Sunday morning wander take TWO.
well I turned 48 yesterday.....and being the first free day since lockdown is over I set alarm for 04;30 and got the gear ready for a cracking start.... untill alarm went off.got turned off and rolled back over to cuddle into warm wife instead
got out of bed a 9...made cuppa.caught up with mate who picking stuff up from our place then trundled away up road at "gentlemans hours"
arrived at spot .let Meg out for a pee while I laced up boots,talk about a pent up ball of energy (the dog not me)she whinged n whined,I told her to shut up so she barked at me !!!!
oh well its been hard on her couped up at home for months too.
anyway we headed off up hill quietly trying to regain our mojo...got to my now special place and once again I asked the big fella upstairs for guidance....his will be done etc...creasted first wee hillock and deer sign a plenty and fresh!!!! snow all around the hills above this height and frost here but cropped grass with no frost,green jelly beans still warmish and definately NOT frozen .
as always Im glassing the far hills and planning the next few hours walking...got another hundred yards and stopped and had a wee talk to self why would any SANE person walk past fresh deer sign with wind in right direction (for once) and not check it out properly?????I will tell you why,Im only 500 yards from the wagon is why,its now 10;30 in morning....but ok dog we will have a look.
backtracked 100 yards and Meg was rapped to be going backwards we crossed old rickety barbed wire into some of the thickest crappiest,lawyer infested,fern covered windfall crap...absolute heaven to a bush hobbit and his dog...I kept whistling Meg back each time she got more than 10 yards ahead.she patient enough till we got to brow of ridge...then that annoying whine came out,I slowed down more,quiet growl if she whined,pat of reassurance,eyes on stalks,SLOWLY forward (Rumpy will tell you my slowly forward is akin to his run,dont believe him,when Meg this keen its low range fwd)she continued to wind strongly downhill,so I kept going that way,looking carefully everywhere....HELLO HELLO HELLO...whats that I spy with my beady eyes??? I do believe its two hinds,up comes rifle,scope confirms two very live hinds 3/4 away from me looking over shoulders,bolt goes down,post goes onto neck of biggest and poohseventy did the rest.yearling/fawn took off.I reloaded but didnt even try for it aswell.big hind had dropped like sack of spuds.kept dog semi close but very much under control...man she was fair fizzing at bung now...bouncing around and head bobbing trying to suss out where deer was,I followed protocol and walked in right direction letting HER find the deer.....got out knife and took photo on cellphone...let meg have a bit of a chew/plucked half the bum fur,heaps of praize n pats.
cut back wheels off in one bit and boned out all the rest for gentle walk out...thought heard voices as I got out into open and sure enough there is two utes parked in paddock and 4 chaps sitting shooting the breeze and having a cold beer,not 100 yards from where Id been butchering carcass.
said hello and then headed home.
a glorious day to be alive on Gods green earth
