Thread: Deer,Thar,Cham's a Pig and a Wedding

In December my Wife and I arrived in New Zealand for our wedding Celebration,I never knew how much time could be wasted fretting over the little things,we managed to fit quite a few hunts in and around visiting family and freinds.

A week after arriving,we headed down to Geraldine to visit a mate,scooting into the forest he Yells "pig" with the Hilux sliding to a stop I jump out and glide around the corner to see a Boar rapidly departing up a Gorse covered firebreak.Firing I saw I didn't lead him by enough and the bugger wheels around and charges,the low Gorse obscuring my veiw I had to wait untill he was nearly on the edge of the road before I fired by sighting down the side of the barrel,luckily hitting him in the head.

We then glassed a bit more and I popped the fattest Spiker I have ever seen from a distance of a 150 meters.

https://www.dropbox.com/preview/Kame...?role=personal

After a break in town including a wedding and a trip to Kaikoura to see the whales,we headed into Arthers Pass for a "Biology trip" (My wife is a Biologist and this I have found is the easiest way to get her excited about the back country) I told her how the Grass hoppers are different colours depending on the elevation you find then at and "oh look I will just take this old gun from 1896 because its not like I could ever hit anything with it and who knows we might need to shoot a Feral Cat or a Ferret? Do the country a service?"

After quiet walk in, stopping and examining almost every plant and lichen we found on the way,my boredom had reached previously unprecedented hights (we live in Norway so thats really saying something).We pitched the tent to stay the night.Waking at 0400 I trundled off into a beautiful morning,quickly picking up some deer prints in the soft sand of the river bed.Trying to keep my self out of the river bed so my scent wouldnt get carried up by the rising air temperature I found myself in a Tussock basin.Glassing over the magnificent sea of sun kissed Gold I couldn't believe there wasn't a deer or two to be had.Moving around another finger of scrub I was rewarded my the sight of two Animals way out in the Tussock .

Crawling up a rough creek I needed to take 200 meters off the distance in order to confidently collect the yearling with my open sights.The yearling was still in its winter coat and I couldnt make out the foresight from 400m against its coat.

As I grovelled up the creek I heard the clatter of hooves,popping my head up I saw both animals running down towards me.Frantically I unscrewed the Diopter and popped it in my mouth as I pressed myself against the bank of the dry creek.As the two deer ran past I popped up and felled the yearling with a single shot.Thankfully without swallowing the diopter.

https://www.dropbox.com/preview/Kame...?role=personal

After some great advice from another forum member I was off to shoot my first Chamois.After grinding up a Hill in the rain I popped out of the bush into cloud.Scurrying back into the bush line I pitched my tent,had a bite and wandered off.Sitting in the cloud I could make out some scrub on the other side of the valley,then the cloud cleared and I saw clearly my first ever Chamois,then two,then three! The next day I was chatting to my mate in Norway over the phone,( I had 4G on my phone but no water,when I spied a Chamois basking in the Sun.After trying unsuccessfully to take pictures through my binoculars I decided to stalk in and shoot it.After coming as close as I dared,I dropped it in a heap with a headshot.

https://www.dropbox.com/preview/Kame...?role=personal


My Wife flew back to Norway for work and I had a further three weeks back home.I went out with my Father,a forum member and I to shoot some wild sheep and were rewarded with a couple of Woolies as well the most spectacular veiws of the Canterbury coast either my Father or I had seen.

https://www.dropbox.com/preview/Kame...?role=personal


My Father and I decided on a fly in trip,him being 72 years young was a factor on where to go.After being quoted a Fantasy price by Tekapo Helicopters to fly us a short distance we decided on taking Mount Cook Helicopters a shorter distance for half the price! We enjoyed excellent and friendly service from the Mount Cook team.

Landing outside the hut we stopped for the obligatory "glassing of all faces around the Hunt as soon as the Helo has gone" and were rewarded by seeing two Thar high up under a glacier.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/pc142xsa6w...N0176.JPG?dl=0

The next day we had a poke around before the weather turned sour,all was not lost as we watched a Thar feeding on a face a couple of hundred meters away from the Hut.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mqmlr6ok7g...N0150.JPG?dl=0
The next day after an early start we began our climb up,taking it slowly we spotted a mob of Bulls bedded down on a high plateau.Stalking in my Father shot one which tumbled down into a bit of a gorge. On the way back down I collected a couple with my AR-15 that had probably been spooked by the shots earlier.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/rfw3yjv3fy...N0139.JPG?dl=0

Sitting there having a rest we spotted a Stag bedded down in the Scrub by a River,it being too late in the day to go after it we returned to the hunt.

The next day we strolled off to have a look for a Deer.Getting roughly to the same area we had seen the Stag the previous day,we soon spotted a mob.Creeping down a slip I eased my body inch by inch up the back of a boulder,slowly working up to the top,peeking over the lip.

No Deer!

Thinking I had spooked them I asked dad over the radio wether or not he had seen them run off?Nope,they had just melted away.Deciding to stay put,I got all the toys out,Range finder,Radio etc and set myself up in a stable shooting position should the deer be seen once again.Ranging the opposite side of the River at 317 meters I took off my scope cap,came up as many clicks as I thought the bullet would drop and lay there whilst dad went for a look around.

Nothing happened so I packed it all up,took one last look over my shoulder and yup,its a Deer.Hastily taking a much less stable position than before,I sent 165 grains of bad news into the Deer,dropping it on the spot.

With the River being too high from the snow melt to cross,I got up at 0400 the next day to take advantage of the reduced flow.Nothing wakes you up like dunking your testicles in Snow melt at 5am!Butchering the Deer I trundled back to camp for the ride out later that day.

All in all it was a fantastic seven weeks,catching up with Family,old friends,new ones and generally living life in the land that I love.

A special thanks to Ryan Songhurst for taking the time to vacuum pack some meat for me,"Gone troppo" for confirming my Bino's were dim,lastly a special mention to Akaroa1,for the hunt invite,enjoyable banter and coffee,as well as the privilage of shooting on your private range!

A very eventful seven weeks, great story well done.

Cheers @norsk
I'm looking forward to having you and your dad back
Anyone who brings interesting old guns is welcome
And I have a few more of my big guns working properly now

Great yarn - the three photos that I could open looked awesome.

wish i had dropbox