snipered
08-07-08, 06:32 PM
after much hard work over the last couple of years i have finally grounded a 30plus rusa stag so i thought it is finally time to post a story.
I finished work early on the monday afternoon to go for a much needed hunt. I arrived at my hunting property and proceeded to gear up i then headed into the thick stuff where i hunt. I slowly poked my way through the heavy bush towards a couple of tiny clearing i was hoping to catch a few deer out for the afternoon. at the first clearing no luck was to be found as on my approach the wind swirled and deer busted from the seen without me sighting any of them. I pushed on towards the next clearing hoping for a better result i kept the wind in my face as i approached the second clearing and despite my rather noisy approach thrugh the lantana tunnels i was very glad to be greeted by a large set of antlers. as i slowly lifted my head to get a better look at what was under the tips i found myself face to face with the stag from about 25 metres. I slowly sank from sight thinking it was over before it had began but luck was on my side or so i thought. The next 20 mins saw me waiting for an ethical shot on this magnificent animal. As i watched he proceeded to eat the fresh lantana shoots along the edge of the clearing taking forever to move finally he slowly moved down a small track but gave me no shot as there was lantana in the way. After an agonising few minutes he turned back the way he had come he then started to move along a small track up and out of the clearing. I could see a shot was going to present itself so i tried to range the bush next to where i thought a would have shot. My range finder refused to work properly so layed it aside and drew my bow ready for the shot. As he walked into the spot i estimated at about 30 metres i settled my pin and touched the shot off only to watch my arrow bury itself three quarters of the way to the the flights but about 8 inches too far back i had misjudged the distance. He fairly calmly wandered off. As he moved out of my sight i nocked another arrow and proceeded to try and put a second arrow in the stag to do the job properly. Ws not to be as only about 8 metres away a doe burst from cover and took he stag and the rest of the mob into the real thick stuff in the next valley. Extremely dissapointed with my self i headed home knowing that there was little use following that afternoon. Work commitments over the next week did not see me back up there till the following sunday and after 4 hours of searching was unable to locate my stag. Tuesday afternoon saw me up looking again and despite spending another hour looking where i figured he would be it was not until i headed into the next gulley that i stumbled across the stag some 500 to 600 metres from where i had shot him. As my yell of thanks echoed across the gulley i though back to all of the times i had come so close and i thought yes i have finally succeeded.
Sorry about the pictures he was not in a very good state after a week.
I finished work early on the monday afternoon to go for a much needed hunt. I arrived at my hunting property and proceeded to gear up i then headed into the thick stuff where i hunt. I slowly poked my way through the heavy bush towards a couple of tiny clearing i was hoping to catch a few deer out for the afternoon. at the first clearing no luck was to be found as on my approach the wind swirled and deer busted from the seen without me sighting any of them. I pushed on towards the next clearing hoping for a better result i kept the wind in my face as i approached the second clearing and despite my rather noisy approach thrugh the lantana tunnels i was very glad to be greeted by a large set of antlers. as i slowly lifted my head to get a better look at what was under the tips i found myself face to face with the stag from about 25 metres. I slowly sank from sight thinking it was over before it had began but luck was on my side or so i thought. The next 20 mins saw me waiting for an ethical shot on this magnificent animal. As i watched he proceeded to eat the fresh lantana shoots along the edge of the clearing taking forever to move finally he slowly moved down a small track but gave me no shot as there was lantana in the way. After an agonising few minutes he turned back the way he had come he then started to move along a small track up and out of the clearing. I could see a shot was going to present itself so i tried to range the bush next to where i thought a would have shot. My range finder refused to work properly so layed it aside and drew my bow ready for the shot. As he walked into the spot i estimated at about 30 metres i settled my pin and touched the shot off only to watch my arrow bury itself three quarters of the way to the the flights but about 8 inches too far back i had misjudged the distance. He fairly calmly wandered off. As he moved out of my sight i nocked another arrow and proceeded to try and put a second arrow in the stag to do the job properly. Ws not to be as only about 8 metres away a doe burst from cover and took he stag and the rest of the mob into the real thick stuff in the next valley. Extremely dissapointed with my self i headed home knowing that there was little use following that afternoon. Work commitments over the next week did not see me back up there till the following sunday and after 4 hours of searching was unable to locate my stag. Tuesday afternoon saw me up looking again and despite spending another hour looking where i figured he would be it was not until i headed into the next gulley that i stumbled across the stag some 500 to 600 metres from where i had shot him. As my yell of thanks echoed across the gulley i though back to all of the times i had come so close and i thought yes i have finally succeeded.
Sorry about the pictures he was not in a very good state after a week.