Thread: Winter's day wander

Not having been out in the hills since the roar, the feet were starting to get a bit itchy for a break from the family life routine. The weather for the weekend unfortunately looked pretty unappealing – Windy app suggested rain, high winds and snow – freezing! There was however a reasonable window of fine weather forecast for Sunday, so I figured a day trip was order. No cold night in a tent for me this time.

4am came around a little too fast and a bleary-eyed coffee was a welcome reward. After a couple hours drive north to the central plateau, I was off on foot into a frosty winter’s morning. Still under the cover of darkness, the icy foliage sparkled in the headtorch, giving an almost magical feel. Things felt slightly less magical as I donned the crocs for a river crossing on a -4 degree morning. The pain in the lower legs left me pondering how on earth people tolerate full immersion ice baths.



The block for the day is made up of a mix of small grassy clearings, and reasonably huntable native bush, usually holding good numbers of red deer and a few pigs. As it turned out I was probably a little too early, with every step making a loud crunch in the icy grass. There was however plenty of sign about, and I figured animals would be eager to hit the grass when the warm rays of the sun broke through.








Sure enough at my first vantage point, as the sun crested the hills, a red hind materialised on a nearby slip. Thinking I had more time, it however quickly disappeared back into the safety of cover. Only a few moments later, another animal stepped out into a clear patch around 125m away, and I quickly readied for a shot. The sound of the suppressed 7mm08 broke the morning chorus, yet I was immediately unsettled by the absence of a familiar ‘thump’ of projectile connecting with target. A half hour of searching later and there was no sight nor sign of a hit, and I was left kicking myself for what would have been an easy recovery. I pushed on while pondering all the possible causes for what would usually be meat in the bag.

Anyway, such is hunting sometimes, and with most of the day ahead of me, I opted to try my hand at some bush stalking. A few hours later after clambering around some unproductive terrain, I bumped a couple of animals in tight cover. Unfortunately all I got was a glimpse of fur making tracks at full speed, followed by a couple of barks for good measure. No luck this time. As the afternoon wore on, I spent an hour or so glassing across another valley, with the only sign of life being the numerous wood pigeons coasting from tree to tree.



As I started to turn towards home I returned to where I had missed the deer earlier in the day. Another hour of watching, albeit with slowly fading hope, and it was time to call it a day. I knew however that the return journey also took me past a few clearings where I’d seen deer in the past. Sure enough, quietly stalking down a section of clay and gently pushing through some flax, revealed an animal standing broadside, around 40m away. At first both neck and head were concealed, giving me pause for a proper identification. Shortly the red hind turned to move, giving just enough time for the 162gn ELD-M to find it’s mark, dropping it instantly. Success!



A quick butchery job, and I was on my way, conveniently with an easy walk back to the car. Not five minutes further and I passed another deer in the middle of a clearing; it was quick to make an exit as I half-heartedly chambered a round. It was nearly dark and I was already dreaming of a hot meal at National Park, so one was enough for today. As I wearily ambled back to the car, I reflected on the wonderful resource we have here in public land hunting, the beauty of winter, and that sometimes you get to enjoy it all by yourself.