Thread: 2 trips, no deer on the ground but success

Have just had a week off work, 2 trips, couple days at Piano Flat and had a day yesterday down at Smithys Sour in the Blue Mountains.

Piano Flat I decided to camp down the bottom and hunt the true left, never really hunted it before.

Day 1 dog walked me 100 meters into a stag in a creek head, lots of shit between me and the stag so no shot possible, still a great result for the hound

Day 2 seen a yearling at 30 meters, just a head poking out of the pepper woods, she moved just as taking the shot so got to live another day, dog did not even now she was there as wind blowing right to left. We winded a few more and tried to walk in on them, one we walked for about 400 meters, in the end I figured we were just pushing the deer in front of us so called it quits.

Yesterday at Smithys we made an early start, walking in on the track dog winded a deer, with confidence I sent my hunting partner up to have a look, sure enough a yearling poking round having a munch in the open beech. Fired and missed, good result for the dog and as my partner has just started hunting was great for him to get a look at an elusive Fallow.

We had a big walk up a long ridge to clearings above, missed seeing a tiny yearling bedded about 5 meters off the track in some crown fern, bounced off and swallowed by the crowns. Further up the hill once the regen and fern disappeared the dog really started winding again, super slow and sure enough a deer on the bank of a gut opposite us I spy the arse end of a deer.

Sat down and settled the dog, lined up. All I could see was an arse and a twitching ear. After about a minute it just cruised off, no chance of a shot as it walked around the big stump and into a dip.

Further up the hill we had another couple of attempts at walking in on deer the dog had winded, some we got skunked by the swirling breeze, others we tracked to complete piles of shitty broadleaf and other assorted crap in gully heads and guts.

Weather turned halfway through the day, big hailstorm and really cold wind, we had no action for a couple of hours until it warmed up again. We stalked in on a deer, hidden in some thick regen on the edge of a tussock clearing, wind in our favour but she barked and set off, dog looked at me with the WTF face…good to have a chuckle on the hill.

We travelled down a different ridge for a while, lots of regen all about 6 foot high and pretty wet after showers and hail, bloody hard to hunt, decided on the spook and shoot hoping to put up something in front of us as we traversed down to more open ridge.

Once in the open we again started to wind deer, sat over looking a gut for 10 minutes waiting for a deer to show, dog on high alert, really scanning below her for the deer, was neat to see. No sign probably just holed up resting I guess.

Further down the hill, a hind ran through the crown fern, no shot as she was moving quick, and actually not on the menu as they just about to drop.

Another couple of windings and stalks in with no result but dog really onto it and my confidence in her leading me to deer is high now.

it is super exciting walking in on them, really gets the heart rate going. Bit like stalking roaring stags in the roar, you know they there, just a question of if you will see them and then if a shot is on.

Back to the car after 13 hours on the hill, dog straight in the back and fast asleep within about 5 seconds.

No result but a great couple of days hunting with the dog. summer hunting here we come!

Cheers

Dino

Go the dog !( Wire hair ? )

Bloody Deer everywhere!!

Good trip, Sound's like there's plenty of deer around !

Good read Dino least you saw plenty and sounds like your dog and hunting partner had a good time. They will be there next time.

Fantastic post Dino

Brilliant post Dino, sounds like you had a great time even though you did not drop one, the pooch sounds like he/she is on to it.....only a matter of time there mate!