Thread: My Roar

It stared on the last weekend of march. A mate and I headed in on Friday night after work. By the time we got to the road end it was 9:00 pm. Walking in we heard plenty of stags roaring hard. Three hours later we were at camp and there were at least 3 stags that we could hear. I'd like to say were up and away before dawn but it was not to be. Unfortunately once it got light the stags shut up. I had a good look all day. The dog and I got close to a couple of animals but we couldnt get close enough to see any or get a shot away. The next day I hunted my way back to the truck but again I had no joy.
The following weekend my son and I headed in for an overnighter in Pureora. We got into our campsight just on dark and set up camp. Last year at the same spot we heard heaps of stags roaring from that spot so the plan was to get an idea of where they were ifrom camp in the evening and then get up really early and move in on them before they stopped roaring. Unfortunately there was hardly any roaring heard so we just hunted from camp. In spite of our best efforts we had no joy again. It was still good to be out with my boy though. He is 9 and getting stronger and able to hunt longer and longer.
The following weekend I went back for a quick overnighter. Walking into my spot in the dark and fly camping. I heard a bit of roaring but nothing close. I decided to just stalk as normal. I heard a bit of intermittant roaring during the day but nothing close. After a few hours I came to a clearing and standing on the edge was a spiker. I lined him up and fired. At the shot he ran and I was confident that he was hit hard. I went to the spot where I last sae him but I couldnt find any blood. The dog couldnt find him either. I searched for a good hour but had no joy. It was getting late and in the end I had to pull the pin and head back to the truck. It was a disapointing result.
The next weekend it was Easter. It had been a few weeks since I'd been to the first spot so I thought I'd go back for another look.
This time I heard no roars on the way in and nothing was heard from camp.
I got up the next morning and headed up a side creed where I've had some luck in the past. I started to hear a few roars and took a bearing and headed into them. As I got closer and closer i had an idea of where he might be. He was replying to my roars but not going crazy. I would roar back at him but not styraight away. I have found that if you roar too much they can shut up never to heard from again. The wind was tricky and I had a job trying to work with it. We got closer and closer and eventually we were only 100 or so metres apart. I crept in and through the pepperwood I could see the tops of antler through the bush. Initially I thought it was two spikers then I realised it was just just one big boy. Shit. I could see three tops on each side. Fuck. It was the biggest dead I'd ever seen. Unfortunately all I could see was his antlers. I darent stalk in any closer so I had to somehow get him into me. The dog was keeping nice and quiet so that was something. I turned and roared in the other direction hoping I would sound further away than I was. Sure enough I heard him come in. As he was coming in the dog started to growl. Shit!!. I tried to get him to shut up without too much sucess. Luckily the stag kept on coming and presented a good side on shot. I lined him up. Boo!!!. He dropped almost at our feet. Jed went nutts and started barking his head off. It was as if he was saying "Fuck!!! That was the most intense thing ever!!!!"
I looked at the stag and he was big. The biggest stag I'd ever got previously was a 9 and this guy was way bigger than that.


I was beyond stoked. I cut off his head and backsteaks and hung the hindquarters in a tree.
Next morning I came back and got the rest of the meat. The following day I packed up and began the long slog back to the truck.
Next weekend my boy and I went into Clements after Sika. The place was packed. We walked into a little camp I have about an hour from the road.

Next morning we got up nice and early and manaed to get onto a couple of animals. The dog was rally good and took us right in on them (A hind and a yearling). unfortunately they were just a bit too far away for a shot. An hour later Jed took us into a Jap stag. I had the gun up and was just about ready to fire when he bolted. It was a bummer but at least Oliver got a good look at him. Its only a matter of time before we manage to get ourselves a bush deer.
Well that was my roar. Only one animal taken but definate success. Roll on the Winter hunting.

PS The stag was a stinky bugger but he tasted bloody good after aging him for a week in the fridge .

Primo!

On ya.

Chur!!

Nice yarn! Cool to get out with your Son!

awesome nice trick taking pics upside down

Well done, you will be stoked

Chur to the chur bay


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Top stuff very nice character stag , good write up too.