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So had 4 days hunting recently. Very cold. Covered alot of kms trying to find where the deer were parked up. Hunted north facing ridges where the sun hit first in the morning, all I found were goats. Tried the sunward side of ridges in the afternoon at various heights found even more goats. Walked 4hrs to a different area and still found goats. Alot of fresh deer sign around but no deer!! What can I try next time?
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Change areas. Theres obviously more goats than deer.
Try hunting down low ,terraces above the creeks or rivers & the flatter terrain.Deer often move down in colder wet weather,also maybe better feed & more sheltered.Although food is not a priority this time of year .
locally I find the reds are around 600-800m asl in the winter.
that said they generally won't be in the bottom of gullys creeks where the coldest air sits even if at that level.
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Ah so that was the issue on Saturday..................not sure I could climb much further as the oxygen was disappearing too quick :DQuote:
Originally Posted by veitnamcam
ah bull:D
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Sounds like you need to kill some goats
kill the fucking goats the deer will love you for it.
Kill....or Hump?Quote:
Originally Posted by Toby
We're talking goats here not sheepQuote:
Originally Posted by Pengy
hey man what ever floats your boat :thumbsup:
Necshot and nelpop speak wisdom. Could be just big goat sign if you haven't seen any actual deer. Some of the best places for deer are wheerre there used to be lots of goats but they've been shot out 5-10 years ago and now deer numbers have built up. Let us know where the place is and we'll come and help you.
Anyway, finding deer there, now:
1) needs luck
2) basics: dawn and dusk for deer. goats are more midday and afternoon. If you haven't tied it yet, camping out overnight in the hunting area can give you a good evening and morning hunt.
3) if open country, take binos in case any brown goat is a deer.
4) Deer don't mind cold and damp as much as goats so look in some gullies and perhaps on the un sunny side a bit. deer like it lush. goats like it dry.
5) Cover a small amount of country slowly
^^^^^^^^^^^this^_^^^^^^^^^^^^^Quote:
Originally Posted by Bagheera
Is how to hunt deer in a nutshell
very well put mate.
bloody shit phone
(6) Wear ninja boots (socks and insulation tape):ORLY:Quote:
Originally Posted by Bagheera
Just like to point out if bush stalking number two isnt a big factor. Most of all the deer i see are around 11am -2pm in the bush if stalking, different if you clearing hunting or more open country otherwise mid day is veryy good.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bagheera
Point 5 cover a small amount of country slowly is spot on but only when you come across fresh sign. If no sign dont waste your time stalking like a snail, move quietly, and be watchful but move at a reasonable pace to cover more ground until you come across fresh sign then slow right down.
+1Quote:
Originally Posted by deer243
Looks like my first hunt will be in the Kawekas in September chasing Sika. Good way to start :). Have done some reading but nothing like first hand experience. Sika still gotta eat in winter right. In your guys experience what will they be feeding on? Will give me and idea what to look for when out there. Cheers.
Sure, dawn and dusk aren't absolute. To tell the truth I seldom get out at dawn - too cold and yukky feeling getting up before all beauty sleep is completed. I've shot more deer in the "middle of the day" too. But remember that there are many more hours in the middle than at the ends. It's also difficult to make good use of dawn and evening because if you're like me you're barrelling back down the track to the hut in the last half hour of light or else struggling not quite reached the best hunting spot when it's light enough to shoot. Thus the suggestion to camp out.
It's also good advice to move steadily through the bush till you find a spot "with lots of sign" so its good if you've done the yards reconnoitering and know what is good and what is average. Try a swing through some other areas like the shady faces from time to time too. I always seem to find heaps of sign but it's a month old and the deer are now in another valley or different habitat this month.
If you like reading, the definitive books for deer hunting in NZ are by Roger Lentle and Frank Saxton. Red Deer in New Zealand (1991) covers their biology and hunting techniques. Stalking the Seaons Round (1993) has chapters for each deer species x 12 months of the year. These came out just before the internet and I haven't heard of them online or in ebook so there's a challenge to get hold of a copy ...
Gutshot shoots a lot of deer........ so don't help him too much!