Thread: A little goat hunt

I went out this morning at 6.30 for a goat hunt. It was cold but clear, promising a beautiful day once the fog had burned off.

This is my second goat hunt. The previous one was unsuccessful but I knew there were goats in there. I've also done about 5 deer hunts and 2 pig hunts, one of which I've posted about before. But no animals in my freezer yet.

I headed along a popular DOC track for 20 minutes then along a little side trail. 2 hours later I had found fresh sign, a really good place to wait, and dug in.

Problem.

I keep thinking I can hear goats but The cicadas are so loud I can't tell for sure.

I eventually give up and head back to the car, cutting a trail to the new spot I've discovered.

1.30pm. I'm at the car putting the rifle away and hear bleating. I turn around and look up the slope and see several goats not 50m from the carpark, on what looks like a dirt road partway up the hill. I check the app, and the road heads into private land about 150m from the track. No point chasing them along it , I'll have to lie in wait for them if they work their way uphill.

The rules in the area are not to hunt within 200m of the track so I plunge into the bush looking for a way to sneak up on them.

130m off the track but only 100m from the carpark I spook a different mob of goats: 5 or so. They take off uphill, but parallel to the track. No point following them so I head back for my original objective.

150m or so off the track on the map but probably around 200m imcluding elevation I hear bleating from below. The mob I saw are on the move as I'd hoped. I press on, slowly now , and the bush has opened up into kawakawa and mahoe mostly, with little understorey. Perfect.

I hide behind a kawakawa bush and wait.
Then disaster! They've stopped moving uphill and are now coming towards me along the side of the hill. If I shoot them from where I am I'll be shooting through open bush towards a carpark full of people!

They're close so I wait, hoping they change direction so there's a backstop.

No such luck. A couple of minutes later a good size nanny walks around my kawakawa bush. She sees me and freezes just 1m away.

I quickly put the rifle down and lunge, catching her by the horns. She tries to bolt, and pulls me off balance. I keep my grip and fall down the slope, landing awkwardly and pinning her against the tree.

I somehow manage to twist her head around and hear a crack as her neck breaks. She goes limp and I see the rest of the goats disappearing into the trees. My first animal, and I didn't even shoot her!

Everything but the last 2 paragraphs actually happened today. Oh, what might have been!

Identify your target beyond all doubt because you never miss (right?) and I'll be missed.