Thread: Public land deer - 53 years ago.

Spent some time in the Caples Valley in, I think, 1964-5, with an open sighted No. 4 Mk1 .303 Lee Enfield that I'd modified: Monte Carlo butt, and a shortened, tapered fore end. I thought this deer stalking caper was a breeze..at midday, in early January I walked through (!) a mob of 84 fallow deer, including 4 albinos. They were feeding out in the open, and shuffled to one side or the other as I strolled through. That same year, every time I drove through the Desert Road from Turangi to Waiouru, I would park the car on the roadside, walk a few hundred metres to any random tiny block of beech surrounded by tussock, and nail a sika. Couldn't see the point of buying one of those fancy telescopic sights!

Originally Posted by Ranger 888

Spent some time in the Caples Valley in, I think, 1964-5, with an open sighted No. 4 Mk1 .303 Lee Enfield that I'd modified: Monte Carlo butt, and a shortened, tapered fore end. I thought this deer stalking caper was a breeze..at midday, in early January I walked through (!) a mob of 84 fallow deer, including 4 albinos. They were feeding out in the open, and shuffled to one side or the other as I strolled through. That same year, every time I drove through the Desert Road from Turangi to Waiouru, I would park the car on the roadside, walk a few hundred metres to any random tiny block of beech surrounded by tussock, and nail a sika. Couldn't see the point of buying one of those fancy telescopic sights!

My experience with the Caples in the early 70’s was the same - many deer wandering around in the open in broad daylight and would have definitely seen me.

Changed days now eh?