Thread: Thar Bergers

So, moved here from Welly a year or so ago , living in the big CHCH helping with the rebuild, thought I best start getting into the hills.Anyways, we had been to this spot a couple weeks back so I had a pretty good idea of where to look. None of my usual buddies were available today, they were busy with family shizzle, which was me the previous weekend when Upland smoked a stag.

Got to the hut, after 1 beer at xmas work do, unloaded, and watched the sunset at 10 pm.
After a delayed start, cos the cell phone didn't tell me to wake up, I was up at 5 am.
Porridge and coffee down the hole.
Off up the hill for an hour to a cool looking clearing.
Super ninja mode for half an hour didn't reveal much except the odd bit of fresh sign.
Carried on and dropped about 500-600m into one of the creeks and low an behold there's a doc track. That's bloody handy! Isnt marked on map so is a bonus as im not looking forward to having to climb back up where I came from with anything I shoot.and usually when I take a different escape route, it ends up being gorgy, or super thick , or unexpectedly steep.
Sat in the creek on a boulder glassing for a red skin. What a sunny day and its only 1030.
I spied a red turning around which was a third ish outta rangefinder distance so prolly 1500-1800 ish yards... I hatched a plan to get up the creek until I was below the red and then either climb opposite for a shot and climb up around/beside it.
I got 500m up the creek to a real gorgy bit, thinking ferk how am I gonna climb up those rocks, and a coupla animals appear walking along the creek towards me!
The creek sound disguised me cranking the bolt, rifle up, whoa that's a funny lookin Chamois, pew pew goes the 270 WSM. a bit of panicked running from the animals, one stops, pew , it jumps the creen outta sight, the other one stops broadside for me, pew shot that one too, all at about 20m with me new X Bolt 270 wsm.
so then I have the dilemma of how to get to these hairy things. the gorgy part wasn't climbable so I had to go around the creek and up and over the little hill.
Got around and above the creek, and looked down,,, no animals!
geezus I cant have missed? can I?
It was too steep down into the creek so I had to box around again, back down, around further up a bit, and down a shingle slip intot he creek.
Had a look around and found the two I had shot were flat out dead floatin in the pool before a small waterfall. and they weren't Chamois they were Thar!
Ended up a nanny and younger female.
I did ponder carrying them up around and back down to where I had shot them, but decided that was far too much effort, and kicked them on the waterfall, where they eventually floated the 20-30 down stream to where I wanted them.
The 150g Berger had smashed the nannys shoulder to a million bits. The younger one had an in and an out hole, and they must have both died mid flight as they jumped the creek, and fell in.

Back legs n back steaks removed. Loaded into my new J34 pack, and headed back down the creek.
At this point im thinking about the red up the hill. I decided I had enough to carry and continued the coupla kms back to the car along the Doc track.
Loaded up and off for a pie.
Home by 4pm.
I haven't done a lot of hunting down here, and the hunts so far have been all recon, so was a day full of firsts. Blooded new rifle, broke my sth island virginity(so to speak), an easier unexpected escape route was found , which usually isn't the case .
I've met some cool people from this forum who have shown me spots, given advice and tips etc, thank you v much to them!

Time to make some Thar Bergers !