barebow
13-11-05, 09:59 PM
Was down at the hunting block last night and as we drove in we must have seen at least 30 rabbits in the headlights,a good omen for this morning.
Up at 4.30am,on with the back pack,binoculars,side quiver,pick up the Oneida Black Eagle and way I go.From the campsite no matter where I look there are rabbits feeding,which way to go is the dilema.Work out there is a slight breeze blowing from from the southeast so head off into it.Sneaking along across towards a couple of rabbits feeding in the higher tussocks and get within 20 yards,draw the bow back with a goldtip hunter but didn't pick the spot and the arrow sails just over it's back.Over the fence to retrieve the arrow and follow and old track down towards the back of the property.
Another 100 yards on and another 4 rabbits are feeding near a blackberry bush,get within 20 yards again,pick the spot I tell myself,concentrate,release the arrow,smack,right in the side of the head,my 1st rabbit.Retrieve rabbit and arrow and venture down along the boundary fence another couple of shots at more rabbits but over the top both times,need more practice or maybe the eye's aren't as good as they use to be.
Walking as quiet as I can[like a bull buffalo my girl reckons] spot another 3 rabbits near a pile of pushed up logs,stalk in again till I am around 20 yards away,concentrate on the head,release,over goes another rabbit,out with another arrow with a Woody head and nock and release,straight through the boiler room of one that didn't head for cover.I am on a roll,yeehaa.The neighbour spots me,he is out for his morning walk and says morning from about 10 yards away and frightens a months growth out of me,I hadn't even heard him walk up to the fence.[also deaf]
Says to me,your pretty good with that thing,was watching you shoot those 2 rabbits.Me being modest says thanks very much.After introductions etc,says anytime you want to venture in here with your bow you are more than welcome,I have another 7,500 acres to hunt on THANK YOU.Then he says he has a nice mob of fallow down along the creek if I want any deer and out the back there are several hundred goats wandering about.And to top it off he sees the old pig wandering out towards the back of the place.Thanks him again and tells him to expect me down in the next couple of weeks.
Head off back towards camp with my rabbits and after taking another 2 rabbits and losing 2 arrows with blunts on them I decide I won't be able to carry much more by myself so pick up the rabbits and bow and waay I go.Not more than 50 yards on a rabbit comes hurtling around a granite boulder with a fox right on his clanger,talk about who got the biggest surprise,fox was trying to do the Wiley Coyote turn around,rabbits in cover and dumb me is standing there with my hands full and mouth open.Then I burst out laughing,isn't life great.
Get back to camp and get the camera out of the vehicle [getting forgetful the older I get] and Danielle took a pic of me with 3 of the rabbits.Field dressed them all and put them on ice.After breakfast I did a couple of jobs for the owner,thay had cracked their dunny and I fitted a new one and they had lent their ride on mower to a relative of theirs and it had come back with the drive pulley off and belt broken.They had the new parts so I got it going and we mowed their houseyard in the middle of the day for them.To hot to hunt and is nice to help out if possible.
Around 5 o'clock we went for another stroll and I got another 4 rabbits and spotted 7 fallow does and 2 young one's feeding as the day was crawling to a close.We headed back to the homestead to say good bye and thank our hosts as we had already packed our swags etc up during the heat of the day.Checked the oil and water in the old Pajero and headed for home.What a full day.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b139/Oneida2/earlymorninghunt0002.jpg
Up at 4.30am,on with the back pack,binoculars,side quiver,pick up the Oneida Black Eagle and way I go.From the campsite no matter where I look there are rabbits feeding,which way to go is the dilema.Work out there is a slight breeze blowing from from the southeast so head off into it.Sneaking along across towards a couple of rabbits feeding in the higher tussocks and get within 20 yards,draw the bow back with a goldtip hunter but didn't pick the spot and the arrow sails just over it's back.Over the fence to retrieve the arrow and follow and old track down towards the back of the property.
Another 100 yards on and another 4 rabbits are feeding near a blackberry bush,get within 20 yards again,pick the spot I tell myself,concentrate,release the arrow,smack,right in the side of the head,my 1st rabbit.Retrieve rabbit and arrow and venture down along the boundary fence another couple of shots at more rabbits but over the top both times,need more practice or maybe the eye's aren't as good as they use to be.
Walking as quiet as I can[like a bull buffalo my girl reckons] spot another 3 rabbits near a pile of pushed up logs,stalk in again till I am around 20 yards away,concentrate on the head,release,over goes another rabbit,out with another arrow with a Woody head and nock and release,straight through the boiler room of one that didn't head for cover.I am on a roll,yeehaa.The neighbour spots me,he is out for his morning walk and says morning from about 10 yards away and frightens a months growth out of me,I hadn't even heard him walk up to the fence.[also deaf]
Says to me,your pretty good with that thing,was watching you shoot those 2 rabbits.Me being modest says thanks very much.After introductions etc,says anytime you want to venture in here with your bow you are more than welcome,I have another 7,500 acres to hunt on THANK YOU.Then he says he has a nice mob of fallow down along the creek if I want any deer and out the back there are several hundred goats wandering about.And to top it off he sees the old pig wandering out towards the back of the place.Thanks him again and tells him to expect me down in the next couple of weeks.
Head off back towards camp with my rabbits and after taking another 2 rabbits and losing 2 arrows with blunts on them I decide I won't be able to carry much more by myself so pick up the rabbits and bow and waay I go.Not more than 50 yards on a rabbit comes hurtling around a granite boulder with a fox right on his clanger,talk about who got the biggest surprise,fox was trying to do the Wiley Coyote turn around,rabbits in cover and dumb me is standing there with my hands full and mouth open.Then I burst out laughing,isn't life great.
Get back to camp and get the camera out of the vehicle [getting forgetful the older I get] and Danielle took a pic of me with 3 of the rabbits.Field dressed them all and put them on ice.After breakfast I did a couple of jobs for the owner,thay had cracked their dunny and I fitted a new one and they had lent their ride on mower to a relative of theirs and it had come back with the drive pulley off and belt broken.They had the new parts so I got it going and we mowed their houseyard in the middle of the day for them.To hot to hunt and is nice to help out if possible.
Around 5 o'clock we went for another stroll and I got another 4 rabbits and spotted 7 fallow does and 2 young one's feeding as the day was crawling to a close.We headed back to the homestead to say good bye and thank our hosts as we had already packed our swags etc up during the heat of the day.Checked the oil and water in the old Pajero and headed for home.What a full day.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b139/Oneida2/earlymorninghunt0002.jpg