Thread: Spot lighting deer

I went spotlighting for Sambar for the first time a couple of months ago and thought it would be really easy to get some venison.
The area we have access on is heavily spotlighted and we saw a few sets of eyes that quickly disappeared. It took five unproductive nights before we had learnt enough and adapted our technique to have some success. We had an early night, got up at 1am, walked around areas that we had seen sign in the daylight, didn't wave the spotlight round trying to see if there were deer 500m away and at 4:45am we shot 2, then went to milking.

Before I tried it I would have said that spotlighting wasn't hunting. But for me it is.

I think the issue seems to be the shooting of 'easy deer' not being considered hunting, not wheather it was night or day.

Originally Posted by Rich007

I went spotlighting for Sambar for the first time a couple of months ago and thought it would be really easy to get some venison.
The area we have access on is heavily spotlighted and we saw a few sets of eyes that quickly disappeared. It took five unproductive nights before we had learnt enough and adapted our technique to have some success. We had an early night, got up at 1am, walked around areas that we had seen sign in the daylight, didn't wave the spotlight round trying to see if there were deer 500m away and at 4:45am we shot 2, then went to milking.

Before I tried it I would have said that spotlighting wasn't hunting. But for me it is.

I think the issue seems to be the shooting of 'easy deer' not being considered hunting, not wheather it was night or day.

Well done Rich - was that where we were planning a mission?

Originally Posted by Pop Shot

Well done Rich - was that where we were planning a mission?

Na, but we really must get you (and Raging Bull) after a Pheasant before I get busy. When do you fly out???

Originally Posted by Rich007

Na, but we really must get you (and Raging Bull) after a Pheasant before I get busy. When do you fly out???

August 6th.

We are both off into the Ruahines this weekend - but anytime after that I'm free... Raging Bull probably has work commitments.