# Hunting > The Magazine >  Double first

## phillipgr

The mid-semester "study break" at uni had me heading for the hills literally. The Kaimanawas were where I was headed. Monday morning I was at the carpark bright and early and I was at the hut by 9am. After a quick feed I was off on a stalk. I was coming across some fresh sign and the wind was right so I was thinking I might spot one any time soon but it wasn't to be. Back to the hut and met up with Haggie who had walked in the day before. The next day I hike a wee ways further afield but I had a tough time getting the wind in my favour and I got into some ravine country which was giving me a bit of grief. Not such a productive day but ah well, back to the hut and Haggie had the fire going already so all was well. 

The third day brought about some new luck. A fresh frost on the flats boded well and I was off to check out a ridge that another guy on here had put me onto (I owe you one bro  :Beer: ). The wind wasn't favourable so I planned to cut in then come up onto the ridge on the other side and stalk down it. As it went the wind had shifted by then and I popped up onto the ridge at about the midway point with a steady cross wind blowing. I deliberated for awhile as to whether I go left or right as the wind was pretty much the same either way. After a quick snack I decided to head the way that lead away from the track so at least if the wind changed or something, I'd have a few more options and the hunt wouldn't be buggered. So I head off stalking up a very open ridge with some not bad sign on it too. The upwind side of the ridge had some nice open bush just off it so I kept looking down those ways but I didn't see anything. I got to the point where I was going to cut around then stalk back towards the track with the same crosswind. It was about midday and I sat down for awhile overlooking some open bush hoping to see something move or walk into my firing zone. After about 30mins I was at the point in the trip where you really start to think "where are the beggars?!" So I got up and sidled around into the wind. Not more than 50m from where I had sat down I spotted a white rump, then saw the rest of its body  :Yuush:  I dropped on my knee in front of a fallen tree for a place to hide that doubled as a rest for my shot. Lined it up and let rip!! The young spiker dropped and I gave him another on the ground - I wasn't taking my chances on this guy!! So here he is, my first Sika and my first DOC-land deer



I'm so stoked, I'm still pinching myself writing this now! It's been a long time to bag a deer on Doc land. Big thanks to everyone on here who has given me pointers. Being the only one in my family who hunts and not know many other people who hunt, the forum has helped me a hell of lot to getting into deerstalking. Here's to all you guys and to many more deer hitting the deck  :Beer:   :Thumbsup:

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## BRADS

Well done :Have A Nice Day:

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## Gibo

Yeeerrhaaawwww!!!!! Nice on bro you deserve it!!!! 


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## Toby

Good stuff Phillip

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## Maca49

Great day for you Phil just reward for the hard work

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## Rushy

Well done Phillip.  Hard earned and well deserved.  See the sweat equity pays off.

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## Gapped axe

that first one is always special.

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## veitnamcam

Bloody awesome Phil well done. :Beer:  :Beer:  :Beer:  :Beer:  :Beer:  :Beer:  :Beer: 
Have a few on me .

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## falconhell

good shit the first one is always the hardest. :Thumbsup:

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## craigc

well done. They keep getting easier form here.

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## ishoot10s

Good work Phil, the Sika are canny and any one is a worthy opponent. Well done! :Have A Nice Day:

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## Nick.m

Awesome Phil, you've done the miles now reap the rewards!  :Thumbsup:

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## Dougie

woooooooooooooooo Blondini, awesome stuff!!!  :Thumbsup:

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## veitnamcam

Blondini lol

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## Haggie

Congrats again mate, you know you have to post the selfie though  :ORLY:

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## phillipgr

> Congrats again mate, you know you have to post the selfie though


Hahahaha maaaaaate ya called me out now I have to haha

I fiddled around for awhile trying to get the self-timer working on the camera, I couldn't work it out, so I tried to just hold the camera and take a photo - here it is, a bit of a laugh haha

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## Brenick

Big thumbs up. First of many I'm sure.

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## Luke.S

Bloody awesome man, you deserve that!  :Grin:

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## veitnamcam

> Bloody awesome man, you deserve that!


+1 on that.

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## phillipgr

Cheers guys, I'm looking forward to those backsteaks  :Yaeh Am Not Durnk:

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## veitnamcam

Carry the whole thing out?

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## Chris

Good shit ,you bloody earned that animal .So happy for ya .

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## camo wsm

Good on ya mate glad to see you got one this time  :Thumbsup:  makes all the effort worth it ae

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## kimjon

Well done buddy, you'll be fending the deer off with your bayonet from now on after getting that monkey off your back.

kj

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## Munsey

Well done and well deserved . I've got a felling you will have this forum plastered with photos of    Dead deer from noes on

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## gadgetman

Good work that man.  :Thumbsup:

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## Rusky

Congrats!  How many moons did you have to wait to get one on DoC land?

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## phillipgr

> Carry the whole thing out?
> 
> Sent from my GT-S5360T using Tapatalk 2


Nah. Carried the whole thing back to the hut which was over an hour's walk, then broke it down there. The hut has a meat safe.

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## phillipgr

> Congrats!  How many moons did you have to wait to get one on DoC land?


Mate too many!

I first step foot on public land with a rifle this time exactly last year. I don't say hunt because it was far from it! ha ha ha. I've come a fair way since then but I still have a lot to learn  :Thumbsup:

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## 199p

Good hunting mate

It will be the 1st of plenty

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## Bavarian_Hunter

Well done mate, coming a long way from the start! Soon you'll be slaying giants  :Have A Nice Day:

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## moonhunt

I need glasses, thought it read double fist pump, well done mate
You should wack up  a fist pump now though... haha

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## phillipgr

> I need glasses, thought it read double fist pump, well done mate
> You should wack up  a fist pump now though... haha


Haha believe me moonhunt i did!!

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## TimeRider

Congrats phillip  :Thumbsup:

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## Scouser

Brilliant Phillip, im stoked as well lad...hopefully i can post a yarn like that soon.......good skills on your first DOC deer....a Sika too.....

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## phillipgr

> Brilliant Phillip, im stoked as well lad...hopefully i can post a yarn like that soon.......good skills on your first DOC deer....a Sika too.....


Yep your turn next!!

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## Happy

Awesome Phillip Well done and you deserve to be well stoked with that...

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## WhistlingWings

Top effort mate. Well done. Cunning wee deer! Took me years to get one of them! Started off with the squeals, then seeing white rumps disappearing, then ears, then heads. 
Well done! Those steaks will taste even better!

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## Gibo

How did Haggie go?? Spose hes sitting back with an8 pointer on the wall??? 


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## Haggie

> How did Haggie go?? Spose hes sitting back with an8 pointer on the wall???


I bloody wish! Managed to spook a bunch, seems like every time I put the rifle down to take a leak or lay an egg I'd spook one of the bastards. Getting caught with my pants down pretty much sums up my experience of deer stalking so far.

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## Gibo

> I bloody wish! Managed to spook a bunch, seems like every time I put the rifle down to take a leak or lay an egg I'd spook one of the bastards. Getting caught with my pants down pretty much sums up my experience of deer stalking so far.


Ha ha ha fuck thats funny, you may need to wear camo nappies with scent repellant!! 


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## BushHunter

Well done  :Grin:

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## veitnamcam

> I bloody wish! Managed to spook a bunch, seems like every time I put the rifle down to take a leak or lay an egg I'd spook one of the bastards. Getting caught with my pants down pretty much sums up my experience of deer stalking so far.


One of my dog following mates recons the way to get the dogs on a big pig is to stop and have a dump lol.

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## mucko

Awesome Phillip now to get a nice red out of the Pureoras in November. really sucks i couldnt make that trip to many calves falling out of their mums at the moment. you have done very well in a short time.

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## Rushy

> I bloody wish! Managed to spook a bunch, seems like every time I put the rifle down to take a leak or lay an egg I'd spook one of the bastards. Getting caught with my pants down pretty much sums up my experience of deer stalking so far.


It will happen Haggie.

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## upnorth uplander

Chur bro

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## Dundee

Congrats phil, now that must be better than stalking the hot librarian :Thumbsup:

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## phillipgr

> Congrats phil, now that must be better than stalking the hot librarian


More successful at least haha

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## veitnamcam

> Congrats phil, now that must be better than stalking the hot librarian


If he hadn't guttsed the back steak already he could have invited her around for a high class home cooked meal next week when it had aged well  :Wink:  :Grin:  :Grin:  :Grin: 

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## Shaneo

awesome Phill.... stoked for you. Did you let out the big "you fucken beauty!!!" ?

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## phillipgr

> awesome Phill.... stoked for you. Did you let out the big "you fucken beauty!!!" ?


Haha of course I did, would have been rude not to

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## outinabout

Well done!! Fill that freezer, bbq seasons nearly here, veni steaks on!

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## mucko

your parcel is in the post Phil

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## phillipgr

> your parcel is in the post Phil


Thanks Mucko!

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## Hunt4life

Bloody awesome Phil. Monkey off ya back, so you'll be away laughing now. Although I think it's pretty funny you say a year was "way too long" to get your first deer... A difficult confession because I was always very successful on small game, but it took me about twenty hunting trips into Sikaland over a period from 15yo to 37yo before I actually was able to eat some venison off a Sika I'd shot myself. Now that, my friend, was waaaay too long.
Like you, I knew no one who hunted to mentor me and we never had the Internet and, surprisingly, I found the guys at North Auck NZDA weren't very helpful either, so I'm self taught too. Hard bloody road to success mate, but awesome memories of close calls & fun times in the bush with the lads too. We'll catch up for a hunt soon  :Wink:

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## Scouser

> Bloody awesome Phil. Monkey off ya back, so you'll be away laughing now. Although I think it's pretty funny you say a year was "way too long" to get your first deer... A difficult confession because I was always very successful on small game, but it took me about twenty hunting trips into Sikaland over a period from 15yo to 37yo before I actually was able to eat some venison off a Sika I'd shot myself. Now that, my friend, was waaaay too long.
> Like you, I knew no one who hunted to mentor me and we never had the Internet and, surprisingly, I found the guys at North Auck NZDA weren't very helpful either, so I'm self taught too. Hard bloody road to success mate, but awesome memories of close calls & fun times in the bush with the lads too. We'll catch up for a hunt soon


Great post H4L, if it wasnt for this forum i would be nowhere, still havent dropped my first DOC wild deer yet, agree about Auckland NZDA, ive joined and there are no 'hunts courses' and nobody offers to take you out!

plenty of offers and help on here.........this forum rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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## Hunt4life

Persistence and perseverance Scouser. The eventual victory will be all the more sweet. 
I finally got my first in November, then shot two in Feb, then 3 in one day in April! Feels a bit like someone was trying to test my resolve and fortitude for all those years of coming home empty handed... Bastard!  :Have A Nice Day:

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## Nick.m

Just been reading your report again mate, bloody well done. Makes me want to get out there and give it shit. Only 3 weeks until study is over then we will have to organise a mission.

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## phillipgr

> Just been reading your report again mate, bloody well done. Makes me want to get out there and give it shit. Only 3 weeks until study is over then we will have to organise a mission.


Bro I can't wait either aye. The little hunt I did last weekend was supposed to sustain me until mid-novemeber when exams are done but it's only made me more keen to get out. All the best for your exams bro, looking forward to our hunt  :Thumbsup:

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## Gibo

> Bro I can't wait either aye. The little hunt I did last weekend was supposed to sustain me until mid-novemeber when exams are done but it's only made me more keen to get out. All the best for your exams bro, looking forward to our hunt


Anyone that says a little hunt dulls the urge is your wife, or someone elses handbrake  :Have A Nice Day:

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