Thread: I hope its not going to be one of those days

I got my new Tikka 223 1.8 twist with a Z5 scope yesterday and today I headed out for a sight in then a hunt.

I tried 5 different types of ammo, a 50gr 3 55gr's and a 60gr hornady whitetail which is what I settled on as it was under MOA at 100 meters, it just didn't seem to like the lighter stuff.

I started my hunt and it wasn't long before I spotted 2 fellow deer, a quick range with the finder showed them to be just over 300 meters (too far to take a shot at game with a new riffle I still wasn't familar with) and already wishing I had the 7mm Rem Mag.

The wind was favourable for a stalk so off I set but hadn't gone far when the front tops of my thighs started crying out in pain (I was going down hill) not sure if fitness or just different muscles but shit they hurt.

Anyway I stalked up a steep hill then sided around to about where I thought they should be, then I saw the ginger one come down the hill into the gut below me all of about 50 meters away.

I got down low behind the tussocks and waited the wind hard in my face but nothing came so I continued forward ready in anticipation, I got past another tussock and another but still no sign so I started to wonder where have they gone right at that instance I looked up on the opposite face and I could see the ginger one laying down under a thorny bush.

I raised the riffle and could see some off the thorny branches were in the way but didn't want to risk spooking it so decided to take the shot bang, up and off it ran the brown one jumped up and moved behind another bust so I got ready then it bolted bang (bugger another miss).

Both deer gone and after inspecting the whole area nothing .
Ok off for a bush stalk I went to try my luck with that however nothing to be seen there (was this going to be one of those days)

I headed over to the back of the property and hunkered down, I decided to pull out the roaring horn and gave that a go and I got plenty of replies but nothing showing itself.

It was now about 30 mins before dark and I thought I heard something over to my left but didn't take it too seriously when all of a sudden 3 red spikers came running past me flat tact, one of them got such a fright when it saw me it jumped high in the air and bucked like a bronco and although I tried whistling it would not stop and the other 2 headed into thick bush almost straight away so 3 more deer went begging (one of those days).

It didn't take long and it was dark so on with the spotlight and off I went across a paddock of lush grass, I was half way across the paddock when I looked up and there were 2 deer about 150 meters ahead of me.

I up with the riffle and held the light on them, they were in a bit of a dip so only had the heads to aim at so decided to keep walking towards them, I got close enough to see the heads and about 2 inches of their backs when they decided to bolt for it (now that's 7 deer seen for nothing) one of those days .

I turned around and walked with the wind up my bum and decided to follow a track all the way back to my truck, I was approaching a sweed paddock and when I lifted the spotlight there were 2 deer stearing back at me so was this going to be it, the first blood for my new riffle.

The deer were within 100 meters and it had to be free hand so I squeezed off bang! over she went so quickly over to the other one a quick line up and bang over it went as well, yippee! first blood for the riffle even though it did take seeing 9 deer to do it.







Ok it's getting late so after I gutted them out I decide to leave them and pick them up in the morning as I still had several km's to go to get back to the truck, I walk off and get over the next rise and there up ahead is another 4 deer grazing away on sweeds.

I just keep walking towards them with the spotlight on them and they just keep going about their business eating sweeds, I pull out the rangefinder and I'm now 100 meters away so what the hell up with the riffle and bang flop over goes a nice spiker.



I was sure I shot another one as well but couldn't find it amongst the sea of sweeds, I got to work and gutted the spiker before heading back to the truck and off home with a some what mixed bag.

I saw another mob of 5 on my way out but I was now on a mission to get home. It's the most deer I have shot in a hunt so that was a possitive and first blood for the riffle which is also pleasing. All up 18 deer spotted which made for an amazing day full of excitement.