Thread: 2012 social club hunting trip(photo heavy)

Iv planned a fair few of these trips now and I have to say Im just about over it!

OK small winge out of the way Ill get on with it.

Borrowed a 308 off Kiwi Greg as we had 3 non firearms owners.(cheers Greg )
One of them managed to borrow one off a mate.

Hunt was on a very large property nestled between the seaward and inland kiakora ranges we had been to once before, a brilliant host and guide and reasonable prices. However I was the only member on the trip who had been there before.

So after the usual issues getting away friday(including working till bloody midnight thurs) we arrived at the hut around 6pm.

The group consisted of myself,Big Gav,Damon,Pete and Caleb.

On arriving a quick sort out of gear and we were off myself guiding Caleb and the two guides taking the others.
We got dropped off south of the hut so we could drop into the creek and clime the ridge we were to hunt with the wind in our favor. After a steep wee clime we were out of the creek and stalking/glassing our way along the ridge with nice little guts running out into damp green basins.As we got to a fork in the ridge we hopped over the top and behind a couple of manuka where I immediately spotted 3 deer two gully's away and all looking in our direction.Bugger! We were pinned down behind our small piece of cover just as surely as if they were armed with a barret
300y distant it was not really a beginners never shot a centerfire rifle type of shot but thats what it was going to be.
I suggested he use my rifle as I had the bi pod on it and when asked if his mates rifle was sighted in the reply was he said aim at the big bit and it should be ok!
After waiting for what feeled like a an eternity for them all to stop looking we could finally get back over the ridge around the side and into a shootable position.
I set up my rifle for him dialed the range and got him behind it, now to wait for a broadside shot on the largest hind.Every time she went broadside she was behind dead manuka until finally a clear shot presented. Told him to make sure he was steady and SQUEEZE the trigger when he was ready.
I watched the shot threw the binoes and saw it impact about halfway between the crease and the line of the leg midway up the body,She did the big star jump and the three of them headed off down hill with her lagging behind.
Good shot I said as she stopped just before getting out of view swaying drunkenly before the back wheels collapsed and she tumbled over backwards out of sight. I congratulated him on his first deer and a good shot
Right now we had to MOVE IT! we had about 40min of light left to find her.Packing up shit spread all round the ridge we then run the ridge top and dropped down to where she fell. Oh fuck 3 foot long grass old sprayed fallen manuka and new regen manuka, We would have to stand on her to find her.We searched until dark and about half an hour after to no avail and walked out back to the hut with headlamps.
Caleb after the shot.


Back at the hut all the other guys had seen deer but been stuffed by a fickle wind or just couldnt get close enough(for the bow big Gav uses)

Sat morning was up well before sparrows to go find Calebs deer before the sun got to it after a light frost.
Heading along the ridge in the half light in the opposite direction to suit the wind we spyed 2 yearlings 1 hind and a spiker right at the bottom of a nice basin. Dialed for the 325y and when she went broadside it was all over.

A nice bang flop.
The others departing

Shot from end of ridge



We hurried down for a couple of quick photos gutted her and hung in a tree, so we could search for Calebs deer befor the sun got to it.



We searched high, low, left and right but just could not find that hind. I was absolutely gutted I get a sick feeling in my stomach when i cant find something I know I have killed,And I know for certain Caleb killed that hind, his first and we didn't find it. Gutted.
I had a fairly decent carry back to the hut as there are no tracks in this part of the property.
Damon had secured his second ever deer his first being over 15 years ago as a lad.
Big Gav had seen plenty but nothing they could quite get in bow range of.
Fired up the barby for lunch back at the hut had a few beers some of us had a nanna nap and generally killed time till evening in what would have to be the hottest day Iv experienced this summer!

Sat evening. Gav and Pete remaining to get a deer, Gav and one guide went one way and all the rest of us went another.
We went out onto a nice lookout ridge were we could scan 3 or 400 hectares
As the evening progressed we saw twos and threes pop out on small green gullys.
3 are obvious how many can you see?

2 lying down one feeding taken threw spotter.

A fat future trophy threw spotter.


Pete,Damon and our host headed off to stalk a distant group while Caleb and I just sat and watched animals coming out.After about 20 min we watched a group of hinds and yearling's walk out right next to a track and we decided to get round the other end of the ridge where we might be able to signal the others and save them a big power walk.
On the way round we heard a muffled shot and they had bumped into a handy one anyway
Pete with his second deer, a former employee he had flown back from aussie especially for this trip havening got his first deer in one of these trips




Big Gav had been in range and at full draw twice but the animal just didn't play the game not feeding out from behind manuka for a clear shot. bugger.

Sunday morning; Well before sparrows again big Gav and the guides were off and I gave him instruction that he would be walking home if he didn't come back with something

We farted around the hut ate heaps of food tidied up had a group comp with my pee rifle and subs talked shit had a couple of beers and packed up.

Very late morning they returned with Gav asking if a rabbit would get him his ride home WTF! they had been in range again, and again the standing dead manuka was making the bow shot impossible. They had decided that it would have to be a rifle if he was to get one this morning when the wind eddied and they were off.

So all in all another good trip despite losing a deer and Gav not getting a shot.
Our host has very graciously invited Gav and myself back during the roar to try and get Gav a cull stag with the bow as he has a couple of dates free. I hope the dates work out as I would like to go but it would likely fuck up my roar and a cull off this free range property would probably be better than most would hope for off public land.

Spelling and punctuation are shit but Im tired and couldn't give a shit.

awesome report

Great read mate

good report there cam

the old bow is fucken hard work at times i flagged that an just go for the gun now

easy looking country to get round in?

Yea pretty easy Abe, it has to be for a bunch of unfit engineers who have never been hunting. Gav got his first bow shot deer on our last trip on another property that is a bit more suited to the bow

Looks like a good hunt - thanks for the read

Looks like Gavin will be heading back next weekend to see if he can ventilate something, I cant make it missus is working so I got kids.

Some wicked country there! Good on ya for planning the trip for the lads

Damons deer