Thread: Closer... closer... CLOSER... (warning - long story!)

That was a great series of stories and shows that if you keep at it you will get your animal. The meat will taste better with a little dirt on it so well done.

Nice write up
Shoulda been there lol.

That was good. We need lots more of these positive stories on hunting pages. The passer-by and snooper needs to see positive hunting experiences and guns being used in a way that "they" might see as legitimate.

And less of what is occurring at the moment which is a constant cycle of blaming and justifying, and the occasional internal eruption.

Good on you , well earned and a great story

Thanks guys - it definitely wouldn't have happened without the awesome advice shared on this forum. Hopefully I remember it in 32 years @stug but I don't like my chances! I'd love to hear your 'first deer' story some time, as well as @308 's.

Get out there @Dan88 & @mhoppy - even if you come home empty-handed, it's a well-spent weekend. Yeah, I'm usually alone but careful to let the wife know my intentions and carry a PLB. I've spent a fair bit of time in the bush over the years tramping & fishing so I'm fairly comfortable there.

I'd like to think it was a combination of good planning and execution @Dorkus, but I think I may have someone upstairs helping me out It should have been nice & clean @berg243 , it was pretty comical looking back on it and hopefully you're right @Mooseman ... I appreciated your advice on another thread re. resting venison in the fridge, but was worried about all the contamination so it went straight in the freezer. Came out okay the other night after a few hours in brine.

Yes, you should have been there @csmiffy - maybe we need to drag @mhoppy along too.

I thought the same thing @Tahr, I bit back many contributions to the 'discussion' before deciding that a positive story was better... even if it was a bit long-winded!

you are getting the hang of it...as craigc has said...10 deer later you will look back n laugh.

It was a dark and stormy night ... Well not quite, it was July 1987 and I went on a Waikato NZDA organised hunt to Waihaha in Pureora. My firearms licence was about 3 months old and I had my Dad's .303 jungle carbine with open sights and 20yr old CAC ammo. I attached myself to a guy called Phil Meulemkamp (sp?) who had an amzing GSP called Jacques. Phil had helped my mate get a Jap stag a few months earlier so I knew I was in good hands.
We headed out from camp quietly stalking in the rain. Jacques led us up a gully and after about 30 mins a deer ran off. We carried on up the gully and Phil stopped in the head of the gully. He was watching a tree shaking because an un-seen deer was rubbing on it. I was behind him and looked up to my right. To my amazement a deer was standing there looking at us. It walked across in front of us and in to Phil's line of sight. He quickly lined up and shot it. I got to watch him cut it up and we headed back to camp.
After a quick lunch we headed back into the rain. About an hour later I was sidling across a face, Jacques was indicating deer and I was expecting one at any second. Coming over a slight rise I saw a deer standing side on at about 40-50 yds. I lined up using the open sights and yanked the trigger! Not surprisingly I missed. The deer took a few steps, Phil yelled at Jacques to stop, the deer stopped quartering away and looked back. I had re-loaded and took a better shot behind the shoulder. The deer and another un-seen one ran off.
Jacques took off after the deer and quickly found it. There was no bullet holes or blood and Phil joked it must have been an already dead deer, I half believed him. Phil showed me how to cut it and I carried the back legs over my shoulders back to camp.

Ha ha! Awesome story @stug , sounds like you scared it to death! If I hadn't found my projectile lodged in the far side of the rib cage I'd have wondered the same thing. Nothing like a good deer dog and an experienced old-timer to bring success and speed up the learning process... I'm keeping my eye out for either or both

Awesome story, had to read it again.

Awesome mate, got a similar yarn for my first "shot' (a miss)......https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....no-cigar-9056/

and then finally my first deer....all good stuff

Fantastic effort.
I left a deer hanging in a tree once. Glad I put an orange vest on it otherwise would never have found it the next day

Just read your story @Scouser, it’s a good one alright! I bet you still have visions of that spiker staring you down... yeah @sako75, it seemed like it would be easy to find at the time, but I walked all around it before happening to glance over and spotting the marker. I’m going to carry a length of bright ribbon from now on just in case.

the roll of toilet paper in plastic bag you ALWAYS put in your day bag has more than one use.....

That’s a great story. Good stuff bro


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Awesome story mate! I grew up in Auckland so hunting wasn’t hugely on my radar. Moved to Marlborough about 7 years and and in those 7 years got out hunting maybe 5 times, usually in a different area each time.. I only ever saw one deer at last light (>600m away). Now I’m back in Auckland for work, but trying to return to Blenheim as soon as I can.

Your story has inspired me to get out way more often and get familiar with one or two areas once I get back! Hopefully I will have some similar stories to share!