Re: Holiday Hunting keeps on banging

Game hunting and large prey. Deer stalking, hunting with hounds. Boar, pigs etc., large prey, culling, hunting large feral animals.

Re: Holiday Hunting keeps on banging

Post by Flyonline » 15 May 2023, 4:20 pm

Brrr Brrr Brrr

Sleepily I hit the off button on my phone alarm. Although I was already awake, it was that still dozy half asleep awake of 4:30am. First day off for two weeks - hunting time here I come!!!

Grabbing some breakfast, I scanned the local weather and made up a roll for lunch and started the car to warm up although it wasn't super cold and with a high of 17 or so it certainly didn't feel like the middle of May and my usual post vintage break for hunting/jobs/fishing and in the past cutting firewood. Loading the car with the last few things I headed out into the dark, a clear sky and 1/8 moon gave enough light for me to be able to just see without the use of a headtorch when I arrived at my starting point. Todays plan was a bit of everything and nothing. I was probably a little too late to catch the sambar returning from the open farm fringes, but still early enough to catch up with them or find them still in the warmer sheltered spots before the sun hit the west side of the slopes and started to warm them up too much. Anything was the target today, goats, sambar and foxes where the most likely with the odd chance of a fallow or pigs - and I've come close to stepping on a hare once or twice in this neck of the woods as well.

Moving slowly up in the pre-dawn, the bush was silent except for the odd call of a cuckoo in the distance. As I slowly made my way up the side of the steep gully face, the light began to appear and suddenly like a switch was thrown the rest of the birds fired up at once - a kookaburra, a pair of rosellas and an assortment of wrens and tree creepers. My idea was to push up to a pair of splits in the creek that are close together and sit on the dark side and glass the sunny side and wait for a while to try and pick up any target animals making their way into the first warming light of the day. Along the way, I picked up the fresh tracks of a pair of sambar, mum and calf by the looks of it and possibly a third (smaller stag or the usual family 3?). Following them along the steep hillside was difficult, especially as my pants ripped without warning when I took a large step up hill leaving me indecent to the rest of the public and a bit breezy around the nether regions and at risk of a scratching from the prickly coprosma/grass-tree spikes/thistles :unknown:

Reaching my first destination I kept getting the odd waft of fecundity-animally smell, not quite goaty and not quite deery or rooey either. Electing to push on around the finger ridge in front of me, I slowly crept through the coprosma bushes scanning for any movement and colour, and eventually found myself staring at some newish pig diggings.

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I carefully scanned around and even moved up gully a little, before returning to the point where I could watch over the largest area and glass onto the far side as the sun slowly crept down the side of the hill. Grabbing a quick bite to eat and a drink, I waited for 20min or so with nothing coming other than the continuing occasional waft of animal from the side gully to my left. Shouldering my pack and rifle, I moved on up slowly, bumping a few roos on the way and crossing some more fresh deer tracks. Crossing a couple of grassy flats where minor side gullies came in, no more pig sign was seen and reaching another 3 way gully split, I sat down to rest my weary bones and take another sip of water and listen in the still morning air. After 5min or so, I heard a crack above me, then another and another. Pigs?? After a short while I spied some movement, but a family of wallabies pushed along the face of the ridge a hundred meters or so above me. Checking my phone, I could see that the next section of the mini creek was starting to get truly steep and serious. Just above me was a saddle into the next creek and possibly my favourite goat section so again I shouldered the pack and rifle and climbed hard to hit the top of the ridge. I'd made a conscious effort to slow down and stop occasionally as I'm often moving all the time and rarely stop so I found a nice flat spot and had another drink of water and handful of nuts. My back was also starting to feel the effects of the climb, so I lay down and practiced some Alexander technique for 5 or so minutes, which helped straighten me out and get my mind back into the right gear. Looking at my phone again, I realised that I'd never followed the finger ridge below me all the way down into the main gully below, so I dropped over the edge and began to parallel the ridge 50m or so below the highest point, both to pick up anything below and above me. Almost immediately I kicked over some fresh goat sign, droppings and faintly visible in the loose gravel and dust some prints. Casting around, it appeared that they had bedded there at some stage, possibly even that morning as it would likely be the first area to get the sun in the morning. Slowly zigzagging down the steep face, I bumped a family of roos and finally reached the creek bed where I crossed what definitely was fresh goat sign and from what I could see there were headed downhill i.e. likely to be still below me :thumbsup:

200 leg and ankle burning meters later, I hit what has been the most productive section for hunting goats I've ever found. So far I've shot 4 goats with the bow, could I make it a 5th? Rounding a bend in the creek I heard and spied almost simultaneously a pair of billies ahead of me, about 150m away. A few calls rang out - I was on!! The billies moved off, speedily but not panicked and I wondered if my scent had swirled in the eternal battle of katabatic/anabatic winds that the mountains always throw up. Picking up the pace as quietly as possible I followed them checking the wind as I went - uphill....just, so as I contoured out I pushed uphill slightly trying to get above them. Crossing a mini side gully I lost the fresh tracks and everything was quiet. What the hey? No sign, no smell, no sound. Hmm, perhaps they'd turned up the side gully but I'd seen the bigger billy on the far side so I thought it unlikely. Slowly pushing my way through the noisy mix of coprosma, grass tree and mixed box scrub I luckily skirted a family of roos basking in the sun and cut fresh tracks again. Very slowly I followed along when I got a gust of goat smell from below. Casting around a little trying to work out which way to go, I heard a small kid bleat, but the tight gully walls made it echo around making it almost impossible to guess where it had come from. Another waft of goat smell from below and I decided to drop down and push along after them. Moving 20m or so downhill, I saw movement and picked up a mature billy below me about 40m away. On again :thumbsup:

Almost immediately it moved behind a grasstree and into the thicker box saplings so I carefully slid downhill closer and towards him. Another pair of goats moved into view, a very young grey nanny and a young white billy.

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I would have taken the nanny by preference, but she pushed past the young billy and behind some scrub, so I took a stand behind a stringybark, checked the backdrop, chambered a round, lined up just behind the shoulder and squeezed off the shot. The rest of the goats bolted with more appearing below and in the bush behind the two I'd been watching as they always do. Dropping like it was poleaxed, the young billy rolled down very steep hill and vanished into the rear ravine below. Looking at the steep slope below me, I elected to backtrack a little dropping at the same time and made my way over to the site he was standing when I shot him. Looking around I couldn't find any blood or kicked up dirt, surely I hadn't been mistaken? Dropping a little further to get a clear view into the base of the gully below I saw a dried up snake skin against the base of a large tree but no goat. Hmmm. The ground got even steeper here, so I again decided to backtrack and drop down to the gully bottom and see what I could find which was a good decision as I took a spill almost immediately. Making my way down, I finally made out the white shape tangled up in a fallen tree below me. Success!

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Another victim of the 150gr Core-lokt

He couldn't have fallen into a better spot, there was a wide glassy bench 5m away with a couple of flat rocks to use as a table and with the sun at least an hour away from reaching the floor I had no rush.

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Grabbing my sandwhich I hand an early lunch then unloaded the pack to begin the butcher. I ended up leaving the offside shoulder as it was pretty well mush and I found that the bullet had hit the back of the near shoulder and a bullet fragment must have ricocheted up and severed the spine. Loading up I headed off, loaded and tired by happy. A quick walk back to the bush track and I made my way back to the car reaching it stuffed but happy. Got to be happy with a start like that!!
Last edited by Flyonline on 17 May 2023, 9:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Holiday Hunting starts with a bang

Post by bigpete » 15 May 2023, 4:39 pm

Do you carry a bow and a gun ?
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Re: Holiday Hunting starts with a bang

Post by northdude » 15 May 2023, 5:08 pm

cool story I like goat hunting. got a farm here that we go on and has plenty of them
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Re: Holiday Hunting starts with a bang

Post by Wm.Traynor » 15 May 2023, 7:03 pm

Thank you very much for that story and the pics, Flyonline. I was a really good read :D :thumbsup:
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Re: Holiday Hunting starts with a bang

Post by Blr243 » 15 May 2023, 7:29 pm

I only read 2 or 3 per cent of that but i still really liked it.
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Re: Holiday Hunting starts with a bang

Post by Oldbloke » 15 May 2023, 7:41 pm

Well done. Good read. Your onto some good spots.
I'm away for a couple of days my self. :D

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Re: Holiday Hunting starts with a bang

Post by Flyonline » 15 May 2023, 10:15 pm

Thanks all!

Pete

I don't, but a carriage type 2pc would be doable and easy to put together and string up if carrying the rifle in the hand. I shot a trad bow for 6 odd years before picking up the rifle and posted a bit on the Aus Bowhunting forum under the same name.....before it died :(

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enjoy!
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Re: Holiday Hunting starts with a bang

Post by bigpete » 16 May 2023, 1:29 am

Flyonline wrote:Thanks all!

Pete

I don't, but a carriage type 2pc would be doable and easy to put together and string up if carrying the rifle in the hand. I shot a trad bow for 6 odd years before picking up the rifle and posted a bit on the Aus Bowhunting forum under the same name.....before it died :(

OB

enjoy!


Hmmm,I'm not sure I remember you on there,but I started losing interest in that forum once I actually got to know a couple of the more prominent members personally.
I've considered the idea of taking a bow and a gun,but in the end I just choose one or the other. I did make a 2 piece longbow and take down arrows at one stage that probably would have worked well if I'd fine tuned the project.
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Re: Holiday Hunting starts with a bang

Post by Bazz » 16 May 2023, 2:21 pm

Thanks Fly, really enjoyed reading that mate! Well done on the success.
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Re: Holiday Hunting keeps on banging

Post by Flyonline » 17 May 2023, 9:54 pm

After walking my daughter to school, I hit the road to head to an area close to home that I've overlooked a lot for greener pastures further afield. Overlooked for too long, as soon as I hit the bush I found fresh tracks into and out of the farmland bordering the state forrest, a lot of tracks. As I was getting organised, a fellow walking his dogs went by and apologised and hoped he'd not scared off my target animals. Sneaking up along the side of the gully through dogwood patches I glassed the far side into the glades of sun. After a few hundred meters I found a fresh scrape, a couple of preach trees and a wallow in the tail end of a wombat hole. All around it was the fresh mud deposited on branches, grass and dogwood as the stag(s) had passed on. Sitting down on a log or a bite to eat, I felt a gust of wind behind me and in the 10min or so I was sitting the wind switched directions a number of times. As it looked like a good area for a sit and wait in an evening, I elected to back out and grab the game camera and put it up over the scrape rather than bust out the whole arera. After setting up the camera, I decided to head to a new area for a bit of scouting via a quick glass for goats at a spot I can see the opposite face from the road.

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Reaching the glassing point, I grabbed my binos and scanned the far hillside. A white speck caught my eye, but as I slid the glass to it, it disappeared from view. As I tried to find it behind the scrub, a dark shape in clear view suddenly materialised into a black goat. Success! Quickly jumping in the car I headed to the parking point. This gully takes a serious climb in and out, and is seriously steep across as well - with football fields of scree and loose rocks to cross. Loading up, I hoofed it into where I'd spotted the goats and began to glass below me. The wind was good, and I immediately was hit by goat smell. Slowly making my way across the steep slope, I'd elected to stay high as it's much easier to drop down than climb up. Hitting a tight gut, I finally spotted a white goat far below me - dang, I was way too high. The goat was heading downhill still, so I dropped down while trying to get ahead of it. Reaching a point I thought was ahead of it, I scanned around and finally spotted a pair of goats below me, I still needed to drop another 50m or so to get within 70m or so. Slowly sliding/bum shuffling down the steep shingley face, I stood up to get a good view when a second goat I'd not noticed saw movement and became uneasy. Its friend picked up the disquiet and they both moved back into the gut and out of view. I quickly dropped into a shooting position and slid a round into the chamber, but they moved out behind some tree tops without offering a good shot. They weren't completely spooked, so I figured if I gave them 15min, I'd have a good chance of catching up with them again. Movement below caught my eye and I spied a mature billy and another younger goat below me feeding towards a fallen tree. If they turned uphill they'd be 40m or so away, downhill I'd have to reposition. They turned 180 degrees back up the gully but were below a fallen log and not offering a safe shot. Moving into a better position, I took a rest against the tree and when the younger goat stepped up enough to clear the log I took a bead behind the shoulder and fired the shot. Dropping like a stone, i saw legs in the air before it rolled from view. The sound of the shot echoed around the tight gully and the rest of the goats bolted, most downhill with one heading uphill before turning back towards me. As it came into a clear view, I aligned the crosshairs on the front shoulder and again squeezed off a shot. The young nanny bounded a step then suddenly was gone. I slid down the hill but could only see the white goat I'd shot first. Surely I hadn't missed? A bit of back and forth until I saw it hidden below me below a jutting rock. They were down within 10m, so I dragged them together for a photo, then began the butchering not looking forward to the climb out loaded up.

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Filling the pack, I strapped the rifle and a couple of game bags of meat and turned to face my climb.

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200m elevation gain in 500m, loaded with a heavy pack - not fun! Finally reaching the car stuffed but rewarded I was glad to drop the pack. :|
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Re: Re: Holiday Hunting keeps on banging

Post by bigpete » 18 May 2023, 2:42 am

Love it. The hard work begins after the shot hey :)
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Re: Re: Holiday Hunting keeps on banging

Post by Wm.Traynor » 18 May 2023, 8:44 am

Another good story :D :clap:
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Re: Re: Holiday Hunting keeps on banging

Post by CRF » 18 May 2023, 8:57 am

great stuff mate, now you need to try your hand at flintlock muzzleloaders!
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Re: Re: Holiday Hunting keeps on banging

Post by Flyonline » 18 May 2023, 4:40 pm

Thanks guys, always fun!

bigpete wrote:Love it. The hard work begins after the shot hey :)


You know it! A sharp knife helps too :lol: That's why I was so happy the previous goat had fallen where he had - sure beats a steep, dusty, gravelly and wobbly footing I'm usually on.

CRF wrote:great stuff mate, now you need to try your hand at flintlock muzzleloaders!


I've got a trad bow in the cupboard if I feel the need for a serious challenge :thumbsup:
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Re: Re: Holiday Hunting keeps on banging

Post by Flyonline » 23 May 2023, 7:58 pm

The last few days haven't been very exciting, just doing normal stuff like walking my daughter to school which I don't normally get to do. I did head out for a few fishing sessions, but nothing too amazing was happening - the browns aren't fired up enough, probably due to low and clear flows - hopefully the rain later this week will fire them up properly. I did scout a new section of creek I've fished elsewhere that looks like no-one has ever fished it before (though I'm sure they have), no footprints or clear path bulldozed through the rushes, bracken and blackberries. Saw a few nice fish, so nice to have another option, even if it is really thick and scrubby so probably no fly rod action.

Yesterday I headed for a new area to me, hopefully looking for fallow though I was sure that there are sambar present. While there was some good sambar sign, I didn't see anything that would make me think there were fallow around - though I'm sure they have/are/will at some level as it's not too far from where I've seen them in the flesh, I was just hoping this would give me a bit more of an option. Unfortunately I think I dropped my scope cover somewhere on the 3km hike, so looks like I'm up for sewing up another so a good time to upgrade with a few options I've been wanting since V1.0. Almost had a run in with a large red belly black who was sunning itself on the warm north facing tussocky slope. Only saw the back end as it slid down a burrow but I was very surprised as it was probably only just into double figures temp wise.

My wife had been away for a few days so I organised to have an evening off and snuck out for a sit and wait to see if something was going to walk past. As always, sambar and goats were the main target, but if Mr Reynard walked past he was likely to end up with a terminal chest infection. Parking the car, I loaded up and as I did below me in the farm land a couple of quick shots were let off - dam hopping for ducks I reckon! It happened again an hour or so later, so hopefully they were successful. I pushed up a side gully with the aim of getting eyes on the carcass of the billy I'd shot a week ago, hopefully with a fox sniffing around for a feed.

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Slowly edging up the hill to take advantage of an illegal motor bike trail along the top of the ridge, I heard shuffling in the bush over the hill and slowly stalked in, but looked up to see a family of roos looking at me from 30m away. Slowly I turned and edged off to keep them happy and as I did I got a whiff of goat. Hmmm, looking down into the gully I spied a black and white billy between the trees on the opposite face.

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Slowly working my way around to try and get a clear shot I spotted a few more on my side of the gully about 80 odd meters away. There was way to much brush between us to risk a shot, and I wasn't confident of a good backdrop anyway, so I doubled back and slowly followed the mob (all billies as it turned out) as they fed down the gully. Making my way across to get closer and get a better angle, I attempted to get a couple of shots, but was never confident or the goats moved before I could get a good rest etc. Finally a mature billy came into view between some tree trunks and I quickly stepped forward to an angled tree trunk for a good rest and a completely safe backdrop of the opposite face. The billy was just behind some brush, but he stepped forward to grab a mouthful of feed on the edge of the washout in the gully bottom. Aiming for a high shoulder shot, I squeezed off the shot and he dropped immediately and the other 4 or so billies bolted up the far side, but I never got a clear shot as they moved up through the trees. Dropping down to the billy, I dragged him out of the eroded channel and onto the flats above it, both for a better photo and so the carcass didn't pollute the water stream below.

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Grabbing a quick drink of water, I decided to follow up the other billies as they hadn't seem super spooked as they were making in the general direction I wanted to go anyway. Pushing up the hill, I had only gone less than a hundred meters when white was spotted above me - surely not that quick? Yep, there they were. We played tag for another 15min or so,but again I couldn't quite line up a safe shot through the thick scrub and eventually I turned away as they were making in the opposite direction I wanted to go. Pushing on I contoured out across and eventually made it to the spot I'd shot the billy earlier but couldn't find a single piece of evidence it had been there. Nothing, no bones, skin, hoofs...nada. In a week it had completely been eaten or carried off by the foxes, ravens and eagles. I'm thinking next time I will put up a game camera to see what comes as I was sure that something would be left behind. This is in contrast to the billy I shot a few months ago and the pig I shot recently, both were still in carcass form when I went back sometime later - I even put up a trail cam over the pig but only got 1 fox and one brushtail possum visiting. I'm suspecting that it's the cut up carcass that attracts/is easier to cart off, so I might start at least cutting off a leg or two or opening the gut cavity to speed up dispersal of the carcass even if I don't take any meat.

Turning back downhill, I slowly made my way to my eventual spot for a bit of a sit and wait for the last hour and half of daylight. Setting up, I listened to the tittering of the scrub wrens, the creaking of the gang-gangs and the occasional rustle of a tree-creepers in the trees around me. I kept an eye peeled for Sir Fox et al, but nothing bigger than a ant was spotted on the ground, which given the single figure temps wasn't something I was expecting to see.

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Slowly the light faded and the sliver of moon and Venus were the only company I had until I was forced off the hill by the dying light. Making my way out in the last little bit of daylight, I had the head torch on - deer don't walk through the bush with lights on!!!!!!! Reaching the bush track, I unloaded the rifle, and pushed on the km or so back to the car, glad I'd made the effort again :thumbsup:

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Re: Re: Holiday Hunting keeps on banging

Post by Wm.Traynor » 24 May 2023, 9:23 am

I breathed a happy sigh after reading that very good story :D :thumbsup:
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Re: Re: Holiday Hunting keeps on banging

Post by Flyonline » 25 May 2023, 8:30 pm

Wm.Traynor wrote:I breathed a happy sigh after reading that very good story :D :thumbsup:


Thanks ;)

Yesterday I intended to hit the area I shot the sambar hind last year, but there were some road works in the way so I detoured to the top of my intended area and after hitting the bush I contoured through the tops of some gullies hoping to spot or put up some sambar, but the ground was very dry and I was pushing the preverbial uphill with noise, so I ducked back to the darker/wetter gully I started in for a bit of a bo-peep and see if I could find some ambush sites. I've put up a stag here before, but apart from a lone wallaby nothing was sited. It's actually been more mentally draining that physically for me lately, so I packed it in and headed back to goat country. The other day while driving in, I'd somehow fluked glassing up some goats on an area I've only ever seen them once before. Today I aimed to hit that area, then make my way back up into a very tight gully where I'd actually shot my first ever animal - a young nanny with the bow some years ago. The goats had been in residence for a year or so, then vanished pretty much for a few years so I was interested to see them come back again. Loading up lightly, I smashed it up the hill into the area I thought I'd spotted them the other day, but nothing other than a mob of roos was busted. Turning back into the gully proper, I'd forgotten how nice to hunt this gully is - both with bow and now with gun. I can shoot pretty much face to face along almost all of it, and there is enough cover and soft ground to make an approach with the bow. Reaching the top, I dropped down into the gully floor and slowly made my way down towards the car on the very rough and old track. There's a few old mine and quarry workings and along with some illegal firewood gathering means I have to be on my toes as people do come to visit. Just as the sides widened out slightly, I caught a fresh whiff of goat and saw a young billy about 30m ahead of me.

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I could have taken a shot, but decided not to and slowly followed the young lad as he made his way back to the mob of 15 or so. A big old billy was chasing a nanny obviously in heat and I slowly eased my way up the opposite face and around them. One of the nannies must have picked something up as she nervously sniffed a couple of times and moved off with kid in tow. After 5min or so, everything returned to normal and they began to feed up and around some old equipment left behind. Deciding against chasing them up as I didn't have a lot of time I slowly made my way in a loop around them and left them to it in the hope that not spooking them too much would leave them there where they were easy to find another day.

Hoping to pick up a few trout, I hit the local again but without a lot of luck, though I did end up catching one small brown in the middle of town and missing another decent fish while the fish that have probably not seen a person in ages were super spooky and hesitant. Not sure how that works! I threw the bow in the back of the car and stopped off to check out a small area that I've been eyeing off for a while, but haven't made it to yet. It's a lush gully with constant running water, lilly pilly trees, thick dogwood and stands of mature eucalypts. And houses quite close. Although I'm allowed to hunt it, I'd be reluctant to let off a high powered rifle so close to houses so probably bow only for the moment. I found a nice fresh wallow in recent use in the creek bottom and a heap of fresh sign, lots of prints and droppings of all sizes but I didn't bust any deer out of the thick brush which did surprise me a little.

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Good place for a camera - except the only thing within usable distance was a well smashed dogwood. Don't think a big stag would take kindly to a new appendage to his rubbing tree. Pushing on I looped around and came to a nice large semi open area with thick wattle and dogwood on the sunny face, with blackberries and other feed below.

CRASH. 3 sambar took off at a hurry from exactly where you'd expect them, bedded up on the edge of the cover in what little sun there was on a cold day. Zig-zagging around a little, I snooped for sign and shot a few blunts around to check my aim after a year or so of not shooting. Suffice to say after a few looseners I was pleasantly pleased with how well I was shooting. Just got to work up to getting a sambar or fallow with it now :thumbsup:

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That's a 50yr old bow there

Then it was off to pick up the daughter from school and home.
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Re: Re: Holiday Hunting keeps on banging

Post by bigpete » 26 May 2023, 1:54 am

L9oks like you're making the best of your holidays ! What's the details of the bow,looks very similar to an old one dad has
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Re: Re: Holiday Hunting keeps on banging

Post by Wm.Traynor » 26 May 2023, 8:43 am

I'm enjoying your holidays thanks mate :D
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Re: Re: Holiday Hunting keeps on banging

Post by Flyonline » 26 May 2023, 8:20 pm

Wm.Traynor wrote:I'm enjoying your holidays thanks mate :D


Thanks, glad to have them :lol:

bigpete wrote:L9oks like you're making the best of your holidays ! What's the details of the bow,looks very similar to an old one dad has


Yep, I'm not one to sit round watching s**ty midday TV on the couch. That's a 1970 Shakespeare (designed and built by Ernie Root though) Warrior, 58" and 55# @ 28". Has that classic 70's/80's US trad look to it though it's a little louder than I'd like, just can't seem to tame it though I suspect I need to get a new string for it and play with the brace height a little.

Todays mission was a slow stroll through an area I haven't been for a while but holds good numbers of sambar. The winds were good, we had some rain last night and stalking conditions were perfect! Looping around along some old forest roads, the maps weren't quite up with reality and I had to do a bit of bush bashing to get where I wanted at the top of the ridge. Looking at the map and through the trees I noticed a large open area I hadn't picked up on before, so I snuck in and sat on an old tree stump for smoko and a bit of a glass and wait. Some bare earth caught my eye - another scrape? Nup, yet another non-sanctioned mountain bike track. Great, yet another line I have to watch out for - just wish they'd stick with where they're supposed to be. Not too far from here a couple of professional tracks have been put in, right through a couple of very small parcels of hunt-able land surrounded by non hunt-able land. Not sure who signed off on that :thumbsdown:

Back on the side of the ridge I wanted to be, I sidled down towards another marked road that ended up being non-existant, or at least I couldn't find it. I did however find a very large and fresh scrape, though interestingly this one didn't appear to have a preach tree nearby unlike the other one I found not far from here.

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IMG_4841.JPG (545.69 KiB) Viewed 1475 times


Not sure how you're supposed to get through this thick scrub quietly, but it ain't easy or fun!!

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IMG_4840.JPG (493.75 KiB) Viewed 1475 times


The face the scrape was on was the north sunny face, and only a short distance downhill was bathed in sunlight. If I were a cold sambar, that's where I'd be bedded up! Slowly pushing my way down hill, I stopped for some lunch and a bit of a breather before moving on a little. I was glassing as I went but the thick dogwood was making it difficult to see too far ahead. The opposite face was cloaked with young wattles amongst the mature stringybark and box trees making it almost impossible to glass from the opposite face as much as I would prefer to do so. Thinking a quick toot on the sambar call would be a good idea to try and draw any up from below me, or stand any up in close proximity I moved slowly towards the top of a fallen tree 10m away which would give me some good cover and a nice rest.

CRACK - I stepped on an unseen dry twig

CRAAAASH - off to my left about 50m away something large and bulldozery took off in a hurry, followed a heartbeat later by something not quite as large but also very bulldozery maybe 40m below.

Faaark it! All that hard work and I let myself down at the last step! Still, I'll call it half a win, getting into within 40m or so of a couple of bedded sambar takes a bit of doing. Dispirited and with a fair walk ahead of me and time disappearing I ploughed a line through some thick scrub before crossing a heap of fresh droppings and finding another warmish sunny face that I might be able to get opposite for some glassing. The amount of droppings and trails was a huge surprise in the thick timber, though I didn't cut any fresh tracks from the night/morning. I think my best option is to try and work out where they're coming down off the ridges and maybe work back a little and try to ambush them as they come down in the evening for a feed.

Might have to go and find some large open faces in the highlands to spend some time watching them on the hoof, rather than the north end of a south bound animal :(

That's probably it, back to work monday unfortunately. Still, not too shabby, some new areas and re-visiting areas I've not seen for a while and 4 goats down with the freezer now bursting full. Might have to look at investing in something lighter though, my shoulder is a bit wonky carrying a heavier than indicated rifle around all day.

Thanks for reading!

Steve
Flyonline
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