Thread: Big country in the St James

Regular readers will wonder why I am posting here...perhaps a misplaced thread that should be sent to where I a dwell in For Sale, Reloading and Ballistics or Firearms and Optics threads...? Ah if only.

Was doing paperwork Saturday arvo and got a call from @Stag to go check out new country to us (and his son Flynn) up the St James. We'd both been around the area but never into this spot. It was 8pm by the time we parked up and bacon putties were soon being dished up. Stags could be heard roaring during the night so we were all pretty happy.

Next morning we were up at 5am and out looking for some animals where we wanted to be at sunrise.

We spotted a long tipped spiker and a couple of hinds at 460yards but they seemed to know something was up and moved out of sight. We followed behind them and saw they had popped out across a steep gut 270yards away and a bit below us.

I set the CDS turret to the distance and struggled to find a rest on the narrow and steep track. In my haste I made a rookie mistake and sat the tip of the barrel on a matagouri bush branch for a rest. Missed the spiker. Reloaded on the hind with a better grip and fired. It slid out of sight. Later discovered I had shot it through the shoulder with the 168gn Amax doing a good job

We cut round the head basin to save a step descent and then down the leading ridge to where we thought the hind was. Turned out with the slippery tussock and luck it slid almost to the bottom of the very steep slope. We butchered it and considered whether to punch out to the track a couple of k's away and then collect the truck or guts it out back to where we made the shot from which was some distance above. We decided on the latter and with some bush bashing made it out. I have to be honest and say @Stag gave me a hand as the distance and steepness was a bit different to the rifle range I know so well at home.

After seeing the scratches on my truck on the passenger side through his navigation I should have made him carry me too.

A very short sharp hunt that was enjoyable and home mid afternoon with the hot tub fired up to soak in. Young Flynn even helped with the last yards of the pack carry announcing he didn't know why we had worked up a sweat. I was too sore and sweaty to throttle him.




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Good result! I haven't been in there for more than 30 years but it was always good country to hunt, although it got a hammering from the choppers for a long time. An American mate calls matagouri scratches on the vehicles 'Kiwi pinstriping'! It is only the first scratches that are annoying, after that it doesn't matter.

You and Jans both looking much longer in the tooth than what I remembered you as

a vechile is no good untill it had been stuck,dented and scratched...after you have done all three,you wont be afraid to use it...and will go much further with much less hassle.
enjoy the venison.

Originally Posted by Nathan F

You and Jans both looking much longer in the tooth than what I remembered you as

I saw you a few weeks ago! Was an overnight hunt not a 6 month polar circumnavigation!

Deer heart from this morning with onions, crushed garlic, Sriracha chilli and seasoning. So good served with Hoisin sauce.



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Great work!

Originally Posted by Nathan F

You and Jans both looking much longer in the tooth than what I remembered you as

You would look like that too If you had to put up with 7hrs of snoring in your tent!

Bahahaha. Justice for nav skills.

The view from that hot tub on a blue sky cracker of a day… they say envy is one of the seven deadly sins. I’m very farkin envious right now.

Originally Posted by Stag

You would look like that too If you had to put up with 7hrs of snoring in your tent!

I’ve got a couple of mates like that! Lol Earplugs are an essential kit item these days

Nice trip, thanks for sharing

Originally Posted by Stag

You would look like that too If you had to put up with 7hrs of snoring in your tent!

I learnt my lesson there years ago. Make him carry his own accommodation and pitch it a least 100m from your own

I'll happily do that after the farting I've had to endure from the pair of you.

Great write up & pics thanks Bob. Good to see the two of you getting out there, and no doubt teaching a budding hunter some good skills.