hunt or be hunted
18-06-08, 07:52 PM
This is going to be a story where i write about my experiences while i try and bag myself a billy i have had my eye on for the past couple of months, so sit back and come along for the ride (if you want to).
It was 7:15am last weekend when i was waving goodbye to mum as she drives off after letting me out of the car at my goat property.
I had all of my gear on me, bow in my hand and i was ready to go.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/go_and_hunt/012-6.jpg
I walked down and crossed the dried creek and began my walk along the side of the plataue. While I was walking I could hear something bleating across the creek and in the next gully but I thought it must just be the sheep in the paddock close to that spot. I kept walking and went to the spot where the goats usually feed out in the hills, after a good look and facing that they weren't there i decided to go for a walk and see if it was a goat making all the noise two gully's across.
The Valley Where The Goats Usually Are (Tom and I shot our Billies from in the Valley to the left of that small amount of water)
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/go_and_hunt/022-3.jpg
As i got closer the noise got louder, i tried to locate what was making a fuss but then i heard it moving around and into the next gully, so i followed. it was always a step ahead of me and i was always just too far behind and the bush was too thick to see through with the bino's. I slowly walked on trying to see what it was until the sound just stopped. I crossed the creek and walked along the bank on the other side until I came to some open paddocks where a mob of sheep were grazing. I thought I must of just been following a sheep so I crossed over the top of the hill and dropped down into the next gully. I had only walked about 30meters in when i heard that sound again, I stopped in my tracks and pulled the binos up. Straight ahead of me was a light brown nanny walking over the hill towards me. I crouched down and kept on watching as another nanny came over the hill behind the first. It was now that I reached to my belt and pulled out the video camera and took some footage of the two goats. After another minute or two a few more goats came over the hill along with a decent billy. I took some more footage and then got my gear together, camera on the tri pod, arrow on the string and i was ready to start my stalk. I couldn't help but notice that all of the goats apart from the kids were licking a dirt mound, they all had their heads in holes in the side of the mound and were happily licking away, i thought they must be licking minerals or something of the sought. After the goats had had enough they walked down and into the creek where they got a drink. While they were drinking I carefully stalked down and I crouched down behind the bushes that were on the side of the creek and set myself and the camera up. I was expecting the goats to feed around to me but after a couple of minutes I got impatient and had to have a look. I could see that they had fed the other way and were moving up the hill. I moved on and came up from behind some rocks. Two good eating sized kids about 40meters infront of me, big billy at the back feeding on a blackberry bush, couple of small billys, nannys and kids spread out over the hill. I very slowly kept moving until i got to about 35meters where i took off my pack, got to my knees, turned the camera on and started to crawl in. Not long into to the stalk and one of the closer kids swung its head in the air, then the one next to it done the same, I thought it was over but then they went back to feeding, phew! only seconds later all of the goats heads went sky high and the mob quickly moved off along the hill, the billy didnt know what had happend but he quickly moved after them. I thought damn! I know I will go around the hill and try to ambush them. I quickly moved on around and soon saw the mob feeding on some blackberrys down the bottom of the gully. The big fella was at the back of the mob engrosed in the middle of a blackberry bush feeding his face. I could see a trail leading along the side of the hill on the opposite side from me and the blackberrys were too thick for the goats to walk through down the bottom so I assumed they would walk the trail, perfect! I walked on out of sight and then dropped down and crossed the creek. I found myself sitting behind a couple of rocks just off the game trail. Moments later I saw the first couple of goats walking along it towards me. I got ready but didnt have time to turn the camera on. The first nanny came around from behind a big old gum tree and I didnt have time to draw. She knew something wasn't right and she kept looking at the odd shape behind the rocks. I looked back along the trail to see some small goats coming along it, it was then that I saw a pair of eyes looking at me between a fork in the the tree, it was the billy and he had seen some movement. I dared not to move a muscle and when he thought it was safe he proceeded to walk the trail. Eventually he came around from behind the big tree and I couldn't draw without being seen. It was then when the ''Ghost'' started bleating across the other side of the gully. All of the goats turned their heads and I could clearly see the twisty horns on my chosen target silouheted against the grey sky, I thought now is a good chance so i drew back the Ross. I was just finding my pins through my peep and lining the billy up when he thought it would be a good idea to walk away from me, I couldn't do anything but let down and watch him walk away. I quickly scampered to the top of the hill and watched the mob of about 20 different coloured and sized goats walk their way to the big bush where they are almost impossible to stalk. I turned back and went to look for the ''Ghost'' but he was only heard and never seen. i didnt have long before my brother would be at the meeting spot to pick me up so I started the long treck back. I didnt get out of the gully when i heard a nanny call. I was quick to stalk in to a position where i could look for her through my binos. She couldn't be seen so i sat down to catch my breath for 10 minutes. I was calmly looking around when she popped up only 40-50meters from me, i was amazed at how quietly she could walk through the bush, no sound at all could be heard. When she had walked over a rise and out of sight I decided to try some bleating to try bring her back, after a few trys and so sign of her I stood up and went to take a step onto a rock, I slipped on the wet moss, and with my release aid still clipped onto my d-loop I truely thought I was going down hard, just before I hit the deck I stuck my hand out that was clipped to me string and surprisingly i cought myself using only four fingers! i was bent over backwards and in and awquard position so it took me a minute or two to get back to my feet. I thought after that the goat would be long gone but I walked over the rise to see her standing at the base of a tree looking at me. I was about 45meters away so i crouched down and tried another bleat - no reaction so I came to full draw and placed my last pin on the front of her shoulder and released....the arrow was nicely in line but it went under her by only a few inches, I walked over to find my arrow but it was never recovered.
I done the long walk back to the spot where Tom and I shot our billys to see if any other mobs had come out to feed but it was bare. When i finally arived at the meeting spot I had about 20minutes before I had to be picked up, great I thought so I kicked off the boots and relaxed for a minute while munching on a musli bar
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/go_and_hunt/024-2.jpg
After that refreshment I decided to go for a quick look on a small rock face just across from me. I ended up finding this
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/go_and_hunt/026-3.jpg
I will have to go for a better look over that side sometime.
here is a print from the edge of the water where they drank from
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/go_and_hunt/016-3.jpg
and here is a picture of the water hole itself.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/go_and_hunt/019-6.jpg
Thanks for reading my story and be sure to check back here over the weekend to read about how my hunt goes on friday to try and bag this billy. I will keep updating this thread right up until I get him on the ground.
Catchya Later, Dan.
It was 7:15am last weekend when i was waving goodbye to mum as she drives off after letting me out of the car at my goat property.
I had all of my gear on me, bow in my hand and i was ready to go.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/go_and_hunt/012-6.jpg
I walked down and crossed the dried creek and began my walk along the side of the plataue. While I was walking I could hear something bleating across the creek and in the next gully but I thought it must just be the sheep in the paddock close to that spot. I kept walking and went to the spot where the goats usually feed out in the hills, after a good look and facing that they weren't there i decided to go for a walk and see if it was a goat making all the noise two gully's across.
The Valley Where The Goats Usually Are (Tom and I shot our Billies from in the Valley to the left of that small amount of water)
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/go_and_hunt/022-3.jpg
As i got closer the noise got louder, i tried to locate what was making a fuss but then i heard it moving around and into the next gully, so i followed. it was always a step ahead of me and i was always just too far behind and the bush was too thick to see through with the bino's. I slowly walked on trying to see what it was until the sound just stopped. I crossed the creek and walked along the bank on the other side until I came to some open paddocks where a mob of sheep were grazing. I thought I must of just been following a sheep so I crossed over the top of the hill and dropped down into the next gully. I had only walked about 30meters in when i heard that sound again, I stopped in my tracks and pulled the binos up. Straight ahead of me was a light brown nanny walking over the hill towards me. I crouched down and kept on watching as another nanny came over the hill behind the first. It was now that I reached to my belt and pulled out the video camera and took some footage of the two goats. After another minute or two a few more goats came over the hill along with a decent billy. I took some more footage and then got my gear together, camera on the tri pod, arrow on the string and i was ready to start my stalk. I couldn't help but notice that all of the goats apart from the kids were licking a dirt mound, they all had their heads in holes in the side of the mound and were happily licking away, i thought they must be licking minerals or something of the sought. After the goats had had enough they walked down and into the creek where they got a drink. While they were drinking I carefully stalked down and I crouched down behind the bushes that were on the side of the creek and set myself and the camera up. I was expecting the goats to feed around to me but after a couple of minutes I got impatient and had to have a look. I could see that they had fed the other way and were moving up the hill. I moved on and came up from behind some rocks. Two good eating sized kids about 40meters infront of me, big billy at the back feeding on a blackberry bush, couple of small billys, nannys and kids spread out over the hill. I very slowly kept moving until i got to about 35meters where i took off my pack, got to my knees, turned the camera on and started to crawl in. Not long into to the stalk and one of the closer kids swung its head in the air, then the one next to it done the same, I thought it was over but then they went back to feeding, phew! only seconds later all of the goats heads went sky high and the mob quickly moved off along the hill, the billy didnt know what had happend but he quickly moved after them. I thought damn! I know I will go around the hill and try to ambush them. I quickly moved on around and soon saw the mob feeding on some blackberrys down the bottom of the gully. The big fella was at the back of the mob engrosed in the middle of a blackberry bush feeding his face. I could see a trail leading along the side of the hill on the opposite side from me and the blackberrys were too thick for the goats to walk through down the bottom so I assumed they would walk the trail, perfect! I walked on out of sight and then dropped down and crossed the creek. I found myself sitting behind a couple of rocks just off the game trail. Moments later I saw the first couple of goats walking along it towards me. I got ready but didnt have time to turn the camera on. The first nanny came around from behind a big old gum tree and I didnt have time to draw. She knew something wasn't right and she kept looking at the odd shape behind the rocks. I looked back along the trail to see some small goats coming along it, it was then that I saw a pair of eyes looking at me between a fork in the the tree, it was the billy and he had seen some movement. I dared not to move a muscle and when he thought it was safe he proceeded to walk the trail. Eventually he came around from behind the big tree and I couldn't draw without being seen. It was then when the ''Ghost'' started bleating across the other side of the gully. All of the goats turned their heads and I could clearly see the twisty horns on my chosen target silouheted against the grey sky, I thought now is a good chance so i drew back the Ross. I was just finding my pins through my peep and lining the billy up when he thought it would be a good idea to walk away from me, I couldn't do anything but let down and watch him walk away. I quickly scampered to the top of the hill and watched the mob of about 20 different coloured and sized goats walk their way to the big bush where they are almost impossible to stalk. I turned back and went to look for the ''Ghost'' but he was only heard and never seen. i didnt have long before my brother would be at the meeting spot to pick me up so I started the long treck back. I didnt get out of the gully when i heard a nanny call. I was quick to stalk in to a position where i could look for her through my binos. She couldn't be seen so i sat down to catch my breath for 10 minutes. I was calmly looking around when she popped up only 40-50meters from me, i was amazed at how quietly she could walk through the bush, no sound at all could be heard. When she had walked over a rise and out of sight I decided to try some bleating to try bring her back, after a few trys and so sign of her I stood up and went to take a step onto a rock, I slipped on the wet moss, and with my release aid still clipped onto my d-loop I truely thought I was going down hard, just before I hit the deck I stuck my hand out that was clipped to me string and surprisingly i cought myself using only four fingers! i was bent over backwards and in and awquard position so it took me a minute or two to get back to my feet. I thought after that the goat would be long gone but I walked over the rise to see her standing at the base of a tree looking at me. I was about 45meters away so i crouched down and tried another bleat - no reaction so I came to full draw and placed my last pin on the front of her shoulder and released....the arrow was nicely in line but it went under her by only a few inches, I walked over to find my arrow but it was never recovered.
I done the long walk back to the spot where Tom and I shot our billys to see if any other mobs had come out to feed but it was bare. When i finally arived at the meeting spot I had about 20minutes before I had to be picked up, great I thought so I kicked off the boots and relaxed for a minute while munching on a musli bar
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/go_and_hunt/024-2.jpg
After that refreshment I decided to go for a quick look on a small rock face just across from me. I ended up finding this
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/go_and_hunt/026-3.jpg
I will have to go for a better look over that side sometime.
here is a print from the edge of the water where they drank from
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/go_and_hunt/016-3.jpg
and here is a picture of the water hole itself.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t76/go_and_hunt/019-6.jpg
Thanks for reading my story and be sure to check back here over the weekend to read about how my hunt goes on friday to try and bag this billy. I will keep updating this thread right up until I get him on the ground.
Catchya Later, Dan.