John Gryphon
Well-Known Member
One doesn't need to shoot to enjoy. A short essay as sent to the lads explaining my photos and videos.
I followed the five deer (seen) across a steep hill face for circa a 400 yard distance until I was thwarted by 'too thick bush'. The stag is very even and has a bit of 'weight' about him, a cracker actually.
As dawn unfolded I saw the deer as a big dark shape from a long way back and my decision was to "go for him" as only a stag body can look that big in the poor light as it was.
I had to drop down into the valley, get across the creek very carefully and from then I was operating blind as a dividing spur was between the deer and myself and I had no idea where he was going to be and then as I was trying to hurry uphill stopping to scan for watching eyes on my way to a higher position to look down from I saw the back of a previously unseen hind sky lined in front and above me. She was close enough too at just over fifty yards. With bino`s up I saw the unmistakeable big tops in silhouette of a stag that I had seen on a few occasions albeit from long range only.
You know when you are very close to a Sambar stag especially one with a few years of age or any decent deer for that matter and you are among trees and bushes where you cannot move to get a better picture? Well that was my lot yesterday. You can see in these videos that I had so many ****ing problems. Once the tripod is set down it is too risky to try and move it for fear of being exposed and often the place chosen to set up initially is poor especially with moving deer as they feed along.
The camera auto focusing noise gave me the ***** too. However to be as close as 44 yards at times to such a mature Sambar stag with the extra eyes of a hind, calf and another stag in attendance without being seen is a feather in one`s cap. All of the above with nervous shakes I had an immensely enjoyable time on the hill today and now is a time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of in the comfort of my office chair.
When this stag stopped and looked very hard at me one does not dare to even even breathe and if in an uncomfortable position it seems like it is forever for the deer to assess that you are no danger to him and probably considered as only a `roo etc. A follow up video shows the stare standoff. At 44 yards (40 m`s) I was surprised that he didn't hear my heart thumping.
What a wonderful mornings hunting I had. This stag is a cracker but is not for me at this time and perhaps I might find him again next year, if not I will always carry today`s excitement in my memory book.
More video`s to be uploaded. Loki check your inbox.
I followed the five deer (seen) across a steep hill face for circa a 400 yard distance until I was thwarted by 'too thick bush'. The stag is very even and has a bit of 'weight' about him, a cracker actually.
As dawn unfolded I saw the deer as a big dark shape from a long way back and my decision was to "go for him" as only a stag body can look that big in the poor light as it was.
I had to drop down into the valley, get across the creek very carefully and from then I was operating blind as a dividing spur was between the deer and myself and I had no idea where he was going to be and then as I was trying to hurry uphill stopping to scan for watching eyes on my way to a higher position to look down from I saw the back of a previously unseen hind sky lined in front and above me. She was close enough too at just over fifty yards. With bino`s up I saw the unmistakeable big tops in silhouette of a stag that I had seen on a few occasions albeit from long range only.
You know when you are very close to a Sambar stag especially one with a few years of age or any decent deer for that matter and you are among trees and bushes where you cannot move to get a better picture? Well that was my lot yesterday. You can see in these videos that I had so many ****ing problems. Once the tripod is set down it is too risky to try and move it for fear of being exposed and often the place chosen to set up initially is poor especially with moving deer as they feed along.
The camera auto focusing noise gave me the ***** too. However to be as close as 44 yards at times to such a mature Sambar stag with the extra eyes of a hind, calf and another stag in attendance without being seen is a feather in one`s cap. All of the above with nervous shakes I had an immensely enjoyable time on the hill today and now is a time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of in the comfort of my office chair.
When this stag stopped and looked very hard at me one does not dare to even even breathe and if in an uncomfortable position it seems like it is forever for the deer to assess that you are no danger to him and probably considered as only a `roo etc. A follow up video shows the stare standoff. At 44 yards (40 m`s) I was surprised that he didn't hear my heart thumping.
What a wonderful mornings hunting I had. This stag is a cracker but is not for me at this time and perhaps I might find him again next year, if not I will always carry today`s excitement in my memory book.
More video`s to be uploaded. Loki check your inbox.
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but think the mobile missed the first - off 
