John Duxbury Gets His Stag

Went to the Arawhata for the second period. One of our group got both the biggest trout and the oldest stag I ever saw. Rabbits for Africa. Nasty sandflies. Two days of enforced rest in a small tent due to heavy rain.

I shot this mature stag, and was well pleased. Taken with my fully wooded .243 Husqvarna at 25 metres using a 90 grain ELD-x (They are not just for long range, I wondered if they would blow up in close shots, but no)

He was out roaring too long past dawn. He had about ten hinds with him. I sneaked up on him in the bracken through the clearing. When I saw the tops of his antlers I declare I became a little overexcited. I had a split second head shot at that moment, but I am glad I didnt take it, I would have missed. Even so, the suspense that followed nearly damaged my heart. It took another ten minutes of positioning, with the risk f him simply walking into the nearby forest to get away. I was jumping hinds as I went and they were trotting past him - one even barked at me. Thought I lost him for sure then. But he was busy trying to wrangle the hinds and didnt get alarmed.
I waited for him to step out from behind a bush, rifle up, and then I had him in my scope - solid neck shot and he dropped backwards out of sight.
I never had to roar, he roared me in. I am sure he heard me and thought I was another hind.
You can hang a ring on the 13th point.

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Awesome dark stain on the antlers. Well done.
sounds like an exciting stalk.

Well done, that is a head to be proud of, a few weeks ago we drove over the Arawhata river and down to the Cascade and flew into Doc land south of the ballot blocks, looking for something like that, saw lots of deer, but nothing even close to that. Are you getting it mounted ?

It's impressive country. I am boiling out the skull for a euro type mount. Just skull and antlers.

Beautiful stag, well done.

A true character head well done.

Awesome stag mate, I'd be chuffed with that!

Pretty cool!

Good for you. Nice and dark. 50 yrs since I hunter there.

well I would have lost money......I would have bet on you using something .270/7x57/30-06 with big fat round nose....and here you have gone over to the dark side using an EBRG and modern sleak slippery jobbie
the world is all upside down...I shall need a cuppa tea and a lie down to digest this shifting of the forces

Ripper stag, a real bush battler with that dark stained head gear. Congrats

Nice stag, looks like a solid shot behind the shoulder looking at the photo. Got any pics of the other stag and trout, haven't been there for years, awesome valley.

Cracker!

Harks back to west coast stags of old. Thats one to be proud of well done

Nice dark antlers there,well done.

Bloody ripper mate, Carlsen would be proud.

Nice :thumbsup:

Yep that is a proper good stag , you dont get antlers that colour rubbing fence posts

Nice looking stag, well done. Never wouldve thought the Arawhata would be good rabbit country.

Nicely done CH

Very nice!

Thanks guys! The little EBRG did the trick nicely, but I did nearly stick it in his ear....

Outstanding.

Beautiful stag JP, never thought I’d see the word “ELD-X” in one of your posts.


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You’d be well happy with that Stag :cool: :cool:

Gotta be happy wi that ! Great seeing all the good heads taken of late !

Been a lot of good heads taken this year and that’s up there with the best of them , beautiful stain alright, a head to be proud of.

A true monarch of the bush. An abs ripper!

And cleanly dispatched with a well placed shot from a 243. Phillip Holden would be proud. Well played.

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Originally Posted by tanqueray

Beautiful stag JP, never thought I’d see the word “ELD-X” in one of your posts.


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I am only using them because they are the only thing you could buy at the time, and a friend recommended them. So saying I am a big 95 grain ballistic tip fan in the .243 which is still pretty progressive right? So you see I dont load round noses or black powder in everything...(Thats very nearly a lie, I mostly do.)

Thats a really nice heavy head! Be interested to know the length of the antlers?

Super effort and Stag. Thanks for the write up, always welcomed!

Fantastic