# Hunting > The Magazine >  Up Side Down

## Tahr

@grandpamac has inspired me to jot down a bit about what he has said about his Kaweka revival and what its like for us "mature" old farts.

     @Nathan F is correct - it really is a mind thing.

Im 73 this year. I have a blood disease that is treated at hospital 12 weekly and arthritis in most joints including in 2 chambers in each knee.  I have had a cataract op in my left eye and have one growing in my right. 2 years ago I had a dodgy tumour removed from inside my neck. I take paracetamol every 4 hours and stronger stuff over the top of that at times.

Every day I do an exercise regime with 4kg bar bells for upper body strength and do more passive exercise like tensioning for my legs. 

I try to get out for a hunt about every week. Mainly rough farm land for deer now and several week long trips a year on steep country culling wallaby. A couple of public land deer trips a year now. I live in central Wellington and drive 40K km a year - my average round trip for a deer is 4 hours.

Last year I shot 59 deer - most go to friends and a soup kitchen. This year so far 5. It seems a lot but nothing is wasted and I just love the challenge of the hunt and bizarrely the carry.
I bone the deer out, waste very little and carry some good loads for hours. I bloody love it.

I'm driven by a fear of not being able to be active or hunt. Also driven by my ego and sense of competition and wanting to do stuff with my lads and friends until my last breath, albeit that I mostly hunt on my own.

In terms of big walks Chris flies me into the Kawekas a couple of times each year. Last year Back Ridge and Otutu. At Otutu I walked over to the Manson/Spien Kop and the Burn. Will be back there in March.

A couple of days ago I shot a stag and was following his blood down a steep scrub face and a bank gave way. I did several cart wheels, my rifle flew out of my hands and my torch was ripped off my head. I had a hell of a pain in my right hand and my first reaction was to feel for my PLB on my belt. I was 45 mins from my truck. Any way, I retrieved my torch and looked at my hand and I had 2 dislocated fingers looking wonky so I grimaced and straightened them and then checked my body. At my age your skin is paper thin so there was plenty of blood on the back of my hands but it was really only scuffs to the gel coat so that was ok. My pack had been ripped right off me and that was probably why I had sore neck. Long story short I got my shit together and headed for the truck (I will go back and try to find the stag some time). Got home at 2.30 am and bed at 3am. Terrible cramp every 30 mins until 6.30 am when I got up and had porridge  :Have A Nice Day:  I had a great sleep that after noon.

Earlier in the hunt I had shot a Fallow so at least I did have some meat to take home (190 yards, 7-08).


My dislocated fingers are sore. My neck hurts. My legs are sore.


Anyway, back to this mind over matter thing. I could now sit at home and sulk for a while and recover. Or call it a day and say I'm too old. Or I could suck it up, take some meds and push on. And that's why tomorrow son Craig and I are off to a rough coastal station for an overnight hunt. Im as excited as a kid.

Never give up.

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## Ackley

Great attitude Bruce
I'm 60 last week so only a boy compared to you but wouldn't like to go for more than a week without shooting something.

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## Frogfeatures

Great attitude.
You get a limited time on this earth, so make the most of it.    :Thumbsup:

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## mikee

> @grandpamac has inspired me to jot down a bit about what he has said about his Kaweka revival and what its like for us "mature" old farts.
> 
>      @Nathan F is correct - it really is a mind thing.
> 
> Im 73 this year. I have a blood disease that is treated at hospital 12 weekly and arthritis in most joints including in 2 chambers in each knee.  I have had a cataract op in my left eye and have one growing in my right. 2 years ago I had a dodgy tumour removed from inside my neck. I take paracetamol every 4 hours and stronger stuff over the top of that at times.
> 
> Every day I do an exercise regime with 4kg bar bells for upper body strength and do more passive exercise like tensioning for my legs. 
> 
> I try to get out for a hunt about every week. Mainly rough farm land for deer now and several week long trips a year on steep country culling wallaby. A couple of public land deer trips a year now. I live in central Wellington and drive 40K km a year - my average round trip for a deer is 4 hours.
> ...


Quite inspirational that post.

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## grandpamac

> @grandpamac has inspired me to jot down a bit about what he has said about his Kaweka revival and what its like for us "mature" old farts.
> 
>      @Nathan F is correct - it really is a mind thing.
> 
> Im 73 this year. I have a blood disease that is treated at hospital 12 weekly and arthritis in most joints including in 2 chambers in each knee.  I have had a cataract op in my left eye and have one growing in my right. 2 years ago I had a dodgy tumour removed from inside my neck. I take paracetamol every 4 hours and stronger stuff over the top of that at times.
> 
> Every day I do an exercise regime with 4kg bar bells for upper body strength and do more passive exercise like tensioning for my legs. 
> 
> I try to get out for a hunt about every week. Mainly rough farm land for deer now and several week long trips a year on steep country culling wallaby. A couple of public land deer trips a year now. I live in central Wellington and drive 40K km a year - my average round trip for a deer is 4 hours.
> ...


Greetings Tahr,
Very inspirational and many thanks. You have a year on me and more challenges as well but still leave me in your dust. Hope to run into you at Chris's hanger one day. Makes my planning look a bit limp but that's how I do things
Regards Grandpamac

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## Tahr

> Greetings Tahr,
> Very inspirational and many thanks. You have a year on me and more challenges as well but still leave me in your dust. Hope to run into you at Chris's hanger one day. Makes my planning look a bit limp but that's how I do things
> Regards Grandpamac


Nothing  limp about what you are planning  @grandpamac. You are humble. Your post inspired me not to let a fall hold me back.

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## Pauli

Excellent stuff @Tahr (not the fall and injuries, all the other stuff)!

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## Micky Duck

you inspire me Mate..... your humble attitude and willingness to give to others are the marks of a real man....Im proud to know you....
that Tilly thinks you are OK too means you must be,she strikes me as a good judge of character.
If I can still be as active as you are at same age I will be a happy man.

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## Tahr

> you inspire me Mate..... your humble attitude and willingness to give to others are the marks of a real man....Im proud to know you....
> that Tilly thinks you are OK too means you must be,she strikes me as a good judge of character.
> If I can still be as active as you are at same age I will be a happy man.


 @Micky Duck Tilly is having an op for a breast lump on Tuesday. 'Bout the size of my thumb nail - has been growing quickly. Vet 95% sure its cancer. May or may not have spread but he said that she is healthy. The dear old thing is 12 next month. Hope that she dies with it rather than of it. She couldn't help me find the deer when I tipped up because she was at the bottom  of the bluffy face where the blood was whining cause she couldn't get up there - hips too sore. Bless her.

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## Micky Duck

Mate...that just sucks....absolutely sucks...we lost "Buttons" with it...we payed the $$$ and got her operated on and it bought her another 18mths...then it came back,vet said she can have one more opening weekend.... the day she went into vets for last time was terrible...she is buried on island and every year I shoot a duck over her without fail.....
sad sad day indeed.
you give Tilly a hug from me please Mate. hopefully she will be happy to keep hunting for some time yet.

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## outdoorlad

Awesome, great attitude is the key, good luck with the hunt. I still get that nervous excitement before a trip, long may it continue.

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## Huk

Never a truer word said Bruce NEVER GIVE UP keep it up,just had a week in the kaimanawa dosnt get any easier but can still do it,in my 75th year long may it last :Have A Nice Day:

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## Tahr

> Never a truer word said Bruce NEVER GIVE UP keep it up,just had a week in the kaimanawa dosnt get any easier but can still do it,in my 75th year long may it last


Wonderful!

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## ANTSMAN

awesome post Bruce- at 50 I need to read this once a week to remind myself to stfu and get going.

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## Ryan

@Tahr Respectfully, how old were you when you dropped your first deer and how many deer have you taken since (and including) then? As an aside your (and the other senior hunters') _kampfgeist_ is laudable.

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## jakewire

I want to say something appropriate but I don't know what, so.. 
It's a tale of  determination I'll remember for awhile Bruce and I gave it a "like", I'd have given it half a dozen if I could have.

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## bunji

@Tahr One of the best things l ever did was get a heated spa ,as l have a number of old injuries & broken bones, plates & screws etc from my days racing motor bikes off road, it enables me to do resistance training all year round & is bloody good exercise using resistance exercises to maintain your core body strenth .Also bloody good to soak in after coming back from a extended time in the hills,we use to dislocate our fingers a lot dirt bike racing ,keeping them "buddy taped"to the next good finger to make sure they are kept immobile & supported ,helps a lot in healing time & once the swelling pain has subsided we would use wet clay & a bucket of sand & use to build grip strength ie squeeze/work  wet clay  with injured hand  & plunge hand into bucket of sand & do the same .These exercises worked to quickly get mobilty back & keep one of those squeezy exercise balls handy to  keep flexibity up any where. Hope you are on the mend soon & give the hound a pat from us. :Thumbsup:

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## Allizdog

Cripes. I'm almost half your age @Tahr and my knees are sore. There's hope yet. Very inspirational post.

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## Nathan F

@Tahr good shit mate. That’s the attitude. Nothing is as good or bad as thinking makes it. I learnt from a weight lifting guru that little diddy “the mind will give up a thousand times before the body “. It’s very apt for the hills also. Keep pushing.

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## Mathias

Great post Bruce. You're a bloody legend and an inspirational figure.
Good luck on your coastal hunt and many many more 

Sent from my SM-A530F using Tapatalk

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## Tahr

> @Tahr Respectfully, how old were you when you dropped your first deer and how many deer have you taken since (and including) then? As an aside your (and the other senior hunters') _kampfgeist_ is laudable.


    @Ryan I shot my first deer with a .22 up the Whanganui river when I was about 15. We were goat shooting. A school mates old man took me. I only ever had a Mum. I was smitten, and got a job at Tisdalls sports shop after school. The manager Jim Newman took me out a couple times and encouraged me.

By the time I was 21 I was married with a child and shepherding and deer were worth money so I started meat hunting in my spare time. That led me to eventually chucking shepherding and doing casual farm work, mustering, shearing  and meat hunting for a couple of years to get some money together. I shot a lot of deer to sell. All foot hunting. Then I got a farm (some will remember the 75% finance scheme for young farmers) with deer on it and got into live capture and more shooting and selling. Sold the farm after 20 years and in my mid 40's and went to uni. Got into a different career and have hunted recreationally pretty seriously ever since. Have shot 20-60 every year for the last 15 or so years. Before that some times a lot more and the odd year just a few. So been hunting for over 50 years and probably averaged 30 a year. Nothing exceptional about that or me. I have lived through a great era.

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## NRT

> @Ryan I shot my first deer with a .22 up the Whanganui river when I was about 15. We were goat shooting. A school mates old man took me. I only ever had a Mum. I was smitten, and got a job at Tisdalls sports shop after school. The manager Jim Newman took me out a couple times and encouraged me.
> 
> By the time I was 21 I was married with a child and shepherding and deer were worth money so I started meat hunting in my spare time. That led me to eventually chucking shepherding and doing casual farm work, mustering, shearing  and meat hunting for a couple of years to get some money together. I shot a lot of deer to sell. All foot hunting. Then I got a farm (some will remember the 75% finance scheme for young farmers) with deer on it and got into live capture and more shooting and selling. Sold the farm after 20 years and in my mid 40's and went to uni. Got into a different career and have hunted recreationally pretty seriously ever since. Have shot 20-60 every year for the last 15 or so years. Before that some times a lot more and the odd year just a few. So been hunting for over 50 years and probably averaged 30 a year. Nothing exceptional about that or me. I have lived through a great era.


U still have the thrill of the kill , some people weaking at your age good to see Luke you have the force 

Sent from my Nokia 7 plus using Tapatalk

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## Rushy

Your tumble and recovery just goes to prove that it is not the size of the dog in the fight but more the size of the fight in the dog that counts.  I have always subscribed to the old adage that what the mind can conceive and your heart can believe, you can achieve. You are living testimony to this Tahr.

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## Tahr

> U still have the thrill of the kill , some people weaking at your age good to see Luke you have the force 
> 
> Sent from my Nokia 7 plus using Tapatalk


  @NRT Yes, some people do lose interest in the taking animals side of it. I haven't. I love all the aspects of the hunt - you know - the guns and ballistic performance (I still fish around inside looking for spent projectile and assessing performance) , the butchering and knives, the gear, gadgets and hand loading, and the physical challenge. My. dog - love hunting with her. Taking pics. Taking my grandchildren with me and sharing my experiences, encouraging  others, and at the end other people get to appreciate beautiful organic meat.

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## Murray N

Well Bruce ,   Your post is a inspiration and a timely reminder to those that think they can no longer do what they could in the past , i would encourage them all to continue as long as possible , they may not be the first to the top of the ridge , but they will get there .

Jim was a top bloke and certainly sowed a seed that has inspired you to spend as much time as possible in our great outdoors , ( did he ever take you to his block down the Ahu Ahu ? )

Keep up the good work and i look forward to reading your posts 

I will turn 72 in 3 weeks and enjoy my hunting as much as ever

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## Moa Hunter

> @Ryan I shot my first deer with a .22 up the Whanganui river when I was about 15. We were goat shooting. A school mates old man took me. I only ever had a Mum. I was smitten, and got a job at Tisdalls sports shop after school. The manager Jim Newman took me out a couple times and encouraged me.
> 
> By the time I was 21 I was married with a child and shepherding and deer were worth money so I started meat hunting in my spare time. That led me to eventually chucking shepherding and doing casual farm work, mustering, shearing  and meat hunting for a couple of years to get some money together. I shot a lot of deer to sell. All foot hunting. Then I got a farm (some will remember the 75% finance scheme for young farmers) with deer on it and got into live capture and more shooting and selling. Sold the farm after 20 years and in my mid 40's and went to uni. Got into a different career and have hunted recreationally pretty seriously ever since. Have shot 20-60 every year for the last 15 or so years. Before that some times a lot more and the odd year just a few. So been hunting for over 50 years and probably averaged 30 a year. Nothing exceptional about that or me. I have lived through a great era.


A life well lived. That was pretty ballsy to have a complete change and go to Uni at fourty. It is hard to plan our lives ahead without the input and example of people who have already lived those years and are willing to share their thoughts and observations.

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## Tahr

> Well Bruce ,   Your post is a inspiration and a timely reminder to those that think they can no longer do what they could in the past , i would encourage them all to continue as long as possible , they may not be the first to the top of the ridge , but they will get there .
> 
> Jim was a top bloke and certainly sowed a seed that has inspired you to spend as much time as possible in our great outdoors , ( did he ever take you to his block down the Ahu Ahu ? )
> 
> Keep up the good work and i look forward to reading your posts 
> 
> I will turn 72 in 3 weeks and enjoy my hunting as much as ever


 @Murray N Jim was a wonderful man to me and a guiding hand. I never went to the Ahu - he took me up the Pari a couple of times and I was gob smacked by the Ruahines. I ended up living at Mangaweka so I got to know the area very well. I hope to have a maybe last trip to the Pari this autumn.

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## chainsaw

Legend.  Have you considered living other side of the Rimutakas? Given how often you are out in the bush you cut the kms in half I’d guess. :Thumbsup:

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## Tahr

> Legend.  Have you considered living other side of the Rimutakas? Given how often you are out in the bush you cut the kms in half I’d guess.


 @chainsaw Yes, would love to. My Great grandfather was the first mayor of Greytown and I farmed in Nth Wairarapa so it feels like home, but my wife is a real city girl and it would be pretty cruel to move her. I have got a hut up Nth Wairarapa now though so that will mean some overnighters and more relaxed travel.

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## hebe

@Tahr you’re an inspiration mate. Regularly putting your body through the wringer and feeding those who need it with the results. I can’t really think of many better ways to use the wild game resource that all of us have at our disposal.

I hope to be half as persistent as you when I hit that age...I’ve got about 45 ish years ahead of me to prepare.

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## Mooseman

Great post Bruce you sure do push yourself to the limits. I also still enjoy all the aspects of the hunt which is what drives us to continue pushing the envelope.
I sure hope Tilly is alright after her op as I know how much she means to you, not just finding your deer but the companionship.
Keep it up love reading your adventures.

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## Micky Duck

I spent morning on chainsaws....oh the joy of hearing a big Stihl sing while hoeing through redwood ....by 14;00 I was poked...completely shattered, unloaded 2 cord of big blocks and headed home with tail between legs for shower and spa..... years back I rooted tendons in both arms...feeling it today....but its good to be alive.

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## Ryan

> @Ryan I shot my first deer with a .22 up the Whanganui river when I was about 15. We were goat shooting. A school mates old man took me. I only ever had a Mum. I was smitten, and got a job at Tisdalls sports shop after school. The manager Jim Newman took me out a couple times and encouraged me.
> 
> By the time I was 21 I was married with a child and shepherding and deer were worth money so I started meat hunting in my spare time. That led me to eventually chucking shepherding and doing casual farm work, mustering, shearing  and meat hunting for a couple of years to get some money together. I shot a lot of deer to sell. All foot hunting. Then I got a farm (some will remember the 75% finance scheme for young farmers) with deer on it and got into live capture and more shooting and selling. Sold the farm after 20 years and in my mid 40's and went to uni. Got into a different career and have hunted recreationally pretty seriously ever since. Have shot 20-60 every year for the last 15 or so years. Before that some times a lot more and the odd year just a few. So been hunting for over 50 years and probably averaged 30 a year. Nothing exceptional about that or me. I have lived through a great era.


You've certainly not led a wasted life.  :Have A Nice Day:  If someone could invent a time machine, where people could experience different eras, that would be *the* biggest thing ever. Got to play the cards we're dealt ultimately and life is indeed what one makes of it.

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## XR500

Young'ns reading this Thar will think you are leading the idylic life for a hunter...but I suggest that to be in the position you are in now, some serious hard work and some privation was involved during your working career. You're doing bloody well :Thumbsup: . 
I'm a decade behind you, but have a mate almost a decade in front of you and he's still hard to keep up with! (I've buggered and fused joints from overdoing things a wee bit now and then :Have A Nice Day:  )
I'm another Jim Neuman fan, ran into him as a 14 year old. He was the President of our local tramping club. He passed on an awful lot of important information to us, always in his quietly spoken manner.  I still have a bic lighter with a piece of bicycle inner tube pulled over it for emergency fire lighting, in my hunting kit!

You're a long time dead. No sense taking a body in perfect working order to the grave :Pacman:

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## rugerman

Well done with sticking at it Tahr. Good luck with Tillys Op, I hope it's good new for the old girl. I bet she didn't know what you were up to with ya spill down the hill. It's not easy pushing a dog back up the hill either with her sore legs . I used to have to lift my old girl up into my van since she had buggered hips. Not so easy when the Hippo was 65kg.

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## Murray N

> @Murray N Jim was a wonderful man to me and a guiding hand. I never went to the Ahu - he took me up the Pari a couple of times and I was gob smacked by the Ruahines. I ended up living at Mangaweka so I got to know the area very well. I hope to have a maybe last trip to the Pari this autumn.


I never hunted the bottom end of the Pari , only the top end , we would camp at tarns and spend our days hunting Mania , Dirty spur , beautiful tussock country of the Whanahuia range

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## 25 /08 IMP

Awesome stuff Bruce, you are a machine and I hope I can still be doing it at your age.
I'm sure you inspire us all, keep it up.

Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

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## Tahr

Sequel.
Craig and I went for our over nighter.
I was stiffer and sorer than I anticipated but the Gods were kind and allowed me to shoot 2 easy deer  :Have A Nice Day: 

We were on a big rough station. Dry. And too many deer. We had been asked to "shoot a few".
No stags around - I expect that they are up on the range in the wetter bush country taking viagra and tuning up for the roar.

We saw about 14 deer. I was watching an old hind and took some pics of her and she eventually wandered onto a disused track and lay down with her fawn beside her. I wanted meat for sausages for a friend and figured that if I shot the fawn (yummy) I could get the hind when she dallied which I thought she would and then have to get up a bank and through scattered tawhine.
So I head shot the fawn (yummy) with the 300saum at 70 yards. The hind lunged up the bank and stopped and I knocked her over too. She fell right next to her fawn - the fawns are getting quite big now.

Boned them out, hung them in a tree, and Craig came back in the morning and collected them for me  :Have A Nice Day:  Good lad.

Meanwhile Craig was on his own adventure and he shot a hind (had no children) at 350 yards with his .284. So we went home with 2.5 deer. Nice.











Craig got a vid of his shot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Mfd...ature=youtu.be

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## Gibo

B.E.A.S.T !! you are  :Wink:

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## Pauli

10/10 for landing :Have A Nice Day:

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## rugerman

Geez man you old fellas are putting us "young" fellas to shame. Well done  :Have A Nice Day:

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## ebf

Just saw this Bruce, you're a hard nut !  :Thumbsup: 

Only 2 questions from my side...

Were you brave enough to wake Mrs @Tahr to show off your injuries ? And did she give you a second beating after the one you managed to give yourself ?

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## Micky Duck

agree 100% fawn is YUMMY.... hard case in that video it looks like she has legs crossed before shot...sure dropped her in her tracks.

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## Tahr

> Just saw this Bruce, you're a hard nut ! 
> 
> Only 2 questions from my side...
> 
> Were you brave enough to wake Mrs @Tahr to show off your injuries ? And did she give you a second beating after the one you managed to give yourself ?


 @ebf I rang C when I got back to the truck to say I would be late and tell her what happened - she rang Craig - he rang me to check. Would you believe that he called me a silly old fool??  :Have A Nice Day:  
Didn't wake her - snuck into bed. I don't have a death wish  :Have A Nice Day:

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## Chur Bay

Nice one. I shot a fawn the other day but when I posted up a pic the Mods deleted it. wtf :Wtfsmilie:

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## Tikka7mm08

> awesome post Bruce- at 50 I need to read this once a week to remind myself to stfu and get going.


+1

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## Brian

We went up there on Sat and found his glasses so everything is ok now.

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## Tahr

> We went up there on Sat and found his glasses so everything is ok now.


It was Brian who found my glasses by the tree I crashed into that arrested my fall. After a brief look for them I was off trying to find the deer I had shot before I fell. Never found it.

Shows how much more patience Brian has than me. The impetuous need a mate like him.

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## Brian

Its not patience just old and slow.

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## bunji

@Tahr hope the hand & the rest of the war wounds are all well on the road to mending now,how did Tilly go with her OP & diagnosis?

That is a fantastic photo Craig took of you glassing over looking the river valley ,worthy of a spot on the wall, in the other photo's of that hunt what is the Skinning style knife on the hinds rump & how do you rate it ? I am like you & live for hunting mainly because it is a excuse to be in the outdoors 
 but also you can be so involved in everything from experimenting & building the rifle to suit your needs  right down to developing the best load /bullet choice etc ,to scope/glass ware used ,footwear & clothing & l harking back to my Shearing ,professional hunting days am obsessed with good  blades & keeping them sharp for the job at hand .This year l am looking at making up lost time for the lock downs etc & will  be replenishing my mat skins so am in the market for a excuse to buy a good Skinner . :Thumbsup:

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## Tahr

> @Tahr hope the hand & the rest of the war wounds are all well on the road to mending now,how did Tilly go with her OP & diagnosis?
> 
> That is a fantastic photo Craig took of you glassing over looking the river valley ,worthy of a spot on the wall, in the other photo's of that hunt what is the Skinning style knife on the hinds rump & how do you rate it ? I am like you & live for hunting mainly because it is a excuse to be in the outdoors 
>  but also you can be so involved in everything from experimenting & building the rifle to suit your needs  right down to developing the best load /bullet choice etc ,to scope/glass ware used ,footwear & clothing & l harking back to my Shearing ,professional hunting days am obsessed with good  blades & keeping them sharp for the job at hand .This year l am looking at making up lost time for the lock downs etc & will  be replenishing my mat skins so am in the market for a excuse to buy a good Skinner .


That knife is a Bark River. The model is Wolf River - they haven't made that model for about 10 years although I understand that a similar run will be done again this year. I will PM you when I find out about the new run. The steel in mine is CPM s35vn. Its an outstanding knife.

My fingers are about half mended and the aches in my body have about half subsided. I will come right.

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## bunji

@Tahr how did Tilly go with her Op? We are looking at getting another dog to keep our Lab company in her final years & take over hunting duties & companion for the wife.I showed her a pic of Tilly ages ago & she fell in love with her & what a character she is with some of the looks she gives in the photo's, so l am under strict orders to make sure l show her any news pics of Tilly you post .

Thanks for the info on the knife ,l do not have a Bark River in the collection so that info will be appreciated,just a thought when l was dirt bike racing after a fall l always found a good deep tissue massage helped,especially  by someone who knew their stuff.I would always just plainly state why l needed a massage & did they have experience dealing with it ( l raced OS as well,so often had to do ring around while travelling & most appreciated being informed of reason & would recommend others more experienced if they were not use to dealing with it  ),it may help the mending/recovery.Give Tilly a pat from us     :Thumbsup:

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## Tahr

> @Tahr how did Tilly go with her Op? We are looking at getting another dog to keep our Lab company in her final years & take over hunting duties & companion for the wife.I showed her a pic of Tilly ages ago & she fell in love with her & what a character she is with some of the looks she gives in the photo's, so l am under strict orders to make sure l show her any news pics of Tilly you post .
> 
> Thanks for the info on the knife ,l do not have a Bark River in the collection so that info will be appreciated,just a thought when l was dirt bike racing after a fall l always found a good deep tissue massage helped,especially  by someone who knew their stuff.I would always just plainly state why l needed a massage & did they have experience dealing with it ( l raced OS as well,so often had to do ring around while travelling & most appreciated being informed of reason & would recommend others more experienced if they were not use to dealing with it  ),it may help the mending/recovery.Give Tilly a pat from us


 @bunji
Tilly is fine. 2 tumours removed from her udder/breast. She has had her recovery period and her stitches are out. She's chomping at the bit to get out of the back yard. In a week I have a few days on the wallaby so she can come and it can be her get fit regime although I will take It gently with her (and me). This weekend will be her first outing - we are going to the range to re-check the zero on the previously checked wallaby guns.  :Have A Nice Day:

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## bunji

@Tahr Great news mate must be a big relief  ,the missus only just asked me if there was any up date yesterday.Give Tilly a pat from us :Thumbsup:

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## nor-west

Can you throw a few through the 22.250 please.

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## bazz61

> @Murray N Jim was a wonderful man to me and a guiding hand. I never went to the Ahu - he took me up the Pari a couple of times and I was gob smacked by the Ruahines. I ended up living at Mangaweka so I got to know the area very well. I hope to have a maybe last trip to the Pari this autumn.


inspirational ..time flys , you mentioned the Pari , did you ever explore the "underground" whilst in that area ..?

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## Tahr

> inspirational ..time flys , you mentioned the Pari , did you ever explore the "underground" whilst in that area ..?


Not sure where exactly you mean. I only hunted the true left and have never actually been in the river. Used to camp where the corrugated iron was. Hunted a lot in the next creek south from the track.

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## viper

@Tahr, thanks for the write up and the  photo's. I am not you age yet but in a few more I hit 60 and I find age a mixed blessing.
I am slower now and after years of sports, motorcycles and martial arts and weights  things like knee's are starting to show some usage...not to mention operations.
Little medical issues start to creep in as well but the funny thing is I still seem to look through a young mans eyes. Not in the vision sense but more a love of life and a positive attitude that hasn't really dimmed.

Hills are a problem for me with a medical condition with them but if I take it slow , stop often and apply myself I get there and I get a massive sense of achievement looking back down and thinking  wow I got to the top .
I read a lot of the reply's and the same words keep popping up. Attitude, inspiration , determination , never give up... all values all Kiwi's should have in any walk of life .

Thanks for the inspiration , if your ears are burning some time it will be me cursing you as I am half way up a big hill saying to myself  " Taher is watching, get your arse up to the top"

Viper

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## Tahr

> @Tahr, thanks for the write up and the  photo's. I am not you age yet but in a few more I hit 60 and I find age a mixed blessing.
> I am slower now and after years of sports, motorcycles and martial arts and weights  things like knee's are starting to show some usage...not to mention operations.
> Little medical issues start to creep in as well but the funny thing is I still seem to look through a young mans eyes. Not in the vision sense but more a love of life and a positive attitude that hasn't really dimmed.
> 
> Hills are a problem for me with a medical condition with them but if I take it slow , stop often and apply myself I get there and I get a massive sense of achievement looking back down and thinking  wow I got to the top .
> I read a lot of the reply's and the same words keep popping up. Attitude, inspiration , determination , never give up... all values all Kiwi's should have in any walk of life .
> 
> Thanks for the inspiration , if your ears are burning some time it will be me cursing you as I am half way up a big hill saying to myself  " Taher is watching, get your arse up to the top"
> 
> Viper


Nice

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## stagslayer 12

> @grandpamac has inspired me to jot down a bit about what he has said about his Kaweka revival and what its like for us "mature" old farts.
> 
>      @Nathan F is correct - it really is a mind thing.
> 
> Im 73 this year. I have a blood disease that is treated at hospital 12 weekly and arthritis in most joints including in 2 chambers in each knee.  I have had a cataract op in my left eye and have one growing in my right. 2 years ago I had a dodgy tumour removed from inside my neck. I take paracetamol every 4 hours and stronger stuff over the top of that at times.
> 
> Every day I do an exercise regime with 4kg bar bells for upper body strength and do more passive exercise like tensioning for my legs. 
> 
> I try to get out for a hunt about every week. Mainly rough farm land for deer now and several week long trips a year on steep country culling wallaby. A couple of public land deer trips a year now. I live in central Wellington and drive 40K km a year - my average round trip for a deer is 4 hours.
> ...


awesome mate! my uncles the same attitude, he comes out red & rusa hunting (steep public land especially the rusa country!) and still shoot a deer or 2 he,s slipped over on the creek, slid down the steep rusa faces a few times causing my heart to stop! :0 but he gets up, bruashes it off & carries on! hes your age has had a heart attack/countless back ops/wrist ops as he only has one arm! one shoulder muscle pinned as it ripped, and it doesn,t seem to slow him much  :Wink:  you guys are something to aspire to as I hate the thought of not being able to climb hills & shoot deer! great attitude - alot of guys I know gave up 10 years ago said they either too old for these steep hills... they were in late 20s/early 30s!!! pussies! ah well more deer for us haha keep it up - enjoy reading your adventures & pics,

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## Tikka7mm08

> awesome post Bruce- at 50 I need to read this once a week to remind myself to stfu and get going.


+1

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## Brian

We went up there on Sat and found his glasses so everything is ok now.

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## Tahr

> We went up there on Sat and found his glasses so everything is ok now.


It was Brian who found my glasses by the tree I crashed into that arrested my fall. After a brief look for them I was off trying to find the deer I had shot before I fell. Never found it.

Shows how much more patience Brian has than me. The impetuous need a mate like him.

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## Brian

Its not patience just old and slow.

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## bunji

@Tahr hope the hand & the rest of the war wounds are all well on the road to mending now,how did Tilly go with her OP & diagnosis?

That is a fantastic photo Craig took of you glassing over looking the river valley ,worthy of a spot on the wall, in the other photo's of that hunt what is the Skinning style knife on the hinds rump & how do you rate it ? I am like you & live for hunting mainly because it is a excuse to be in the outdoors 
 but also you can be so involved in everything from experimenting & building the rifle to suit your needs  right down to developing the best load /bullet choice etc ,to scope/glass ware used ,footwear & clothing & l harking back to my Shearing ,professional hunting days am obsessed with good  blades & keeping them sharp for the job at hand .This year l am looking at making up lost time for the lock downs etc & will  be replenishing my mat skins so am in the market for a excuse to buy a good Skinner . :Thumbsup:

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## Tahr

> @Tahr hope the hand & the rest of the war wounds are all well on the road to mending now,how did Tilly go with her OP & diagnosis?
> 
> That is a fantastic photo Craig took of you glassing over looking the river valley ,worthy of a spot on the wall, in the other photo's of that hunt what is the Skinning style knife on the hinds rump & how do you rate it ? I am like you & live for hunting mainly because it is a excuse to be in the outdoors 
>  but also you can be so involved in everything from experimenting & building the rifle to suit your needs  right down to developing the best load /bullet choice etc ,to scope/glass ware used ,footwear & clothing & l harking back to my Shearing ,professional hunting days am obsessed with good  blades & keeping them sharp for the job at hand .This year l am looking at making up lost time for the lock downs etc & will  be replenishing my mat skins so am in the market for a excuse to buy a good Skinner .


That knife is a Bark River. The model is Wolf River - they haven't made that model for about 10 years although I understand that a similar run will be done again this year. I will PM you when I find out about the new run. The steel in mine is CPM s35vn. Its an outstanding knife.

My fingers are about half mended and the aches in my body have about half subsided. I will come right.

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## bunji

@Tahr how did Tilly go with her Op? We are looking at getting another dog to keep our Lab company in her final years & take over hunting duties & companion for the wife.I showed her a pic of Tilly ages ago & she fell in love with her & what a character she is with some of the looks she gives in the photo's, so l am under strict orders to make sure l show her any news pics of Tilly you post .

Thanks for the info on the knife ,l do not have a Bark River in the collection so that info will be appreciated,just a thought when l was dirt bike racing after a fall l always found a good deep tissue massage helped,especially  by someone who knew their stuff.I would always just plainly state why l needed a massage & did they have experience dealing with it ( l raced OS as well,so often had to do ring around while travelling & most appreciated being informed of reason & would recommend others more experienced if they were not use to dealing with it  ),it may help the mending/recovery.Give Tilly a pat from us     :Thumbsup:

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## Tahr

> @Tahr how did Tilly go with her Op? We are looking at getting another dog to keep our Lab company in her final years & take over hunting duties & companion for the wife.I showed her a pic of Tilly ages ago & she fell in love with her & what a character she is with some of the looks she gives in the photo's, so l am under strict orders to make sure l show her any news pics of Tilly you post .
> 
> Thanks for the info on the knife ,l do not have a Bark River in the collection so that info will be appreciated,just a thought when l was dirt bike racing after a fall l always found a good deep tissue massage helped,especially  by someone who knew their stuff.I would always just plainly state why l needed a massage & did they have experience dealing with it ( l raced OS as well,so often had to do ring around while travelling & most appreciated being informed of reason & would recommend others more experienced if they were not use to dealing with it  ),it may help the mending/recovery.Give Tilly a pat from us


 @bunji
Tilly is fine. 2 tumours removed from her udder/breast. She has had her recovery period and her stitches are out. She's chomping at the bit to get out of the back yard. In a week I have a few days on the wallaby so she can come and it can be her get fit regime although I will take It gently with her (and me). This weekend will be her first outing - we are going to the range to re-check the zero on the previously checked wallaby guns.  :Have A Nice Day:

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## bunji

@Tahr Great news mate must be a big relief  ,the missus only just asked me if there was any up date yesterday.Give Tilly a pat from us :Thumbsup:

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## nor-west

Can you throw a few through the 22.250 please.

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## bazz61

> @Murray N Jim was a wonderful man to me and a guiding hand. I never went to the Ahu - he took me up the Pari a couple of times and I was gob smacked by the Ruahines. I ended up living at Mangaweka so I got to know the area very well. I hope to have a maybe last trip to the Pari this autumn.


inspirational ..time flys , you mentioned the Pari , did you ever explore the "underground" whilst in that area ..?

----------


## Tahr

> inspirational ..time flys , you mentioned the Pari , did you ever explore the "underground" whilst in that area ..?


Not sure where exactly you mean. I only hunted the true left and have never actually been in the river. Used to camp where the corrugated iron was. Hunted a lot in the next creek south from the track.

----------


## viper

@Tahr, thanks for the write up and the  photo's. I am not you age yet but in a few more I hit 60 and I find age a mixed blessing.
I am slower now and after years of sports, motorcycles and martial arts and weights  things like knee's are starting to show some usage...not to mention operations.
Little medical issues start to creep in as well but the funny thing is I still seem to look through a young mans eyes. Not in the vision sense but more a love of life and a positive attitude that hasn't really dimmed.

Hills are a problem for me with a medical condition with them but if I take it slow , stop often and apply myself I get there and I get a massive sense of achievement looking back down and thinking  wow I got to the top .
I read a lot of the reply's and the same words keep popping up. Attitude, inspiration , determination , never give up... all values all Kiwi's should have in any walk of life .

Thanks for the inspiration , if your ears are burning some time it will be me cursing you as I am half way up a big hill saying to myself  " Taher is watching, get your arse up to the top"

Viper

----------


## Tahr

> @Tahr, thanks for the write up and the  photo's. I am not you age yet but in a few more I hit 60 and I find age a mixed blessing.
> I am slower now and after years of sports, motorcycles and martial arts and weights  things like knee's are starting to show some usage...not to mention operations.
> Little medical issues start to creep in as well but the funny thing is I still seem to look through a young mans eyes. Not in the vision sense but more a love of life and a positive attitude that hasn't really dimmed.
> 
> Hills are a problem for me with a medical condition with them but if I take it slow , stop often and apply myself I get there and I get a massive sense of achievement looking back down and thinking  wow I got to the top .
> I read a lot of the reply's and the same words keep popping up. Attitude, inspiration , determination , never give up... all values all Kiwi's should have in any walk of life .
> 
> Thanks for the inspiration , if your ears are burning some time it will be me cursing you as I am half way up a big hill saying to myself  " Taher is watching, get your arse up to the top"
> 
> Viper


Nice

----------


## stagslayer 12

> @grandpamac has inspired me to jot down a bit about what he has said about his Kaweka revival and what its like for us "mature" old farts.
> 
>      @Nathan F is correct - it really is a mind thing.
> 
> Im 73 this year. I have a blood disease that is treated at hospital 12 weekly and arthritis in most joints including in 2 chambers in each knee.  I have had a cataract op in my left eye and have one growing in my right. 2 years ago I had a dodgy tumour removed from inside my neck. I take paracetamol every 4 hours and stronger stuff over the top of that at times.
> 
> Every day I do an exercise regime with 4kg bar bells for upper body strength and do more passive exercise like tensioning for my legs. 
> 
> I try to get out for a hunt about every week. Mainly rough farm land for deer now and several week long trips a year on steep country culling wallaby. A couple of public land deer trips a year now. I live in central Wellington and drive 40K km a year - my average round trip for a deer is 4 hours.
> ...


awesome mate! my uncles the same attitude, he comes out red & rusa hunting (steep public land especially the rusa country!) and still shoot a deer or 2 he,s slipped over on the creek, slid down the steep rusa faces a few times causing my heart to stop! :0 but he gets up, bruashes it off & carries on! hes your age has had a heart attack/countless back ops/wrist ops as he only has one arm! one shoulder muscle pinned as it ripped, and it doesn,t seem to slow him much  :Wink:  you guys are something to aspire to as I hate the thought of not being able to climb hills & shoot deer! great attitude - alot of guys I know gave up 10 years ago said they either too old for these steep hills... they were in late 20s/early 30s!!! pussies! ah well more deer for us haha keep it up - enjoy reading your adventures & pics,

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