hunt or be hunted
01-03-08, 10:31 AM
Today Tom (tomshaw) picked my up at 5:30 and we were on our way to our new property, we arrived and it was still dark so we decided to walk half way up the plateau, sit down and wait until there was enough light so i could shoot. Tom was Carrying the cameras today and i was going to be the shooter. While we were walking up the hill we heard a few noises further up, it sounded like roos but then we heard a kid goat call out. It sounded like it was on top of the plateau half way across so we sat down and waited until it got a bit lighter. We started walking again until we were stoped in our tracks by a mob of goats that we had spooked from about 20 meters away that had been bedded out in the open. They ran to 30 meters and stoped and were looking at the wierd shapes who had disterbed them. After a few minutes they moved off and went and stood under a tree. Tom and i planned to walk to the top and then come down on top of them. We got to where we thought they were to see a young fox running across the paddock behind us, Tom pulled out his whistle and gave a few blows and the fox stoped, looked in our direction and then bolted off down the hill and out of sight. The goats weren't where we had last seen them so the plan was to walk around the edge of the plateau to try and locate them or another mob. While we were walking along the side of a hill Tom spotted a rub from the billies so he took a couple of photos of it and then he spotted a fox down near some blackberrys, once again he got out the whistle and gave a few blows, the fox jumped the creek and came around to my side, i guess to try and get wind of whatever was injured. He came into around 15 meters and i had my pin on him through a fork in the tree but i didnt shoot because if i missed or got a passthrough i would of lost my arrow in the blackberrys and long grass behind him and i only had 3 arrows and i wanted a goat more then a fox. He soon got the message and fled across the open and into the bush.
After a bit more walking and some glassing through toms binos, he thought he could see a goat on the edge of a mob of roos but it was too hard to tell so we went in for a closer look. He was right and we were soon looking at a nice little mob of goats. We snuck into a tree and sat down while they fed towards us. Tom snapped off some photos and got some good footage of the billy i wanted. It was all looking good and then out of nowhere a black billy threw his head into the air and then trotted away to ourleft taking the mob with him, damn. The mob was hanging around on the side of a hill so we walked down and crossed the creek and were hoping to get within range using a few trees in between us and the goats. I was closing in when i spotted a few goats feeding in the exact same spot where Tom shot goat so i changed coarse and went down to the creek and stalked along it. Tom waited back with the cameras while i put in a stalk. It was fairly easy to get within 45 meters of them until a nanny and a kid walked up the hill infront of me and to the left, she looked at me for a minute or so and felt safe so she fed her way over to the other mob of goats on the hill. I kept stalking and managed to get to around 34 meters (later paced out at that) and i was waiting for the right shot, a nanny and her two kids on the hill to my right must of seen some movement or got a whiff of my scent, she turned around and trotted along the side of the hill. The two billies infront of me were now on edge and the bigger one out of the two started staring at me, the black billy turned around and started to walk towards the nanny and i knew the nice whiter coloured billy would soon follow them. It was now or never, i drew back my 60lb Hoyt Vectrix and placed my 30 meter pin on his chest, he was slightly angling away. I punched off the trigger and watched as my arrow slammed into his chest a little far forward, he trotted to the other goats and then the mob went to the top of the hill, i could see that penetration from the ribtek wasn't the best so i got over the fenced and tried to get another shot into him, they saw me and bolted, all the other goats cut to the left and went on top of a hill across the creek, my billy wasn't feeling so good so he decided to walk straight ahead and across the open flat to try and make it to the bush. I was hot on his trail ready to shoot at any given moment. All of the cows on the hill were stampedeing all around me but this made it easier to jog into shooting range of the billy, he wasn't slowing down and he wouldn't turn so i could shoot so i followed in until he crossed the creek and stoped, to me it looked like a 30 meter shot so i placed the pin and released, only to see my arrow hit the dirt below his feet never to be seen again. i had one last arrow in my quiver so i put it on the string and was back on his trail, i was following the blood that was coming from his chest and nose, although he was still in view i wanted to see if i had hit any vitals, and yep, some nice bubbles in the patches of blood scattered on the ground. i followed him into the bush where he stoped around 20 meters away behind some thick euceliptus trees that had leaves all over the place. i had one small shooting hole about 15 meters infront of me but i didnt want to shoot because if the arrow hit a branch or leaves it could get lost or snap and then i would have to finish him off with my small rabbit pocket knife which i didnt want to do. i tried to get closer but he looked straight at me and i didnt want him to feel threatened by something tall chasing after him so i chose to shoot through the small gap in the leaves. I drew put the 20 pin on his chest and released, i didnt see the arrow in flight but i was pretty sue i got hime as he tried to run away and fell over a log and was just sitting there with his head up. Great no more arrows and a goat thats still alive, after a few minutes he was still sitting there so i thought i better finish him off as he wasn't looking that sick. But as i walked over to do the deed one of my arrows fell out of him so i picked it up, drew back and fired.....and nothing happened:confused:. i picked the arrow up off the ground and it was in half! how, i dont know. so i thought i'd leave my bow with the billy and run back to get Tom. I got to the edge of the clearing when my phone rang, it was Tom calling to see where i was. I gave hime my location and we soon met up and headed back to the billy, he was just about finished so we stood back and let him go to goat heaven.
Pictures were taken and Tom congratulated. The head was removed and we made our way back to his car.
This property is really bringing up the goods, there was another very nice billy that would of measured into the 30's'' like Toms goat but he will have to wait until next time to meet mine or Toms arrow.
It was an awesome moring and it feels great to have finally put one of these goats on the ground after so much time and effort. Its my other mate Toms turn (thomas kelly) to get and goat with his recurve so it looks like another trip is on the way.
Thanks for taking me out Tom, I really appreciate it mate.
just under 28'' spread, he looks alot bigger though, I couldn't be happier!
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/go_and_hunt/080.jpg
thanks for reading, Dan.
After a bit more walking and some glassing through toms binos, he thought he could see a goat on the edge of a mob of roos but it was too hard to tell so we went in for a closer look. He was right and we were soon looking at a nice little mob of goats. We snuck into a tree and sat down while they fed towards us. Tom snapped off some photos and got some good footage of the billy i wanted. It was all looking good and then out of nowhere a black billy threw his head into the air and then trotted away to ourleft taking the mob with him, damn. The mob was hanging around on the side of a hill so we walked down and crossed the creek and were hoping to get within range using a few trees in between us and the goats. I was closing in when i spotted a few goats feeding in the exact same spot where Tom shot goat so i changed coarse and went down to the creek and stalked along it. Tom waited back with the cameras while i put in a stalk. It was fairly easy to get within 45 meters of them until a nanny and a kid walked up the hill infront of me and to the left, she looked at me for a minute or so and felt safe so she fed her way over to the other mob of goats on the hill. I kept stalking and managed to get to around 34 meters (later paced out at that) and i was waiting for the right shot, a nanny and her two kids on the hill to my right must of seen some movement or got a whiff of my scent, she turned around and trotted along the side of the hill. The two billies infront of me were now on edge and the bigger one out of the two started staring at me, the black billy turned around and started to walk towards the nanny and i knew the nice whiter coloured billy would soon follow them. It was now or never, i drew back my 60lb Hoyt Vectrix and placed my 30 meter pin on his chest, he was slightly angling away. I punched off the trigger and watched as my arrow slammed into his chest a little far forward, he trotted to the other goats and then the mob went to the top of the hill, i could see that penetration from the ribtek wasn't the best so i got over the fenced and tried to get another shot into him, they saw me and bolted, all the other goats cut to the left and went on top of a hill across the creek, my billy wasn't feeling so good so he decided to walk straight ahead and across the open flat to try and make it to the bush. I was hot on his trail ready to shoot at any given moment. All of the cows on the hill were stampedeing all around me but this made it easier to jog into shooting range of the billy, he wasn't slowing down and he wouldn't turn so i could shoot so i followed in until he crossed the creek and stoped, to me it looked like a 30 meter shot so i placed the pin and released, only to see my arrow hit the dirt below his feet never to be seen again. i had one last arrow in my quiver so i put it on the string and was back on his trail, i was following the blood that was coming from his chest and nose, although he was still in view i wanted to see if i had hit any vitals, and yep, some nice bubbles in the patches of blood scattered on the ground. i followed him into the bush where he stoped around 20 meters away behind some thick euceliptus trees that had leaves all over the place. i had one small shooting hole about 15 meters infront of me but i didnt want to shoot because if the arrow hit a branch or leaves it could get lost or snap and then i would have to finish him off with my small rabbit pocket knife which i didnt want to do. i tried to get closer but he looked straight at me and i didnt want him to feel threatened by something tall chasing after him so i chose to shoot through the small gap in the leaves. I drew put the 20 pin on his chest and released, i didnt see the arrow in flight but i was pretty sue i got hime as he tried to run away and fell over a log and was just sitting there with his head up. Great no more arrows and a goat thats still alive, after a few minutes he was still sitting there so i thought i better finish him off as he wasn't looking that sick. But as i walked over to do the deed one of my arrows fell out of him so i picked it up, drew back and fired.....and nothing happened:confused:. i picked the arrow up off the ground and it was in half! how, i dont know. so i thought i'd leave my bow with the billy and run back to get Tom. I got to the edge of the clearing when my phone rang, it was Tom calling to see where i was. I gave hime my location and we soon met up and headed back to the billy, he was just about finished so we stood back and let him go to goat heaven.
Pictures were taken and Tom congratulated. The head was removed and we made our way back to his car.
This property is really bringing up the goods, there was another very nice billy that would of measured into the 30's'' like Toms goat but he will have to wait until next time to meet mine or Toms arrow.
It was an awesome moring and it feels great to have finally put one of these goats on the ground after so much time and effort. Its my other mate Toms turn (thomas kelly) to get and goat with his recurve so it looks like another trip is on the way.
Thanks for taking me out Tom, I really appreciate it mate.
just under 28'' spread, he looks alot bigger though, I couldn't be happier!
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/go_and_hunt/080.jpg
thanks for reading, Dan.