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Pigs, Fallow deer, back where it all started!
Hi Team.
30 years ago i first started hunting. My landlord dragged me pighunting and after the first hunt when we got a 228lb boar with no rifle and had to grab it after the dogs flew in i was hooked!
Not long after i started hunting with my mate i grew up with, ten years pighunting with a couple of bailers, good times and great memories.(Before trackers and no drive hunting)
Gave up hunting after that for another ten years and took up golf. Mate moved away down south and i maybe went for a pighunt once a year tops.
Recently, my mate moved back in the area and hes still out pighunting with a couple of bailers.
So it looked like maybe its time to do the odd pig hunt again in between deer shooting and i was looking forward to it.
Recently, i went with my mate for a pighunt on a private block he jacked up and it was good to be back walking the hills with a mate i used to do with 30 years ago.
Was a pretty rugged block, but long story short the dogs soon caught a couple of small pigs then the guy we were hunting with his main dog trailed away on a pig.
The pig had a good lead but after 20mins the dog caught it up and had a good bail going.
We started to head there, hoping it stay put until another dog got there.
We got pretty close to the bail, until another dog got there then it broke and ran quite a distance . We ended up getting it in the end and it was a fat as mud 75lber.
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Week later, i went out again to a old haunt where we did alot of hunting back in the day in quite a good DOC block and we took his young newhew whose just getting into hunting.
Nothing has changed, the pigs are still there and after just 15mins from leaving the truck the dogs grabbed a good eater .
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After that success it was a good feeling hunting back with old mates so i thought i go back to where it started and go to the area where i first shot my first deer.
After ten years of golf, i gave that up and bought my mighty 243 and started hunting deer.
At the start, even thought i knew sign etc and had some bush sense with the pig hunting i knew nothing about deer.
First year i just hunted the most hunted DOC block in Nelson for fallow deer.
Didnt do much bush stalking, more checking clearings and waiting to glass one. Manged to shoot 3 in the year before i gave the area up and fallow deer and went to the big native for reds.
So not long ago i went back to the area i havnt been to in at least 8 years and had a look.
Place had changed abit but the bush was the same. Came across some old sign and after about two hours spooked a red that barked all the way up the hill and stuffed that ridge.
Bush was pretty tight in places, was never too easy hunting fallow in this block but there was sign for animals around thou.
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Near mid day i came across fresh Fallow stag shit and tracked the animal to the ridge he was up.
Unforuturely the wind was wrong so i left it and decided i be back to have a look for it and thats when i decided to head out home.
Wasnt too bad a day back where it all started from. Spooked a deer, saw some good sign and i had faith i get one next trip.
Today, i headed back there as we had some rain over night and i thought it be perfect to find a Fallow.
I was surprised to be the first one there, but that made me feel more likely that i get one today.
I headed straight to where i recken that stag was. On the way i saw a number of fresh marks from deer so was good to see some animals are still around in here.
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Ran into this fellow on the way.
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When i got to the ridge in question, i sat down for a drink and a break before i head up and try locate that stag. Was always my dream to get a Fallow stag in the bush but i be happy with any Fallow thou.
After ten mintues im about to head off and i hear noise above me on the ridge.
Suddenly, two fallow deer appear 60 yards away feeding as they heading straight for me and they dont know im there.
Couldnt believe my luck, closed the bolt on the 243 and i see its a hind and a yearling .
The hind didnt look very big and when she moved to the right out of sight i decided i take the younger one. Lined it up and BOOM.
Well, it wasnt good. I hit it but wasnt a good shot, way to far back and off it went. The hind ran at me but i let her go and kept my eyes on the deer ive just hit.
It stopped after a short distance but didnt have a shot then when i moved it was off again.
Saw it a couple minutes later and decided it wasnt hit that good so took a good rest and tried a head shot from only 40 yards as all i could see was the head and neck.
BOOM BOOM two shots later and its still standing there wtf.
Fu k this, i started heading down to finish it off and it bolted again this time going out of sight.
Had a bad feeling i was going to lost it, nothing worst with a wounded animal. Lucky for me 15 mins later found it lying in some ferm, thank f ck for that.
Ended up i discovered on the walk out that the front ring on the scope is loose. Was lucky to hit it at all, lesson learnt, pays to check your gear but as i had only used it once since sighting it in
wasnt really expecting it to be loose and out.
Unforturely hit it far to back and stuffed one back leg on the exit but boned out all the meat i could.
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Still, i was happy as, going back to the place where it all started, hunted a new area, this time proper bush stalking. Saw the sign first trip, made a plan,
headed straight to where i thought i get a deer and i did. A fallow at that. I recken they the hardest to bush stalk due to some of the country and how cunning they are.
Headed out and ran into a dozen people lol, place is as popular as ever.
Todays hunt i turned down a fishing trip, cant do both lol. But on the way home get a txt from that good bastard from the forum Veitnamcam.
""Want couple of fish"" sure i say.
So i bringhome the venison and the fish....Cheers Cam
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