Thread: Introducing Larry

And now, Barry.



I was out at the same place I shot Gary, only a paddock over.

A hind had jumped the fence out of native bush and into a sheltered paddock 300metres away, and started to hoover down her evening feed.

Mr R, his son and I sat and watched her awhile. We had seen spikers out on previous nights, and I had started thinking about my next batch of Lasagna.

I carried on watching, talking and eating chips for a few minutes and then got my rifle and belt gear, and walked up the drive, and cut across a paddock toward the hind.

I hadn't seen the spikers, but reasoned they couldn't be far away.

The light was beginning to go, so I didn't want to waste too much time.

I had a shelter belt between her and me, so I felt reasonably sure she hadn't picked me up.

I trudged across the paddock, trying to find soft ground to stand on.

About two thirds of the way across, I saw a gap in the shelter belt, and the two spikers standing staring at me .

Busted. They were too far away to shoot accurately from a standing or kneeling position, and the grass was too tall for a prone shot.

At this point, they seemed to be briefly having a discussion:

Harry: "What's he up to? seems interested in us."

Barry: "Yeah."

Harry:" Hmm."

Barry: "Well, he's in his mid 50's, obviously completely unfit, he's only carrying a 7mm08, and he smells of fried tofu."

Harry: "So, no threat?"

Barry: "Yeah"

They put their heads back down, and resumed scoffing grass.

I carried on to the corner of the paddock, gingerly climbed an electric fence at proved to be off, and moved into the treeline.

I found a tree to brace my Howa against, took a moment to chill out, and then aimed at Barry's neck, and squeezed the trigger.

I heard a faint pop of an impacting round about 150 metres downrange, Harry and the Hind took off at a brisk trot, and Barry was nowhere to be seen.

I thought I'd shot, wounded and lost my first deer, So I circled the edge of the paddock looking, then while on the phone to Mr R, glanced into the center of the paddock, and there he was, having fallen in a heap without travelling any distance.

I looked for the exit wound on the neck, and while gutting him with the help of Mr R, found that I'd pulled the shot to the left when I fired, and zapped him through the shoulder .

I used a 139 gn SST on top of 40 something grains of 2206H as per Gary .

Not skillful, but still a good result.

One lesson learned. I am retiring a knife from the field.

I have used a Pendleton lite hunter in the past, but on the recommendation of Mr R who has cut up truckloads of deer, I will keep it at home.

The reason being that the handle is too slippery and there isn't enough of a guard on it to stop a wet hand from slipping off it and onto the blade.

It was a very easy hunt. After all the frustrations of the past, I'll take it.

It was a paddock deer, carted away on a quad and small enough to cram into a Mazda sedan, so not gut busting effort.

I'm sure he'll be a good lasagna.