Thread: Getting closer to that kill!

Hi guys,
Another good weekend, this time with the bow.
Just got a new place with the missus so we had to drive 3 1/2 hours to Geelong to pick up a new dining table and chairs the missus picked out (an expensive set suprisingly).
I told her though that there was no way I was having a weekend without hunting so after to compromising (from her end) I was up at 3:30 and heading over to HartHunters place to have a quick brekky of leftover seafood pizza and then we were on our way.
As it was so early we did a quick spotlight on the way out to see what was about but the red dogs eluded us. We pulled up a little early so just chilled in the ute for a bit. I leant over and said "I think todays the day for me mate, had the feeling since last night"
We started the hunt and within 10 mins we stumbled on a mob of red hinds yearlings and fawns. We started our stalk when HH whispered from behind "Fucking battery on the camera just died". I cursed but we kept sneaking in none the less. We got in nice and close to a hind and fawn and Patrick ranged him at 38 metres - completely broadside she was ripe for the picking but as much as I want to take my first deer with the bow I couldnt bring myself to killing a fawn or a full grown breeding hind. We watched them for another five mins and when we went to move off she noticed our movement and lead her young fawn (maybe a big stag of tomorrow) to safety.

We hunted on and were hot on the trail of some fallow because of the poor genetics in our area I have no qualms in taking them. There is a white one that I would love to have a crack at and have seen the last couple of years. We got to 70 metres from her which is really pushing it and something I'm not confident on but the decision was made easy when her beautiful little fawn jumped up. So again we let them make a retreat unmolested.

We spent the rest of the morning trying to close into some fallow yearlings which I would have taken, but alas no dice.

I do have a plan for the rut however, I think I'm going to take a leaf out of the book from our American cousins and try tree stands with my bow and see if I can blood these rage broadheads.

Happy hunting all,

Jack

p.s. HartHunter has forgotten his password and his email password so he can't log in and thats why he's been absent for a while, although he still reads it all. I'll have to set him up with a new account so look out for HartHunter2 haha

Good choices Jack. There is always another day and after giving him a hard time your brother may even have good batteries in the camera then.

Originally Posted by Rushy

Good choices Jack. There is always another day and after giving him a hard time your brother may even have good batteries in the camera then.

I agree Rush, its amazing how many blokes can't see past what's right in front of them here, it's kept deer from getting big for a long time. Dunno about that one mate, the lights are often on without anyone home in Patty's brain ha

Getting out yourself lately?

Originally Posted by Bavarian_Hunter

I agree Rush, its amazing how many blokes can't see past what's right in front of them here, it's kept deer from getting big for a long time. Dunno about that one mate, the lights are often on without anyone home in Patty's brain ha

Getting out yourself lately?

With fallow on my back boundary and the fact I farm red deer I am spoiled for meat but I am off hunting this coming weekend to an area that I have never been to before. I did take young Phillipgr up into the forest at the back of my place on Saturday and we came up on 3 diffent lots of fallow but we were only tiki touring, not hunting

Originally Posted by Rushy

With fallow on my back boundary and the fact I farm red deer I am spoiled for meat but I am off hunting this coming weekend to an area that I have never been to before. I did take young Phillipgr up into the forest at the back of my place on Saturday and we came up on 3 diffent lots of fallow but we were only tiki touring, not hunting

How envious I am! I'd love to have a few deer in my backyard. Do you have good trophy quality in your fallow around home? When I was in NZ last year talking to my guide he said in a lot of places there isnt much trophy quality left in the wild fallow on North Island, but I thought that there would have to be even if its helped from escaped pen deer.

Thats actually something that has happened around home. Escaped pen deer over the last 10 years has really shot an injection of class into our herd. I'm still not sure how happy I am about it though because we had a really distinctive herd here with certain traits that I dont want to lose.

How is young Philipgr going? I hear he's started taking a couple here and there?

Have to let us all know how you go this weekend!

The fallow up the back are only average so nothing trophy quality. I will definitely post regardles of the result. Young Phillipgr is off down to Fiordland shortly and plans to catch up with some forum members down there.