The double whammy, Stag 1 and Stag 2

With the weather looking pretty good I decided to go for a hunt after work Wednesday evening, I raced home got my gears and headed to one of my spots, having a sneaky look at an open stream bed that usually has a bit of sign, I soon saw the ass end of a deer out in the open about 100yards out, resting against a tree I couldn’t see anything other than its backside, I waited for an opportunity which came fairly soon as the deer moved to the left just enough to expose its shoulder, squeezing the trigger of the trusty single shot and “Boomf…..Thud” the deer dropped like liquid, I quickly pulled out the spent shell and loaded another round, more out of habit than anything else, as I reloaded I saw another deer stretched out like a race horse making for the bush edge about 60-70 yards away, the “ahh f##k it” mind set kicked in and I lined up the fleeing deer, I gave it a slight lead and let rip, that all too familiar sound “thump” let me know the bullet had made contact just as it reached the safety of the bush.
I had a fair bit of work ahead of me but with today off work I decided to come back in the morning for the second deer, it wasn’t a huge carry out but I didn’t feel like being out well after dark when I could take my time today with the second one. I went and found where they both dropped to discover they were both stags that have shed their antlers, nice one I thought, this should top the freezer off quite well. The deep freeze is just about chocker now so I can relax and focus on other things for the next couple of months, perhaps a bit of surf casting.
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Back home and ready for the clean up, back wheels and a bag chocker with back and eye steaks.
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Nice one.

:cool:

Tinny bugger!

Nice one! I bet you were stoked with the second running one.

Its a shame they had something missing off their head

Tararuas again? Love the begara

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Originally Posted by Rusky

Nice one! I bet you were stoked with the second running one.

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I was more pleased about nailing it as it was going hell for leather so was a tricky shot.

Missing things on their heads..never really been into trophy's, its all meat to me, it would need to be a pretty amazing looking rack these days for me to bother carrying out the head as well.

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Originally Posted by scoped

Tararuas again? Love the begara

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Nah mate not this time.

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Originally Posted by Phill243

Its a shame they had something missing off their head

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Why?
Every hind I’ve shot for meat was similar.

Great result oneshot, double up's good.....

I guess your right it's good to see your using the meat. Some people just shoot Stags for the heads but that's not good either. I shoot yearlings or spikers for meat this time of year but that's just me :)

Good work

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Originally Posted by Phill243

I guess your right it's good to see your using the meat. Some people just shoot Stags for the heads but that's not good either. I shoot yearlings or spikers for meat this time of year but that's just me :)

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Im actually a bit of a softie, I don't like to shoot hinds in the spring, even though they wont be dropping fawns till around December I "TRY" to avoid killing pregnant hinds if I can, the only indication I had of these being stags was body size which after shooting them confirmed what I suspected. yearlings are number one targets for me, but I'll gladly drop a stag, velvet, cast or hard antler.

Fair call. I agree with you I'm a softie too I won't shoot any hind incase she's pregnant . Yea I suppose a stags good anytime isn't it. I haven't had the chance to many stags . Last time I took a mate out for his first deer we spotted a stag and I said u can have it it's only a 6 pointer . Well he shot it at it turned out to be a nice little ten pointer haha . I all ways run into spikers myself I shot a yearling spiker couple days ago in the ruahines

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Originally Posted by oneshot

Im actually a bit of a softie, I don't like to shoot hinds in the spring, even though they wont be dropping fawns till around December I "TRY" to avoid killing pregnant hinds if I can, the only indication I had of these being stags was body size which after shooting them confirmed what I suspected. yearlings are number one targets for me, but I'll gladly drop a stag, velvet, cast or hard antler.

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Originally Posted by Phill243

Fair call. I agree with you I'm a softie too I won't shoot any hind incase she's pregnant . Yea I suppose a stags good anytime isn't it. I haven't had the chance to many stags . Last time I took a mate out for his first deer we spotted a stag and I said u can have it it's only a 6 pointer . Well he shot it at it turned out to be a nice little ten pointer haha . I all ways run into spikers myself I shot a yearling spiker couple days ago in the ruahines

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Could I ask why just out of curiosity? I can understand not shooting a pregnant hind in the interest of keeping the population up, but its probably quite a peaceful death for the unborn fawn if its mother is shot, but I guess that isn't something I could prove.

I shot a pregnant doe for the first time a few weeks back. I knew full well she was likely pregnant when I pulled the trigger, but I will admit, opening up the placenta and handling the foetus did give me a healthy bit of hunters remorse.

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Originally Posted by Phill243

Its a shame they had something missing off their head

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Nah I don't eat antlers anyway

Well done oneshot

I stop shooting hinds once they have dropped their fawns, and start again when the fawns are big enough to cope on their own.

This not shooting pregnant hinds thing, well, for the rest of the year they are actually pregnant if you think about it. From March through to when they drop. I cant see how the size of the foetus makes any difference.

Gotta have a balance no point shooting all the spiker cause in 10 years time there will be piss all stags with good bloodlines and head gear . Shoot more hinds I say

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Originally Posted by Tahr

I stop shooting hinds once they have dropped their fawns, and start again when the fawns are big enough to cope on their own.

This not shooting pregnant hinds thing, well, for the rest of the year they are actually pregnant if you think about it. From March through to when they drop. I cant see how the size of the foetus makes any difference.

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like I said, just a bit of a softie really, when a fawn is close to being born and running about I would prefer to see that, just my own way of thinking nothing more to it I suppose. Shooting hinds much earlier on when they are carrying an embryo feels a bit different, each to their way of thinking I guess, I hold nothing against other people shooting hinds heavily preggas or with fawns at foot and would never judge someone on their views of it. I love a good hunt even if I sit and watch a group of deer without pulling the trigger, seeing fawns with mum is a bonus for me.

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Originally Posted by scoped

Gotta have a balance no point shooting all the spiker cause in 10 years time there will be piss all stags with good bloodlines and head gear . Shoot more hinds I say

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nah the antlers are to chewy and don't taste very nice :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by Tahr

I stop shooting hinds once they have dropped their fawns, and start again when the fawns are big enough to cope on their own.

This not shooting pregnant hinds thing, well, for the rest of the year they are actually pregnant if you think about it. From March through to when they drop. I cant see how the size of the foetus makes any difference.

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That's pretty much my thinking too, Tahr.

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Originally Posted by oneshot

like I said, just a bit of a softie really, when a fawn is close to being born and running about I would prefer to see that, just my own way of thinking nothing more to it I suppose. Shooting hinds much earlier on when they are carrying an embryo feels a bit different, each to their way of thinking I guess, I hold nothing against other people shooting hinds heavily preggas or with fawns at foot and would never judge someone on their views of it. I love a good hunt even if I sit and watch a group of deer without pulling the trigger, seeing fawns with mum is a bonus for me.

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Yep nothing wrong with that, oneshot, each to their own.

Good points made. My preference of course is not to shoot hinds close to drop if there is an alternative.

Good stuff on shooting the stags, especially with a single shot. Shot two myself once, three hours from the car with all my camping gear, looked at both of them on the ground and went Bugger!! Carried all the meat out but nearly killed me.

Well done

I have no comment on what to and what not to shoot, those that know me know why or why not!!!

Hamish

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Originally Posted by HNTMAD

Well done

I have no comment on what to and what not to shoot, those that know me know why or why not!!!

Hamish

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Kill em all hahaha. We all have one common goal and that's enjoying the great outdoors, cant ask for more than that.

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Originally Posted by oneshot

Kill em all hahaha. We all have one common goal and that's enjoying the great outdoors, cant ask for more than that.

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I let a hind and fawn leave untouched and disappeared into the bush with just photos taken.:) It was a great feeling having my youngest son with me.200 metres away it could of been an orphan.

Taking no prisoners tomorrow if I see a bambi I will take it!:D Been too long off the hills.

Have a great day Dundee.

awesome