3 of us spent 4 days last week chasing wallaby (we shot 242). It took a few days to recover from that but yesterday I trooped off up north for a hunt and especially to hear some roaring stags.
I had shot a stag a few days before the wallaby hunt and he wasn't rutted up which I was surprised by. He was a really odd looking little 11 pointer. Craig and I were stalking down a scrubby ridge towards a stag we had seen when I glanced into the creek and spotted a splash of red. I hauled Craig back (Dad's can do that) and he set up his camera while I found somewhere to shoot from-neither of us could find a decent spot but I at least wasn't shaking as much as the camera man (see the vid). I was using my little 7-08 and the 140 SST did a reasonable job, but I must stop lung shooting them (its a habit from using the .223).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uif3vAMgOLY
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Looking down the creek I shot him in (on my way out with the load).
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So as mentioned last night I was back in the same area, having recovered from the wallaby trip. Tilly was indicating strongly into a gully so we dropped down for a better look and soon 3 stags appeared. All feeding together and playing nicely.
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They were all 8 pointers so I selected the smallest one at 187 yards and lung shot (again) him with the 7-08. There was no sign of a hit but I was confident so I waited 20 mins before I worked my way around to where they disappeared. There was no blood in the immediate area but Tilly wanted to take me across a creek so I followed her and after 100 yard there he was. Quite dead. Good lung shot.
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I took my time boning him out because it was only 6pm, and relaxed while the meat cooled.
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I stayed out until dark and didn't hear any roars, and going by how the stags are behaving it looks like the roar in the Nth Wairarapa is a wee way off yet. Im picking at least a week. About then I will be back.
