Thread: A good day out

A few weeks back got a call from a new friend, ' we're going for a hunt in the morning - see you bright and early!'
Well that's it then, I can't argue with that...
So up and in the 4wd so we arrive at destination on light so as we can see for the dodgy river crossings, and after all the rain all the crossings were dodgy but we were in a vehicle done up to the max for just such work. One major benefit being we never saw any other people in what is normally a very busy spot , probably as they weren't stupid enough to try .
So park truck and head onto river edge for a wander .
Beautiful day in a beautiful spot....

My apologies guys but my phone keeps kicking me off the site after a few minutes of typing so will have to tell this wee story in 'parts' ....

So head up around the corner in the photo nice and quiet and the area opened up slightly.
Scan the scene and spot movement on the edge of the pines. A seven point stag nibbling away and soaking up the sun on what is proving to be a rarity here at moment - a sunny day...
He was around 250 mtrs away and we decided we should be able to move closer undected if careful and managed to get in around to about 180 then the stag started looking wary so took the shot from there . Deer down

Attachment 203965

So gut him out and decided to keep walking further up river .
Another 100 mtrs up river and 2 pigs mooching around on the bank at around 80mtrs .
We both just looked at each other with mildly surprised grins on our faces and tried to set ourselves up for the shots. Not easy when standing knee deep in the river. So we make our way into shallower water but couldn't exit river due to high banks in the section we were in.
So I end up on my hands and knees in the river with the water lapping at my belly , with the bipod resting on an exposed rock and rifle supported with my shooting hand and other hand mid bicep underwater supporting my upper body.
A perfect example of why I practice shooting in odd positions when I can for just such a situation....
So....2 pigs down



Con't ...

Here's the stag pic again... Didn't seem to work the first time...






So it would seem perspective can really help when it comes to photos, and some of you may have noticed that the pigs were quite young ...
Here's a pic from above with my foot....

Oh well, they looked like right monsters in the scope ...



Took them anyway as don't like to waste anything and might get a couple of ham sammies out of them ...

Con't...

So we hump those 2 monster pigs back to the stag and decide to call it a day, don't want to be greedy and got well enough to carry.
So get our prizes back to the ute and start heading out.
500 mtrs up the track and 2 goats jump out....
So I'm out the door with the 308 whilst simultaneously trying to throw the mag back in, when the goats bail, one of the side and one down the road...
So here's me chasing the one down the road whilst trying to chamber a round and just manage to get a shot off as it also bails off the side .
I figure I had missed so sneak quietly to where it jumped and notice a head come up above the level of the road so I obliged... Goat down...
I had thought it was a different goat and that the one I first shot at would be long gone. Turns out I had hit it in the engine room and had been lying down and lifted it's head when it heard me coming.

So adding that to the tally and I think it was definitely a good day out.

Nice!

No butcher shop shopping for you n mate for a while,well done.

good stuff...and the rifle used was???? surely not the new grendal....

Really is a good day out!! Put deer aside, those two little piggies....legs for ham, bbq ribs. back lions...nice. The first picture, the river, somewhere west of Rotoiti?

wee pigs like that...... casserole..... bugger all meat on them,so cube it up and enjoy....its one time when murawai/singe really helps as it gives a bit of something to munch on....

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

good stuff...and the rifle used was???? surely not the new grendal....

Not the grendel no. Only got that in the weekend and haven't put a round through it yet. Mate had a mini in 223 and I had the tikka 308 bushpig.

Originally Posted by Black Rabbit

Really is a good day out!! Put deer aside, those two little piggies....legs for ham, bbq ribs. back lions...nice. The first picture, the river, somewhere west of Rotoiti?

Yeah that would be about the right direction. Hadn't been up there for years due to the amount of traffic and people but we took the risky crossings and it paid off. The sunny weather that day though helped after the days of rain and encouraged the animals into the sunshine.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

wee pigs like that...... casserole..... bugger all meat on them,so cube it up and enjoy....its one time when murawai/singe really helps as it gives a bit of something to munch on....

The father in law loves wild pork so I gave him what little meat was on them . Ended up being about 5 kilos between the two of them so should keep me in the good books for a wee while

Nice to see the place empty for a change. Those piglets would have gone well butterflied over coals. One very yummy harvest.

Variety - the spice of life for sure.

A memorable day out.

Nice work mate. You could have done a Bunji and said those pigs were huge till ya put ya foot in it
Sounds like that is a spot worth returning to