One for the BBQ

XR500's get together sparked thoughts of summer BBQ's, so DazzzH and I snuck out Sunday afternoon to check a spot that often produces around this time of year.

Parked the Toyota and headed into the creek to head for the tops. Breaking out of the bush Dazz was having a quick glass when he said "there's a deer" No, I said - there is two deer. No, It's one. This went back and forward till we realised we were looking at different deer.... They slipped away while we closed the distance, so we reverted to the original plan and headed ever upward.

A quick glance at another pan showed two Reds, but they also got away to enjoy another day... so back uphill we went.

We arrived and set up, and 20 minutes later "there's one, 520m". A quick dial, zero wind and down she goes.

I headed across to grab it while Dazz went up the valley to where I was going to emerge, and we headed home. Unfortunately my phone decided it didn't like blood on my hands and stopped unlocking - so no GPS. We took a long, slow trip across the tops, down the hill, through the bush, down the creek..... up out of the creek and finally back to the car at 0100. 5 hours for a 2 hour walk has to be some sort of record for me.

Enough gabble, here are the pics.

Nicely done. Lovely looking view.

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Originally Posted by 300wsm for life

Nicely done. Lovely looking view.

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I never get tired of the view. Last night there was too much moonlight for stargazing, but I've great memories of laying in the tussock completely buggered looking at the milky way.

Just awesome stuff.

Central Plateau on a nice night in late Spring/Summer is hard to beat:)

That was a evening/night to remember, 8 deer seen and fantastic weather. Company was pretty good too. One of my favorite evenings up that spot was the night of crystal clear skies and the meteor shower that went on for what must have been 15 minutes. Wow, memories, a lot of years hunting up there!!

Stop it, I'm blushing.

I think I first went up to that spot 27 years ago.
Christ only knows how many deer we've pulled out of there but I'm thinking they might be coming out in bits in future. I'm still sore.

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Originally Posted by Ross Nolan

Stop it, I'm blushing.

I think I first went up to that spot 27 years ago.
Christ only knows how many deer we've pulled out of there but I'm thinking they might be coming out in bits in future. I'm still sore.

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Great stuff Ross. I'm a bit gutted that I missed XR's little get together.

Decided that I need more (new) hunting contacts. All mine are useless. Cant go for numerous reasons

1) work,
2) jobs to do at home
3) wife won't let them (this one makes me gag)
4) Anything else which gets in the way

I keep on trying to impress upon them that we aren't getting any younger and before we know it taking a quick stroll inthe scrub will be a big job. Alas, to no avail.

If i keep on thinking about this I will give myself a complex.............

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ross Nolan

Stop it, I'm blushing.

I think I first went up to that spot 27 years ago.
Christ only knows how many deer we've pulled out of there but I'm thinking they might be coming out in bits in future. I'm still sore.

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You carried it out whole????

At your tender age?:wtfsmilie:

Give yourself a stiff uppercut!

And buy a roll of muslin and some pillow cases...

Went back yesterday, and brought a red home this morning.
More glorious scenery, and good company.

Fantastic area. I have some great memories from there too. In fact some old photos from around there just popped up on the computer tonight. Love that place.
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Haha reminds me of digging holes and carrying a bloody MG but also hunting there. Time to go back.

Do you ever get grief from round the mountain hikers in there?

Very seldom. Mostly they are just interested in what I am doing - and interested to hear that there are deer in the area.

I did stay one night at the Waihohonu hut and an awesome party from Wellington made a hell of a racket all night after giving me a hard time about hunting. I dropped my saucepan several times when I cooked a VERY early breakfast, but I did say sorry. I must have been clumsy due to a bad nights sleep.

That is the only grief I've had in 40 years of hunting on the mountain. In fact, the only time I've ever been given a hard time about hunting. People are usually surprised to see a "normal" person hunting. I'm not sure that the image they are fed via the media is entirely fair.

I have experienced exactly the same hunting that area. Encountered hundreds of trampers over the years and generally get very positive feedback.
The odd one sees you with a rifle and avoids eye contact but most are interested to hear what you are doing. My worst experience was with a volunteer hut warden I met on a track while heading in for a hunt. He feed me all sorts of BS about what I should and shouldn't be doing (contrary to what my hunting permit conditions said) so I just smiled and said "yes sir" and carried on. You would be surprised where the deer appear once the trampers are in the huts for the night.

Used to hunt an area north of mountain, 1980, by the outdoor pursuits place, think it was called SF42, nice rolling scattered scrub and clearings, easy going. Mostly hunted it winter so kinder cold. Remember rocking up to the pub other side of the road from the chateau, it was going off, trendy skiers, got a table no problem a week in the bush and wet bloody swandries, was a good night. Heaps of pigs in there, we were after deer, Choppers were hitting it hard, buggered up many stalks, 5 minutes away from their cosy houses bustards.

I had always wondered about that area being with the high numbers of tourists & the like and was put off by it, many moons ago heading out of the Tararuas a women on the track saw me making my way towards her carrying my rifle & spun around and yelled "RUN TERRORIST" and she & her family in tow spun around at high speed and were gone!

Years ago I was hunting off the round the mountain track on the Whakapapa side (before it was a great walk, so 300m was fine) and was sitting watching a face in the scrub with a big flat stone on it near a creek when a couple of trampers wandered into view maybe 250m away, and ended up only 75m or so from where I was. I was about to say (shout or wave or whatever) something when they started disrobing and getting down to nature. In it's most basic and happy form...

Being the polite chap I am I didn't say anything until they were finished, when a gentle whistle and some restrained clapping celebrated their efforts.

They made John Walker look slow departing.

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Originally Posted by Sika 8

I had always wondered about that area being with the high numbers of tourists & the like and was put off by it, many moons ago heading out of the Tararuas a women on the track saw me making my way towards her carrying my rifle & spun around and yelled "RUN TERRORIST" and she & her family in tow spun around at high speed and were gone!

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did you scream "run vegans" and take off in opposite direction????

bro in law and I coming out of local block incountered some young folk playing in creek,might have been 9-10 there was 4 of them,young lad looks up and says loudly "look he;s got a gun" quick as a wink I reply,pointing "oh look he's wearing shorts"
the other 3 kids laughed and carried on.....normalisation of what should be normal.

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Originally Posted by Ross Nolan

Very seldom. Mostly they are just interested in what I am doing - and interested to hear that there are deer in the area.

I did stay one night at the Waihohonu hut and an awesome party from Wellington made a hell of a racket all night after giving me a hard time about hunting. I dropped my saucepan several times when I cooked a VERY early breakfast, but I did say sorry. I must have been clumsy due to a bad nights sleep.

That is the only grief I've had in 40 years of hunting on the mountain. In fact, the only time I've ever been given a hard time about hunting. People are usually surprised to see a "normal" person hunting. I'm not sure that the image they are fed via the media is entirely fair.

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Must be trampers from Wellington? We had one incident in the Waipakahi hut with a group who's alpha males muttered things about "bloody hunters" all afternoon after we arrived. Unfortunately for them the MSR multi-fuel ran on diesel for an unusually long time in the kitchen. At least we couldn't hear their mutterings after that.

People are funny alright - although I don't know that they intend to be as often as they are.

Beautiful spot!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ross Nolan

Years ago I was hunting off the round the mountain track on the Whakapapa side (before it was a great walk, so 300m was fine) and was sitting watching a face in the scrub with a big flat stone on it near a creek when a couple of trampers wandered into view maybe 250m away, and ended up only 75m or so from where I was. I was about to say (shout or wave or whatever) something when they started disrobing and getting down to nature. In it's most basic and happy form...

Being the polite chap I am I didn't say anything until they were finished, when a gentle whistle and some restrained clapping celebrated their efforts.

They made John Walker look slow departing.

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a late evening lengthwise lambada sir -you seem to have had the box seat .score out of 10 for style and performance. per chance.LOL

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Originally Posted by Sika 8

I had always wondered about that area being with the high numbers of tourists & the like and was put off by it, many moons ago heading out of the Tararuas a women on the track saw me making my way towards her carrying my rifle & spun around and yelled "RUN TERRORIST" and she & her family in tow spun around at high speed and were gone!

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I'm surprised they actually left the house .