some times you get lucky .... late May guided hunt on Otago high country station, just before the weather crapped itself.
Day 1 we lucked out with a ripper fallow buck. However getting onto a big red stag was going to be more difficult as all the big boys "disappear" post roar, that's if they have not been taken out during the roar. Sighted this huge stag right on dark with a couple of spikers and another decent stag (10 or 12?) failing light and he did not stick around. Light & range was not conducive to a shot & did not want to risk a wounded animal so we left them undisturbed, trusting the feed would hold them in the general area over night. And we'd have a chance to catch them feeding up first light before they made their way back into the scrub. Long story short we very lucky, found the spikers & eventually after a tricky stalk the big boy feeding up in one of guts that ran back to the scrub. Biggest stag and timber I've ever come across, measured at 382 DS. Stoked !
Tribute to the local knowledge and skills of the guide for making this possible.
![]()
Bookmarks