Thread: A few photos from my 2013 roar

Given the most serious part of the roar is over for most I'd thought I'd share a few photos from my couple of months following rutting stags and bucks. I'm working on some video footage that will incorporate some of these photos.

It was a funny season and very on and off in the areas I hunt. I did manage a couple of mile-stones, saw a few nice stags with potential that were left for another day and covered a bit of country.

I certainly didn't see the same number of stags or quality of stags I have seen in past years, but then again I didn't hunt as many days as past years either. (Buying and renovating a house during the roar is probably not the most clever idea ;D )


First up was finally catching up with an old friend of 7 years;





Then a few stags roared up close on other trips;


















Caught up with Bushbash and took him for a few short hunts around Southland over two days. Shot two roaring stags, including this one, which was an exciting and well executed hunt;





Got into some backcountry areas with good deer numbers and saw a very nice old 10, and a young 12 which I left. This 8 pointer seen on the same trip held 2 hinds with yearlings (two can be seen in photo). He roared well and I was surprised the bigger stags in the area didn't come to sort him out. Found wallows everywhere! I will return next year.





Then a first for me, Sika hunting. Had planned a trip way back last year and soon enough I was on a plane to the north island. Spent 6 days hunting sika with a real good bugger off the forum, cheers Jamie. Roaring was sporadic but gave me a taste of hunting the wily sika deer. Saw a couple of stags, including one who showed his dominance by wallowing and roaring at us within 30 yards. My first sika stag ever seen was a 8 pointer and on that account I shot him and was absolutely wrapt. We shot two sika for the trip, one bush hunting and one that came onto a clearing in the morning, it was wicked.











And finally, many of you will know I've been after a representative Fallow buck for a few years. I spent a fair bit of time looking for one this year and saw a few that were very respectable. This one was probably the best and he was croaking his head off and holding 4 does in a patch of scrub. We snuck within 100 metres and watched him for a while before letting him wander off after an in heat doe. So I'm still looking for that big fella!








That was pretty much the last two and a half months wrapped up in a few photos. A mixed season for sure, but enjoyable all the same as hunting is something I love.

The next couple of months will be spent running about in the mountains chasing tahr and chamois and in between the odd winter stag and buck hunt (Starting this Thursday ;D )


Happy hunting fellas.


JoshC

Stunning photos

great pics! how the hell do you get that much time off work???

+1 on tsk comment ha

good year mate

Brilliant JoshC. It doesn't matter how you get the time off work. What really matters is that you do.

Originally Posted by Twoshotkill

great pics! how the hell do you get that much time off work???

+2

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You got it sorted . Great photos

Amazing photo's , and very inspirational

Beaut photos

Great work JoshC, looks like you had an eventful roar season, brill photos, liked the one of the stag close up.......cheers mate!

Cheers fellas. During the roar months I hunt most weekends and have the odd Friday or Monday off. I often plan evening hunts where I'm travelling for work. For my Sika trip I had 3 days off, that was the most in one go. Still worked 150 odd hours each month. My boss has 3 weeks off solid for the roar so he understands.

Some nice animals left for another day. Bet the fallow was tempting but the kudos goes for holding off. Thanks for sharing

Awesome photos mate
great to see your obviously out there doing it

Mint photos, Josh. Good stuff on the Sika and the Red stags you took. At this rate, won't be long till you're onto that Buck!

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Wicked pic's, deffinately amonst them!!