So had a couple of mates nagging me to get out for a tramp/hunt, and despite my protests that it would be a little like the blind leading the blind they persisted and a plan was hatched.
I wanted to get out before the roar kicked off, and thought since I had a couple of blokes along I would use the oppertunity to check out some new hunting grounds as I though stalking would be pretty hard with all of us crunching through the bush.
So up at 4 we piled into the car and headed down to Whirinaki. After a couple hours and some pretty wet feet we stopped for a midway hunt and to check out a good clearing. Good ridgeline and a lovely clearing but very hard to get to with downed trees, suppljack and onga onga thickets that made entire guts unpassable.
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Bit of fresh sign around reasonably low, but time was crucial so didnt want to spend the time getting up high yet, so down we came and on we slogged.
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After a quick pitch of camp and gathering some wood we head out for an evening hunt of the riverflats. Heaps of fresh sign both pig and deer, but nothing was seen and going was slow thanks to the thickets of onga onga, and I didnt stay out as long as I would like givin the mindfield that I did not want to try navigate in the dark. We all got a few good whacks from the onga which packs a hellova punch, so back to camp for a feed and a decent sleep.
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Next morning saw me jumping up and down and hopping back and forth as the boys faffed about getting ready and we were not onto the hunt anywhere near as early as I would have liked. We hunted the river flats again and got the jump on a hind as she moved back towards the hill but couldn't get a shot due to bushes and grass. Put the stalk on but she was moving with intent and as soon as it hit the steep stuff she gave me the slip.
We then picked a spur and started climbing, after a couple of hours a few hundred vertical metres and not much sign apart from one ok stag who again gave me the slip as we tried to move slowly through the crunchy ferns. bit miffed by the lack of sign up there but the view alone was worth the climb.
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Spent the afternoon on the spurs but again very little sign, and after an evening stalk of another good clearing with no more action or sightings we crashed out to hike out the long way the next day and have a good look around.
Bit of a frustrating trip as I feel I had the timing and of the deer all wrong. With the amount of sign about I would have thought we would get onto a few more.
Good weekend all round though, and some bloody nice bush away from the ongaonga infested guts and streambeds.
Need to find a good book on the movments and habits of reds as I was playing a guessing game.
