Welcome guest, is this your first visit? Create Account now to join.
  • Login:

Welcome to the NZ Hunting and Shooting Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.

Night Vision NZ DPT


User Tag List

+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 25
Like Tree39Likes

Thread: Sako - First Blood

  1. #1
    #KnowsFuckAll Dorkus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Mangawhai
    Posts
    1,310

    Sako - First Blood

    After receiving plenty of helpful suggestions on somewhere to take the Mrs for a tramp/camp/hunt we decided to head into Totara Flats in the Tararuas.

    The walk in was beautiful and Kate was blown away with the picturesque scenery, beautiful native bush with the gin clear Waiohine River running alongside the track.



    We arrived at the southernmost of the big clearings at about 7pm and Kate offered to set up camp and get the fire cranking if I wanted to go for a quick hunt. I headed over the ridge and found a nice pozzy to sit and watch a big area of clearings until dark. Dark came and went with nothing seen but I decided that it was as good a spot as any and that I would be back in the morning.



    Back at camp Kate had the borrowed Huntech 2 man Biv* set up (I am now in the market for one of these if anyone is looking to sell), the fire was not quite cranking but the red wine and blue cheese were out.* I sorted the fire quickly with a bit of love and then helped out with the wine and cheese while I whipped us up some gourmet beef stroganoff and chicken tikka courtesy of Back Country Cuisine (she was suitably impressed).



    I slept through my alarm at 0430 but luckily Kate shook me and told me to get my arse up the hill. I was in position by 0500, 30 knots of wind howling down the valley in my face and 40 minutes until sunrise. Perfect.

    I focused on trying to make out any shapes I could as the light slowly started to creep in to the pre-dawn darkness. As the light began to improve I was pretty sure there was nothing there and that a day of bush stalking was in store. After about 20 minutes of watching the clearing I noticed a funny looking toitoi- slightly separated from the nearest cluster and all by itself. As I watched I noticed it wasn't swaying in the wind like all the others but instead getting slowly further and further away. I brought the Sako 7mm08 up and the Bushnell 3-9X40 showed my lone toitoi to be the back end of a nice fat hind... She slowly made her way across the clearing, with every step getting further and further away. This went on for a painful 5 minutes (felt like hours) and by the time she offered a shot my Mk1 Eyeball rangefinder had her at a shade under 300yds and about to step into cover. I was prone with a good rest (shooting off my pikau and my jacket as a rear rest) and other than the wind everything was in my favour. I settled the crosshairs on the top of her shoulder and let the Sako bark quietly and by the time my crosshairs returned to where she was, she was nowhere to be seen.

    I made my way down to the clearing trying not to get my hopes up but quietly confident. And there she was...



    I took forever gutting her out and trying to remember how to make a backpack. By the time I made it up and over the hill back to camp I was utterly exhausted and it was only 0715. I hung the hind up and wrapped her in a mozzie net to protect from flies and collapsed into my sleeping bag for a nap.



    After butchering and packing the meat the pack was a bit heavy but everything fit. It was a good trial for my new pack. The walk out was a great trial of my not so new legs and shoulders. The walk back to the car took 4.5 hours with plenty of nice long rest stops, thankfully we were never far from the river for a good drink.



    That is the story of my first deer on public land and the first for my rifle (bought it in April and tried almost a dozen times since). To say I am stoked is a massive understatement!
    Kate was a bit disappointed at the length of the stay but super happy for me nonetheless. A good excuse to get out and do it all again after Christmas.

    Guess I'd better change my signature now...
    jakewire, Wildman, Shootm and 30 others like this.
    "I heard Jesus did cocaine on a night out. Eyes wide-open, dialated, but he's fine now. And if his father ever finds out, then he'd probably knock his lights out...
    Gets a little messy in heaven "
    - Venbee

  2. #2
    Member wsm junkie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Northern Rangitikei
    Posts
    1,485
    Nice one

  3. #3
    Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    NI
    Posts
    12,730

  4. #4
    Caretaker stug's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Rolleston, Canterbury
    Posts
    5,040
    Love it when a plan comes together.

  5. #5
    Sending it Gibo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    The Hill
    Posts
    23,469
    Top effort

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    BOP
    Posts
    21,146
    I haven't been to Totara flats for 40 odd yrs but last time there I put up two hinds on the track! Only one copped it, we use to BBQ with the family on the banks of the Wiaohine, nice to know the gins still flowing, great spot
    Boom, cough,cough,cough

  7. #7
    OPCz Rushy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Nor West of Auckland on the true right of the Kaipara River
    Posts
    34,214
    Bloody well done Dorkus. The name is fine so no need to mess with it.
    It takes 43 muscle's to frown and 17 to smile, but only 3 for proper trigger pull.
    What more do we need? If we are above ground and breathing the rest is up to us!
    Rule 1: Treat every firearm as loaded
    Rule 2: Always point firearms in a safe direction
    Rule 3: Load a firearm only when ready to fire
    Rule 4: Identify your target beyond all doubt
    Rule 5: Check your firing zone
    Rule 6: Store firearms and ammunition safely
    Rule 7: Avoid alcohol and drugs when handling firearms

  8. #8
    Member Dundee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Way East of D'Vagas
    Posts
    17,574
    Cool report bro congrats on you success.
    "Thats not a knife, this is a knife"
    Rule 2: Always point firearms in a safe direction
    CFD

    tps://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20180505T00&p0=264&msg=Dundees+Countdo wn+to+Gamebird+Season+2018&font=cursive

  9. #9
    Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Te Awamutu Rural
    Posts
    1,481
    Well done nice to see a plan come together


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  10. #10
    Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Hamilton
    Posts
    102
    Awesome adventure

  11. #11
    Almost literate. veitnamcam's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Nelson
    Posts
    24,964
    Bloody well done you and the other half !

    That was a bloody good read well written too Dorkus (tho I did fail English) and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, much better than the mostly bulshit storys in magazines.

    I wish you more successes and hope you post more reports.
    Beaker likes this.
    "Hunting and fishing" fucking over licenced firearms owners since ages ago.

    308Win One chambering to rule them all.

  12. #12
    Almost literate. veitnamcam's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Nelson
    Posts
    24,964
    Oh and you are lucky to sleep threw an alarm, when I set one for hunting I tend to wake up every half an hour all night thinking I have slept in
    distant stalker likes this.
    "Hunting and fishing" fucking over licenced firearms owners since ages ago.

    308Win One chambering to rule them all.

  13. #13
    Caretaker
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Hawkes Bay
    Posts
    9,248
    Quote Originally Posted by veitnamcam View Post
    Oh and you are lucky to sleep threw an alarm, when I set one for hunting I tend to wake up every half an hour all night thinking I have slept in
    I freakin hate that, the second night i sleep like a log though !!!!
    Shootm and veitnamcam like this.
    A big fast bullet beats a little fast bullet every time

  14. #14
    Member Danny's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Central NI
    Posts
    5,084
    Mean
    Dan M

  15. #15
    GWH
    GWH is offline
    Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Napier, Hawkes Bay
    Posts
    4,460
    Shit bloody hot alright! Very rewarding pulling one out of heavily hunted public land. Cool to have your Mrs there for the first too! Now the monkey is off your back you'll be away, i too look forward to more great reports and photos, cheers.

 

 

Similar Threads

  1. First blood for the win mag.
    By Cartman in forum The Magazine
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 27-10-2015, 11:23 AM
  2. Blasers 1st blood
    By moose272 in forum The Magazine
    Replies: 18
    Last Post: 20-10-2015, 04:39 PM
  3. Second Blood !!!
    By linyera in forum Hunting
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: 30-05-2014, 12:10 PM
  4. First Blood AR 1 Deer nil
    By Happy in forum Hunting
    Replies: 20
    Last Post: 06-12-2012, 06:55 AM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
Welcome to NZ Hunting and Shooting Forums! We see you're new here, or arn't logged in. Create an account, and Login for full access including our FREE BUY and SELL section Register NOW!!