A trip to remember and an appointment missed,

Greetings All,
Sixty years ago on this very day and in the evening my father, uncle and I departed on my first ever overnight trip into the Kawekas. I have previously posted about this trip and my intention to repeat it starting today but have had to postpone until spring. The trip was similar to those taken by the Napier Deerstalkers hut builders. They used to walk in on Friday night, by torchlight, often staying at the Bivvy, working on the hut over the weekend (with hunting breaks no doubt) and walking out on Sunday. My uncle was carting in some supplies for his roar trip so we walked out on Saturday afternoon. In spite of it's brevity this trip had an enormous effect on my future interests. Over the decades an initial interest in rifles and hunting morphed into a fascination with the complexities of handloading and neat old rifles. Perhaps others may wish to share their early experiences.
Regards to you all Grandpamac.

When I was 15 I did a hunt with other members of the Auckland NZDA for goats in the King Country. As I wasn’t old enough to own a rifle I used another members spare rifle , a BSA Monarch 30 06.
The rifle I used only had seven rounds but I did manage to shoot 4 goats which I was over the moon with, I kept the horns of a billy and a skin of a nanny.
Needless to say 52 years on I am still hunting and shooting and hope to for many more years if the body allows it.
Personally I think it is one of the healthiest sports to participate in. And I still love the 30 06 a very efficient cartridge.

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Originally Posted by Mooseman

When I was 15 I did a hunt with other members of the Auckland NZDA for goats in the King Country. As I wasn’t old enough to own a rifle I used another members spare rifle , a BSA Monarch 30 06.
The rifle I used only had seven rounds but I did manage to shoot 4 goats which I was over the moon with, I kept the horns of a billy and a skin of a nanny.
Needless to say 52 years on I am still hunting and shooting and hope to for many more years if the body allows it.
Personally I think it is one of the healthiest sports to participate in. And I still love the 30 06 a very efficient cartridge.

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God's calibre ...

Hawkes Bay born and spent a heck of a lot of time in its back blocks. My father was a pig hunter and collected old Winchesters. This and a heap of times on my uncles farm at the back of Tutira gave me a passion for the outdoors of which I still live in. I miss Hawkes Bay as I live down on Stewart Is and have done for 30 plus years and my heart goes out to everyone affected by cyclone G. One of Dads mates [and I bet you know them @GranpaMac] , Snow Angen, Jack O Sullivan and a few others carted a few loads to that Kaweka hut. Snow rights about it in his book.First deer I shot was on Smedley Station as a cadet. Now I get to watch Whitetail deer out of my windows at times. Lifes good.

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Originally Posted by ghosts

Hawkes Bay born and spent a heck of a lot of time in its back blocks. My father was a pig hunter and collected old Winchesters. This and a heap of times on my uncles farm at the back of Tutira gave me a passion for the outdoors of which I still live in. I miss Hawkes Bay as I live down on Stewart Is and have done for 30 plus years and my heart goes out to everyone affected by cyclone G. One of Dads mates [and I bet you know them @GranpaMac] , Snow Angen, Jack O Sullivan and a few others carted a few loads to that Kaweka hut. Snow rights about it in his book.First deer I shot was on Smedley Station as a cadet. Now I get to watch Whitetail deer out of my windows at times. Lifes good.

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Greetings @ghosts,
Yes I knew Snow slightly and Jack O quite well. On the 1963 trip we dropped in on Jack Nicholas at his hut on Makahu and knew most others in the 1970's and 1980's through Deerstalkers and NZ Mountain Safety Council. Another you likely knew was Ron Pink who was a friend of my Uncle Hec and I knew quite well. Almost all of them are gone now but if we say their names they live again for those that knew them if only for the moment.
Regards Grandpamac.

Hi @grandpamac,
I remember Ron Pink and a few others. I was in the junior deerstalkers Napier branch. One early trip Ron produced a snider and gave us all a shot. I so remember the explosive boom and cloud of smoke, and that was over 50 years ago. Its hard not to have a fascination with early rifles as I was surrounded by them and have had many over the years.
As I write this I am waiting on a new second hand rifle Ive been wanting for some time. [Vixon .222]. I shoot deer with the camera way more than the rifle these days.
Jack O was a very good friend to my father and our family, and a trip or two to Ngatapa [Te Kooti Station] and also when Jack and Ginny were rabbiters at Ngamatea were also inspirational.

Southland farm boy that was surrounded by primo hunting opportunities but here's the thing.
It wasn't until I was 25, living in Wellington having just spent 4 yrs in London that I did my first hunt with the Porirua NZDA up to Powell hut, no shots but saw two deer.
This hunting malarkey absolutely grabbed hold of me and has become my beautiful obsession ever since.
32yrs later, I'm off hunting this weekend and am as excited by the prospect of the trip as I was back then

lived in kingcountry
shot goats out bedroom window,saw deer from house,could roar them from chook house...had pigs to catch and the dogs to do it
had $1800 in the bank,was 18 years old and decided to stretch legs and visit south island for a look..and stayed in place with faark all deer,no goats,few pigs other than on private land and funky bouncy ozzie overstayers that arent hugely good to eat...yip needed head read.
no regrets,wouldnt have met my wonderful wife and had our two kids...lots of mates I wouldnt have met... its just life.

Greetings Again @ghosts,
Ron ran one of the Venture sections at the 1981 Jamboree, Venture and Regatta held in Hawkes Bay. His was a hunting section. Sudden thought how the hell did we get away with that? Anyway Ron's group was based at his hut and they shot a bunch of deer and ate the lot from what I heard at the time. The Venturers that were on the section all came back fizzing. I often wonder how many became life long hunters.
GPM.