John Gryphon
Well-Known Member
We (dog) went back to where the mate rolled that stag the other week. I was up at 3.30 AM and figured I had plenty of time to do the 10 k road run after coffee etc.
Bugger me it was getting light at 4.30 AM and I wasnt really happy as I have to cross quite a bit of open ground to get into the deer zone. I finally got there without a honk and being seen by one in the bush above me to my left.
Dog was on the nose very quickly and found two hinds in the gloom which offered sfa as far as video. I shot some anyway and got movement and that`s about that.
We pushed on for another 3-400 yards in the bush and got to a gully junction and set up the tripod to try and get video of a hind on the right fork,the dog meanwhile had gone left and I knew he was on but I couldn't see a ****ing thing....HONK!
Ah that`s where the dog is,not far away going by the honk. Meanwhile the hind on the other side had gone into sneak mode wanting to know what caused the hind to honk,she was 70 odd away from me and was very wary.
Then I heard dog run up behind me as he does looking for me after hitting my scent trail. I looked around and yep its just him then whoa! wtf I heard some heavy duty footsteps and in high fern and spindly tussock **** a mature hind ran down the hill,she had chased him down to me ha ha.
Faaaaark! The camera was on the tripod facing the wrong way,and there was no way I could have lifted the settled legs out of the thick under growth without causing her to bolt so I ripped the camera off and did a half turn and hand held it with the hind at a very close 10-12 yards away.
She looked at dog,switched to me,didnt know what I was as I was after all well cammed.
I believe that she had a late calf and dog had found and pointed her until she had had enough of him and chased him back down to me. She more than likely thought that I was another dog and they don`t like that as they can handle one dog but are not comfortable with two or more.
She quickly had enough of us as she wasnt in command any more and left the scene.
I switched back over to the other stealthy watcher and got a bit of her on the video and then loosely followed her progress up gully from my side.She did the Sambar "stand and watch" many times covering her back trail even sneaking a little towards me wondering wtf until she was finally lost in the cover.
Frustrated by the usual trees in the way and being hamstrung in my own movements with the crackly twigs underfoot I stayed on her trying to get more video. When they are close and wary as buggery and looking for the source of the wtf believe me I was extra happy in being cammed up like Rambo.
We pushed on further up gully for half an hour then the sun came over the top and the breeze changed,that was time to snatch it.
800 yards further back downhill heading towards my ute I picked up a deer up above me. The frigging camera is playing up a bit lately and it wouldn't focus initially but drawing back improved it a bit. The light was still quite dark under the forest canopy which didn't help. Anyway I got her having a yodel a few times and for the fellas that haven't heard it previously its a good demo.
Bugger me it was getting light at 4.30 AM and I wasnt really happy as I have to cross quite a bit of open ground to get into the deer zone. I finally got there without a honk and being seen by one in the bush above me to my left.
Dog was on the nose very quickly and found two hinds in the gloom which offered sfa as far as video. I shot some anyway and got movement and that`s about that.
We pushed on for another 3-400 yards in the bush and got to a gully junction and set up the tripod to try and get video of a hind on the right fork,the dog meanwhile had gone left and I knew he was on but I couldn't see a ****ing thing....HONK!
Ah that`s where the dog is,not far away going by the honk. Meanwhile the hind on the other side had gone into sneak mode wanting to know what caused the hind to honk,she was 70 odd away from me and was very wary.
Then I heard dog run up behind me as he does looking for me after hitting my scent trail. I looked around and yep its just him then whoa! wtf I heard some heavy duty footsteps and in high fern and spindly tussock **** a mature hind ran down the hill,she had chased him down to me ha ha.
Faaaaark! The camera was on the tripod facing the wrong way,and there was no way I could have lifted the settled legs out of the thick under growth without causing her to bolt so I ripped the camera off and did a half turn and hand held it with the hind at a very close 10-12 yards away.
She looked at dog,switched to me,didnt know what I was as I was after all well cammed.
I believe that she had a late calf and dog had found and pointed her until she had had enough of him and chased him back down to me. She more than likely thought that I was another dog and they don`t like that as they can handle one dog but are not comfortable with two or more.
She quickly had enough of us as she wasnt in command any more and left the scene.
I switched back over to the other stealthy watcher and got a bit of her on the video and then loosely followed her progress up gully from my side.She did the Sambar "stand and watch" many times covering her back trail even sneaking a little towards me wondering wtf until she was finally lost in the cover.
Frustrated by the usual trees in the way and being hamstrung in my own movements with the crackly twigs underfoot I stayed on her trying to get more video. When they are close and wary as buggery and looking for the source of the wtf believe me I was extra happy in being cammed up like Rambo.
We pushed on further up gully for half an hour then the sun came over the top and the breeze changed,that was time to snatch it.
800 yards further back downhill heading towards my ute I picked up a deer up above me. The frigging camera is playing up a bit lately and it wouldn't focus initially but drawing back improved it a bit. The light was still quite dark under the forest canopy which didn't help. Anyway I got her having a yodel a few times and for the fellas that haven't heard it previously its a good demo.
