It is very rare for me to offer a write up about shooting a deer but today was a hunt of patience and more patience with a lot of excitement,nerves on edge even for this old time deer hunter.
I do see quite a few deer that "could be" but as generally I`m solo i do leave them alone and jump on any that are 'good to go'
Today was the chosen day to take this fresh out of velvet sambar spikey. I had actually seen him a couple of times previously but he had given me the slip quite easily.
This morning I was a tad later than usual and although I wasn't expecting to see him I saw him below me instead of my normal "pass him in the dark,if he`s there routine" on my way to other places. I had seen him twice in my headlights cross in front of me and thought that he would hang up as a good one. Right I thought, i`m gonna have a crack as he is in a top retrieval spot along a little ferny creek down hill from me with good ute access.
I stood the tripod up,set the height for the rifle not the camera and placed my beanie on top for less clunk etc and waited and waited.
He stood a while obscured with rubbish under growth and I waited even more until he decided to put the head down and feed. I waited even more and as a decent width gum tree was `tween us I couldn't see him for quite a while,so I waited even more, barely moving as I was standing under a Narrow Leaf Peppermint Gum,notorious for crackly twigs strewn under them.
He was by now around 80 yards away then moved again. Still unseen after 10 minutes of painful waiting later. My nerves (yes) had me on a real high in anticipation of a crack. The 9.3 x 64 Brenneke was almost screaming for a shot too.
Is he going left or is he going right or is he going away with the tree between us? Faark me I waited and waited even more then saw a smidge of him left of the big Gum,whoa,I can't move the tripod as he is even closer now.
Then he disappeared behind the gum again,phew,knees aching,feet cramping,brain fading...then a nose appeared down along the creek. He was right of the tree, perfect for the tripod. His head was down and all I had to do was wait for him to step into the sight zone praying after 30-40 minutes that there would be no last minute 'wind swirl'
He stepped forward,shoulder offered, BANG and believe it or not I actually saw the last of him go down under recoil in the scope. That is a very sweet rifle to allow that with the calibre well known for recoil. It absolutely flattened him.
Bullet entry marked in pic,exit showed the force of the `64 on exit with its plucking of bristles around the wound.
I had a wonderful rippin` morning and got my ute down to him in low four on the geasy slope,hooked him up whole and he is now residing in the open shed.
Life...be in it!
The tree that obscured him for quite some time,it is around two metres in dia at the base and thats where I was seeing bits of him down the hill.
Where he dropped,entry under the red X.
The plucked exit behind opp shoulder.
I dont feel comfortable in public deer areas without some colour.
Only recently whilst a mate and I were sitting over tripods waiting for deer a shot rang out,it was half a k away BUT it puts the wind up ya!
Morning gunk in my unwashed eyes.
Loaded to go home. The rope is to stop the swinging.
I do see quite a few deer that "could be" but as generally I`m solo i do leave them alone and jump on any that are 'good to go'
Today was the chosen day to take this fresh out of velvet sambar spikey. I had actually seen him a couple of times previously but he had given me the slip quite easily.
This morning I was a tad later than usual and although I wasn't expecting to see him I saw him below me instead of my normal "pass him in the dark,if he`s there routine" on my way to other places. I had seen him twice in my headlights cross in front of me and thought that he would hang up as a good one. Right I thought, i`m gonna have a crack as he is in a top retrieval spot along a little ferny creek down hill from me with good ute access.
I stood the tripod up,set the height for the rifle not the camera and placed my beanie on top for less clunk etc and waited and waited.
He stood a while obscured with rubbish under growth and I waited even more until he decided to put the head down and feed. I waited even more and as a decent width gum tree was `tween us I couldn't see him for quite a while,so I waited even more, barely moving as I was standing under a Narrow Leaf Peppermint Gum,notorious for crackly twigs strewn under them.
He was by now around 80 yards away then moved again. Still unseen after 10 minutes of painful waiting later. My nerves (yes) had me on a real high in anticipation of a crack. The 9.3 x 64 Brenneke was almost screaming for a shot too.
Is he going left or is he going right or is he going away with the tree between us? Faark me I waited and waited even more then saw a smidge of him left of the big Gum,whoa,I can't move the tripod as he is even closer now.
Then he disappeared behind the gum again,phew,knees aching,feet cramping,brain fading...then a nose appeared down along the creek. He was right of the tree, perfect for the tripod. His head was down and all I had to do was wait for him to step into the sight zone praying after 30-40 minutes that there would be no last minute 'wind swirl'
He stepped forward,shoulder offered, BANG and believe it or not I actually saw the last of him go down under recoil in the scope. That is a very sweet rifle to allow that with the calibre well known for recoil. It absolutely flattened him.
Bullet entry marked in pic,exit showed the force of the `64 on exit with its plucking of bristles around the wound.
I had a wonderful rippin` morning and got my ute down to him in low four on the geasy slope,hooked him up whole and he is now residing in the open shed.
Life...be in it!
The tree that obscured him for quite some time,it is around two metres in dia at the base and thats where I was seeing bits of him down the hill.
Where he dropped,entry under the red X.
The plucked exit behind opp shoulder.
I dont feel comfortable in public deer areas without some colour.
Only recently whilst a mate and I were sitting over tripods waiting for deer a shot rang out,it was half a k away BUT it puts the wind up ya!
Morning gunk in my unwashed eyes.
Loaded to go home. The rope is to stop the swinging.
