revisiting

John Gryphon

Well-Known Member
Part 1.

My day started with a deer that I thought was some sort of male deer going on body shape that was heading upstream only occasionally giving me a glimpse of a 'bit of antler'. I was on for a video and followed him from my side of the creek. Only now and again picking him up. The trek lasted about 500-600 yards culminating in him standing under heavy tree fern cover watching his back trail. He must have known I was following him and the dark patch turned out to be a very wet and black spikey looking straight at me. A quick look showed long narrow spikes with inward points. In the time I had ID him he had had enough and turned back under the cover, that was the end of that.

We (dog) headed back to the ute a fair walk away with the dog turning into the wind a few times indicating that he was still there in a mix of big tree ferns, bracken and black berry bushes. That was a waste of time even trying to get near him.

Part 11

Once in the ute I rubber necked out the window for a few k`s and slowed for a deep gully to where I had sprung deer before...whoa! ****! Deer! Stag! He was heading uphill and I ran the ute front wheel up against the track bank as an extra handbrake and jumped out... hastily grabbing tripod, camera, rifle, leaving dog behind in ute as I knew that I would only have a half chance with gun or camera if that.

I left the diesel ute rattling away as a decoy for him to think that he had safety covered and galloped (at 5 MPH) down the bank and under the track keeping parallel with the track... huffing and puffing then spotting him after 50 yards or so his dark frame showed against the green and I quickly picked him up in the bino`s. Three short video`s of him later and feeling fairly ****ing chuffed with the morning effort it was back to base to review him.

He is a wonderful example of a young robust muscular mountain Sambar stag that has a handy shape to his antlers suggesting that he will be one to leave grow for The Pom when he comes back to Ausland. I love days like this as sambar don`t generally ever give you much of a chance for anything. Read footnote.


The 9.3 x 64 was originally going out for a shot this morn but Mr 7 mm beckoned as usual. That deer will never know that my change of mind saved his life.
i have more videos





 
Amazing animal! What would that weigh? Thinking that extracting that by hand would be a struggle…
He is certainly a good specimen of a mountain stag yet only a baby. He would weigh circa 36 stone and probably plus. (500+ lbs)
The one below was weighed complete less 2 ounces of claret at 450 lbs and certainly isn't the size of the stag in the OP.
450 lbs ute.webp
 
How are you extracting them from the woods if you can’t get within 1/2 mile to a mile from the car?
This **** was 750 yards straight down from the top, the 308 Norma Mag was ready but I wasn't shooting. Amazingly he ran to the open country.. clearly rattled. Another solid stag.

 
Hi John

Your labour makes for lovely viewing - thank you.
The first clip - young Stag seems well defined for muscles, with the second clip Big Fellah having added bulk and better head-gear.
Both 'presented' the broadside profile very well - they dont know how lucky there were - can only assume you have adequate venison supplies......many 'tricky' retrives' have been done previously with winch.

L
 
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