Thread: Your best hunting trip/outting

So, what's your best memorable trip out?

Doesn't need to end in a trophy on the deck, could be watching one walk over the hill, or your mate arse up in a stream, or eating dehy under the stars.

Pics for bonus points

Did a winter tahr trip with a couple of mates not long after the lockdown. Was a spectacular day but bloody freezing and we climbed like weve never climbed before. Got a tahr each to top it all off. My mate thought he was a clever bugger and went up to the bluffs despite my best attempts to persuade him otherwise then after meeting up with us again he went straight to telling me what a stupid idea it was going up there trying to navigate vertical drops and snow chutes. ended up being the joke of the trip not to follow him anywhere. We often talk about that trip and that we need to go again so one day soon we will go back.

Has to be my second ever deer hunt and first public land deer hunt. Hunting alone in heavy rain thinking what the hell am I doing. Walked around a heavily foliated tree and there was a big red hind chomping away on the leaves less than 2 metres away. Couldn't see anything in the scope apart from deer. Pulled the trigger and she ran. Managed a perfect, though unnecessary Texas heart shot and she fell. After calming down a bit, the shaking stopped and I thought, fuck, that was easy! That was 2019 and the last deer I shot.

A goat mission up Tahekeroa about twenty years ago. We came across a mob and cut lose. I took a snap shot at one about 10 metres away as it was in mid leap. First time I ever saw a goat do a barrel roll. Yay for the FR8 .

mate and I got free heli trip into back of Wanganui - flew in wed afternoon fly camped - on the sat night finished the last few cans of beer we took and behind us in the trees two portable meat safes with 12 sets of hindquarters and back steaks - free chopper trip out on the sun - yeah ha damn good trip - reds and fallow - pilot mate put net straight down on back of ute - does not get much better -pilot mate was well rewarded

My dogs first stag in the Waiokotore Stream. Had been in Ruahine Corner for a week peak roar but right after a 1080 drop. Numbers were low and my dog was very green and had cost a few deer. On the last day I hadnt shot a deer and decided to push out a long way. I dropped into the Waiokotore faces and let him lead me around figuring I couldnt do any worse. He got a whiff about 2pm, and an hour and a half later he’d put me right in this stags patch. It was quiet but I heard one roar that sounded a long way off. The dog perked right up and took me down a side spur for maybe 100m then stopped, vibrating at full point. A stag stepped out from behind a patch of bush lawyer and I shot him over the dog at full point at 20m.

I’ve shot better animals since then and had better hunts with the dog since but that was the best day of hunting I have had because I finally trusted him properly to do his job and was somewhat vindicated in all the work I’d put into him.

The stag was a nice wee 8 that sits on a shield on my wall. A reminder of a good day and that hard work pays off.

Mine was before I had my FAL, I was a last minute ring-in to make up numbers on a Canadian Canoe trip down the Hollyford in the roar. One dude shot a stag from the boat, another shot one while taking a dump - full crouch with wetsuit around ankles. I caught a few trout, and we finished with a spectacular chopper trip out from Martins Bay. I’ve had a few very successful and enjoyable hunting trips since, but that one takes the cake.

Same as @hebe first deer on thr ground with the dog was a feeling like no other

Mine was watching my Dad shoot his first deer in about 35 years. We’d been trying for about 20 years on and off, push stalking in the NI. He shot another one about 2 days later. My 3 year old daughter was along on both trips.

Sitting on a hill with my now departed "baby girl". No deer came out that night but it didn't matter one little bit.

This was also a pretty memorable few days away. It takes a brave man to fly into the wilderness with only @Philipo for company but we had a blast and I'm pretty sure there's no blank spots in my memory. 10.25" chamois buck for Phil after I talked a big game about my ability to find them, we got this fella on the final full day. We even played make believe like we were kids for a while "Greg and Willy" we were hahahaha.

First deer with the dog



He was a bit confused as to what was happening that day, since he used to be a gamekeeper's dog in Wales with no exposure to deer

Reckon he has come good since

The family hunts. By a country mile.

Big heavy stag for the Wife at 250m…



My eldest boy’s first red deer…



My youngest boy’s first billy goat…



Each one jam packed with excitement and great memories!

Few years ago. First time out chasing Sika. Spent the day following the dog around some awesome country. Spotted a few animals, including 2 stags fighting on a slip face in the distance. Didn't fire a single shot but had and absolutely awesome day on the hill followed by a good night at the hut with some genuine good buggers.

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Mmmm... hard to pick out a single great trip – so many over the decades! A few come to mind..

Out bunny shooting on back of farm with dad, and up pops a bunny 20m away. Dad says 'here boy – try this one'. I step up, 22 way too heavy so he puts his arm out for me to rest on, and bang, flop, dead rabbit. He laughs, and 6 year old mudz, eyes wide open, shoots first game animal. 65 years ago.... Lithgow model 12 bolt action. 22LR.

Few years later and walking bushline on friend's farm when I see movement, I look and good size pig walking up hill to me 75m away. Up comes the rifle and boom, down he goes. My first big animal. Winchester 94 30-30.

Out deerstalking during roar with old man in bush near Benneydale. Old man and I climb a knoll and sit on top, listening. He's sitting on my left a few yards, looking through scope down gulley in front where some hinds are barking. I look left also and a big red stag steps up onto top of next knoll about 80 meters away. Just stands there. I can't shoot with old man's head below muzzle between me and deer. I watch him and he watches me, standing silhouetted against the sky and the distant farmland. Absolutely beautiful. After a few moments he quietly he turns away and disappears down into bush. Remington 600 in 243 unused. No... it ain't always about the kill.

Team shoot that included a loudmouth Canadian fella. We're after goats for meat and must shoot them in head or neck. He's got some huge expensive US cannon worth heaps, and oh no teenage mudz gets paired with him. He talks all way to shoot, and while we're wandering paddocks/bushline he's still telling me how its done. The man's a windbag. We come on a mob of goats on hillside opposite at about 150m. He stands there and immediately opens up a barrage on opposite hillface – dirt flying everywhere – and confused goats. I go to ground, take a few seconds and drop 6 of them - 5 thru neck and 1 in head. He's used mag after mag and when we get to hillface – which looks ploughed by now - he's gut shot one lone goat. The other boys arrive to pick up goats and having heard all his gunshots they ask what happened. Huge laughter – then sniggers and chuckles all the way home. Canadian fella never said another word... Memorable Remington 600 in 243.

Fast forward 30 years – shooting bunnies in North Canterbury. Boys pop 1000 rabbits in 6 hours, and do it again week or two later... stuff of legends. Evening in rimfire heaven looks like this:



Another evening walked down to small paddock at bottom of hill in pic below, and popped 105 rabbits in the undulating scrubby ground in 95 minutes. Norinco JW15 22LR chopped/tuned. Gadgetman shot our record 100 in 43 minutes bit further along valley. Marlin 980 22 bolt action.



Son does his years learning with us, gets his firearms licence at 16 and does first evening shoot alone. 172 bunnies, a ton of chocolate and grin a mile wide. Very special memory. Superb Marlin model 60DL – lethal little sniper.




Amazing memories – and so many more. Enough!