Finding sika stags was testing for my first few years hunting them. I just couldn't seem to find the buggers no matter how hard I tried. After being a bit of a hind slayer I decided I'd leave them and doing that resulted in me shooting my first stag across a gully as I was working my way down a ridge. I spotted him feeding in the sun and he ended up being a little 5 pointer. Sorry no picture of that one BUT....... After getting the first out of the way things seemed to all fall into place and get a little easier. A year later in the roar I was sitting in a creek above a bank behind a log letting the odd roar out with a 180 degree view across onto the opposite face. Nothing happening after half an hour so I stand up and f&@k me there's an 8 pointer standing 5 metres away below me eyes wide open. He turns and bolts and I give a quick mew to stop him which he kindly does and gets one in the shoulder. Stoked! Happened so fast and it's still got me buggered how he got there without me seeing or hearing him
Fast forward another year and I'm working the opposite side to the ridge where I was last year through some real tiger country and I crest a ridge and hello there's an 8 standing on his pad eyeballing me so he gets one in the shoulder. He runs so I have a ciggy and a snack then go over to where he was standing. Blood great start tracking a 50m on I see the tips of some antlers swaying amongst the jelly fern. Still alive shit walk over and give him another one. Was impressed how after getting a.308 through the chest he was still kicking 15 minutes later.
Anyway it goes to show that learning where you hunt is pretty important in getting success stag wise. First few years I was a hind slayer but now I'm pretty confident I've upgraded to stag slayer.
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