barebow
05-02-06, 08:22 PM
A young chap gave me a call last Thursday night with an invite to a days hunting goats on Saturday.I gave him the only answer I could and he arrived at 3am Saturday to pick me up and we were off for an hour and half drive to the property.We got there just as daylight was coming over the land and we climbed up onto a mountain ridge in the Toyota Hi-Lux to park and glass the surrounding ridges for the first sign of goats breaking camp.
Within ten minutes I had picked up a mob on a ridge over from us so it was on with the 3d camo and sort out the day pack and we headed off to see if there was any good sized billies in the mob.About half an hour later we were standing where we had seen the goats but they were gone.We slowly made our way up to the top of the mountain ridge trying to find the elusive goats with no luck at all.
We decided to head back to the Hilux and have a cold drink and a late breakfast and try another area that young Wayne reckoned he always found goats feeding most mornings.While we were at the Hilux I again glassed where we had seen the mob earlier and I eventually saw them about a mile to the west heading towards a dam.
We took the vehicle back down to the creek and left it there and we once again headed off in the direction we saw the goats.Wayne and I split up when we got up the ridge and found an old dozer track and I told him I would meet him back at the vehicle for lunch.As I worked my way along the creek I found some very fresh pig scat and then some fresh diggings.By the sign this was looking like a typical mountain boar.
I had the wind coming into my face and I made my way slowly down along the creek and Isaw a huge pig digging under a gum tree looking for food.He was about 60 yards away so I slipped my face mask down over my face and nocked an arrow and slowly began to stalk towards him.I had not taken a dozen steps when I felt the breeze touch the back of my neck,up came the pigs head and he spun around looking for me.
His hackles came up and he was off like a freight train never to be seen again that day.Looks like it was going to be one of those days.It was nearly 10am by this time and the temperature had climbed quickly and it was starting to get uncomfortable so I decided to cut across to the creek we had parked the vehicle in and work my way back to it.
I came across a small pool of water and dipped my hat into it and let it spill over my head to cool down a bit,boy it was hot.I slowly worked my way up the creek keeping the slight breeze in my face looking for those elusive goats.When I was about 2 mile from where the vehicle was parked I spotted two nannies and a kid I reckoned would have been last years off spring.
I pulled the mask back down and slowly stalked into about 25 yards with an arrow nocked on the string deciding whether I would try to take the young one for meat.Once again the blasted breeze swirled around and touched the back of my neck,the older nanny let out a loud grunt and they were off for safer country.Well that solved the problem of whether I would take the youngone for meat.
Not long after that I met up with Wayne and he told me he hadn't found the mob we had seen earlier either.We returned to the vehicle for a cold drink and some sandwiches for lunch and discussed what we would do as it was just to hot to hunt now.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b139/Oneida2/100_0006.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b139/Oneida2/100_0004.jpg
After lunch we travelled out to the back of the property and had a walk around a couple of dams but had no sightings of anymore goats or pigs.By this time the day was getting on and we decided to go back where we had seen the mob earlier and have one last look.We spent another hour glassing ridges and flats but never saw another goat.
Wayne was very dissapointed as he had been there a few weeks earlier and had taken two record class goats and we had only seen about fifteen goats for the whole day.
I told him as he gets a bit more experience under his belt he will realise any day out in the bush hunting or just walking around is far more rewarding than just going out and finding game and harvesting it.The whole idea of being out there is to enjoy every moment and just not the hunting side of it.With that in mind we went for a swim in the river and then packed up and headed for home,very contented with a day out.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b139/Oneida2/100_0004.jpg
Within ten minutes I had picked up a mob on a ridge over from us so it was on with the 3d camo and sort out the day pack and we headed off to see if there was any good sized billies in the mob.About half an hour later we were standing where we had seen the goats but they were gone.We slowly made our way up to the top of the mountain ridge trying to find the elusive goats with no luck at all.
We decided to head back to the Hilux and have a cold drink and a late breakfast and try another area that young Wayne reckoned he always found goats feeding most mornings.While we were at the Hilux I again glassed where we had seen the mob earlier and I eventually saw them about a mile to the west heading towards a dam.
We took the vehicle back down to the creek and left it there and we once again headed off in the direction we saw the goats.Wayne and I split up when we got up the ridge and found an old dozer track and I told him I would meet him back at the vehicle for lunch.As I worked my way along the creek I found some very fresh pig scat and then some fresh diggings.By the sign this was looking like a typical mountain boar.
I had the wind coming into my face and I made my way slowly down along the creek and Isaw a huge pig digging under a gum tree looking for food.He was about 60 yards away so I slipped my face mask down over my face and nocked an arrow and slowly began to stalk towards him.I had not taken a dozen steps when I felt the breeze touch the back of my neck,up came the pigs head and he spun around looking for me.
His hackles came up and he was off like a freight train never to be seen again that day.Looks like it was going to be one of those days.It was nearly 10am by this time and the temperature had climbed quickly and it was starting to get uncomfortable so I decided to cut across to the creek we had parked the vehicle in and work my way back to it.
I came across a small pool of water and dipped my hat into it and let it spill over my head to cool down a bit,boy it was hot.I slowly worked my way up the creek keeping the slight breeze in my face looking for those elusive goats.When I was about 2 mile from where the vehicle was parked I spotted two nannies and a kid I reckoned would have been last years off spring.
I pulled the mask back down and slowly stalked into about 25 yards with an arrow nocked on the string deciding whether I would try to take the young one for meat.Once again the blasted breeze swirled around and touched the back of my neck,the older nanny let out a loud grunt and they were off for safer country.Well that solved the problem of whether I would take the youngone for meat.
Not long after that I met up with Wayne and he told me he hadn't found the mob we had seen earlier either.We returned to the vehicle for a cold drink and some sandwiches for lunch and discussed what we would do as it was just to hot to hunt now.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b139/Oneida2/100_0006.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b139/Oneida2/100_0004.jpg
After lunch we travelled out to the back of the property and had a walk around a couple of dams but had no sightings of anymore goats or pigs.By this time the day was getting on and we decided to go back where we had seen the mob earlier and have one last look.We spent another hour glassing ridges and flats but never saw another goat.
Wayne was very dissapointed as he had been there a few weeks earlier and had taken two record class goats and we had only seen about fifteen goats for the whole day.
I told him as he gets a bit more experience under his belt he will realise any day out in the bush hunting or just walking around is far more rewarding than just going out and finding game and harvesting it.The whole idea of being out there is to enjoy every moment and just not the hunting side of it.With that in mind we went for a swim in the river and then packed up and headed for home,very contented with a day out.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b139/Oneida2/100_0004.jpg