4 Attachment(s)
A major goal achieved - first deer!
Since I've come back to hunting in my forties, I've reminisced a lot about my early adventures. I really got interested in hunting when my family moved to a rural area to run the local country garage. Dad got me an air rifle to use in the back yard and away I went. Didn't take me long to find a few rabbits living under the old house on the neighbours farm. Eventually I got within range of one and dropped it with a sweet head shot. I really need to find the photo of that day !
As a prodigious reader during all of my childhood, any hunting books I could get my hands on were devoured. So many stories, a few pictures of course, but nothing like we have available now thanks to the internet. Going to the book shop regularly to see if the latest Rod & Rifle or Sporting Shooter had arrived. Once I could drive (at 15!!!) I set about getting out to the local Deerstalkers club and other shooting ranges as much as I could. Shoot anything and everything that the kind and helpful members would let an enthusiastic kid have a go with.
Next step was getting my Firearms Licence. Once this was sorted a second-hand Sako AII 308 was all mine. Happy days :) Many trips to the Hapuakohe Ranges resulted in a whole pile of goats getting thinned out. But it all seemed like practice for ‘the real thing’ – deer stalking! A couple of trips to Pureora and the Kaimanawas only served to reinforce that this deer stalking business needed a lot more cunning and effort. At the time deer numbers weren’t like they are now – simply seeing animals was a successful trip, let alone shooting one!
Fast forward many years and I realise that I’m over 40 and there’s still a significant itch to scratch. I buy a couple of hunting magazines. I now live in Christchurch. The South Island. An almost mythical place I read so much about in my early teens. I saw my first wild deer in the Caples Valley on a tramping trip. I’ve even been through Molesworth Station – on a mountainbiking expedition – and now realise it’s a mecca for hunting. Didn’t even occur to me at the time…
Attachment 131891
So in recent months I’ve been on a few trips with my hunting mate specifically looking for deer. Found them too. Couldn’t get myself sorted quickly to get comfortable to pull the trigger on the first yearling red I saw. As is the norm my mate had it all worked out, so I encouraged him to shoot. Boom, first deer for him. To say he was stoked is an understatement. As a recent import from Blighty, this sort of adventure is exactly why he moved here. I was really happy for him too.
Next trip we headed south instead. Went looking in an area where we might see red or fallow deer and even tahr. After a stupidly early start and a decent walk we got onto some fallow in the early light. The animals were onto us and we had to get a shot away or they would be gone. My friend fired first as I was just getting the scope on to the animal. The deer kept on moving across the hill in front of us. I was tracking them, ready for an opportunity. They stop, I rush the shot and I put the shot just over the deer’s back. Bugger. First ever shot at a deer and I fluffed it.
Fast forward again – my mate has secured us a block in Molesworth for a week in February. We get there on Wednesday afternoon after a slow start and go for an evening wander. As the sun drops lower we spot a hind and its fawn in the distance. We spend an hour or so observing it and filming it. Magic. Another goal achieved – observe wild deer who are unaware of our presence.
Attachment 131892
There were so many things that happened on this trip that it really deserves its own story. The main point of this post is that it all came good on Sunday morning. Deer spotted in a great location, wind is in our favour. We're 460 metres out but we can duck over the back side of the ridge and get closer out of sight. Get settled in behind the rifle, deer is still unaware. Shot is 314 metres. The deer decides to sit down in the sun facing our direction. He turns his head and stretches out - I shift my aim to base of the neck and the shot is away. A resounding thwock comes back to us on the ridge and the deer hasn't moved. I've done it at last!!!!
Attachment 131893
While I'm looking through the scope to make sure the deer is down for good, his mate appears out of the scrub on the left. He offers a nice shot so I take it. Another resounding thwock, but this one takes a few steps forwards, drops his head then backs up. Just as I think I'm going to need another round he takes a few steps forwards and tumbles down the hill. The enormity of it all starts to sink in. I've done it! We have a deer each to carry out of here! Woohoo! Oh shit!
It's fair to say the carry out was very challenging but so satisfying. And now we've really topped up our freezers and can share the harvest with family and friends. On that note it's off to a barbeque where some of this is the main course:
Attachment 131894
