Thread: Kaimai- the sequel

The alarm went, 3am or was it 2am? This was going to be an epic but long day, as I had several cups of coffee to add to the excitement of what would be a good hunt. I arrived at my hunting area around 8am, with the wind howling from the west. Straight away I was into an area I had seen a deer before, and I had soon found the tale tale signs of fresh prints. Quietly step by step I progressed on-wards with the wind in my face. On rounding a small bend in a gully, I came to an immediate stop. A hind 10m away with its head down towards me fed totally oblivious to the danger she was/wasn't in? I raised the rifle, bolt closed gently, cross-hairs on the base of the head, at the same time she raised her head and looked at me. This presented a chest front on shot. Oh the dilemma, do i shoot high for the base of the neck or low for vitals as I had never taken both shots before? Well she decided her fate and leaped like a gazelle and off she went with her friend in tow. A few whistles was not going to stop her in her tracks. Deer 1, idiot 0.

The day was getting on, and even though I had found some nice gullys out of the wind with wallows, it was feeling like it was going to be one of those days. I normally round up my days hunting around 3pm, and the clock had just gone 2pm. I was walking a ridge, (fark did I tell you how windy it was? 30kts at times I reckon), and to my left in my peripheral 15m away was a hind side on. I turned, she hesitated, I aimed for the engine room (a first for me as its always a neck shot) and let rip. Deer then erupted all around me, possible yearling too. She ran, she RAN? Knowing well and truly I had hit her, I went about 15m in the direction I had last seen her. I came to a wall of supplejack and a empty gully below. No blood, no deer? Was I missing something? I tried to listen for any crashing of a struggling animal, but the wind was relentless. I decided to head back and retrace those steps, and as I turned got a surprise to see her dead as a door nail under the only few ferns next to my feet. Woooohoooo! Deer 1, idiot 1, the score was even.

Learnt a few things on that trip, deer don't mind a bit of wind on ridges, it's ok to let an animal go in fear of a bad shot, and trust your gut instinct.



Sorry for the blurred image, phone camera not the best