Thread: Brushing up on some bush stalking skills

I was sitting at home bored and got the urge to go out for a hunt so I got my gear together and decided to go for an afternoon bush stalk as I have done mainly long range stuff and thought it would be good to brush up on some bush stalking skills.

I set out early afternoon got to my spot, threw on my gear and headed for the bush. I have always been told to slow down and it is better to take 2 steps and stop then another 2 and so on and to cover a smaller area slowly than to cover large amounts but noisy and risk spooking everything so with that in mind off I went.

I was sneaking through some bush and came to a bank, it just so happened that I could see way in the distance so I took a moment to sit, look and listen. I could hear what appeared to be bush being eaten but couldn't quite figure out where it was coming from so sat tight and continued observing.
I looked way in the distance and saw a spiker feeding, I pulled out the range finder and ranged it at 252 meters with a steep bank behind it.

It was in a mini clearing but was making it's way slowly towards some thick bush to it's right so I knew I didn't have much time, I dialed my Swarovski Z5 around to 250 meters then wound up the magnification, aiming around the front shoulder I squeezed the trigger and off went the 165 grain ELDX projectile.

I looked up but saw nothing there so stood up to make my way over as it should have been a bread and butter shot, just as I took a couple of steps up popped another spiker but much larger. With no proof I had shot the first deer I quickly lined up the second and again squeezed on the trigger, looking up I saw it standing in the distance but then noticed a wobble before disappearing into the bush.

I picked up my pack, took a bearing of the terrain where I last saw the 2 deer and hurried to bridge the 250 meter distance between me and the 2 deer which I was almost certain to have shot.

Upon arrival to the place I was certain I had shot the deer I could find no trace of them, no blood trail not a single piece of evidence to suggest I had laid a bullet any where near them. I got down on my hands and knees and searched for about an hour through thick bush even going back to the clearing and starting my search over again.

I decided it was time to give up and that I must have had 2 complete misses so turned my back to walk off, however something told me to walk another 50 meters to the right of where I was looking just in case they ran a bit further into the bush so I followed my instinct and searched. Up ahead I thought I could see something white on the ground so walked toward it for a closer look, it was the white tail of a deer, the second deer I had shot so I quickly thought to myself that means I could have got the other one as well because it was further to the right of the second one.

I walked past the deer and looked up ahead and sure enough there was the first deer I had shot laying there, I walked up out of the bush and looked at the terrain and noticed it was identical to the other area where I was looking so I had become confused and was looking in the wrong place all the time.

It was an eye opener to me that I had shot 2 deer yet could have easily walked away with nothing, I was so happy to have found these deer and when I reflected back to my shots I was confident I had shot them yet it was amazing how you can start to doubt yourself and how your mind can play tricks on you and make you believe you had just outright missed them both.

Once again the hardest part was yet to come carrying them out but it is always good to get them home and secure where you can take your time to cut them up.

Having trouble uploading the photos so will try to get them on later.

Can anyone tell me why the photos won't upload anymore, has some setting changed since I was last on?

Good stuff, I am having issues loading photos aswell.

Originally Posted by stagstalker

Good stuff, I am having issues loading photos aswell.

Maybe the site is having an issue at the moment, I will try again later

Aye, finding your in thick scrub can be quite disorienting at best of times. Well done for persevering and finding both animals. Must have been a heavy pack for the trip home.

Well done, in both places i hunt, Whirinaki & Kaimanawas, it would be impossible to see 252 mtrs..........80 meters is a 'long shot' when i go bush hunting.....

In Northland, 25.2 metres would be good going in the bush!

i have lost two animals in the last year or so. the first a young goat. came around a corner and there it was facing me at around ten mtrs. nailed it full in the chest with the 357 expecting it to drop on the spot but had some kind of reflex action and jumped off the side of the track. followed it down a very steep bank to recover it for the pot but gave up when came to the edge of a 40 mtr odd drop straight down. no way of getting down there without climbing gear. the second was a pig. side on shot to the heart with the evil black gun and the bugger jumped and shot across the open ground into the biggest blackberry jungle I think i have ever seen. I tried to get the lad to shimmy on his belly army style through the pig tunnels to retrieve the porker but for some strange reason he wouldn't do it. i even offered to guard his bag while he was in there.....

Originally Posted by chainsaw

Aye, finding your in thick scrub can be quite disorienting at best of times. Well done for persevering and finding both animals. Must have been a heavy pack for the trip home.

Thanks, pack wasnt too heavy as I walked it out empty then I walked back in twice and carried both out whole. One at a time. Very difficult to find in thick bush and it is a lesson for the most hardened hunter to be mindful of how hard it can be to find animals in the bush. I know most hunters will be able to relate to this problem.

Originally Posted by 7mm Rem Mag

a lesson for the most hardened hunter to be mindful of how hard it can be to find animals in the bush. I know most hunters will be able to relate to this problem.

Lesson also once you have found your deer hold onto it......dont do what I did and drop on down a bluff....thinking that it would be easy to find at the other end you might think why would I do this well it was safer than navigating the bluff with that on my back. Once I was down it took me another hour to find him again I very nearly gave up. A good lesson from the Kaimais the bluffs on the Wakatio side are next level dont feck with em

Thanks for the posts @7mm Rem Mag

Good one a most rewarding afternoon. It pays to do a decent search alright, there could have been two deer wasted which now reside in the freezer.

That was well worth going out for then!! Tip I've seen if you ranged the animal then put a marker up from where you shot. Then you can range back across and at least know youve started searching on the right arc.

good stuff...but why dial for 250mtrs???? surely thats still point n shoot...
I spent an hour and half a couple of weekends ago AFTER finding big patches of blood,but couldnt find any more in any direction,ended up going where dog wanted to in first place and caught up with lightly wounded deer 4-500 yards later.
sure teaches a fella perseverance.good on you for sticking with it.enjoy the venison.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

good stuff...but why dial for 250mtrs???? surely thats still point n shoot...
I spent an hour and half a couple of weekends ago AFTER finding big patches of blood,but couldnt find any more in any direction,ended up going where dog wanted to in first place and caught up with lightly wounded deer 4-500 yards later.
sure teaches a fella perseverance.good on you for sticking with it.enjoy the venison.

My .308 with 165gr sako ammo has 11 inches of drop at 250 yards


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Good to hear you finally found them. I myself have lost 2 animals over the years. Just lost the trail and couldn't find any more sign to follow.