No deer, but never mind.

After advice and encouragement from some forum members @rod and @Dama dama I headed for a day hunt a couple weeks ago to stretch the legs and get a well needed break from thinking about work. It was also a surprise hunt for my son as a 9th birthday is looming this week. He's been on at me for ages to hunt in the bush after our eventful but unsuccessful roar hunt this year.

To say he was fuzzy when i woke him up at 4.30am was an understatement, but he took it well, got dressed had breakfast and we were off sooner that I had anticipated. He certainly made the most of the 2 1/2 hour drive and had a sleep while I drove and gave attention to my dog Holly sitting up front with me.

When we arrived at the car park it was a quick change of footwear before the sandflies got too hectic. Before leaving the car I surprised my son with another early birthday present in the form of a new hunting pack (Deuter Fox 40) based on the advice of @ROKTOY. He was absolutely stoked!

Off up the hill we went, with a reasonable amount of deer sign evident as we walked up the ridge. Holly certainly was interested in few likely spots, but nothing was seen or heard. Plenty of stops for food and water along the way as per usual. In the absence of any deer action I focused on a crash course on the sign that deer leave behind. Eyes to the ground looking at prints, moss scraped off logs where they scrapped past, what a deer tack/path looks like, and where they rest as we managed to find a deer bed. We checked out deer browse and last years antler rubbings on the younger trees. It is safe to say he is thoroughly versed in old and fresh droppings now and was pointing out stag droppings where ever he could!

My plan was to get to the bush line then hunt the fringe before heading back down to the truck, but he tired not long after lunch. Change of plans with our assent stopped, we sidled along with a plan to drop down another ridge to get home. As we sidled, we came across more and more sign and Holly certainly let us know we were close to something. We must of only been a minute or so from seeing a deer as we found urine on leaves next to really fresh droppings at one point. Unfortunately despite taking time and carefully stalking, nothing was seen. Not long after we came across a long dead deer. A bit of CSI Arrowtown detective work and together we determined as it was all intact, minus the head it was most likely a stag, and the one smashed rib bone showed showed where it was shot.
Attachment 212353

Although nothing was seen or shot this trip (beginning to be the norm again unfortunately), I reckon the hunt was a success as I got the pleasure of passing on some of what i know about hunting/stalking, we explored a new area, and my son got to see that hunting is more than just shooting a deer.

Hopefully he learnt that there are plenty of things to look at and enjoy in the bush if the hunting isn't going to plan, with insects to look at and birds like the South Island Robin or his favourite the piwakawaka making themselves known as we walked along.
Attachment 212354

Off we went happily enough having explored part of a new hunting ground with a compulsory fish and chip stop before the drive back to normality. We'll be back again once the silly season is over.

great stuff... memories are made of trips like this.

Your young son guna learn so much by the time he geta his FAL,Keep hunting and his time will come to pull the trigger.

Its not always about getting an animal, the amount your young fella learnt means it was a good day out, the shooting of an animal will come soon enough.

Ripper. Here's to more walks and more animals together

Great stuff, that pack will serve him well. My son got one at about the same age and recently he used it on an overnight tramp, he's 16 now and it still does the job.