Thread: Catch up with an old Mate

Towards the end of June me old hunting mate Rod ( Top of the South) came up for a visit and hunt with us. Rod and I started out hunting together about 50 years ago and have remained good friends ever since, hunting tends to create great friendships.
Our first hunt was down in the Sambar area where we checked cameras and did a couple of short hunts, I managed to miss another deer right on dark when we were walking back down a road to meet up with Beeman.
A couple of days later Rod, Neil (Beemans son) and I headed into the Kiamanawas for a look around, it had been about 45 years since Rod chased the little Sika.
We made good time and Neil ( being the youngest and fittest ) was in front and at about 1.30pm shot a nice 6 point sika stag of the side of the track. We gutted him and hung him up for retrieval on the way out. We reached the Tiki Tiki mid afternoon and after a quick brew went for a short afternoon hunt. Neil and I hunted down towards the footbridge while Rod did some sunny faces on the other side of the stream. A bit of fresh sign was seen but not as much as expected.
Day two and I was a bit sore in the knees so i decided it would be better to come out today rather than the next day and have to push it so we all thought the the old Te Iringa hut site would be worth a look as there was plenty of sign about up there.
We made it up to the stag Neil had shot and boned him out then carried on towards the old hut site, not far from the top under Mt Te Iringa I heard another silenced 223 shot go off and number two sika stag bits the dust, a bit bigger bodied 4 point stag this time. We hung him on the track for Neil to bone out in the morning.
Rod did a afternoon hunt and ended up seeing three deer which included two on the track on the walk back up to our camp site. I had one squealing at me on the way out even after the other boys had been through before me. She was pretty cold up at the old hut site with light snow on the ground and a cold gusty wind to keep us chilled but once in the sleeping bag we soon warmed up a bit.
The last morning had Neil going down to bone out stag number two and Rod on a search for his phone which wasn't found. I packed up and took the meat from the first stag and Headed out to carpark with the boys about an hour behind me with the other stag and their gear.
What a great trip despite a bit of pain in the legs, it was good to be out hunting with good mates.

Neil with his stags and the old Te Iringa Hut site.

Thats very cool. I smiled about the lost 'phone. The first time I hunted with Rod he had to go back and find his range finder, and the last time I lost my GPS.

Successful wee trip and some handy animals to the track , good to be still doing it 50 years later , we’ll done fellas , used to hunt that area a lot

Ha ha good yarn Mooseman, and yu p lost gear as well.

Hey - don't the years fly by, but out on the hill looking it still feels like you're 18 again (untill ya have to canter off somewhere!!)

Really good to catch up despite the phone.
The years certainly do fly by but really enjoyed myself just need to retire now so I can get a bit fitter to keep up with the young fellas

You get any fitter you'll be able to enter the coast to coast.

Originally Posted by Brian

You get any fitter you'll be able to enter the coast to coast.

That would be wishful thinking

Great yarn, it’s pretty awesome to be able to get out with your mates after all those years.

Originally Posted by craigc

Great yarn, it’s pretty awesome to be able to get out with your mates after all those years.

It sure is, it's a bit scary how the years flick by so quickly.

Bloody good yarn.Thanks Mooseman.

Quick question,,,, the tent on the left what is it called?,,, Also great yarn and good times.

Looks to be a huntech biv setup to me.

Originally Posted by Black Bear

Quick question,,,, the tent on the left what is it called?,,, Also great yarn and good times.

Yeh as the bomb said its a Huntec Bivy, quite a good light weight system. I have been in some nasty weather in it over the years and it has stood up to it. A bug screen and built in floor would be good. The seam sealing on the inside has started to come off now so I used some waterproof sealer to stop any leaks.

Originally Posted by Black Bear

Quick question,,,, the tent on the left what is it called?,,, Also great yarn and good times.

Yeh as the bomb said its a Huntec Bivy, quite a good light weight system. I have been in some nasty weather in it over the years and it has stood up to it. A bug screen and built in floor would be good. The seam sealing on the inside has started to come off now so I used some waterproof sealer to stop any leaks.