Thread: Skunked AGAIN

well folks..today was a right balls up from start to finish,after perusing maps over last week I decided to visit local hut on walking track..should be fine its middle of winter...for last 25 years over winter Ive had next hut along track pretty much to my self in winter...should be fine right???? WRONG
11 cars at carpark and sign on board says hut MUST be booked in advance....now I hadnt put in tent or sleeping mat....OK will visit next hut along road a bit further....drove along to acess point some 40kms away..no signage other than yellow AA type sign tearoha trail...and its led up into farmland..DOC controlled land was km or so away....yeah nah not going to wander along that with rifle over shoulder to unknown hut in unknown area and risk hut being full too...so back 40km down road to ph reception...my long suffering very understanding wife was most sympathetic and got in car and brought up my foam mattress and dog...would go to usual area and spend night....bound to be quiet up there in the cold with snow right???? WRONG AGAIN...one vechile parked on roadside..OK I will hunt the other end of area and catch up with him in evening..could see mattress in rear of car so figgured he had same idea as me...parked back down road and set off for shorter more intense hunt with the 3 -4hours of remaining daylight...lots of pig sign but bugger all sign of deer,dog got semi keen a couple of times but nothing strong enough to lead into...we went around in big loop..then looked at remaining light and extended it a bit to visit 2 small clearings and sit on lookout for a bit..nobody home today so quietly started back towards car..got a really weird vibe and dog indicated strongly back into bush where we had walked up half hour earlier,I heard one thump like ewe stamping foot so on high alert we checked it out..nothing,nada,zip...and dog agreed. so we plodded back to car ,got there just on dark...now the weird bits..there was now a third wagon parked on side of road..they had come in after me,parked on my inward bootprints and dissapeared....if they had continued on foot up road,would have past first my wagon then another one...if they had gone into bush from wagon they couldnt have missed my boot marks in clay...I never saw them... got to my wagon,drove up to the first wagon expecting joker to be in residence..nope....drove back down road,sat,ate my lunch for dinner....drove to both vechilles again..nobody home at either so thought bugga this for game of soldiers and came home.
I cant work out the senario that makes any sense for guys coming in after me..UNLESS they are poaching using thermals across river on private land,Im buggered if know where they went,and if they went into doc block over my footprints....stuffed if I know where they went,there is no really logical camping place and it will be colder than a frogs tit up there tonight. and I never crossed there incoming marks on my way out
mystery indeed...not enough daylight to have gone far in any direction either.
pleased I came home...hunting while looking over shoulder and constantly wondering where folks are just doesnt do it for me...the dead possums rotting around the place is bad enough.