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Hunting this weekend...big problem where pt 2 The hunt and the stag!
People may of read the dilemma of where i was going to go this weekend, just too many choices lol.
Well, after careful thought and some heavy rain couple of days ago i decided i try a brand new spot of me, but a well known spot to the locals.
Ive heard there are deer in the bush, but it looks steep and its a big area so i had a good look at the map and put a plan together.
Didnt start off great, slept in by 30mins but thats ok, quick coffee and off i went .
I arrived and was glad to see no one else was there. Grabbed the trusty 243, decided to take the never fail rifle for this new spot and the Stoney Creek 27l bushline pack.
Without knowing how thick the country was took the smaller of my day packs and headed up the steep hill to see what i can find.
It was clear someone with one dog had been there yesterday but no surprise being a DOC block. The bush had some serous rain couple days before so any sign should be quite fresh.
After a hour i hadnt seen one mark of anything apart from the dog and its owner but had managed to get to flatter country, which even thou it was open native just didnt look great
for a deer.
I had already worked out a plan, and i headed for the creek system which should offer better stalking .
As i got near the creeks started to see some pig sign , but no deer sign. I headed further down the creek and at last saw a couple of day old marks of a hind and a yearling.
I started to have faith i might bump a deer as the country started to look like good deer country but the deer had travelled a fair way down and the further i walked
the further i was heading away from the car.
So i decided to give those deer up and went to my main plan and hunt the steep hill to my left which the sun was now hitting.
Was a big flat area right up the top and i thought that be great for a deer if cant find one on the face.
So i started the very steep climb, sidling along looking for sign. Apart from the odd mark wasnt much sign but had hopes the top would produce.
Very near the top, i got a whiff of a deer. had this great breeze blowing in from my left, perfect when i get to the top to stalk and im sure i can smell one.
Had good view of 60m plus and saw nothing. In seconds i couldnt smell anything again so thought maybe i was dreaming it and carried on.
Few minutes later i recken i can smell a deer again, very faint but coming in on the wind. just as quick it was gone again and still cant see any sign or a animal.
NOW hes a TIP, trust yourself. My nose doesnt let me down when i can smell a deer but instead of going for a look i waved it off and headed to the top only 40 yards up( Mistake right there)
As i got to the terrance , it looked good country for a deer then im sure i see one!
Sure looked like the main body of a big animal about 70m away, as i looked thur the scope i thought no, its a log.
I wasnt sure so i walked a liitle close and abit wider for a better view and with the naked eye it looked 40/60, but looking thur the scope it certainly looked like a log .
Bugger, its not a deer and i carry on. Well, fu k me, i walk about 30 yards and and my bush stalking 6th sence kicks in and i suddenly turn and look back in the
direction of the so called log and a stag is standing there looking at me.
TIP 2 this was amateur stuff...i could smell the whiff of a deer twice in the same direction then saw what looked really like a deer and i waved all the signs off as i didnt trust myself.
I should of made sure that wasnt a log 100pcent as in the end it was a deer and i could smell him quite a distance away with that great breeze and didnt go for a good look.
Anyway, good news the young stag, quite a good size had come to see what was coming up along side him and i very slowly rasied the 243, closing
the bolt at the same time and lined up his neck and BOOM and a 100gr Fed powershok on its way.
Perfect shot, totally pole axed him and hes down!!
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All ends well in the end. Couldnt off been happier. I could of just got to a spot where the odds would have been great to get a deer but its not always about that.
i love hunting new country, and i had no idea where to go in this spot but using my bush experience, looking hard at the maps and looking at the country in real terms on the ground
i thought i did a well planned hunt and got the rewards right where i thought a deer might hang out.
Ok, i was bad not trusting my nose but i was always going to head that direction anyway so i would have been more careful and taking it slow just to rule it out
but the 6th sence in the end you get with hours bush stalking paid off and secured a nice animal
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It was a great day, so i slowly started the boning out
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After filling the pack, which is quite good for a smaller pack (totally recommend if want travel light) i headed off back to the car and found a easy way back to the track
and out.
Back at the 4x4 and theres 4 cars there. A guy with his deer dog that just came back but he did no good.
Anyway, Hot Barrels until next time !!
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