Thread: Easy hunt and some home truths

So I got out for a quick overnighter with another forum member (I wont name him he can out himself if he likes) .
Our trip started with a quick and not to strenuous walk along a saddle and then dropping our packs and camping gear at our camp site.
We then grabbed our rifles, binos, jackets and my hunting partner grabbed his empty pack.
I chose not to bring a pack (big mistake).
We set off for a face to watch for the evening dropping down a steep track then side hilling around a knob to our spot, along the way I was introduced to Onga onga (a native stinging nettle) something I'd never heard of before and I was warned to give it a wide berth.....Little did I know we would both end up feeling the wrath of this horrible little weed.
It's funny it never seems to bad when your descending and carrying only a rifle and bino bivvy, there was lots of waist high grass to contend with which made the going a bit tricky at times as it hid rocks and logs and also meant you really had to lift your legs making progress a little slower but not unbearable.
Well we got set up on a good glassing spot at around about 4:30pm there was a constant wind blowing but not too bad for the most part and in our favour so that was good.
We sat there for quite some time scanning the face opposite us and chewing the fat about this and that.
After a while my partner suggested it might be worth splitting up so he could check another face and double our chances as time was getting on and as yet we hadn't seen a thing.
We agreed that if either of us saw anything we would call the other to come.
Well time ticked on and nothing came out, which was supprising as there were some well used game trails and plenty of feed.
Soon enough my partner came back to find me still scanning and wrapped up in my jacket as the temp was starting to drop and the wind was picking up.
He hadn't seen anything either, now I'm pretty used to not finding deer so whilst I wasn't disappointed I hadn't given up hope yet.
We decided we would sit on the face we were on till dark and give it some more time, now normally after sitting in one place I would've been keen to move on but I trusted my partner and stayed put.
The sun was starting to get pretty low and I knew we were fast running out of shooting light, I mentally prepared mysrlf for the fact we might go back empty and I was ok with that as it was gonna be a reasonable effort to get back to camp anyway.
Then out of nowhere my partner tells me he can see a deer and on one of the closer faces which I was relieved about as I was carrying my short Bergara 308 single.
We watched as the deer a solid young stag came further out of the scrub completely fixated on feeding. We ranged him at about 550 yards from memory. Too far for my self imposed limit of 400 yards with this rifle (my load has just over 1000 ft/lbs at this distance).
I'm only running a 3-9×40 tasco on it currently with capped dials so wasnt keen on dialing either.
We decided to close the gap, we were currently sitting in the scrub line so we stayed there whilst side hilling around to a spot we could drop down and get a closer shot without having to cross open ground.
Keeping an eye on the stag we moved quickly and quietly (for the most part).
We dropped down and found a suitable rest, a quick range put the stag at 330yards perfect except that I had knelt down in a patch of onga onga !!! My heart was pounding and I was breathing fast, my partner reassured me and told me to keep calm, I discussed holdover and waited for the stag to present a broadside shot.
I was excited and a little stressed as it was getting late and we had probably less than 30 minutes to sunset.
Then it happened he turned broadside it was time.....I pulled the hammer back and squeezed the trigger.
The stag dropped like a sack of spuds brilliant I thought, a quick high five and we then made plans to ditch our rifles and binos and climb up to where the stag was through a gut and up a small rocky face.
My partner got there first as he is a bit (a lot) more hill fit than me, he called out to me come quick he's not dead !!!
I scrambled the last few meters and pushed through some prickly shit to see the stag obviously fucked but looking at us in obvious distain.
We made a plan that my partner would restrain its head and I would carefully cut it's throat.
My shot was high I had held over a little too much (why I hate duplex reticles makes it hard to judge holdover for me anyway) but it had smashed both shoulders and he wasn't going anywhere.
I delivered the cu de gras and we both stepped back and let him die with as much dignity as possible given the circumstances.
I felt pretty shit about it but I was pleased he didn't bolt and die slowly somewhere.
Death isn't always perfect or easy, we both stroked the fallen stag and apologised for his suffering.
We dragged him a couple meters to a flat, took a quick photo, then I recieved a quick lesson in breaking down a deer.
The back legs were massive and once skinned went into pillow cases to keep them clean. The back fillets, heart and liver went into another pillow case.
We looked at the front shoulders but they were pretty fucked and on top of this I was a little worried about being able to carry much more back up to camp especially after making the dunce move of not bringing a pack.
My partner had his pack so the steaks and offal went into his pack with one of the hams, I was tasked with the other ham which I slung over my shoulder.
Darkness was upon us it was now after 10pm as we dropped back through the gut and side hilled our way back to where the rifles and binos were.
I made several stops along the way, the waist high grass that slowed progress on the way over seemed like quick sand with the ham slung over my shoulder throwing me off balance, also tripping on logs and rocks unfortunately I knew there was worse to come.
I finally made it to where the rifles were we sat for a bit and rested, chewed a couple of very stale jet planes. We then started the first of a couple grinds I stopped frequently to catch my breath and slow my heart rate (I was really suffering from a lack of fitness, very average boots and being off balance due to my stubbornness of not binging a pack).
We finally made it to the last and worst grind a zig zag track that led back to the saddle we were camping below.
My partner who was by now feeling pretty tired and hungry told me he was gonna do it in one push, I knew I wasn't capable and told him to go ahead I would take my time and get there eventually.
I watched as he powered out of sight, I then started making my way slowly up setting small goals sometimes exceeding them, sometimes not.
After what seemed like an eternity and many rests I thought surely I must be near the top, the dark really threw out my sense of distance, I was lying there and I even had a short nap as I was totally outta gas by this stage, when I woke to my partner who came back to find me as he had set up camp and was worried I hadn't made it back yet.
He picked up my ham, and we set off together, I thought I was near the top, to my disappointment I was less than half way, with the weight of the ham off my shoulder I trudged slowly the rest of the way up stopping just shy of the top for one last rest.
We waded back through the waist high grass to camp where I promptly collapsed and re hydrated.
We debriefed for a bit my partner confessed he had set his bed up on a patch of onga onga so he too was suffering the sting of the horrible weed, we boiled water for our meals and by the time I crawled into my sleeping bag it was 1:30am.
The wind was howling but sleep came quickly, until a possum decided to start grunting in the shrub we were fly camping behind as a wind brake, I would drift off to sleep only to be woken up again by the disgruntled possum, I considered loading a round into the bergara and sorting him out but my partner was sound asleep and I didn't want to disturb him.
The sun rose around 5 am so I got up and watched as light crept over the hills, we had coffee, breakfast and packed camp up.
I loaded the ham that had been such a burden the previous night into my tatonka bison and even with my gear in there too it was so much easier to carry, we popped up, over the saddle and followed the track down to the truck.
It had been an awesome adventure and I learnt some valuable lessons.

I need to work on my hill fitness big time

Always take a pack if you intend on shooting an animal

If your in a good spot with plenty of sign stay put, the animals are there you just haven't seen them yet.

I owe my hunting partner a huge debt of gratitude and massive respect to him.

Alls well that ends well, we had a great time and bought some good meat off the hill.
This isn't as great as some of my other stories as I made a few mistakes and my body let me down but I have taken some great lessons from a great teacher and I hope I have done this story justice.

For the nettle stings try and keep them cool. Dock leafs crushed and rubbed on the spot helps. The sap had a cooling agent in it.
For those with dogs I would recommend a cooling sports spray. The ones they use for muscles.
You need to try to not scratch the spot. Hard to tell ya dog to stop scratching.
The Dude really suffers. I spent Saturday night sitting with him in the laundry with the doors open as much as he (& I) wanted to be in by the fire this was the best remedy.
Anyway good story thanks for shearing and good luck on the fitness

go the mighty 08...see that work you did sorting out a load was worth while...
now the fitness...thats up to you
the onga onga...once bitten twice shy...youve had a controlled burn...wait till the deer youve just shot rolls into it,waking it up ready to sting next thing it touches.
anti histamines in wee pill container at all times...for wasp stings aswell.
enjoy your venison,you earned it.
oh and as for the possom

6-7grns of trail boss behind a cast 151 grn pill with std primer...your mate wont even stop snoring.....they great for finishing shot too.

Originally Posted by Sideshow

For the nettle stings try and keep them cool. Dock leafs crushed and rubbed on the spot helps. The sap had a cooling agent in it.
For those with dogs I would recommend a cooling sports spray. The ones they use for muscles.
You need to try to not scratch the spot. Hard to tell ya dog to stop scratching.
The Dude really suffers. I spent Saturday night sitting with him in the laundry with the doors open as much as he (& I) wanted to be in by the fire this was the best remedy.
Anyway good story thanks for shearing and good luck on the fitness

It stung at the time, but to be honest it hasn't really bothered me much. Just lucky I guess

Some say that the NZ version is worse than the European version.
Can’t say never seen the NZ version let alone touched the stuff.
First time I was introduced to the European version I thought it was mint.
Said nar that’s mint...then grabbed the stuff fool me once hahahahahaha shit the girlfriend at the time laughed....cow mind you I did feel like a right fool. What a dick nar it’s mint...hahaha bloody funny

Originally Posted by dannyb

It stung at the time, but to be honest it hasn't really bothered me much. Just lucky I guess

I find for several days afterwards it starts hurting again if the stung area gets wet.

NZ version is way worse than the European nettle

@Cigar so I’ve heard but it’s like when they made Guinness in London. People said nar this stuff is better than the Dublin made brew.
The Irish fixed that they closed the London plant......
Himm maybe we can give them or nettles

Well the funny thing is I thought " take a big young guy like @dannyb hunting and he can carry as much meat out as he can manage ".

I had a yearling in the fridge from a week before and didn't need the meat.
It was going to be a stroll for me to get him a deer and he could do the donkey work.
Well I was wrong

Anyway he will have learned a bit about being patient when in the right country and not doing to much.
And that there is nothing like being hill fit from having a physical job, an active lifestyle and hunting every week and regularly carrying out 30kgs of meat

Bloody hell DB youre gonna have to start leaving some deer for the rest of us soon. That nettle be bad news for you, have heard of it stuffing with peoples hearts, killing dogs etc after a decent exposure to it. Worst stuff out there though is giant hogweed, dont usually see it out in the hills but around old settlements, farm buildings, pine plantations seem to be its prefered place to grow, know a bloke who was pighunting in shorts and singlet, pushed through some of it and was lucky to make it back to his truck, poor bastard had pretty much third degree burns on all his exposed skin which ended up blistering and making a real mess of him, was weeks and weeks in a burns unit in hospital.. nasty.

I run into onga onga all the time and it doesn't really worry me.
I just like to warm visitors and guys who i don't think would know what it is.
Onga onga is a pioneer and grows on edges mainly. It dies off further into the bush.

I have shot several deer that ran or slid into onga onga thickets ! A very rough fitting job and then drag or roll them out to break down properly.
Then a painful reminder for the next week

When goat hunting as a kid; I was following a game trail down to a creek where it stopped dead. So I decided to jump across and hugged a big bush over the other side for support..... Turned out it was a big tree nettle bush and was why the animals hadn't jumped across straight into it..... A word of advice..... Never give tree nettle a bear hug...... Was a fun few hours with hands and arms (was wearing a t shirt) stung to buggery and my hands cramped in a sorta claw from the stings..... Never did that one twice..... ;-)

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Bloody hell DB youre gonna have to start leaving some deer for the rest of us soon..

Don't worry @Ryan_Songhurst I won't shoot them all
I hunted for 4 days on the West Coast late in October and saw over 100 deer without feeling the need to shoot any of them.
But did take 2 pigs and a goat for a change of diet
Most of the deer were on DoC land but I was getting access through private land.
I was never more than 2km from my vehicle

Hunt smarter not harder

Originally Posted by akaroa1

Don't worry @Ryan_Songhurst I won't shoot them all
I hunted for 4 days on the West Coast late in October and saw over 100 deer without feeling the need to shoot any of them.
But did take 2 pigs and a goat for a change of diet
Most of the deer were on DoC land but I was getting access through private land.
I was never more than 2km from my vehicle

Hunt smarter not harder

Ah
I just got it !!

We were both DBs