Thread: Where are all the deer

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Question for you @HOO.

When you find fresh sign, do you keep moving on foot, or do you back off with the wind, to rest up and glass the area? Time spent glassing prospective areas is time very well spent. Our terrain is massively advantageous in this regard, cos the hunter can stay within a reasonable range, with the wind in his favour, and have a very wide field of view. I also think I know where you are in the Aorangis, and if that's the case then this strategy might work for you.

There are several occasions I can think of when I was getting very frustrated. I could see fresh as sign and smell the animals, but I couldn't get onto them. Picking a good spot to park off and observe has paid dividends time and again, particularly in the late afternoon just before the animals leave their bedding spots and starting moving around. They are never far away from feed. I love the feeling you get when after a long slog and an hour of staring at the same patch of ground, out of nowhere a deer appears in your binos, and its all on.

Hours spent on foot recording your routes on a GPS, cross referencing this with Google Earth and 1:25k topo maps, and taking lots of photos and notes of landmarks, will help you build a mental picture of an area very quickly. There is no substitute for knowing the ground. The Memory Maps are great to have on a phone, as reconnaissance is all part of the hunt. Noting the breaks in slope and the bush line in relation to new slips and old clearings, and places with an uninterrupted line of sight, this is all important stuff to get on top of. You will quickly be able to identify slopes, knobs and scarps facing into the prevailing wind, which look at warm, sunny north facing deer country. That's where you want to be with your binos, in good cover, scanning the faces and slips.

When I’ve found sign I’ve generally slowed down but continued on foot. I guess I need to be a little more patient and find some good spots to sit down for a while. To be honest I don’t usually stay in the same spot for too long probably assuming if I haven’t seen anything by now there mustn’t be anything here....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

One doc block i used to hunt i never seen a deer on these big grass faces in the morning. Didn't matter how early i got there but in the evening it was a different story. I put down to hunting pressure. Some evenings could see a good dozen deer and this going back 10+ yrs when deer numbers were down

Last couple of weeks in the sunset evenings, found deer out feeding on over cast evening,temperature about 12c and no frost around,4 fallow,1red.Last night at sun set,clear skys,8c and temperature dropping down to -3c.Frost developing on the grass.No deer to be seen.They just don't like those cold freezing evenings.Go for a look in the middle of a winters day when the sun is shining.Fallow are a happy lot when the sun is out and theres grass to eat.

Follow these guys advice mate. I followed the advice given too me from this forum and its paid off big time!. Goodluck with your future hunts mate

Look forward to reading your success story, it will all come together soon Good Luck.

Originally Posted by Tahr

If you are seeing them over the fence I expect that I know where you are going in the Aorangis.

PM me to make contact and introduce yourself and I will see how I can assist you to get one (on the right side of the fence ).

I hope that you are a NZDA member and that you are going to their head judging tonight?

Cheers

If you are where he thinks you are it is a heavily hunted area that keeps producing.

Sit tight and glass lots, know your shooting ability, know your area. There is heaps of places out there.

If you are Bush hunting then go slow, then slower then even slower.

Gd luck

I have hunted the Aorangi pretty hard for the last 10 years so also feel free to PM me

Hamish

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

.

Just another thought

Look at the fish and hunt calendar in your GPS or get the app, deer also feed with the pull of the moon like fish. Not saying they will be waiting for hot lead but will be more active.

We found this out in the last 3 days of hunting. This place is loaded but hunting was hard.

Gd luck

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Think like a deer,easist way to get food in a warm,safe enviroment.

By now Hoo you can see that everyone has their own way of hunting successfully, the similarities and the common denominators
Won’t be long before you start getting a few on the deck and offering advice to other new newcomers

Great reading. I did the Hunts course last year in Wellington but just havent had a chance to get out since. A number people have suggested the Haurangis as a good starting spot, so hoping to get out from October onwards to learn an area. Will be keen to hear how you get on.

I went to the meeting on Tuesday night @Tahr, didnt stop to think you could be there. I was the lonely "Porirua" member sitting at the back not knowing anyone. Must get along to more meetings to meet people.

One of the areas I regularly hunt and 90% of the time see deer other people have described as a barren wasteland. It can take a few trips to learn an area and time your presence with the deers.
If you think an area looks good, sit down and watch it till dark. Try that at different times of the year, month etc.

Don't forget too take a Bic lighter if you're bush hunting and use it often to check the breeze direction. Even the very faintest of breezes will be fatal (for your chances) if it's on your tail.

Originally Posted by 10-Ring

Don't forget too take a Bic lighter if you're bush hunting and use it often to check the breeze direction. Even the very faintest of breezes will be fatal (for your chances) if it's on your tail.

Sometimes I hunt against a strong nor west wind and walk right onto deer.They cant smell or hear you,even in the middle of the afternoon last summer.Walked on to a good stag,he had no idea we were watching him 20 mtrs away.He had a good strong nor west wind blowing in his face and we were down wind of him.His defence system was down in the wind.Didnt shoot him,it was great just watching him feed away.

Would the noise from the lighter not be an issue?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk