First samba stalk ... size of a horse but l still cant see

[Geeetrain]

recently got my license have a place in the north east so took a week off work to try my luck at a first hunt for samba
I get so darn close but its so frustrating
I have been honked about 12 times after tracking them .sometime l even get honked before lve even stepped into the bush and loaded my rifle ..twice l have even smelt them stopped looked for 15 mins through my binos ...nothing walk 4 more feet and spooked a large stag not more than 20 feet from me l think it had no idea l was there as it didnt honk

I walk slowly following fresh sign using binos to look through the bush but dispite 12 encounters l have not spot a deer through my binos yet so never get a chance to take a darn shot....any advise or ideas
Will head out again this morning l hunt in very thick bush. l have access to fringe private property but have seen very little sign on it ....and it gets spotlighted lots by the locals (no my thing) all the deer seem to be in thick bush during the day ... so frustrating hee hee but better than being at work

[bigpete]

Lol welcome to hunting sambar

[tracks]

Keep at it mate, if ya get honked, stop sit down keep low and keep quiet and listen, wait at least a hour then start glassing around slowly,, many times a honk means the deer's radar has picked up something unusual (you) and it may settle down if it feels safe, if your new to that fringe area don't go stomping around the tree line, spend a couple of days early morning and late evening well back and out of sight just looking and glassing and see if you can spot movement then you can plan your best point of entry. Thick bush is bloody hard work one step and stop and look might take you hour to cover 10 or so mtrs, keep looking for sign, rubs/pellets, keep the wind in your face,,keep your face and hands covered they stick out like dogs balls to Sambar.
I've been honked many time and have done as above and have had deer walk within a few mtrs of me, bang another one for the pot,, good luck
as that's 50% of hunting Sambar.

[marksman]

good advise from tracks, keep low and don't stand tall, don't look like a human predator
I have found that if you don't panic and move wildly when you get honked sometimes they will stop and have a look at you
if you can its a good time for the shot
when you hear them moving through the bush stay very still, I describe it as like a silent stampede
but when they bolt from you its like a thundering of hooves
there is nothing like it
I like to sit off areas where they travel, I am more successful sitting and waiting

[Oldbloke]

Sounds typical. Good luck. They are hard work.

If you like being frustrated keep going. If you want to eat try rabbits, goats or pigs.

I just sit and ambush on the, rare trip away. Good luck, sounds like your in a top spot.

[Bigjobss]

As others have said welcome to Samber stalking!!

I went on a dozen hunts and had encounters just like you described, saw heaps and spooked them, then my fortune changed and then had a 5 hunt streak of success!

Keep at it, getting close and seeing them is a very good sign, It means you are in the right place and youre stalking skills are up to scratch, it is your spotting skills that need working on

You have mentioned that you hunt farm fringe and the area gets spotlighted, this means the animals will be well aware what a human is and be warier than the average deer.

I look for colour and straight lines, nothing gives away a deer quicker than the straight of its back amongst trees.
Also practice unfocussing your eyes a little so that you are looking between the trees and not at them, we naturally want to look at something so you tend to look at trees, rocks, bushes etc which is no good because thats not what you are looking for, think of the proverb "forest through the trees".

One final tip - take regular breaks to sit and wait, not only do you see and hear things but you get a break from concentrating hard, so many times I have got careless and deer have popped and I wasnt ready. And when you start moving after being still for a while do it slowly and stop after a few steps to look around, I have lost count at the number of deer that have taken off when I started moving again, when a deer is aware of your presence but not your location it will FREEZE like a statue, taking a couple steps can open an angle and then you become visibile to eachother.

Good luck mate.

[Geeetrain]

I got one...at 3pm after a 2hr stalk got a few glimps and got honked ...finally got a shot across a gully...totally stoked and totally addicted now....first hunt...and got one.. had the choice of two...so took the little one as a meat animal....

l was looking for black colours in my binos.... while l should been looking for grey or dark grey and looking for movement .... thanks guys totally pumped... whoo hoo

[Geeetrain]

I got one...at 3pm after a 2hr stalk got a few glimps and got honked ...finally got a shot across a gully...totally stoked and totally addicted now....first hunt...and got one.. had the choice of two...so took the little one as a meat animal....

l was looking for black colours in my binos.... while l should been looking for grey or dark grey and looking for movement .... thanks guys totally pumped... whoo hoo

[Wm.Traynor]

Onya Geeetrain. Very happy for ya mate
Let us know what the taste is like

[Stix]

Good on ya...!!!

Pics mate...show us pics...!!!

[bigpete]

Good job bloke ! Took me about 2 weeks worth of hunting 6 hourva day to drop one !

[marksman]

well done

[Oldbloke]

First trip. WOW. Must be a top spot.

[Bent Arrow]

Well done, pictures make the story better.......