Thread: Kaimais - 3rd time lucky

Sunday proved to be a very wet one, but my hunting buddies were keen despite the forecast so off we went in the early hours of the morning. We all went to a new area to all of us, and departed our own ways and had arranged to meet up in the afternoon for the walk out. I had chosen an area relatively easy to walk with a creek running into a major catchment which would take 4-5 hours to hunt. The sun had come out (first time I had seen sun in kaimais) and I was extremely happy with the feel of the place. I began a slow walk following animal trails, but with no deer sign I was not fully alert. Across the other side of the creek I could make out a clearing up a small incline, with the sun beating down on it. Rude not to check it out I thought. On reaching the edge, I immediately looked up a gully which fell into the clearing, but something 20m to my right in my peripheral was screaming at me to look. My eyes flicked to the right and there was a hind standing side on looking at me. The rifle instinctively rose, bolt closed, crosshairs on the chest. Not having sighted in my rifle due to recent modifications, I made a small correction and chose the base of the neck. Squeezed the trigger, and she fell like a tonne of bricks. I got to her quickly and put a final shot in the head. Not necessary as she was almost gone, but just out of respect. Got to work gutting and cutting her up, and heard some noise in the direction of which I had come. This is where it gets weird. There looking on was 2 deer having a nosey at what I was doing. Once they had seen me stand up, they high tailed out of there. Very unusual I thought as they had come exactly the way I had come and would have got wind of my scent, let alone heard both of my shots.

So after hunting for 8 years, mostly on private land, I had secured my first public deer. Very satisfying to say the least. Especially for my 3rd trip into the Kaimais.

nice work Rusky cant beat a neckshot to drop them on the spot leaving all of the front shoulders to use.looks like a good eater aswell.

Well deserved, which side were you on?

Well done Rusky. Every deer you win in that park is hard earned.

Good work man

Excellent Rusky,she is nothing to look at,but the meat will be grand. Shes an ugly farker or is it just me that thinks that?

X breed with the kaimanawa horses

Was hunting the Eastern side Maca49.

Dundee, the miss's thought she was beautiful looking, but I think I agree with your comment. Shes still ageing in the fridge. Whats your guys ageing times? Also whats the most effective and quickest way to cut up a deer in the field? I did hind quarters first, back steak, tenderloins, then front quarters. Normally I have the luxury of hanging the deer for 3-4 days and processing on the hook.

7 days for me skin on I pack my deer out whole but how you did it would have worked for you by the sounds, I don't really bone them out as im lazy

Originally Posted by Neckshot

7 days for me skin on I pack my deer out whole but how you did it would have worked for you by the sounds, I don't really bone them out as im lazy

And ya built like a shearman tank Neckshot

Originally Posted by Dundee

And ya built like a shearman tank Neckshot

I reckon he'd carry 3 of em out

Originally Posted by BRADS

I reckon he'd carry 3 of em out

Steady on Brads his head might swell

I thought you could just roll up those N Island deer whole and put em in your day pack?

Seriously tho Congrats and well done Rusky

nice one,Congrats on your first "public" deer. Been keeping my eyes peeled for any reports from the kaimais, gonna do a trip in a couple of weeks.Chomping at the bit now!
I prob did ten trips into that supplejack nightmare of bush before i managed to finally nail one.Good stuff!

Brilliant stuff.

Nice work. I normally average about the same up there (1 deer for every 3 trips) with the rifle. With the bow it me nil - deer 30+ sightings and no kill.

Kj