venison before breakfast, paua by dinner
Got up early, picked up Kev and headed to his mates place Chris for a poke around.
There was deer moving between a pine forest, across a few paddocks picking at the Swedes on the way thru and then settling in some very thick native bush. usually around dawn.
With the frezzer empty, the plan was to intercept and hopefully pick up a feed.
We got there early and scanned around. I had my binos and found them to be a great help.
As we were moving down the ridge the mob pushed out of the pines, as if it were choreographed.
I scanned for a while and saw they were all hinds and last year’s fauns. but unfortunately they were heading across us and away up the hill across from us.
It was a choice of either a 3-400 meter plus shot or make another plan.
Hoping to pick up one we saw moving into the valley below with 2 smaller deer in tow, we moved down into the valley. unfortunatly, they had given us the slip and doubled back to catch up with the rest of the mob.
Bugger. :-[
We now had to climb the hill we just descended.......
Wasn’t too bad, poor kev the flatlander was suffering and huffing and puffing as much as I was. So I pretended it was an easy climb and let kev get the ribbing from Chris for his choice in footwear, red band gum boots ;D ;D ;D
Just as we made the top of the hill, the 3 deer we tried to pick up earlier were cresting the hill as well! about 4 or 500 meters across from us.
They had spotted us and were unsure what to do, so in a vain attempt to recover from the climb, I watched them with the binos for a while and caught my breath.
They decided to double back and head for the pines where they had come from, following the same path that put them out of sight from us.
I said to Kev we better get our arse back down that hill!!!
So I off. almost at a run I got down the hill as quick as I could and ran up a little knob that would give a perfect position as they came around the corner and headed to cover.
I looked back up and could see the look on kevs face, he was not happy about the descent, and inevitable assent back to Chris.
As it turned out we beat them to the pines and had set up (recovered) just in time to see them pop over the ridge about 40 meters away.
2 quick shots and we had a deer each.
We gutted and loaded them up to hang in Kev’s meat safe for a couple days.
After lunch the plan was to head to the coast to try paua fishing/hunting/stalking/collecting whatever you call it.
Having never done it, I asked around and everyone was quite adamant that "you couldn’t miss"
With that extent of 'how to' :o we bundle up the wives and kiddies and head to the coast.
After some stalking we started to see them hiding around the rocks but alas they were all too small. (must be minimum 125mm)
I was not keen on being the next TV star on "border security NZ" :D
I had packed a pair of the kids swimming goggles into my pocket for if I got desperate.
Murphy’s law came into play as I saw one that HAD to be to size! unfortunately it was in about 4 feet of water.
Kev ‘The Great Southern Man’ wouldn’t come in with me. So off came the 3 layers of clothes and on went the goggles.
By the time I had psyched myself up enough (got my aggots wet) I couldn’t see the bugger anymore. amazing how quick they actually are!
I ducked down and found him, plucked him off the rock and................ 124.8 mm OOOHHHHHHHH COME ON!!!!
I ducked down again, and then saw another. Hang on that one looks bigger! off the rock and I checked, Greg FTW!!!!!!!
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2...trips/paua.jpg
PAUA.
had a look a little further over in the next deep section and it was paua for Africa! there were at least 6 or 7 that would have easily gone to size in that one little patch.
I got 2 more and called it a day. Possibly could have been a little easier with wetty and a proper pair of goggles/mask.
home for a bbq and tried paua sliced in butter, very VERY nice. I thought 3 would be heaps but they were devoured in seconds. Seems it has a kid friendly flavour. ::)
Cheers
Greg
