John Gryphon
Well-Known Member
A quick look at the weather radar at 4.30 AM suggested that it was going to be too wet for a wander in the bush this morning. After a further look at 6 AM a weather break convinced me to head out for a spot and stalk even though the bush would be fairly ****ing dripping.
I geared up and headed off to a much closer than usual parking spot and then left my ute behind and headed down into a likely place and after some time I found a pair of hinds.They were in fern and blackberry with one feeding and one just standing.
The rain then started again and I stayed on the job for 20-30 minutes watching them in case a stag was to come up to them from below in the gully. One hind continued to watch dog while the other fed 40 yards away, then for no other reason than an undetected wind swirl they gathered their schitt and bolted.
Strike one....so I pulled the pin put my arse to the weather and got back to the ute. As I was already fairly ****ing wet the choice was made to drive to a back up spot 5 k`s further along into the bush.
Stop scan,stop scan and then more. It helps to look at those places where deer have been seen before and it paid off with a bedded hind spotted.
It doesn't always work but sure enough there was a hind bedded among lower fern down on a creek flat,she had a stag of sorts with her that I don`t have a clue as to his ID and after some maneuvering an opening was found in the foliage to warrant getting the camera out of my jacket and into the rain. Well **** me as soon as I hooked the camera to the tripod and looked down to the flat I saw the stag going down the creek bank flat out,only a flash or two but with his pace i knew that the dreaded wind swirl had stuffed my chances up again. Of course the hind vanished too. Strike two.
Oh well saw a few deer that`s a bonus even if my arse was soaked. On returning to the ute and cranking the heater up to dry out my gear and rifle on the drive home I headed off and only 2 k`s away a ****ing tree had come down across the track The rain soaked roots had let go and it wasnt a big tree but warranted hooking up to and dragging it back enough to allow me through.. more wet arse again...strike three!
As I type this it is still pi$$ing down hard,that`s quite good as the deer will come further down from the mountain tops especially if the forecast snow arrives.
No gold realised but now that I`m dry and warm I reflect back and tell myself how enjoyable it was ha ha.
I geared up and headed off to a much closer than usual parking spot and then left my ute behind and headed down into a likely place and after some time I found a pair of hinds.They were in fern and blackberry with one feeding and one just standing.
The rain then started again and I stayed on the job for 20-30 minutes watching them in case a stag was to come up to them from below in the gully. One hind continued to watch dog while the other fed 40 yards away, then for no other reason than an undetected wind swirl they gathered their schitt and bolted.
Strike one....so I pulled the pin put my arse to the weather and got back to the ute. As I was already fairly ****ing wet the choice was made to drive to a back up spot 5 k`s further along into the bush.
Stop scan,stop scan and then more. It helps to look at those places where deer have been seen before and it paid off with a bedded hind spotted.
It doesn't always work but sure enough there was a hind bedded among lower fern down on a creek flat,she had a stag of sorts with her that I don`t have a clue as to his ID and after some maneuvering an opening was found in the foliage to warrant getting the camera out of my jacket and into the rain. Well **** me as soon as I hooked the camera to the tripod and looked down to the flat I saw the stag going down the creek bank flat out,only a flash or two but with his pace i knew that the dreaded wind swirl had stuffed my chances up again. Of course the hind vanished too. Strike two.
Oh well saw a few deer that`s a bonus even if my arse was soaked. On returning to the ute and cranking the heater up to dry out my gear and rifle on the drive home I headed off and only 2 k`s away a ****ing tree had come down across the track The rain soaked roots had let go and it wasnt a big tree but warranted hooking up to and dragging it back enough to allow me through.. more wet arse again...strike three!
As I type this it is still pi$$ing down hard,that`s quite good as the deer will come further down from the mountain tops especially if the forecast snow arrives.
No gold realised but now that I`m dry and warm I reflect back and tell myself how enjoyable it was ha ha.
