Thread: Newbies chasing Sika

Before reading please note we are relatively new hunters nearly in our 40’s, we are learning by getting out there and beating our feet. Basically most of what we know comes from other peoples Youtube accounts, articles and hunting shows. Be warned it’s a long read…..

Given we are still new to Sika hunting and nervous with so many hitting the public land around Clements Road a plan was hatched to walk in on opening of duck shooting weekend in the hopes less people would be around. Well our theory was right, driving out to the end of the road we counted less than 15 cars parked up.

We headed off on the Hinemaia track in the dark over the gut buster towards Cascade hut, stopped at the top for a coffee to hear at least 2 possible 3 animals nutting off in the head of the valley. We decided to push on knowing that if the area we were planning to head was quiet we could come back to this catchment. Arrived at the hut after a 5 hour walk.

Because we are new to this sport and building confidence in the bush we were prepared to fly camp but we’re hoping for room in the hut, as luck would have it we had the hut to ourselves the whole time so didn’t push out into the tent.

Saturday afternoon we pushed up stream from the hut check out the areas we had flagged on Google earth, a couple distant heehaws but nothing to get too excited about.

Sunday morning saw a mint day with a reasonable from, pushed up in the dark to a small peak at about 1100M getting whistled at a couple times and made a coffee. Once we had enough light to shoot we let off a single call, almost instantly we had a single call reply below us. Lost some elevation to close the distance and let another single call go, same thing almost instant response but this time it almost sounded like a red roar rather than a Sika which was then followed by a ear piercing single call from a bit different direction but a lot closer. Then the wind did us dirty with a nice gentle gust blowing straight down the ridge over us and into the animals direction. We got 1 more reply before they shut up. Assuming we had winded them we headed back up the ridge to wait out the swirling wind. Behind us in another catchment we heard a gnarly heehaw so we dropped down into the other catchment. Bush bashed our way down to the river flats and didn’t hear even a whistle let-alone the stag that was in the area. Plenty of fresh sign and some nice scrapes and rubs, back to the hut with our tails between our legs.

Monday back up the hill in the dark to the same spot. Got ready and had a proper game plan in place this time, as soon as we let a single call go the valley came alive with vocal animals. Pretty sure we had 3 on our side and one behind us going. The closest one to us went quite very quickly, again we had light variable winds however there was a hearty regular reply from down stream. We lost some elevation and closed the gap to maybe 100m, things we playing out well this time until a chopper buzzed over us which felt like he was barely above the tree tops. This shut the animals up.

Sat tight for about an hour watching a face for nothing, decided to head off but ran another single call and hello old mate down the will starts up again. He’s maybe 150-200m down and across the valley from us, decision was made to chase him down as he was doing his best to keep roughly 100M ahead of us. Lost 200m of elevation down into the creek then up the other side, still instant replies to single calls. If we didn’t reply he would single call every 5-10mins wanting to know where we were.

At this point we’ve probably been chasing him for about 3 hours, clambering up the other side of the steep valley and climbing over the huge windfall we eventually came into a very tight gully with a small feeder creek running through it full of massive wind fall. He’s up high, we are half way down at this point probably inside 75M. Sitting behind a tree I noticed a hind feeding across the opposite face, we had pre decided if we saw a hind we would take her over the stag. Lined up, bang…… multiple hinds runs off…. Bit of head scratching as to what’s happened then all of a sudden old mate starts heehawing and he’s close! Now uncertain about my rifles zero after I’ve taken a couple of tumbles, I tap out and stay on the caller.

I stayed back while my buddy stalked in, we could hear his little mews which I was replicating and getting good replies between his single calls. My buddy got close enough to hear him inhaling before his single calls, just had to get a visual on his through the bloody pepper wood, probably inside 15M. This carried on for about 20 mins before silence took over the area, she was all over. Gone without a trace, no sign of his departure even though we had his escape routes covered.

This whole encounter happened over about 5 hours, spent an hour looking for the hind but without even a drop of blood we assumed it was a clean miss. Scrambling up out of the river we were beating ourselves up over what happened and what we could’ve done differently.

Heading back to the hut we were stopped in our tracks by another heehaw, not far up on a bench so we jetted up and let a single call go. We got one reply before he shut up. Was too good to be true so kept on back to the hut, whistled at several times on the trail was like salt in the wounds. Multiple animals around the hut also whistled at us throughout the night almost like they were laughing at us.

Wondering whether the single call on our AJ Caller sounds a bit dominant? All the animals replying to it have moved away slowly or just shut up shop..

Another 5 hour walk out this morning, even though we didn’t drop an animal we are fizzed and happy albeit gutted with our efforts. We learned a lot and learned how little we know about bush stalking. Had an absolute blast, covered about 50km on foot and legs feel ok for the effort.

Good stuff lads!

That sounds like a good trip out to me. It can only get better aye?

Originally Posted by ROKTOY

That sounds like a good trip out to me. It can only get better aye?

It was an awesome trip, it was always about learning for us this trip. Finding our feet on public land chasing what are arguably the hardest deer to stalk. Can see why people froth over the Sika roar, it’s cemented it for us that’s for sure. That ear piercing single call and gentle mews will be burned into my memory forever. Roll on 2025!

Sounds like good numbers of deer where you were. Might be worth revisiting a couple of times before roar 2025 ( assuming you roar hunt there in 2025 ) to get better ideas of the lay of the land and where you can improve your approaches to roaring stags.

If you are using the latest Sika card that single call will be very intimidating if you are advancing on a stag... better use for it is to have your mate stay back calling while you attack... i recorded that call and the stag was very fired up and was spoiling for a fight, better to use one of the other cards with a not so aggressive call if you are moving in on them.

Awesome mate.Dont worry that kind of hunt happens all the time even when you become a gun at bush stalking theyl give ya the slip all the time that's what's makes it so rewarding,every animal in the bush is a trophy!
As said above if hunting in pairs one of you stay back while the other sneaks in,its the deadliest tactic in the roar.

yes totally agree with Yesmate - one stay back roar one sneak in - but hey you guys seem to have got in amongst them - my trips on sika all started out much the same - took a little bit -- now my odd rusa trips disaster totally wrong tactics - thought I could bush hunt - well they proved me dead wrong - all takes time - fallow can be no harder than goats

Originally Posted by Rosco

If you are using the latest Sika card that single call will be very intimidating if you are advancing on a stag... better use for it is to have your mate stay back calling while you attack... i recorded that call and the stag was very fired up and was spoiling for a fight, better to use one of the other cards with a not so aggressive call if you are moving in on them.

Rosco, yeah we were using the new card as well as number 2. It's a hell of a single call! When my buddy was closing in I was still replying with the one you recorded but had turned the volume down a bit so I wouldn't sound as close. Was worried about changing to the other card in case he thought he had 2 stags closing in for a fight hahaha. I was close enough to him to hear his mews so was imitating him with my voice as best I could which always got a reply.

What's the tactic when they are held up in a thick patch of pepper wood? Wait him out or get higher and try get around it? My buddy was so close he could hear him drawing breath to single call and stamping his feet. Even though we didn't see him we still feel we had a successful time given it was our first effort at bush stalking during the roar, learned a lot, when we had 4 going around us we looked at each other and both said what the F$%k do we do here hahaha very quickly we realised we had no idea what we were doing

Cool trip by sounds of it. As others have said, someone stay back and call while you creep in Ninja style (take boots off and walk in socks - trust me it makes all the difference).

I'd be going back through winter to see what you can find and get more familair with the lay of the land. Then next time you have a mental image of where things are and how to best approach them based on wind direction, what cover is available, where they are likely to be holding.

I think you did exceptionally well for what you describe yourselves as having little experience

An exciting trip alright, plenty of roaring and animals about. I like the he haw on my caller and I try not to over do it. If your stag is calling well stalk in close then maybe use a call to hopefully bring him to you, once you use your caller the stag will have your position pinned. Make sure when you use the caller to be well hidden , with you back against a tree or bank. Those sika can be pretty crafty sods that’s what makes them good to hunt.

Great report, Liquidasset. You're certainly doing a lot right to get in close to sika like that. More time in the bush is all that separates you from cracking it really. I got into hunting in my 30's as well, and am definitely not a sika expert, but my only pointers would be these:

- If you're hearing a stag making his mew noises he isn't far away, at that point I think it's best to make some quiet mews (like a high pitched 'heeee-eh') to bring him in to you, or if you can pinpoint where he is just stay quiet and stalk in on him very slowly.
- I have never used an electronic caller, but honestly I find with sika even a fairly rubbish attempt at a roar often gets a reply during the rut. I've started using a reed caller, which sounds awesome but I'm not sure it's any more effective than just making a loud, high pitched 'EEEEEE', followed by a moan (for a single call).
- When a stag that has been going well shuts up on you: Unless he's winded you, he's probably coming in to suss out what you are. This is one of sika's weaknesses, curiosity killed the cat. Best to stay put behind some cover or up against a tree, and just really focus on every little detail of the bush, they can be super stealthy and incredibly hard to see!

Good luck!