13th July 2014 02:25 hrs COCKA DOODLE DO COCKA DOODLE DO. FUCK! Is it that time already as my alarm proceeds to wake half of Rural Te Kuiti after 3 hours sleep I pull myself out of bed knowing I have two people depending on me being in Ngongotaha by 05:00 hrs. If I had of been hunting alone I most likely would of pulled the pin and gone back to bed. I hit my stride jug on coffee made sculling it like it’s my 21st yard glass. A quick check I have my pack pre-loaded rifle bolt ammo. My nephew Rikihana is joining me on this hunt having spent Saturday indoors due to the weather boom he was keen to get out there plus he was heading home to Tauranga after the hunt.
03:00 were off man I feel like shit I just want to go back to bed as I make the drive north though Otorohanga then cut through the side streets of Kihikihi to bypass Te awamutu and head on through to Cambridge I keep checking the time to make sure I am on track, Yes time is good after heading east through Tirau then over the Mamakus we see the lights of Rotorua lighting the sky 10 more minutes we are pulling into my mate @big_footS place in a single sasquatch step his gear is in the back and he grabs a seat yeah ha were off hunting. BIG_FOOT tells me head through Rotorua as the road through the north of the lake could be closed due to the high wind and rain that went through over the last couple of days.
We make it to our hunting spot. A quick cup of tea is shared out packs on rifles at the ready let’s do this before I change my mind as my nemesis awaits me I have called it BASTARD HILL a nice long flat warms your legs up ready for the assault of about 400 meter altitude climb over about 2 kilometre’s most of which is in the first kilometre.
Daylight is on our side so no rush to get to the summit we steam up the first part of the hill about 5 minutes up we stop to take our outer layers off to dump some body heat and grab a quick drink, right were off. Work rate up now ankles are burning the climb is going really well feeling fitter then the last time we climbed bastard hill just about to clear the worst of the hill when a moment of clarity comes over me something is missing I start doing the aussie haka and patting down my pockets what’s missing? Finish the haka FUCK my Rifle I left my bloody rifle near the bottom of BASTARD HILL. A quick shout out to BIG_FOOT and my nephew I left my rifle at our last pit stop results in fits of giggles.
Thoughts of panic set in hope I find it yeah I should do as I re assure myself that I will reunite myself with my Howa 1500 in 243 as a half run jog kind of walk back down BASTARD HILL thinking it was just down a bit about 10 minutes later I see the stainless barrel and green houge stock leaning against the bank right where I left it. Now to catch up with the guys to start to run then very quickly decide FUCK THAT! A slow climb almost on all fours as BASTARD HILL saps me of just about all my energy and breath. After a good 20 minutes I catch up with the guys still giggling away like primary school kids. To find out they had a plan of heading back down to ambush me and scare the shit out of me BASTARDS! They thought better of it, thinking they might get some 6mm bullets there way(which they wouldn’t as I identify my targets) the irony of the matter is after picking BIG_FOOT up at his place on the drive to the hunt we talked about forgetting bolts or ammo when going for a hunt, I had proudly stated it had never happened to me, well it kind of has now, at least I managed to get all my gear there I just forgot to pick up my rifle when I walked away.
The rest of the day went well we made the clearings in good time after a breather at the top. Me and my nephew worked one side of the clearing while BIG_FOOT worked the other side, it was a bit noisy going through all the wind fall hoping at any minute to catch a deer nibbling some fresh wind fallen leaves. Today was not our day with very little sign seen most likely the weather has pushed the deer off the tops and deeper into the guts. Me and Rikihana meet up with BIG_FOOT half way down the clearing were he informed us he had infact been tracking a stag through a gut on the otherside. A plan is made to continue down mine and Rikihana’s side and check out any vantage points to some clearings that we know of down further on the side BIG_FOOT was on. No real luck there some good areas found that will help us work different winds in the future. We are sure we will be on the money in spring time. We cross back over to the other side and make tracks for the DOC track one kilometre to the south in true fashion after about 400 meters of slipping down one side and grappling up the other the Garmin 62S informs us we have gained 41 meters to the track after climbing through some horrible shit (Supple Jack) we are back on an old logging track which we knew from our last trip here With @Twoshotkill and is dog Titus when BIG_FOOT makes the call wallaby! To which he quickly asked us are we shooting Wallaby me and my nephew look at each other a quick consensus. FUCK YEAH nothing else to shoot.
Without much time to waste BIG_FOOT slides the bolt closed on his .308 a boom fills the valley as the wallaby is dispatched. Me and Rikihana approach the wallaby WTF it’s a possum with a fat arse. A quick look reveals the back legs are toast no meat for BIG_FOOT. Ok I am fucked let’s get out of here something like 800 meters to the track BIG_FOOT led the way it’s about this time I thought this is where he got his nickname from like a bulldozer it did not matter what was in front it was trampled under his foot the question was asked where the fuck are you taking us? A quick check of the Garmin straight down here shortest route cool were off vertical drop of 10 plus meters done rock and log hopping straight down the gut just when you thinking this guy is mad bam the track is right there.
My turn to lead Rikihana right on my heals he is told to give me some distance as his 14 year old legs have plenty of life in them still after about 7 hours in the bush and if there’s a deer at the next clearing I want first crack at it. The clearing is approached in full ninja mode to no avail no animals there nothing really worth getting excited about in regards to fresh sign. A quick feed and a drink after discussing our options we decide to pull the pin. BIG_FOOT needs to retrieve his thermos he stashed at the top of BASTARD HILL so we think lets pick it up cut into the bush and hunt our way down the ridge to the north of us.
While descending the track looking for a good access point to cut across to the next ridge Rikihana tells us his boots are giving his heals shit and thinks he may have blisters bugger the ridge down we go, the best part of BASTARD HILL is the descent 10 minutes we are down on the flat 5 minutes later we are at the truck. As much as I hate BASTARD HILL I love the hunting on top.
Right in the truck and off I am absolutely poked after only a three hour sleep last night and I have a half hour drive to drop BIG_FOOT off then a three hour trip home via Tauranga to drop my nephew off. Why do I do this to myself?
Simple really I love the bush and I am not going to shoot a deer sitting at home, time off is limited in my job so my wife lets me make the most of it ( she is awesome by the way) with a brief thanks for the hunt BIG_FOOT is home right Tauranga drop off Rikihana quick coffee and a chat with my sister off home Te Kuiti bound ETA 1900hrs what a heck of a day, climbing BASTARD HILL twice was not the plan but still had a great day in the wilderness.
GET YOUR ARSE OUT THERE AND ENJOY THE BUSH. :ninj::ninj:
