Even being an ardent meat hunter like I am, I'm still pleased every year when the velvet begins to strip and what lays underneath is revealed. And the chance of securing a decent head is revived - even if its just a slim chance for the not so dedicated trophy hunter.
Brian and I have just come back from an over nighter in the Wairarapa and we saw and shot our first stripped stag for the year.
Its hot and dry over there at present and it took us the first evening to suss where the deer were and what they were up to. In our usual go to possy we just saw hinds and they were in the high up thick stuff and moving around a bit but mainly feeding under cover where I guess the shade meant there was a green pick of grass and browse for them.
So we figured that the stags were more likely on the south/south-east faces where the feed would be a little bit fresher. So on the next morning that's where we headed. Its an area that Brian has hunted a lot and knows well so his local knowledge was very helpful.
6.00am saw us on a high ridge over looking a big feed gully and the dogs (Tux & Tilly) told us straight away that deer were close by. Soon after as the light came up we started to spot deer, and all stags. First a stag and spiker and then another spiker and a couple of un-identified others. They were all quite un-settled and seemed to be wanting to head back to cover pronto so we dialled in the 450 yards range to the closest and got ready to take one each (if our shooting would allow it!). I was set up and ready to go and was waiting for Brian to get ready when something disturbed them and they started to troop off. "They are moving off Brian so Im going to fire" I said. "Go to it, I cant read my turret numbers in this light" was Brian's reply (Brian's Sightron has silly 1/8 clicks, very small numbers and a hash mark instead of every second number - not a set up for old eyes).
So I lined up on the spiker who had stopped trotting and let strip. The 162 ELDM made a good "whop" and the way it reacted indicate a hit but I lost sight of it in the recoil. Another spiker ran up to the mature one and they ran for it but no 3rd one appeared so I guessed the spiker was down. The stag was now about 475 yards away and running but he offered a quartering away shot which I took. "Whop", and he changed course and disappeared down hill looking hurt.
Other deer now appeared but we left them in favour of finding whatever I might have shot. There had been 7 deer in the gully.
It took about 45 mins to work our way to where the deer had been and in the hot and still conditions with a lot of deer scent around it was quite confusing for the dogs to find ours if they were indeed down. Fortunately I spotted some brown in the scrub and it turned out to be the second one I shot at. A young and stripped 6 pointer, hit about a foot behind the crease and with a busted off shoulder. He had gone about 20 yards.
Brian left me with the 6 pointer to deal with and went off to find the spiker. Soon I heard Brian shout that he had found it up side down in a creek hit high in the shoulder. His dog had winded him to it. It had pretty much dropped where it was hit and rolled down hill. That it was hit high was not surprising because in the rush I hadn't compensated for the very steep down hill angle. I must get myself a true ballistic range range-finder. On the other hand, the 6 pointer was hit dead centre for elevation, no doubt because of the extra 25 yards or so of range. That 7mmsaum is good medicine.
So I dealt to the 6 pointer and Brian did the the spiker. Brian isn't too much into "techo-stuff" so doesn't carry a camera (except for the one in his old cell 'phone) so there arnt any pics of the spiker.
It was a hell of a climb up out of the gully with full packs which took about an hour or so of very sweaty effort. Once on the top it was a bit more cruisy but we were glad to get back to hut and have a siesta for the afternoon!
That evening we went seperate ways. I had a spiker and 8 pointer walk past me in the scrub at about 150 yards but by the time I decided that I would shoot the spiker they had wandered off. I didn't matter though.
Brian had a good time and shot a nice coated Fallow buck (in the velvet but no trophy). He said that it was 325 yards and had been feeding and walking towards him, and then laid down. It never got up out of its bed after being pounded by a 150 grn Fed Fusion from his 300win mag. So Brian had his second big carry for the day.
The next morning we slept in until 7am, packed up, and drove out.
It was a great little trip and very rewarding with a good mate.
Here's some pics.
The high nob is where I shot from and the pic taken from where the 6 pointer was.
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Stripped
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Tilly thinking "you silly old bastard".
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Brian emerging from where he found the spiker.
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Finally at the top.
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