Headed out Saturday morning (earlyish after doing my work rounds) to a local DOC block I haunt/frequent.
Wanted to blood my new Henry single shot in 45/70 and try out a new pack idea I had altered for me. I’d only fired a few rounds the evening before using the as issued iron sights...once I’d worked out that technical bit of equipment I was away.
I wasn’t going for a explore this time I just wanted to head to where usually encounter animals to get one on board.
At this time of morning the goats are usually moving around feeding so was on alert ...sort of...
Had to buggerise around with this new pack as it was making quite a hollow ‘bop bop bop’ sound every time I took a step. It only had a set of binoculars in n some muesli bars. The handy dandy roll of electrical tape took out the flapping stopping the noise.
(This is with the meat in it)
I hit the junction, stopped, had a swig of water then took the right hand turn which was going to take me up onto a ridge. I got onto the ridge track n within 60-80 metres spot something off to my left...goat, youngish one most probably a nanny...that’ll do... Rifle was resting on a tree. The only sight picture I had was a narrow gap between some saplings coming up in a ‘V’ ..was clear past that to the goat so I took the shot...goat reacted like it had being hit but certainly wasn’t a ‘bang, flop’ though. I moved down a bit so that I could keep a track of where it went to. As I did that another popped up that I hadn’t seen..... Opps broke a cardinal rule, didn’t have another bullet handy...too used to magazine rifles.. said goat kindly stood there long for me to get my shit together, load up n take another shot....THAT was a bang,flop...
Took a couple of photos then took back legs n back straps off(front shoulders were munted)
(Second goat)
(Second goat again but looking towards where first goat ended up)
I left meat besides track as I wanted to see if I could get a bigger nanny or billy for pet food so I carried on. Approx 100 metres on l went around a corner spotted ...’something’ in front of me...I took a step forward to hide behind a tree but couldn’t see anything looking to left of tree so had to look to right... the sun was shining through a gap in the canopy so was sort of a halo effect going on...still couldn’t ID anything. Usually I look through a scope but....no scope only irons..that’s right I’ve got binoculars...frig around get pack off, delve in, get binos out , focus them...whatever was there wasn’t (or as it turned out I hadn’t stepped out far enough) no , nothing. Put pack back on step out to right then...shit...almost looks like a red hind with a fawn standing in front of her...hmm I need to ID this so step left again so I could use binos again, stepped back with binos...nothing.... Bugga. I hadn’t heard anything take off, certainly heard no bleating like goats would make as further on my walk I spotted several nanny/kid combos and I heard them as well as seeing where they went off to...
Long story short, saw nothing where I expected to see something so I mooched back to my vehicle, picking up the meat on the way back. Often have seen goats on the return trip but not meant to be this time.
Pretty happy with rifle but need to learn new habits with using a single shot firearm. Also buzzed that I’m , (pretty sure), possibly saw a deer. I know there are deer in this block as I’ve shot a stag myself and seen various prints over time.
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