Thread: Public land deer - 53 years ago.

these are all magic memories to hear guys- I went to school in Taupo in the 70s and 80s, some of these names mentioned I've heard of through others in Taupo. I went to Intermediate in Taupo early 80s same time as Joe Keeleys daughter when he was killed. Joe Collins was a pilot wasn't he also? When I started building apprenticeship in 96 we built Blake house for the then owners of Poronui "the Blakes" from the states down the end of the valley, big fucken house you can see from the poled route. When we were building the roof framing the then station manager Steve Yerex got Helisika(I think Shamus Howard was there then) to fly him around in front of the house shot gunning as many deer as they could over 2 mornings- deer were eating the expensive newly planted natives , think they shot maybe 12 or 14 just below the house in the low scrub which I videoed from the roof. Daily van rides in there to work usually saw 5 to 30 deer on the road each way. Had a big big 8 stop us on the road one Easter Friday or Saturday when me and mate were driving in to do cash job building the huge riverstone walls around the house for the blocklayer Bruce Daley- coulda shot that deer 20 x over, but just had a steak knife . Chris Short was doin pest control there at the time too- good fella he was. Magic memories.

You ever thought about writing a book @Tahr ? I’d certainly buy it.

Originally Posted by hebe

You ever thought about writing a book @Tahr ? I’d certainly buy it.

Same

I’d buy a few for friends and family

First deer we sold was at Mahi, driving back out in Vauxhall with no exhaust. I’d just left school and Dad had given me £20 for the holiday with two mates. We had toured the length of the North Island and we’re heading home to Masterton. Seven deer on the side of the road, we bowled one and sold it to a buyer for, from memory, for £70, but maybe off the mark. Holiday improved with that in our pocket. I was 16, so 57 years ago.
Worse haul was 3 hinds, a stag and a spiker off the Wairarapa coast side of Otuahome Station, to Tinui, between 3 of us. I can still feel the relief of sighting the Commer Cob in the dusk. We’d shot them at 9 am in the morning

Originally Posted by hebe

You ever thought about writing a book @Tahr ? I’d certainly buy it.

The elephant in the room. Waiting for some one to say this.

Originally Posted by SF90

Yep - Poronui

And I don't know if Joe Collins rings a bell or not ................. ?

And yep - it does ring a bell - and I don't know why ?

Sold to Fletchers for forestry.

Originally Posted by TeRei

The elephant in the room. Waiting for some one to say this.

He doesn't have to answer. Theres a few members on here I could ask the same question. I didn’t intend to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

Originally Posted by TeRei

Sold to Fletchers for forestry.

Bugger me - didn't know that ........... cheers

Originally Posted by hebe

You ever thought about writing a book @Tahr ? I’d certainly buy it.

Im flattered to think that anyone would be interested, but nah, thats not me really. When I left the farm after 20 years I got into academic stuff and uni lecturing so Ive pretty much had my fill of writing and researching. I enjoy jotting stuff down here though.

Originally Posted by TeRei

The elephant in the room. Waiting for some one to say this.

Everyone should write a story on their life, including family history, for their children and grandkids. So many things to tell them and it’s too late once your gone,

Originally Posted by Tahr

Im flattered to think that anyone would be interested, but nah, thats not me really. When I left the farm after 20 years I got into academic stuff and uni lecturing so Ive pretty much had my fill of writing and researching. I enjoy jotting stuff down here though.

I'll write it... I'll interview you. Well, we can go stay in a hut somewhere and hunt morning and evening. Spend the heat of the day and the cold of night with you regaling me with your yarns. I'll write a1st person book and you can edit it.

I reckon we'd have a finished product in about 7yrs time - Craig can bankroll the publishing.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Im flattered to think that anyone would be interested, but nah, thats not me really. When I left the farm after 20 years I got into academic stuff and uni lecturing so Ive pretty much had my fill of writing and researching. I enjoy jotting stuff down here though.

And we are immensely grateful of your jotting down Bruce. Long may it continue.

Great stories amongst this thread fellas. I'm almost a generation out from those early meat hunting days and used to listen to stories from a couple of uncles about the adventures. When I started, there was still a bit going on but I shot to feed myself & family, nothing spare to sell as the deer numbers hadn't recovered by then.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Im flattered to think that anyone would be interested, but nah, thats not me really. When I left the farm after 20 years I got into academic stuff and uni lecturing so Ive pretty much had my fill of writing and researching. I enjoy jotting stuff down here though.

Your manuscript will qualify as a suitable submission for your PH.d. The Forum members can vet it and vouch for authenticity. Everyone would be happy to throw in a few footnotes for added gravitas. Take up the challenge .

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

- we run up to three conventional balers peak time - they do both hay and silage wrap - I should add I work for a large contractor with up to 35 drivers in a big day and we can do 1000 acres in a good day - we do a lot of little square wrap bales and can sell all we do - we do 100,000 rounds a year- wrap silage and hay - thousands of tons of silage with loader wagons trailers and trucks into pit silage - who would do it today - well Dec 3 I turned 70 - what did I do - 16 hours in the tractor - dumb - but Zoe and I can go out for dinner every now and then instead of chicken -

Many yrs ago i started carting hay in my school holidays,13yrs old then,my first summer holidays was payed in pounds.Use to get up to 28pds for the long week,days were 6am till 10pm if the weather was good.Had about 150 pds in the bank by the time school holidays finished.Did 8 summer holidays carting hay,last four yrs of that was when i was doing my carpentry apprenticeship.Had enough money to put a deposit on the section im living on today.Those hay carting days were good,keeped you fit and strong and xtra money in the bank.A4 bedford truck could take 125 bales,with about 20 trucks just carting hay,gangs of 3.There use to be some big hay stacks built out the back of Temuka on the Moores and McCully farms.Temuka transport still ticking over today.

Originally Posted by TeRei

Your manuscript will qualify as a suitable submission for your PH.d. The Forum members can vet it and vouch for authenticity. Everyone would be happy to throw in a few footnotes for added gravitas. Take up the challenge .

All this time, and now your humility and sense of humour shines through.

And I thought that you were just a one trick Targex and Barnes junkie. Shame on me