Hey fellow hunters went back to New Zealand for a couple weeks this April was a nice Break from the Smog and Traffic here in SoCal.
Managed 1 hole night at my parents then myself and Dad snuck away to the bush for 4 Nights, Not to uncomfortable was staying in a cute little hut at the back of my cousins farm he manages.
The first morning the cuz and I hit the tracks and started bashing through the bush, roaring every now and then into certain valley, catchments, to my surprise only after an hour we got a reply, (Love that sound!!) we played cat and mouse closing the gap but the wind changed just at the last minute, Bugger! sounded like a good stag, we carried on for the rest of the day bumping 2 hinds and playing around with a silly spiker and hearing a couple of pigs spook in front of us was so nice to be back in the bush!
The next day I awoke to some torrential rain, being that it had not rained for three months prior to me getting there was a bit of bad luck but hey a day in the hut drinking tea and reading hunting mags was just what the soul needed.
Around 2oclock I had about enough looking at all those successful hunters and hit the track again in the rain, by track i mean game trails and virgin bush, the way it should be! was heading out to a creek a couple of miles back from the bush edge roaring every now and then, finding a couple of Wallows and fresh tracks i new I was close, Gaining some elevation I sat and started roaring every 5 mins, I got a faint moan across the creek on the other Ridge, I tried getting the boy worked up and coming over to my side but he didnt want to know about it!, so time for some ninja skills back down the hill and up the other ridge slowly sneaking into his home, step buy step buy step I could smell the stag he was close then crash, the stag was right beside me, I let out a quick roar he stopped, I flung around not being able to see his head just his back end and a little hole behind the front shoulders I sent a little lead pill his way,
The shot felt good and it sounded like he hadn't run far i sat down for 10 and had a muesli bar, now it was raining pretty hard again and I was soaked through, i went over to where i shot him and hmm no blood a made a couple of circles and found some, time for some tracking, just managing to find a bit here and there and being now it was pouring down i was a bit concerned, bit by bit a got closer and closer and there he was, gone roughly 50 yards. Nice looking young stag in great condition, I usually would leave deer like this to grow bigger but man I had to get 1 on the board it had been a couple of Roars now, and my parents freezer was low on top grade Free Range venison.
A slow wet trip back to the hut with heavy pack my dad had a beer waiting for me, It tastes best when you have earned it!
After that day it didnt stop raining for the rest of my trip so I was happy just laxing out sneaking out for a fish and catching up with friends.
Till next Year..
Managed 1 hole night at my parents then myself and Dad snuck away to the bush for 4 Nights, Not to uncomfortable was staying in a cute little hut at the back of my cousins farm he manages.
The first morning the cuz and I hit the tracks and started bashing through the bush, roaring every now and then into certain valley, catchments, to my surprise only after an hour we got a reply, (Love that sound!!) we played cat and mouse closing the gap but the wind changed just at the last minute, Bugger! sounded like a good stag, we carried on for the rest of the day bumping 2 hinds and playing around with a silly spiker and hearing a couple of pigs spook in front of us was so nice to be back in the bush!
The next day I awoke to some torrential rain, being that it had not rained for three months prior to me getting there was a bit of bad luck but hey a day in the hut drinking tea and reading hunting mags was just what the soul needed.
Around 2oclock I had about enough looking at all those successful hunters and hit the track again in the rain, by track i mean game trails and virgin bush, the way it should be! was heading out to a creek a couple of miles back from the bush edge roaring every now and then, finding a couple of Wallows and fresh tracks i new I was close, Gaining some elevation I sat and started roaring every 5 mins, I got a faint moan across the creek on the other Ridge, I tried getting the boy worked up and coming over to my side but he didnt want to know about it!, so time for some ninja skills back down the hill and up the other ridge slowly sneaking into his home, step buy step buy step I could smell the stag he was close then crash, the stag was right beside me, I let out a quick roar he stopped, I flung around not being able to see his head just his back end and a little hole behind the front shoulders I sent a little lead pill his way,
The shot felt good and it sounded like he hadn't run far i sat down for 10 and had a muesli bar, now it was raining pretty hard again and I was soaked through, i went over to where i shot him and hmm no blood a made a couple of circles and found some, time for some tracking, just managing to find a bit here and there and being now it was pouring down i was a bit concerned, bit by bit a got closer and closer and there he was, gone roughly 50 yards. Nice looking young stag in great condition, I usually would leave deer like this to grow bigger but man I had to get 1 on the board it had been a couple of Roars now, and my parents freezer was low on top grade Free Range venison.
A slow wet trip back to the hut with heavy pack my dad had a beer waiting for me, It tastes best when you have earned it!
After that day it didnt stop raining for the rest of my trip so I was happy just laxing out sneaking out for a fish and catching up with friends.
Till next Year..
