Thread: Competition Time

I think competitions like this are great and more people should be getting in on it. To move the ball along I'll do a quick write up on a recent hunt that left me with a smile from ear to ear. No bulls, big stags or bucks this time just pure enjoyment of what the hunt meant.

A month shy of her first birthday and my GSP Ellie had already outdone herself. I'd never had a gundog before and wasn't sure what to really expect from her as a hunter early on and just what to expect from the experience as a whole. At four months she'd done her first duck opening and retrieved two ducks which I thought was about as good as it could get for a young pooch. While young, I kept her entertained with a bit of bird hunting while trying to shift her focus over to deer. At six months she pointed her first deer, a young 3yo fallow buck, and did she think she was pretty good! The only thing was I'd been watching it for the last 50m hoping she'd get her head up and spot it, not long after that she pointed her first samabr, again after I'd watched it. Then a couple of months later and she had her first big leap forward, I'd shot a red hind at 250m with one of Tui_man2's muzzlebreaks without wearing earplugs and it really rattled me (cheers Abe), in the midst of clasping my ears in pain I lost sight of the hind. When we got to the spot I thought it was she was nowhere to be seen. We looked and looked and looked but couldn't even find a drop of blood. I let Ellie go and was talking to my brother suggesting we give up when I realised Ellie was out of sight, I called her and she came running into view, clearly wanting me to follow her. I walked over and there was the deer, she'd done her first solo track job! That hind is now caped out for a pedestal mount to go next to my 2013 red stag.

All these things were great, but she still hadn't achieved the ultimate yet; to point a deer I didn't know was there.
At about 11 months old, just shy of her first birthday I decided to go for one last little meat hunt with Miss Ellie before the snakes really got going and she'd have to spend the rest of summer in the backyard.
I took off her perimeter collar and allowed her to follow me into the house. As anyone who know's GSP's would be aware at this point all her xmas's had come at once and she was carrying on like a right old pork chop. As she followed me into the bedroom and saw me starting to put on my hunting clothes she started her high pitched whine her whole back end shaking with excitement. I almost grabbed my blackpowder but really couldn't be bothered cleaning it afterwards so I just grabbed the 300WM and set off.

After a 20 minute drive I pulled up, turned off the car, hopped out and stood still. I let the breeze gently caress my face, pleasantly coming from a northerly direction which would play quite well into my hands. I tied up Ellie as she still roams out a bit too far in semi open country so I keep her on a lead attached to my waste just to be sure she doesn't get right out,

As we pushed through prickly acacia Ellie pulled up on a hard point, I followed her line of sight and there about 20m away was a black wallaby. I praised her before turning and making a detour and continuing on.
We finally made it to the creek crossing, albeit covered in prickly acacia thorns and fortunately it was down quite low at this time. I unhooked Ellie from the lead and slowly waded my way across, cautious to not cause more than a ripple in case I should make too loud a sound and scare any deer just over the opposite bank. Ellie generally has different priorities when it comes to water where the challenge is to pull her out of it willingly. Fortunately though, she is becoming attuned to hunting and what it means so this time she swam across as silently as a snake. On the otherside after she had a shake I put her back on the leash and very carefully poked my head over the bank, nada.

I glassed the semi open stuff directly in front of me very thoroughly and after a couple of minutes was convinced that there was nothing in the near vicinity.
There was another creek flowing from south to North which had a bit of cover along it riparian area and I thought that if deer were here and feeding on the open paddock that's where'd they'd be staying. There was a spot about 1km up that I new was really good and I set my sights on getting there.
This type of country is unlike anything I've come across in NZ, large red gums grow up and out, some of them hundreds of years old. Scattered throughout the area are the dead and dry remains of the giants of days gone by, younger trees growing around them, as if paying homage to their great ancestors. Shifting you're gaze downwards there are scattered patches of prickly acacia strewn across the landscape and to fill in the rest of the land are rushes, reeds and a few wallaby and kangaroo grasses.

We moved along the edge of the bush, peering around every tree and patch of acacia as we progressed. My eyes kept fixing ahead though as I was sure that would be where the deer would come from. We moved along maybe another 200 m when all of a sudden Ellie started air scenting heavily and then bang was on hard point. She was pointing at a patch of prickly acacia and was dead set confident on something being there. I through up the binos and glassed every nook and cranny of it but couldn't see a thing. I figured that she had just seen a rabbit as there was a few about. I told her she was a good girl and started off again. Well I didn't take two steps when out burst 3 fallow does. I was in shock, she'd done it, she'd finally pointed a deer I didn't know was there and I dismissed her and stuffed it up.
I was determined not to lose these deer as she deserved to get her just deserts for this effort.
They didn't stop in view, so I pressed on at a jogging pace and made it to the next clearing and there they were about 70m away. The youngest one was quartering towards me, clearly about to run. I through up the Bavarian, leaning on a tree I put it just under her chin and squeezed the trigger.
I could drag it out and make up an elaborate story about losing sight of her, not knowing whether or not I hit her etc. etc. but the truth is I saw her collapse through the scope into a heap and let out her last couple of kicks before all was still.

Ellie was very excited, she'd seen the deer and followed the two companions as they ran off with her eyes so lost sight of the one I had downed. I walked in it's general direction and when in line with the scent let her find it. It wasn't long until she had her signature helicopter tail motion going and I knew she was locked on the scent and she quickly found it after that.

I've shot plenty of deer in my time and some great stags among them but this little hunt with my girl is one that'll cherish forever.













BH

Originally Posted by Bavarian_Hunter

I think competitions like this are great and more people should be getting in on it. To move the ball along I'll do a quick write up on a recent hunt that left me with a smile from ear to ear. No bulls, big stags or bucks this time just pure enjoyment of what the hunt meant.

A month shy of her first birthday and my GSP Ellie had already outdone herself. I'd never had a gundog before and wasn't sure what to really expect from her as a hunter early on and just what to expect from the experience as a whole. At four months she'd done her first duck opening and retrieved two ducks which I thought was about as good as it could get for a young pooch. While young, I kept her entertained with a bit of bird hunting while trying to shift her focus over to deer. At six months she pointed her first deer, a young 3yo fallow buck, and did she think she was pretty good! The only thing was I'd been watching it for the last 50m hoping she'd get her head up and spot it, not long after that she pointed her first samabr, again after I'd watched it. Then a couple of months later and she had her first big leap forward, I'd shot a red hind at 250m with one of Tui_man2's muzzlebreaks without wearing earplugs and it really rattled me (cheers Abe), in the midst of clasping my ears in pain I lost sight of the hind. When we got to the spot I thought it was she was nowhere to be seen. We looked and looked and looked but couldn't even find a drop of blood. I let Ellie go and was talking to my brother suggesting we give up when I realised Ellie was out of sight, I called her and she came running into view, clearly wanting me to follow her. I walked over and there was the deer, she'd done her first solo track job! That hind is now caped out for a pedestal mount to go next to my 2013 red stag.

All these things were great, but she still hadn't achieved the ultimate yet; to point a deer I didn't know was there.
At about 11 months old, just shy of her first birthday I decided to go for one last little meat hunt with Miss Ellie before the snakes really got going and she'd have to spend the rest of summer in the backyard.
I took off her perimeter collar and allowed her to follow me into the house. As anyone who know's GSP's would be aware at this point all her xmas's had come at once and she was carrying on like a right old pork chop. As she followed me into the bedroom and saw me starting to put on my hunting clothes she started her high pitched whine her whole back end shaking with excitement. I almost grabbed my blackpowder but really couldn't be bothered cleaning it afterwards so I just grabbed the 300WM and set off.

After a 20 minute drive I pulled up, turned off the car, hopped out and stood still. I let the breeze gently caress my face, pleasantly coming from a northerly direction which would play quite well into my hands. I tied up Ellie as she still roams out a bit too far in semi open country so I keep her on a lead attached to my waste just to be sure she doesn't get right out,

As we pushed through prickly acacia Ellie pulled up on a hard point, I followed her line of sight and there about 20m away was a black wallaby. I praised her before turning and making a detour and continuing on.
We finally made it to the creek crossing, albeit covered in prickly acacia thorns and fortunately it was down quite low at this time. I unhooked Ellie from the lead and slowly waded my way across, cautious to not cause more than a ripple in case I should make too loud a sound and scare any deer just over the opposite bank. Ellie generally has different priorities when it comes to water where the challenge is to pull her out of it willingly. Fortunately though, she is becoming attuned to hunting and what it means so this time she swam across as silently as a snake. On the otherside after she had a shake I put her back on the leash and very carefully poked my head over the bank, nada.

I glassed the semi open stuff directly in front of me very thoroughly and after a couple of minutes was convinced that there was nothing in the near vicinity.
There was another creek flowing from south to North which had a bit of cover along it riparian area and I thought that if deer were here and feeding on the open paddock that's where'd they'd be staying. There was a spot about 1km up that I new was really good and I set my sights on getting there.
This type of country is unlike anything I've come across in NZ, large red gums grow up and out, some of them hundreds of years old. Scattered throughout the area are the dead and dry remains of the giants of days gone by, younger trees growing around them, as if paying homage to their great ancestors. Shifting you're gaze downwards there are scattered patches of prickly acacia strewn across the landscape and to fill in the rest of the land are rushes, reeds and a few wallaby and kangaroo grasses.

We moved along the edge of the bush, peering around every tree and patch of acacia as we progressed. My eyes kept fixing ahead though as I was sure that would be where the deer would come from. We moved along maybe another 200 m when all of a sudden Ellie started air scenting heavily and then bang was on hard point. She was pointing at a patch of prickly acacia and was dead set confident on something being there. I through up the binos and glassed every nook and cranny of it but couldn't see a thing. I figured that she had just seen a rabbit as there was a few about. I told her she was a good girl and started off again. Well I didn't take two steps when out burst 3 fallow does. I was in shock, she'd done it, she'd finally pointed a deer I didn't know was there and I dismissed her and stuffed it up.
I was determined not to lose these deer as she deserved to get her just deserts for this effort.
They didn't stop in view, so I pressed on at a jogging pace and made it to the next clearing and there they were about 70m away. The youngest one was quartering towards me, clearly about to run. I through up the Bavarian, leaning on a tree I put it just under her chin and squeezed the trigger.
I could drag it out and make up an elaborate story about losing sight of her, not knowing whether or not I hit her etc. etc. but the truth is I saw her collapse through the scope into a heap and let out her last couple of kicks before all was still.

Ellie was very excited, she'd seen the deer and followed the two companions as they ran off with her eyes so lost sight of the one I had downed. I walked in it's general direction and when in line with the scent let her find it. It wasn't long until she had her signature helicopter tail motion going and I knew she was locked on the scent and she quickly found it after that.

I've shot plenty of deer in my time and some great stags among them but this little hunt with my girl is one that'll cherish forever.

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BH

Just discovered this BH, great story there mate, Ellie is a cracker, well done mate!!!!!!