Thread: From reccy to success

Well it's been a great couple months for me and last night was no different.
The private block me and a mate usually hunt on is closed for a month or so whist the land owner grazes sheep on there over summer.
We've had a pretty good run in there and really starting to get to know the lay of the land and when and where deer are likely to be.
We had been offered the opportunity to hunt a different patch of land in the same area for a while but had always turned it down in favour of the main block we usually hunt.
We decided yesterday we would go check it out, we had intel that first light was the time to be there but we both had commitments in the morning so decided we would go for an afternoon reccy and maybe sit and glass till dark if we found a spot worth watching.
We walked in about 2 km most of it not too bad side hilling on a game trail with a wee climb at the end.
As we got further away from the track end we started seeing sign, first old very dry and then much fresher the further in we got. We both talked aboyt the fact we might actually stumble onto a deer with the amount of sign about.
We got to a shelf that was nice and flat and had a good view of a pretty nice looking open slip we stopped thinking we would set up and watch the slip till dark, it was probably about 4:30pm we discussed the distance we thought it was to the slip and we were both way off on our guesses. The range finder confirmed the middle of the slip was 450 yards away, thus is no struggle for my 270WSM or my mates 270WIN but with the wind swirling a bit and gusting at times we decided to cut the distance.
We made our way further around hugging the scrub line so we weren't out in the open and found a perch on a boulder at a much more respectable 250 yards to the middle of the slip, to our supprise our new possy was also very sheltered.
It was my turn to shoot this trip so I got the WSM set up on a good rest and we got comfy and started glassing at about 5:00pm.



Sorry bout the sideways pics tried to fix it but its bring a cunt

We sat there heading for quite a while as the hours passed we quietly discussed the problems of the universe as we all know this is a big part of hunting and almost as important as hunting itself.
Finally we started to see deer albeit at about 1.5 to 2km away over a river and a solid full day hike/climb away....they were what we call safe deer
We watched as several safe deer fed out into the open and even spotted a few fawns with them which was cool.
I kept coming back to the cafe we were watching but it was almost easier watching it with the naked eye as the closest part of the slip was only 200 yards away and the far end was about 320yards.
I had a feeling we would see deer on it and that it was only a matter of time, it was primo deer territory with plenty of tucker.
I reasoned that if the safe deer were out feeding soon enough we would see deer on our face too.
I wasn't wrong and we were totally caught by surprise we had been so engrossed watching the safe deer and discussing tactics for z return trip we were both sitting in front of our boulder completely exposed when I saw a hind and fawn pop out over the saddle only 200 yards from us.
I waited till she feed down hill a bit and disappeared behind a lone tree for a few seconds then we both scrambled behind the boulder to our shooting rest (I just want to be clear I have no interest in shooting hinds with fawns but I reasoned that where there is a hind there will be more and just maybe a spiker or a yearling) my mate urged me to chamber a round in case a yearling or spiker followed them out, I didn't want to cause I was pretty sure she was onto us and the calamity of us scrambling into position.
However she went back to feeding so I chambered a round CLICK!!!! it seemed like the loudest noise on the planet instantly mamma deer looked straight at us and took off (quietly I thought to myself that fawn has a great mumma) I was disappointed as any deer that might hsvd followed her out would have surely spooked too.
We resolved to sit there till dark anyway it was now 7pm and dark would come by about 9pm we both felt a little dejected and stoopid and were cursing ourselves going over what we could have done different.
We went back to watching the mob of safe deer they weren't going anywhere, I kept going back to our face checking the ridgeline when ever my eyes got tired of the binos.
Then to my surprise I saw the mummy and fawn again but slightly further away about half way along the slip, I watched as she cautiously fed out into the open she never once looked in our direction (silly girl I thought) but we were a bit more careful and had kept ourselves concealed after spooking her earlier.
Then I saw another hind follow her out she looked to get a yearling and definitely didn't have a fawn so it was game on, I made my mate aware and tried to explain where they were but he couldn't see them even though they were plain as day to me....well I wasn't gonna wait for them to disappear so I made the call that I was happy to take the yearling and was ready to shoot I new she was at 250 yards or near enough so I held just a fraction high and let the mighty 270WSM rip I heard the unmistakable thwack of a solid hit I lost her in the muzzle jump but was satisfied she hadn't bolted as it was open ground all around and I watched as mumma and fawn dissapeared back up over the ridge.
We packed our gear had a quick drink and bite to eat then just as we were about to set off another yearling popped up behind us only 70 yards away....we looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity, my mate scrambled for his rifle, shouldered it then swore as she trotted off into the scub he confided he'd forgot to wind the zoom back out after last using it bugger....oh well free pass for her
We made our way over a pretty dodgy slip with a bit of haste knowing that daylight was fading and we didn't wanna navigate that dlip in the dark if possible.
Soon enough we were on her, my mate confirmed she was dry and wasn't carrying, My aim was perfect and a text book Hilar shot she had dropped on the spot dead as a dead thing and no meat damage which was great, then we set to work getting her quartered out and we split the weight between our tatonka bison packs.



The light was now fading fast do I put my jacket in my pack knowing I would be getting plenty warm climbing back up and then crossing the slip.
We climbed right to the top of the slip and to our delight found a game trail across it that was well worn and jot as dodgy as where we crossed on the way over minta.
By the time we cleared the slip it was completely dark we followed the same game trail right back to the first shelf we stopped at with a grunt we climb just before we got there. We stopped for a rest and re group then off back around the side of the hill back to the vehicle we bumped another couple deer on the way out but they too were safe with our rifles strapped to the packs.
Finally after a fairly easy...ish walk back around the side we were at the vehicle....boots off rehydrate and s time check it was just after 11pm not bad probably about 2kms each way.
A bloody great afternoon that ernt from reccy to Christmas venni bloody awesome and my first red for the 270WSM.

Good story thanks.

Nice story Danny. Enjoy the xmas venison. Cheers

Great read, definitely a few deer about, good shooting and nice to get the first Red for the 270 WSM.

Good reading. Thanks

270s are dumb

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

270s are dumb

Lucky it's a WSM then I'll be taking the Bergara 30cal to the West coast in a week

Enjoyed that thanks

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

270s are dumb

There has been a few of us telling you this over the years....

270wsm, I like that cartridge.. never got to try it on game when I owned it.

Good job and hope you enjoy the venison

Originally Posted by Sako851

270wsm, I like that cartridge.. never got to try it on game when I owned it.

Good job and hope you enjoy the venison

Always wanted one, safe to say it won't be going anywhere

Great hunt Danny. Good to see you are selective of what you shoot at this time of year.

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

270s are dumb

Sh_t stirrer. Brilliant! Am I the last 270 fan left in the country, or are all the other 270 owners out there doing it rather than sitting inside talking about it?