Thread: Stink one

Been struggling over the last year to get out in the hills as much as I would like. With a small window available to me without wifey or kids I headed to a popular roadend for a quick overnighter. I always avoid hunting public land on weekends but desperate time call for desperate measures.

I wasted no time with the drive, arriving with an hour and a half until dark. Leaving the dog to pee and shake off her excitement I got to glassing the front country prior to walking in.

It was head down arse up along the track, racing to my glassing spot for the final half hour of light. The dog followed along patiently one bound behind farting her arse off the whole way. Must be the change in dog food coming out, bloody hell it stunk.

Just prior to breaking through the scrub line I bumped a hind 10m from the track. Her silhouette presented no more than a second before she was gone. I turned to the dog pleased to see she was as composed as ever at my side glancing up at me for her next instructions.

We shared a proud dad moment, leave it … good girl … and a scratch behind the ears.

I pulled back my hand with a wtf!? Her fur was thick with dried shit smeared right in around her neck and ear…the source of the funky smell was finally revealed and it had nothing to do with her dog food. Some Ahole must have taken a dump at the car park after eating one too many back countries.

Only 50m or so from our destination we pushed on and I got to work scanning the slips, clearings and regenerating bush around us. A large bodied stag was picked up just under 300m away however there was no way of taking a shot apart from a Hail Mary standing position. The plan was an obvious one, stalk down to another high point at first light to get an angle down on his feed area and hope he presents himself again.

The hills glowed golden, then red, then the light was gone all too fast. The conditions were just perfect and that feeling of inevitability made me confident we would take an animal at first light.

I cleaned the dog up with some wipes and water but needless to say there wasn’t going to be any spooning action under the tarp. How did she get it inside those floppy ears ffs.



I will never sleep better then when I’m bivvied out on these clear still nights and I was up and rested before the alarm. The early morning stalk was put on hold as a half dozen or so animals began popping out amongst the landscape. Chasing last nights stag was forgotten when an easy 230m shot and recovery presented itself. Meat is the priority at the moment with the freezer at home almost empty.



By 8am it was time to pack up camp with a meat animal all boned out and my stomache now rumbling. Not a bad turn of events after my last two trips getting smashed by gales and burnt to a crisp with nothing to show for it.