Thread: How's the recon going for the roar?

Fingers crossed for me (as I have had to re-book this attempted recon trip 4 times previously, due to Covid border restrictions last year) I finally have a trip booked down to Ruatiti towards the back end of February and another later on in the season.

Picked up a lovely spiker there too last trip @Thar using the 1:8 twist .223 with those Speer 75gr Gold dots. This has become my go-to rifle for trips of late. But might equally take the 300win mag just for an outing and a bit of a play as its feeling a bit unloved since the arrival of the other rifle.

Originally Posted by Louie

Nice one @Tahr plenty of fat on him??

About average for a spiker. Its the older deer that really lay the fat on.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Got my first hard antlered stag already

Attachment 189349

So the big guys ought to be well stripped now.

The problem being with "pre roar" scouting is that they don't roar where they grow their velvet. They can move a very long way.

I watched a big stag just starting to strip on Tuesday. Seeing your spiker does raise the question of 'which one to shoot'. I have kept record of spikers on the farm and compared to their two year old heads and beyond and the only sure correlation is body weight / size. The very best spikers - the ones with thick heavy spikes especially if they have little tynes are going to be good, but some of the others with ordinary spikes can surprise you if they are big bodied. I shoot all narrow spikers as they always turn out as crap narrow heads. I would have shot your one too

Got this fella today. Antler feels fully hard under the velvet so will strip it tomorrow. He is as fat as butter so will make good eating.

@silentscope taken the recon to a new level.....dosent like this one on the block so takes him out so the big boys can move in

Originally Posted by silentscope

Attachment 189461
Got this fella today. Antler feels fully hard under the velvet so will strip it tomorrow. He is as fat as butter so will make good eating.

Judging by that shot you'll be eating everything too!

Any roaring yet,asking for a friend.

Found the first opened up wallow yesterday. Maybe the heat has made it early.

might just have gained permission to have a look on private land.......will do recon,meat gathering trip some time soon to get lay of the land.
things are looking up.

Heading out for 5 days on monday when the flood has passed

How did the recon go @Carbine?

Originally Posted by Sideshow

How did the recon go @Carbine?

Clouded,rained out on the forecast so will wait until a high is pushing in might have to wait a week as have an infusion in hospital on Monday

Dam Hope that goes okay

Really great recon in the Ruapehu area last weekend @mickey Duck with over a hundred animals seen. Red's, Sika and Fallow all looking in great nick this year after we've had a bit more consistent rain and plenty of feed around as a result. Although this was on Private land it relies upon animals getting drawn out of the adjoining DOC land.

The Stags and Bucks were already starting to get a wriggle on. Saw some massive absolutely massive Buck heads already in hard Antler and in one shot the week before we got there had inches of fat on him.
the Red Hinds were making good good recovery and I ended up taking two younger 2yr old's of these (missed a sitter of a neck shot at 300 on a Sika which I'm still not happy about). A couple in our party took Fallow hinds and these had 15-20mm of back fat on them so also in really good nick.

So overall have filled the freezer, and those heads are looking really good this year. So warm barrels everyone -enjoy!!

Carpe Diem..

Nice @Carpe Diem when do you think you will head back in to have a crack at the real thing....ie when do you think the roar will kick off in that region?