A few photos from my 2013 roar
Given the most serious part of the roar is over for most I'd thought I'd share a few photos from my couple of months following rutting stags and bucks. I'm working on some video footage that will incorporate some of these photos.
It was a funny season and very on and off in the areas I hunt. I did manage a couple of mile-stones, saw a few nice stags with potential that were left for another day and covered a bit of country.
I certainly didn't see the same number of stags or quality of stags I have seen in past years, but then again I didn't hunt as many days as past years either. (Buying and renovating a house during the roar is probably not the most clever idea ;D )
First up was finally catching up with an old friend of 7 years;
http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps2e6108f0.jpg
Then a few stags roared up close on other trips;
http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/z...psac578062.jpg
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Caught up with Bushbash and took him for a few short hunts around Southland over two days. Shot two roaring stags, including this one, which was an exciting and well executed hunt;
http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/z...psb331936d.jpg
Got into some backcountry areas with good deer numbers and saw a very nice old 10, and a young 12 which I left. This 8 pointer seen on the same trip held 2 hinds with yearlings (two can be seen in photo). He roared well and I was surprised the bigger stags in the area didn't come to sort him out. Found wallows everywhere! I will return next year.
http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps75b549d6.jpg
Then a first for me, Sika hunting. Had planned a trip way back last year and soon enough I was on a plane to the north island. Spent 6 days hunting sika with a real good bugger off the forum, cheers Jamie. Roaring was sporadic but gave me a taste of hunting the wily sika deer. Saw a couple of stags, including one who showed his dominance by wallowing and roaring at us within 30 yards. My first sika stag ever seen was a 8 pointer and on that account I shot him and was absolutely wrapt. We shot two sika for the trip, one bush hunting and one that came onto a clearing in the morning, it was wicked.
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And finally, many of you will know I've been after a representative Fallow buck for a few years. I spent a fair bit of time looking for one this year and saw a few that were very respectable. This one was probably the best and he was croaking his head off and holding 4 does in a patch of scrub. We snuck within 100 metres and watched him for a while before letting him wander off after an in heat doe. So I'm still looking for that big fella!
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That was pretty much the last two and a half months wrapped up in a few photos. A mixed season for sure, but enjoyable all the same as hunting is something I love.
The next couple of months will be spent running about in the mountains chasing tahr and chamois and in between the odd winter stag and buck hunt (Starting this Thursday ;D )
Happy hunting fellas.
JoshC :)
