Thread: 5 year deer drought over

Hi all

Not sure why I feel compelled to post a story of my modest success, hopefully not seen to be self congratulatory it’s just I enjoy reading of others hunts, successful or not, so maybe I’m just returning the favour.
Anyway as the title suggests, it’s been a long time between venison patties, for a few reasons, number 1 being Im a very, very average hunter in terms of ability, despite loving it as much as I do and getting out as often as I go I just can’t seem to improve that much, to be fair I do hobble myself a little by tending to hunt the bush rather than river flats, clearings and tops that I guess might make things easier for me as I just can’t seem to travel quietly in the bush.
In fact I tend to go to the same spot over and over again, it is really easy access being a 50min walk to the camp clearing after a 2.5hr drive and is dog friendly which isn’t alway that easy to find in these parts and I love taking my best 4 legged mate even if she is a bigger liability than me for a successful hunt.
Another hurdle to my success to overcome is general laziness/enjoyment of the camping/outdoors experience… and by that I mean often I’m just happy to hit cancel on the 5am alarm and sleep in till 9 then potter around drinking coffee and napping until a half assed afternoon evening hunt…. I just love being in the outdoors
Also had 3 years of being a pescatarian as for a while really struggled with the idea of killing an animal just to eat meat, still went hunting just couldn’t pull the trigger but if I’m honest the thrill was just the same if I managed to find and sight an animal, it’s weird I’m sure to some, but still liked shouldering the rifle, going to the same spots and maybe kidding myself that this time I’d pull the trigger.
Anyway off into the weeds already, suffice to say had been a dirty omnivore again for a year or so and was very keen to fill the freezer without filling Countdowns coffers when I drove down last month to me spot.
I’m lucky that I’m able to go mid week and often I’m the only car at the track end which was the case this time.
Throwing on my Tatonka 90l Bison ( fantastically sturdy design if heavy and if I’m totally honest not that comfortable for my frame but heck you can pack some crap in it, and I do), yelling at the hound to heel as she legs it down the road with a look over her shoulder at me that says “f—k you”, off we go, it’s a nice walk in during which I always feel the transition from everyday/ technology infused life fade away to the more simple, basic you, bush, elements on…
Hit the clearing for camp, we go into our well practiced routine, bikkies for doggo first, water containers filled and purifying tablets in then set up tent while the dog sits or lays patiently watching me until her bed is made, was running a Macpac Microlite tent which is fantastically sturdy, had it 6 years and still holding up really well, very light, extremely quick setup but a tad snug, read hound has to sleep between my legs! Bought an Intents Indie 2 recently which offers heaps more room and tend to use this now when the weather is forecast fine which was the case this trip. Around 7:30 we are off for a quick hunt before dark, across the river for a change and up a steep embankment onto some terraces, trying to be as ninja as possible however Millie the Pointer didn’t get that memo so and doesn’t so much as step but prances around. It’s pretty solid bush, a lot of rubbish on the ground to go snap crackle and pop despite my best efforts though Millie’s again giving zero f—ks about staying stealthlike….
For some reason the wind direction never seems to remain constant and that proved to be the case again, still we persevered but were soon being barked at by a rather irate red. Again this might be showing my inexperience but even that gives me a kick, sure it’s a a one finger salute from the deer and means try again but I still think it’s neat making contact/ getting close.
Back at the tent after a movie on the phone ( how good is Netflix to while away time in the tent) the alarm was set for 5am with a fair amount of enthusiasm!
Waking at the crack of 9 am the next day after multiple smacks of the alarm snooze button, I made a couple of cups of coffee, exhausted by the exertion of that I had a nap till 11 at which point I lay and listened to the very light rain on the tent for a further two hours while, contemplating life. The dog was having none of that so made it known she required a walk, which is honestly all I thought it would be at that time of day. Donned my hunting garb which if I’m brutally honest makes me look like the lessor known 7th member of the Village People, the Fulton Hogan road worker….hi viz orange being the overwhelming theme, I throw on my newly acquired Marlin 30-30 ( absolutely love it, wood and parkerised? metal, acceptably accurate as well for the ranges I was expecting to use it, my other gun being the ubiquitous T3x, accurate, fairly priced and durable but absolutely no pride in ownership)
Anyway, into the bush we go, the initial steep climb then onto more flat terrain, felt good to be in there regardless of the likelihood of bumping into Bambi…. Always plenty of sign and I think the rain had softened the leaves underfoot so sounding like a smaller herd of elephants than usual.
30-45 min in, quick sit and hugs for the hound and then off again, wouldn’t have gone more than 100-200 meters when movement caught my eye, directly in my 12 o’clock, 2 reds bounding along I stopped and stupidly so did they, ( I’m pretty sure they were dazzled by the 5’11 of dayglo) rifle comes up, quick check of where the hound is and then try to get on target, the one I’ve selected is essentially exposed completely bar the chest area, I think I even had time to bring the rifle back down while I ummed and ahhed, decided I’d go for the neck as maybe only 30-40m away, lined up through the Vortex 2-7x32 and pulled the trigger, nothing….
When I bought the lever action I was a little concerned about being able to hunt in a state of SAFE semi readiness, thinking it would be noisier and less safe than a bolt action, couldn’t have been more wrong, with the lever not fully returned the rifle can’t be fired, also the hammer was on half cock so unable to be fired and finally the safety was engaged as well… now I remembered two of those three…thankfully the deer were kind enough to stick around until I remembered all 3… deer goes down and his younger smaller mate doesn’t budge…. I tell you I did have the thought to take him as well but it was just a flash of a thought and very sensibly we kept the carry out to one.
I was stoked, my very first true bush deer and the very first with Millie who I think was actually oblivious to their presence until my stick went bang, I thought she’d gut it before I did but actually got very sheepish and kept a good 30ft away during the whole gutting process, I did wonder if she thought she might be next.
Thankfully a short trip back to camp, hung from a tree in a protective sleeve I’d made for my sleeping mat out of an old bed sheet while I broke camp. Wasn’t thrilled at the idea at a couple of trips back to the car but literally no other way, pack first and then the headless gutted deer…. In retrospect and after breaking down the animal at home I really don’t think I’d ever carry out whole again. Always in my mind to utilise as much meat as possible but wonder if the meat lost from boning in the field is negligible.
My knees are poked as it is!
Anyway that’s my rather long winded tale (blame the bourbon), amazing quality of the meat, really pleasantly surprised so a very happy boy, just hoping I can get another one before another 5 years.
Also quite keen to highlight how unfazed they were by the high viz gear, obviously sense of smell must be the overriding sense, I sometimes feel somewhat of a prat looking like I’ve come from a gender fluid rave in Ibiza but I literally can’t remember the last time I was shot so maybe food for thought for those sitting on the camo vs blaze fence….
Thanks for reading!
FP

This was a great read and I couldnt help but chuckle a few times, glad you had a great hunt!

Enjoyed the read,no stress hunt is good.Look after your knees and enjoy your venison.

Good stuff

Bloody Good,thanks for posting - man after me own heart!

You're on to it! Leave the stuff you can't eat where it lies...and give your knees a few more years hunting

Loved it, I'm very simular for heath fitness and age wise. Getting away is 9 tens of the enjoyment.

Well done mate, im still on mine....

You write a good yarn, thanks for sharing! "Looking like I've come from a gender fluid rave in Ibiza" - snort! 😄

Good account of the trip, and well deserved (not sure about the sleeping in until 9am part ).

Save your legs/shoulders next time and break down the deer into front/hind quarters + back steaks. A 90L pack should comfortably be able to accommodate that load.

Thanks for posting. A really enjoyable read.

Look after those knees. I'm just about set to hit the hills soon after screwing a knee last January. It's been steady progress in the knees over toes guy program and now gym work focusing on strengthening the whole kinetic chain around the knees.
Breaking down a deer, you have to do it either in the field or at home. Just do it in the field and save the joints a bit of stress

A great yarn and well done on the deer. Teach yourself to bone out in the field asap - I'll generally spend between 1 and 2 hours hanging the animal up (if not on the tops) and taking only the cuts that I will use (back steaks, eye fillets, back legs separated into the muscle groups to use for steaks, and fore-quarters if I can handle the weight). Apart from enjoying the butchery aspect, it means you're not carrying any unnecessary weight out.

Thanks for posting.

Great write up!!! I can relate to quite a bit of your hunt. I certainly travel further and hunt longer if I hunt with a mate. When it's just me and the dog, its a bit more fluid and take it as it comes. Also have the Tatonka Bison 90+10. Great pack and can fit a heap in it, just be aware that while you can fit it all in, you still have to carry it. I learnt my lesson a couple of years ago shooting a hind and a stag over a weekend hunt. While I could get all the meat in, it was bloody heavy and ended up taking hours longer to get back out to the car than it should have if I had just done two loads!

Ha ha, nice write up - love the honesty!

love reading that