@Tahr were they being very vocal? I was in there a couple of weeks ago- had roars from 3 different individuals, but they weren’t being very vocal overall. & saw a couple of young stags. I’m heading back in on Sat for 4 days, then again next Friday for another 3 or 4 days.
@Pixie Z Yes. Not quite full voice but stags are holding hinds and doing the rounds. The 2 I shot were holding hinds (the spiker had a couple) - the 5 pointer stag came out at my roaring to look but didn't seem ready for a fight but got shot anyway, and the other I just watched a couple of hinds on a face for 30 mins giving the odd roar until a stag turned up checking his girls out. And he got shot.
I watched an 8 or 10 pointer really going to town and herding 5 hinds - that was great - he was 375 yards away just on dark so I left him to it. I heard him roaring most of the night from my camp. All of the stags shut up at about 10am and started quite close to dark. I would say they will be about peaking now.
@Tahr Cheers. Sounds like you had a good trip. I’m looking forward to getting back in in a few days. Shut up by 10am sounds about same as my trip in a couple weeks ago, though they definitely weren’t in full swing & I didn’t hear much during the night. & the stags I saw weren’t the ones doing the roaring.
On a side note- you weren’t in there a couple weeks back on an electric mountain bike were you? Saw the photo of you earlier in this thread & reminded me of a guy I was chatting to at the West Arm camp in there recently.
One from the weekend, satellite stag from the Northern Pureoras
Some ripper stags on here!
The weekend just gone was good in southland, on Saturday I heard well over 30 stags and snuck into 7 or so mostly just young ones roaring at nothing. First stag came flying in and though he'd snapped his antler off but snuck into one of his cousins later on and decided he need to go as he was identical, didn't realise the deer were inbred down here too hahaha
Stoked with my pig dog as she found her first ever deer saving me hours of searching in the crownfern, I'll take my dog with tracking gear everytime now! She hasn't had any deer training yet either just not to chase them
Took a mate out on Sunday afternoon and got close into 4 stags but they were giving is he run about moving off or shutting up at the last minute, so frustrating as I saw my mate close the gap and got within 50m but all of a sudden other stags sparked up everywhere and made him move off!
Only hunted 4 days this roar and it's been the best I've ever had surprisingly.
How bad have the carparks been for everyone? I heard there was 17 trucks up at kiwiburn!! You've got to wonder why the hell you'd risk hunting with that many people around.
agree 100% about just having dog along with you....if they do NOTHING more than help find animal after you have shot it,they are worth thier weight in dog bikkies.
I am not envious of the great Stags taken
But oh boy - that bush makes me GREEN all over :-(
That wallow pic and its surrounds - leaves me salivating
Yep I'm a lucky bugger with this one, she bloody handy as she finds possums for me at work and can catch pigs and stalk deer with me so she gets the luxury of being an inside dog! Makes me wonder how many other deer I would've found in the past if I had a dog!
Here's a freshly used one for you mate haha awesome to hear lots of bird life too.
My effort for the roar, 11pointer from the Molesworth
Wicked boys.
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Dan M
Closest thing this resembles a stag is that it starts with ‘s’ n is male. transient spiker, most probably from a block of pines that’s currently being clear felled. Was hanging around (other side of fence) a mob of hinds. Was a little pissed up. Shot with the mighty .223....
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