Thread: Finally got my first deer

Well. After nearly 4 years of having my license, I've finally managed to drop my first deer.
Spent the weekend past down in Whakatane with a good friend of mine, who made it his sole mission to get me onto my first deer.

Arrived around 7:30pm on Friday night, after a bit of a rest(long bloody drive getting out of Auckland on a Friday) we headed off around 10:30. Went to a farm about 10 mins away near Awakeri. After wandering around for 4 hours, unfortunately couldn't spot anything with the thermal(a couple of possibilities, but lower end thermal struggled to define deer from cow). No matter, we planned our trip for the next night and headed back to a much needed, albeit short sleep.

Same thing on the Saturday night, headed in around 10:30, after smashing back a much needed redbull. Thankfully for us, just as we arrived the clouds decided to roll in, covering the near full moon that had illuminated us the previous night. Followed the same track for awhile, then headed up a hill to try scan out across more land. After awhile, we traversed across the side of an extremely steep hill, when the silence was broken by the sharp honking of a Sambar deer, probably about 30m up the hill from us right on the edge of the bush. After laying low for about 20 minutes and it not appearing, we carried on along the side of the hill, before heading down another steep hill into the valley floor. That's when the excitement started..

While laying low on the edge of the top of the hill, my mate and I had heard some noise from below. I had questioned myself on what it was, but my friend had written it off as a cow dropping the Browns to the swimming pool. From the bottom of the valley, we picked up 3 heat signatures heading up into a clearing on the other side of the creek on the opposite side of the valley floor(about 190m away. While I didn't want to get my hopes up, the less than ideal thermal did check them as being slightly smaller than a cow, and moving differently. After getting into my shooting position, my mate let rip with the spotlight, and low and behold, 3 Sambar staring back at us. I took a moment to get on target, and just as I was about to pull the trigger, my friend turned the light off, thinking I wasn't going to take the shot. As it turns out, I did, but I can only imagine with the light going off, I pulled the shot completely. Not letting that get me down, and knowing Sambar don't tend to spook to far, we glanced through the thermal only to find they had moved a grand total of 2m from their original position. We gave it a few minutes, and then lit them up again. This time, I was ready for it, and sent it.

The muzzle flash from the 16" .308, even with the can on, was almighty at night, seemingly lighting up the entire valley infront of us. In all the excitement, I lost sight of the deer in the scope, and when I went back onto it, it was gone. Feeling a bit down about it, I laid there for a few mins contemplating why I was even bothering doing all of this. That's when my mate came cautiously over to me and whispered words I'll never forget, "I don't want to get you too excited, but I think you just got your first deer". Well, we couldn't get over to it quick enough. After getting through the creek in the other side, me tailing behind in nervous anticipation, I arrived to find my friend standing over the body of a nice big Sambar yearling!! I couldn't really believe my eyes, and it took a good hour or two for it to sink in. I had thought it had turned and run, turns out I got good beginners luck and got it straight through the heart, dropping it on the spot out of view.

After watching the gutting process(yes I should have done it myself, but didn't want to ruin it as I had never done it before), we got it into the back of the ute, headed home and hit the hay about 3:30am.

As I'm writing this, just finished off some of the back steak from it for dinner, bloody brilliant meat. And yes I know I've written this like a bloody novel, but man it was such a memorable experience, and one that has certainly got me absolutely hooked! Big thanks to my good mate Luke, who without I'd still be just another Aucklander sitting with a gun in the safe, dreaming of their first deer!!

congrats,you will always remember the first one....now to get out in daylight and stalk one in its home turf when the advantage swings the other way.... enjoy your venison.

well done, tastes better when you've earned it

Well done on your first deer James

Excellent. Great memory getting your first deer. I've heard sambar is one of the worst tasting deer to eat so if you're enjoying it a nice red or fallow will be so much better if you can get one next time.

Originally Posted by RUMPY

Excellent. Great memory getting your first deer. I've heard sambar is one of the worst tasting deer to eat so if you're enjoying it a nice red or fallow will be so much better if you can get one next time.

Yeah I've heard that before. If it only gets better than this, then I'm in for a treat, as this was very nice!

Good one! Congratulations

Well done and good write up

Awesome, congratulations

Well done, a great moment in your life

Well done mate, always a great moment your first

Good job - 'out there doin it' on ya

Shot James.

Nice one

Nice work