I put a new Stug carbon stock on my 300saum on Sunday so yesterday I sighted it in and then jumped in the ute and drove 2.5hrs for a hunt.
It was blowing a gale and cold which was typical for this part of the Wairarapa but I wasn't deterred and and with all of the grass about was confident that I would find something tucked up out of the weather. Initially my hot spots didn't reveal anything but after climbing and changing my angle I spotted a Fallow bedded down in the bush out of the wind.
I quickly planned a stalk and this brought me out onto a ridge I could shoot from - 275 yards. There was a strong cross wind and although I allowed for it, at the shot the spiker leapt to its feet and bolted up though the bush - un-hit. To be fair, for an old bloke a laying down Fallow spiker in the wind is not an easy shot - maybe I should have waited until it stood up. Anyway, I could see a couple of others moving up through the bush in my 'scope and one of them (a buck) stopped for a look back. Range 300 yards...click click on the 'scope, bang! It looked like it was hit but disappeared. Meanwhile, another one appeared a bit lower. Bang!, and down it went (a little spiker).
So that was 2 to go over and find. 20 minutes later Tilly soon found the spiker. It was hit low in the chest but the 150 gun TTSX had done its job. Then it was off the find the buck, but Tilly couldn't find it. After 20 minutes or so I decided to do a big circle to get her into the wind a bit better and that did it, she stuck her nose in the air and I sent her off. I could soon hear her barking and I arrived to find her with a still alive buck on the ground, which I quickly dispatched. It was about 100 yards away from where I had last seen it. I had hit it just behind the creese but because of the angle the bullet had travelled south and exited in front of the hind leg. Not a good shot, and a smack on the hand.
The butchering of the deer took a while and I had quite a load with 4 legs, 4 back straps and some shoulder meat. It took me an hour or so to get off the face, into the creek and back up to my quad (yup, I have one - a 68 year old's luxury). Then it was just a matter of tying on my load, opening what seemed like a thousand gates, and I was back at the ute. Then the drive home, and dropping a leg off at the brother in law's on the way through Masterton. Their coffee tasted good.
All in all an enjoyable evening, and a good blooding for the new stock.
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