Thread: Nelson lakes fourum hunt 7 8 9 Nov 2014

Well for me it was an early start fri to find all my shit and pack it,for some reason I always leave this till the last possible moment
Stingray arrived and out to Mikees to pick him and his boat up, un eventful drive up then met the guys and up to the hut.
Shit roughly sorted and Munsey and Antsman were keen to fly camp somewhere the first night but didn't want to go tops as a bit early and recent snow.
I suggested up the Durvil to Morgans hut as the Sabine is a part of a pretty popular loop for trampers and Morgans is just far enough that most spot lighters cant be arsed walking up there...... well I put them a bit crook, unbeknown to me the track had had a hiding from the wind which ment some crossings in the gorgey section which were probably "Interesting"

The rest of us headed off and captian Mikee dropped me at my chosen gully,I have hunted this one a few times and know it pretty well and how to avoid most of the tight shitty stuff and patches of wind fall.
Stalking my way up in the heat of the afternoon I cursed my polarfleece pants and I leaked profusely but despite that I was feeling good and fit, the wind swirled and eddied as it always does at this level and I started to see fresher and fresher pig sign. Soon the un mistakable stench of pig was sent my way but with the wind swinging threw 150degrees I couldnt pin point where it should be.A strip of swampy stunted growth in front of me had to be it so I stalked forward in full ninja mode for about 20y and got another nose full of scent but never saw or heard it sneak off.
I worked my way threw every spot I had seen or shot a deer over the years but fresh sign was non existent,they have to be higher up....
Getting on for some clearings(read swamps)higher up the wind steadied itself as I got out of the lee of a main ridge as it does and I worked around keeping to the open bush to hunt back towards them into the wind.

Attachment 30996

I have seen- shot a few in the bush around here but never seen anything in the clearings themselves.Though I am mostly up here in winter and the clearings are cut up with prints from them playing/drying out after wet/cold weather.

I cut across the most down wind end of a clearing to check for sign.





There was none surprisingly, while it certainly isn't a dairy farmers paddock the first fresh pick was pushing up and I know this is irresistible to a bush deer.
Continuing around in the bush in ninja mode into the wind I cut back in to have a look at the first bit of the main clearing, nothing no fresh sign and back to the bush where I found some fresh prints heading to the clearing, cutting back in with not high hopes I did my best to be quiet threw the stunted beech on the skirts. Then as I poked my head out was a little surprised to see the arse end of a deer out in the open but blocked from full view by a bush.
I took another very slow step, Very slow to get my boot out of the slop without a huge suction sound like a keen bloke eating a fresh kina and now I could see a yearling hind in full view out in the open broadside on feeding.
A younger me would have just swung up and smacked it in the shoulder then and there but instead I started getting my camera out of my pocket, I still wanted the meat but I wanted to photograph them first.
I keep my waterproof camera in a ziplock bag to protect the screen and lens from scratches and this made some noise as I got it out, the one I had full view of heard this and looked straight at me on full alert ears and nose twitching, barely hidden behind a sparse stunted tree I froze but held my arm out to the side without taking my eyes of her and took some nice photos of the tree
The breeze didn't betray me and eventually she put her head down and started to feed again
I took another painfully slow step to the side to avoid the suction noise out of the bog and knelt in the slop with a spindly bush as a rest, I felt good not amped at all calm and collected.
Two deer one definitely a yearling and the other ones arse looked about the same fed before me. Kneeling in the swamp I had a serviceable rest as I watched them I weighed my options.
"If I shoot this one in the neck I might get a shot at the other one then I can carry the clean shot out whole and the shoulder shot I will just take hind quarters and back steaks"
"Na that will make me late for pick up....no hang on I have a radio I will get within range and be able to tell Mikee I will be late"
So plan in my head with a clear shot of everything but the neck I waited for her to feed forward a step lined up on the atlas joint and squeezed off.
I was bloody shocked it didn't drop on the spot but spun and ran instead, the round I was instinctively chambering while the rifle recoiled had to be pointed at the rapidly disappearing first target instead of the other one that ran straight past me at 15 od yards.

I was literally stunned mullet....How the hell did I miss that?

Maybe some smart cunt wound my scope a turn out while I wasn't around, removed bolt and bore sighted,nup looks good .

The aftermath...contains some coarse language.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBG-gzEOaNg

More later.

Oh mate, feel your pain, as you know I'm still a newbie, took 3 yes 3 shots at a spiker but around 200 yards.....

I was under no pressure, forearm resting on my knee, he had no idea I was there, stayed in same place after first
Two shots (suppressor?)........still shaking my head now when I think of it.......Thanks for your honesty mate!!!!

Bugger Cam. That was just pure bad luck mate I reckon. Deer must have moved slightly just as you squeezed one off.

Originally Posted by Pengy

Bugger Cam. That was just pure bad luck mate I reckon. Deer must have moved slightly just as you squeezed one off.

Yea I recon she must have lifted her head just as I squeezed off, something I am well aware of and why I time my shots for the moment the head is down but got caught out this time.

I think it will help if you add some more weight to your setup bro with a dolly wheel .

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Yea I recon she must have lifted her head just as I squeezed off, something I am well aware of and why I time my shots for the moment the head is down but got caught out this time.

You could just be a shit shot!

Originally Posted by J.T

You could just be a shit shot!

Would have to disagree there, I've seen him shoot 2 shots at a 8 inch plate at 480 yards with an open sighted 303 and both were hits, I reckond the first shot was a fluke "Bet ya can't do it again I said" and he bloody did:..........................next question

Originally Posted by mikee

Would have to disagree there, I've seen him shoot 2 shots at a 8 inch plate at 480 yards with an open sighted 303 and both were hits, I reckond the first shot was a fluke "Bet ya can't do it again I said" and he bloody did:..........................next question

I stand corrected then.......................clearly it was a hit

Originally Posted by ANTSMAN

I think it will help if you add some more weight to your setup bro with a dolly wheel .

I could just follow him next time. He could use my zimmer frame as a rest.

Originally Posted by J.T

You could just be a shit shot!

I am starting to think that may be it, fucken missed one at 40y 40y from the boat when I took madjon there

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

I am starting to think that may be it, fucken missed one at 40y 40y from the boat when I took madjon there

I hope you had our life packet on when you took the shot ? heaven forbid you didn't.

You went for a head shot on a feeding deer cam?
If its any consulation, out of the countless head shots I have taken I only ever tried it once on a animal with its head down and missed.
Never tried it again.

I shoot at a feeding deer once and missed the big brown centre bit thingy..................I was pissed off I can assure you

Originally Posted by R93

You went for a head shot on a feeding deer cam?
If its any consulation, out of the countless head shots I have taken I only ever tried it once on a animal with its head down and missed.
Never tried it again.

No base of skull top of neck,done it heaps. only time I will shoot head is running directly away as its the only still bit.
Base of neck will still bruise all of both shoulders and half of the back steaks with a 178 amax,didn't have any loaded barnes for the trip.

Bugger!!