Not bad for a first!

I love helping mates get their first animal, so since my cousin got his FAL I’ve been looking forward to the chance to take him out.

He’d booked a Molesworth block for last week but a shitty weather forecast necessitated a change of plan. We headed for a block in South Canterbury instead. I’d never been there but the easy walk in to an historic hut made it a good option, especially as his 13YO son was tagging along.

Things got off to an exiting start as we saw 3 fallow, 2 wallabies and a mob of tahr on the private land we had to cross before getting to the block. Another fallow got the jump on us in the public land. The weather was still average so we settled into the hut to dry out and cook a feed. After dinner, a break in the weather had us glassing from a knob just behind the hut, and I spied 5 reds in the riverbed 450m away.

Cuz & I stalked in, but they were moving around and the light was fading. He wasn’t confident, and wanted the trip to be a success, so asked me to take the shot. I obliged and we had a spiker on the deck.

Day two dawned clearer and we started with another glass from the knob. I spied a fallow 750m up the valley, so it was game on. After losing it for a bit while we closed the gap, it reappeared and cuz got set up on a fence post. He missed but it didn’t run, and as he was unable to steady his rifle I stepped up again. It took me two shots to drop it - turned out one of the earlier shots grazed its abdomen so I’m guessing that may have been my cousin’s as it would explain why it hung around.

Mr 13 showed up from his beauty sleep to help drag it back to base. I set about teaching cuz how to process animals, with plenty for him to practice on.

After lunch, some casual glassing from the deck turned up a mob of tahr in one of the hanging basins opposite. A plan was hatched. The wind required us to go down the valley a bit and climb a side ridge to get above & behind them. With the mob back in view we then had to stalk into range down an exposed hillside, crawling through the tussock between the odd dracoohyllum or flax for cover. We got within 200 and any more would be risky, so I set cuz up on my walking poles and got ready for a follow-up.

His 6.5x55 let rip, but none of the animals in my scope fell so I had a crack at the milling mob. I missed, and missed again, and was now out of ammo. Cuz had more rounds but was now doubtful of where they were going so we left them to walk off fairly casually, rueing having blown our golden opportunity.

Mr 13 had hung back with the dog, and came down pumped. “You got one! 100%, I saw it tip over!” We were dubious but headed in to be sure. Near where they’d been in the hebes, a tahr struggled to its feet and went down again. No way - cuz had connected after all! We left it to expire before moving into where it lay stone dead, the entry wound confirming it was my cousin’s shot as the one I aimed at had been facing the other way.

Attachment 266458

Celebrations followed as the reality of his achievement sank in. We gutted it and to to ensure the maximum harvest, dragged it whole over 1 km back to the hut, Mr 13 literally pulling his weight again.

The heavy packs for the hike out the next day were not complained about at all! The only downer was Mr 13 losing my cousin’s binos while jumping across a river :( We had a good look but they were gone, and as Mr 13 felt terrible about it we made light of the loss.

that will be one to remember for sure :thumbsup:

What a great way to start your hunting journey!

Nice trip and good success,well done.Years ago I sat down on that deck having a drink after the walk in.About 12 stags stood up in the river bed and walked off.All with big head gear on,what a site.