Thread: It's that time again... Sambar Rut

The weekend didn't result in a big set of antlers but Beeman caught PD passing one of his camera's on the 28th so it looks like the doggers haven't pinged him which is good. Going around the camera's this weekend didn't come up with a lot of triggers but we did get a big bodied redskin who was looking rather sad after losing his antlers. The afternoon hunt turned into one of those exceptional ones. I decided to look at an area I hadn't been in since Anzac weekend when I shot a nice Sambar Stag so it was about time we checked it out. Walking up the road to where I cut through the pines to the clear cut revealed plenty of sign ….. nice to see.
Along the edge of the pines and open country there was plenty of recent activity of deer so I decided to sit a while and watch as it was still early. Nothing ventured out but I seen a lot of sign on the dirt patches so new the animals were moving out there to feed. I got itchy feet after about 3/4 hour so made my way up to the top corner were you enter the big pines. Just before the top I seen a big hind and fawn take off up to the top, I followed , slowly, as I crested the top I spotted movement and found the two animals standing , looking around. I put the cross hair between the hinds eyes but didn't shoot even though I was keen to try the new 6.5x55 out.
I moved closer as they moved into some gorse, as I came round some rubbish both were looking at me from about 15 yards away.... they just stood there and looked I couldn't believe it. Eventually I moved toward them and they trotted off and picked up a couple more deer as they entered the big pines. I followed and as I broke out into the pines there the four of them stood 50 yards away. Eventually they went on there way honking and carrying on. It would have been a bit of a drag to get an animal out from there so I am glad I didn't pull the trigger.
On I went down the ridge and about 5 minutes later I heard a branch break, I listened for more but heard none so carried on only to have a big Sambar honk at me and take off real fast.
On I went following the ridge which eventually curls around and drops down to the road. I was still in plenty of sign when I spotted a dirt patch below me so dropped down to see if it was a rut pad or pig rooting, it was a rut pad but had no fresh sign in it.
I glanced across the gully and noticed a brown shape so I checked it through the scope and sure enough it was a hind and a fawn standing to it's left. I waited again hoping a stag was close but after 5 minutes the hind became restless and started to move uphill, I decided there and then this would be the first kill with my new 6.5x55 and touched the trigger, she ran a bit hen I heard a crash as she came tumbling down. She was the unlucky one as I was only about 200 yards from the road and mostly down hill. It took me about half an hour to drag her down but I had her there just on dark and 15 minutes before Beeman picked me up. What an epic day seeing and passing up those deer (most of them anyway)