring story really, just had the head over my shoulders on the way back to camp and his antlers caught a bit of shrub which ripped them off my shoulder and in the process I got caught with one of the top tines.
Was dirt on the tips, should have cleaned that off before photos but ohh well!
07-05-2021, 12:32 PM
Nathan F

earnt
07-05-2021, 01:30 PM
Mad_Fisho

Quote:

Originally Posted by tetawa

Think you have Sika hunting sorted, excellent effort.

Thanks mate! I actually seem to do better bush stalking Sika than reds.
I think the bush they live in makes a difference, such a great place to be, keeps my head in the game!
07-05-2021, 02:00 PM
Micky Duck

you have manged photos of them...and shot them in same trip...your bush stalking skills must be top notch. well done.
07-05-2021, 05:41 PM
Mad_Fisho

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

you have manged photos of them...and shot them in same trip...your bush stalking skills must be top notch. well done.

Thanks mate! Doesn't get any better than being up close and personal with these animals in their environment, a little bit of luck always helps too!
09-05-2021, 01:19 AM
hotsoup

Awesome work!!
09-05-2021, 01:14 PM
ANTSMAN

primo!
09-05-2021, 01:41 PM
Kudu

Great stuff!
09-05-2021, 03:07 PM
7.62

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad_Fisho

Thanks mate.
Probably not. To be honest it's really not as big as those photos make it look. Not sure if it just looked bigger with the head on the body or if the photos made it look good. I'm definitely stoked with him but he's not big. In saying that, I haven't seen many sika stag heads in the flesh so maybe he's better than I think

That’s a great head. I don’t know if it would crack 170DS but it’s probably not far off.

Just got out of the bush yesterday and the sika were dead quiet, no noise whatsoever. But it was still an enjoyable 3 days, covered quite a few kms and got to explore some new country
09-05-2021, 04:58 PM
Mad_Fisho

2 Attachment(s)

Quote:

Originally Posted by 7.62

That’s a great head. I don’t know if it would crack 170DS but it’s probably not far off.

Just got out of the bush yesterday and the sika were dead quiet, no noise whatsoever. But it was still an enjoyable 3 days, covered quite a few kms and got to explore some new country

Thanks mate, I'm guessing it wouldn't be near the trophy score of 170, but I'm not sure! Couple more photos attached, hopefully showing a better reference for size.

That's a shame! I found them really quiet both of my trips, was a bummer! It's always still an enjoyable time aye, no better place to be.... Sounds like a good trip mate.

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Attachment 167191
09-05-2021, 06:56 PM
Mad_Fisho

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mohawk .308

It’s a nice head either way mate, would look nice as a euro mount.
As a reference this stag went 170
Attachment 167198 Attachment 167198

Yeah the numbers don't mean much to me anyway mate, I'm happy with him! Had someone offer a headskin and shoulder mount for quite a good price, so I'm thinking about that. He's not the usual mounting size but would be a great memory of the hunt!

Cheers for that, he looks like a real cracker mate! Nice tops on him!
10-05-2021, 08:52 PM
Mooseman

Cracker Sika you got there, I know it's not that important to know the score but it gives you a reference to its size. I used the skull length in your photo as 13 inches which from memory is what most Sika stags are and roughly measured the antlers using that scale and I would estimate it to be in the 160 DS score, a very good head whatever way you look at it.
11-05-2021, 12:14 AM
Mad_Fisho

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mooseman

Cracker Sika you got there, I know it's not that important to know the score but it gives you a reference to its size. I used the skull length in your photo as 13 inches which from memory is what most Sika stags are and roughly measured the antlers using that scale and I would estimate it to be in the 160 DS score, a very good head whatever way you look at it.

Thanks for that mate, great to know! None of my stags have made it on the wall yet, but I think I'll make space for this one, regardless of his score! Was a cool hunt to remember.