Thread: Learning Curve

Young Sam (40 ) is really keen on hunting but has only ever been out with me and has shot 3 relatively easy deer and a pig. One was at 400 yards, so he can shoot ok. But I think that he really did think that this hunting gig was easy peasy. Anyway, last week Sam came down from Auckland for an overnighter with me and Brian out on the East coast. It was a bit rushed because of Sam's flights which cramped us a bit at the end, but more on that later.

We drove our quads out to a hut at the back of the station and hunted from there. It was a beautiful day and rather than sit around until later in the day I kidded the other 2 to head out with me at 2pm, and by 3pm Sam's young eyes (great spotting) had spotted a stag laying down in the shade and quite obscured at about 400 yards away. We looked and looked at him trying to assess his velvet and in the end decided that it wasn't worth a shot without being able to see his velvet clearly, and got up to move on. As we did Brian accidentally trod on his dogs toe and it gave a yelp, which got the stag up onto alert, and we could see that the velvet was very average. The stag settled in the end and started to graze, so we snuck down the ridge a bit for Sam to get a shot. Sam had my Sako A7 7-08.

The range was about 330 yards which I dialled in on his 'scope and then got Sam settled in for the shot. At the shot the stag bolted and it was pretty clear that it was a miss, but of course I still had to take Sam over to check. So we crossed the steep gully and had a look for it but there was no sign of a hit and Tilly (my dog) showed no interest. While over there I asked Sam what power he had the 'scope set on and he said "what you had it on when I took it from the bag". The scope was a Leupold 2-12 and it was set on 4x so that's what he used. So that was a lesson for him - wind the power up for a long shot.

[Not too many pics because its not fair on Sam to include pics of him]

When we got back from looking for the stag we hooked up with Brian again and headed our various ways for the evening. I took Sam one way and Brian headed in the opposite direction. We didn't see any more deer until after 6pm when we stalked into a little saddle and as I whispered "I often see deer here" a hind trotted away in front of us. I should have been ready for a shot - but we weren't shooting hinds anyway.

As evening drew on I was glassing in one direction and Sam in another when I heard Sam say "there's one over on that face". I expect that it was aware of our presence but it wasn't overly spooked. Sam just sat there gawking at it - Ive told him over and over "if you see one shoot the damn thing". It was in a saddle and about to disappear so I quickly (and I could see that the head wasn't anything special) lined up and let rip with the 270wsm (245 yards), angling (I hoped) the bullet into its side to exit the off shoulder. It leapt into the air at the shot and disappeared over the other side of the saddle. So we packed up our gear and trudged over another damned steep gully to see if I had connected. No blood, no sign. So I sent Sam off in one direction and I went another to grid search the bush, and after a bit of bashing around Tilly pick dup its scent and led me 100 odd yards down the hill to a stone dead stag. 129 Barnes LRX had hit it mid side as it quartered away and exited dead centre on the off shoulder. I explained to Sam that he "ought not F... around when he see's one, just take the shot". Another lesson. While I dealt to the stag I sent Sam off to an open knob to glass again and he did see another spiker but once again was not quick enough.



I gotta say though that it was very cool having Sam to share the load. And a bigger share than mine
On the way home as we crossed the flats we saw some deer and Sam was successful in shooting a very nice Fallow spiker at about 100 yards. There might or might not have been a Maxtoch torch involved And there might or might not have been about 4 shots fired Sam was wrapped.
Brian had seen a few deer and had had a chance but lucked out.

We didn't get into the sack until about 1am and were up again at 5am, and I had an hour or so of awful cramp in my leg and hands so I didn't get much sleep. Once again I took Sam and Brian headed to another spot. It was not until about 7am that we finally spotted a deer, with once again Sam saying "I see one" - it was a young hind, and I said to Sam "OK, get down and use your pack as a rest and shoot it". It was only 200 odd yards so I said to aim straight onto it. Now Sam was getting the idea about not pissing around and he was soon lining up on it - and "blam" he touched the trigger as he was adjusting his sight picture and the gun went off prematurely - and that was that. Another lesson learned. It was all very safe, but he was devastated. But he just lay there cursing...and I was up onto my binos straight away looking to see if the shot had disturbed anything else, and soon picked up up a stag sneaking up through the tawhine and about to disappear. I had to move out of Sam's sight down the ridge a bit to get a shot and he was fluffing around with his gear anyway so I quickly got down on the bipod for a quick shot. No time to range it but I new it was not too far for a quick high lung shot. There was good loud whop and the stag leapt back down into the scrub. I was confident of a hit. I then ranged it at 320 yards.

Once again we had to cross a big gully and once again we had to use Tilly to find it. It had travelled about 100 yards too but was well dead.



One thing I must start doing with the Barnes is stop using lung shots (a hang over from using the .223 so much) and instead aim to hit bone and break the shoulder. Message to self.

So off we went with a big load each for about an hour's carry (Sam 2/3, me 1/3 )

During a rest stop I had a glass around and spotted a whopping big pig laying in its bed exactly 400 yards off. Sam wasn't confident in making a shot and there was no chance of getting closer. So I dialled in the yardage and took a shot. Sam wasn't convinced it was a pig at all saying it was a "big black log". At the shot I saw a spray of dirt and Sam said "you hit what ever it was". Next thing, after a few seconds this big pig jumped up squealing and went bowling down through the very thick scrub and shit. Bugger I said, that's going to be a long retrieve. Sam said "don't forget I have to be at the airport at 4pm". Oh, heck.

Long story short by the time we got over to where the pig was we were out of time and while we were having a quick look for the pig (Tilly was winding strongly) a hind jumped up and that confused Tilly's scenting. So we had to leave it and head out.

But wait, there's more...

While we were looking for the pig Sam lost my belt he had on..and the PLB...and the Leica range finder...and the $350 Bark River knife.

There were a few lessons for Sam right there - don't get pressed for time, and when I say the belt buckle goes this way up, don't argue and say it should go the other way. The old bugger knows. OK!

The first fine day this week Brian and I are going back to look for the pig and knife belt. I hope we find both. It was a good pig so Im hoping for a decent jaw.

good luck on the late retrieve...HOPEFULLY Tilly will find it for you and stop and sit next to it....with look on face as if to say "here it is you dopey old hua,what would you do without me?"
you never get to old to learn new ways to stuff things up....
been shooting for 40 something years and still managed to fluff easy shot by rushing it and had premature discharge as sights were still moving towards mr piggy.... have since made trigger heavier...
being in a rush is never good idea.

What an adventure,touchy trigger, scope power,loosing gear n pig and pushed for time.Good write up,better than our Monday night tv.

Gosh you do some heavy duty stuff Tahr!

Don't give any expensive gear to Sam - lesson over!

Great write-up Tahr, and Tilly saves the day again. Need to get me a Tilly...

Lol awesome yarn.

Yes wise move on not posting a picture of Sam.

Sent from my Nokia 7 plus using Tapatalk

Great story, and yes some good learning curves for you and the young feels, hope you find the pig and your belt otherwise it could be an expensive exercise. Well Done all the same.

What’s Tilly like at finding belts?

Now that would be a crowning achievement if she pull that one off. Go girl!

Great yarn that I will be sharing elements of with my two teenage boys before we head off into the bush this summer holiday...

Be prepared, be quick, do as I say and don’t bloody quibble with the boss!

(fat chance)

Dont knock Sam he is doing better than me. Yesterday morning a Hare sat on the verandah and looked in the window while I ate my breakfast offering itself to the gun. By the time I unlocked and fumbled the 22 into action it had headed behind the berry house apparently. Stuffed up the 'stalk' on the Hare then later found Possum territorial bitemarks on a tree in the garden

Originally Posted by GWH

Lol awesome yarn.

+1 good luck on the search

Great write-up, it was like being there!

‘Finger out of trigger guard until sights on target’

I might be a silly old fool but that’s the way Dad taught me - and the way I operate.

Tahr n Brian find the belt n goods yet???

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

Great write-up, it was like being there!

‘Finger out of trigger guard until sights on target’

I might be a silly old fool but that’s the way Dad taught me - and the way I operate.

Yeah. "Don't touch the trigger until you are ready to fire" is what I said.

Update.

Brian and I went out yesterday to look for the belt and pig.
Couldn't find the belt in spite of looking for an hour or so. It was steep thick shit. Sam's insurance is paying up.

I thought it was strange not finding the pig as we looked for the belt so I crossed back to the side I had shot it from and climbed up to look into the face again. It had been a 400 yard shot so I used my range finder to pin point where it had been. Once I got into the right little gully I virtually went straight to it (I could smell it). He was a big lump of a boar but his hooks were pretty average. I will pick them up sometime when he rots down a bit. He was pretty putrid.



Of course we had to go for a hunt when we had finished mucking around. Brian saw a good velvet stag which he left and later on we met up and watched a nice sheltered spot (howling wind). I shot a young a hind off my knees with the .223 at 150 yards. It was a centre of shoulder hit which made it rear and and fall back, and then bugger off for 30 yards before tipping over. It was easy to find. Had left Tilly at home for a rest so Brian's dog Tux was on duty.




Brian & Tux


Brian on the knife. We have a good system going. I do the back steaks and hand them to Brian to bag. Then I remove the first leg and he hangs it up and skins or bones it, and then I take off the other legs and do a couple too. This time the shoulders were buggered so while Brian skinned the 2 back legs (we left the bone in) I got the inside steaks (the gutless method).