Thread: First hunt for first chamois

Having just completed a move back to the South Island I figured I better get out and have a wee look for a chamois. Having only hunted them once before with no success I didn't rate my chances to high but decided to give it a nudge anyway. I made the short drive up the Rahu abit later than intended, arriving around 7:30am to an empty car park. I figured it was a pretty good sign. Whilst sorting my gear another car arrived, a stunning young blondie comes over and has abit of a yarn, tells me they had heard about a few animals up the hill and asked if I minded if her and her partner hunted up there as well. I said no I didn't mind and let them know of my intentions. With that being done I ambled off up the track....well maybe not ambled, as just over an hour later I reached the tops. Soaked with sweat I sat glassing in the cold morning air. Nothing was stirring in he first bit of a basin so I decided to climb higher and sidle round to a saddle that would give me a good point to have look from, even better it was out of the wind! I start looking over the basin, up,down, left,right through all the nice sunny faces only to discover....nothing. I then started to glass the shady faces, same routine for about 20mins when I noticed what I thought was a rock move. Well out with the spotting scope and low and behold there's a chamios. Not just one..eight of them. Nannies ,juveniles and a buck feeding below a small bluff about a km away. I sat and watched them for awhile trying to plan a stalk. Being where they were and having bedded down it was going to be impossible to get close enough for a shot so I decided to wait and see what happened. I sat and watched for the best part of 4hours, plotting ways to get closer until finally they started feeding again, moving into a small gut out of sight. I figured I had 3 hours I light left so I may as well have a go at them. I crept around the top of the main basin, then descended into a small gut next I where I had last seen them. A slight downhill breeze was going to make the stalk iffy but I had nothing to lose. I carefully nosed my way over the crest of the spur to where I believed the chamios would be, only to discover that I was now about 10m from two nannies, who were completely oblivious to me. I quickly scanned below me hoping to see the buck but only found another nanny sussing me out and looking pretty cagey. With it all about to go pear shaped I lined up the nanny nearest me and let rip. Down she went, and off went about a dozen more in all directions. I caught sight of the buck an swung on him but decided not to risk it. I made my way over the the chamois savouring the moment before I took a few photos, boned it out and headed for home. It's nothing too amazing but it's one hunt I'll treasure.

Nice yarn, hoping to get my first this winter

Awesome mate, what rifle and cal are you working with?

The sure to rust weatherby vanguard in 270

A nanny is better than nothing for your first, good going.