Thread: Fallow Shoot

Originally Posted by quentin

@Maca49 Looking forward to it.
We are heading off there mid week, so can break up the working week. Also leaves my weekend free to get some spearfishing in.

He's a really good dude, enjoy your shoot

Dan is most definitely in a class of his own.

We bowled up at 6am, to find Dan glassing the hillside above the house. Not long after, the boots were on, gun fed, and the first animal of the day was secured.
The wind was not in our favour, so the next animal took somewhat longer. My mate Ben secured his first deer in a somewhat unconventional manner. First shot from a very awkward shooting position was a miss, but this just caused the mob to run along the track straight at us (think stampede here), until Ben took an offhand shot which did the deed.

We will definitely be heading back when the freezer is empty again.

The scenery was amazing too. Ruapehu out one side, Mt Taranaki out the other.

Will be on the road again this PM, off to wangas again. Ute loaded to the gunnels with the back fence for the Bach. Stay overnight an quiet trip down in the morning, ahhh two days off work!!!

Looking forward to the report. Just caught this thread. Fallow back steaks

Oi @Maca49, might see you over there!
Pretty much my plan for this weekend too

aahh two days off work, sounds like your setting yourself up for some hard graft. Sing out if you want a hand to put the fence up and i'll shoot off to the Coromandel.

Originally Posted by Gerbs

Oi @Maca49, might see you over there!
Pretty much my plan for this weekend too

Back tonight, one in the pot @Gerbs

Originally Posted by Gapped axe

aahh two days off work, sounds like your setting yourself up for some hard graft. Sing out if you want a hand to put the fence up and i'll shoot off to the Coromandel.

Thanks you helpful bugger, back home tonight dropped deer into Taupo for processing on the way back

Originally Posted by Daniel Kwon

Looking forward to the report. Just caught this thread. Fallow back steaks

@Daniel Kwon, good to hear from you again, yep steaks next week with sausages and patties

Well away Sunday afternoon loaded to the gunnels with fencing for the bach. Up early Monday and after a coffee and some business deliveries in Taupo, was out to the range to check my T3 .223, using Hornady steel match 75 grain rounds and had it spot on quick fast.
First stop Taihape, Brown Sugar Cafe for lunch and look at the attached gun shop, kept my hands in my pocket. Picked up some food at Wanganui and out to the farm.
There's a lot of logging going on where we go and there 22K's of basically single lane dirt road to the hunting. Provided some interesting / scary moments when trucks come round the corners using all the road.
A quick unload of the ute and off for a late afternoon hunt down the flats, strong wind blowing in our face and walking directly into the sun. About 2 k in decided it was still a bit warm, so holed up on a good vantage point and sat glassing 360 degrees for about half an hour, saw absolutely nothing apart from rabbits and a couple of cats!
Decided to get going again, taking it very slowly and glassing as we went, one side is Manuka and the other short scrub and ferns, very hard on the naked eye to pick out anything.
We had gone about another 2k still nothing, but plenty of sign , damaged trees and scratching of the soil by the stags. We stopped and were both looking in the same area and bugger me there was a hind standing looking at me, I turned to Dan and we both said 'theres one"! Had little time and had to action the bolt to load, sling around arm and off shoulder standing, took a quick shot. Saw the deer go down in the scope, ranged at 128 metres. Over the fence through the creek and up the hill, it hadn't moved from the spot. shot was a little further back from what I'd like, but had taken a lobe off a lung and smashed the liver. Animal was in great condition.
Back on dark to the cottage for a feed of steak and veges, and some Black Duck Porter, real good beer, finished my first glass and mate reloaded but with red wine! didn't noticed until I had downed it, noted it tasted different? Slept well!
Mate was out at 6 next morning, walked the same area, but a bit further than me, saw about half a doz deer but all on the move, so came back empty handed.
Out by 11:30 am, dropped the fallow at Taupo for processing and home by 7:30pm. Good road trip and break from the grind

Very nice write up and nice looking classic Wanganui herd fallow.

'H' you guys are missing the hach!!

Originally Posted by Gibo

'H' you guys are missing the hach!!

Never, as long as my arse points to the ground.

The joke is the H is supposedly silent in the local pronunciation. It is the stupid TV announcers that emphasise it.
At any rate potential poachers looking for Maca's spot X will be mislead and maybe head off to the SI one.

Fonganui, nah just doesnt sound Engrish to me

Another trip down to Wanganui Monday just gone. Early start from Kinloch and a leisurely drive down via Palmy to pick up a .223 I'd bought, then on to Wanga's arriving at about 4 pm after a good look around Wilsons in town. He's got some new Ruger #1s coming in shortly in a selection of calibres if anyone's keen.
I drew the short straw to cook dinner and go for the morning hunt, so my mate set off with Dan about 5 pm. I set up my gear, made sure I had my bolt with me and settled in for a beer, less than an hour later I heard a shot from up the valley and in quick time my mates back with a nice spiker.
He had demolished its heart from about 80 metres with his Brno 223, but it still tried to do a wobbly escape. We hung it in the cooler and I suggested I go for my hunt while it was still light and enjoy a sleep in in the morn. So after a quick salad and chicken feed away we went down the flats.
Dan was glassing the Manuka covered hills and I kept my eyes on the waterway on the other side.
About 3 k in and looking back, Dan sights a Spiker up the hill ranged at 220 metres. We decide to ignore it and walk on as it had sighted us, about 200 metres we cut up the hill to about the same height of the deer and stalked back thru the Manuka to ridge and the spike r had gone back to feeding. I set up the Sako, overkill, 6.5 with the right leg of the bipod on the side of the hill and thru a clear spot in the Manuka, then, because of the climb, I had a total white out with my glasses fogging up, really a pain. I took them off and sighted with my football eyes and dropped him with a 140 odd metre shot.. A second spike r appeared, I got a bead on it, but was a little slow with lack of vision.
Back tracked the way we had come and back up the hill to retrieve one nice condition spiker. We gutted it, the heart and lugs were separated with a nice exit hole on the other side, and left it covered on the side of the track.
We continued on and about 700 metres we had two spikers just over 100 metres to our left. They weren't gonna hang about, but a quick call from Dan just hesitated them enough for on to offer a front on shot through the brisket. On gutting the round had hit the bone and demolished the engine room. So after getting gutted we call up his wife on the radio and she duly arrived on the 4 wheeler with the trailer. All loaded up we set off down the track to the first deer then into the cooler and in time for a beer, cuppa and into bed by 10 pm.
Tuesday saw a quick drive back to Taupo, where I dropped my two off for processing, then on to Tauranga
Relaxing time with good company and plenty of bull shit. Will do it agin early next year.
No photos as they're on my "hard to download" camera!!