PeterM
16-04-06, 02:19 AM
Well this week deer hunting has had just about it all!
Tuesday arvo:
Early in the week, I found an ok buck I guess, he was very good on one side but very weak on the other, he was grunting his arse off and pushing out two spikers as there tried to get close to his herm of 10 does. As he pushed them out and they retreated the buck would immediately turn and run back to round up his does, the spikers would wait just a short time and start to sneak back in, as they did this I every so slowly moved in too, this happened about five times, by then I was right in the middle of the stand of timber they where initially beaded in.
As the buck would push one of the spikers out I would draw and try to get a shot at the big fella as he came over the rise, but he would never stand still long enough for me to confidently get and solid shot opportunity, but the spiker was be no more than 3 metres at anytime when he stopped and turned back to see where the buck was! He would look at me kneeling on the ground with my bow upright covering my eyes, he didn’t think I was anything that might harm him, then he would sniff a scrape just near the timber edge and start his approach again, within in 30 seconds the buck would come over the rise, again I’m at full draw and the spiker would almost be sitting in my lap, but every time this happened I couldn’t get clean shot, it was either a tree or a bad angel or the spiker would stop right in front of me! The buck which was no more that 20 to 12 metres away at anytime, I just couldn’t make a clean shot! But after 4 attempts the wind finally blew the whole deal.
Only some 20 minutes later and I’m closing in on another good buck, and this fella way the best I’ve seen this year, he had very good length and he was even. He grunting and pushing around a few does not some 30 metres in front of me, but with the timber thicker that the last encounter I cannot get a clear shot again, as he would not stand still and the right window never metallised for me to get a shot before they all moved to quickly away from me to follow without giving away my position. I did this again on two more groups of rutting bucks, but they where moving too fast, the cover just didn’t give me a reliable shot.
Thursday arvo:
Made my way into the same section as Tue, and I didn’t have to wait long before the afternoon shift started grunting, again I made my way to source of the sounds, this day the wind really didn’t want to do my any favours all, with it blowing just about all on my stalks, before I really got anywhere near the action. But as the sun set the wind normally dies right off and this gave me one more chance before I ran out of light, I had made my way to a buck grunting very hard just inside the timber line and managed to slip right in behind them so they where heading I my direction for once! Again this fella was good on one side and the other was broken off, he was pushing out two other smaller bucks this time, while still harassing does in his harem.
As I edged ever and ever closer, I was in range but still he wouldn't stop moving and the odd branch or two in the shooting lanes I had set up for just about always ran across his vitals when a decent shot presented itself, still I pressed ever closer. But now the group had just left the timber and where just on the outer edge of some grassland, with myself still perched just in the timber some 25 metres away. Something spooked the buck and he turned and came trotting straight back into the timber straight at me! I came to full draw and lined him up, 20 metres, 15, 10, I was just about to shot him directly in the front of the chest when he put his head down to negotiated some tree limbs and covered his vitals, at two metres he spots me and turns on a dime and the runs out to 30 metres and stops, right behind I tree of course, no shot again!
Saturday arvo:
With over night rain and the temperature drop, this would make for a bit quieter stalking and maybe a little bit quicker in some case to cover the necessary ground to maybe get into a better position, and of course the tracks would have to be fresh!
Took note of which way the wind was blowing today it was only light and consistent this time, and planed my route, didn’t take long and I found a small mob with one small buck in it so I moved on. In the next gully I found buck tracks heading out and into the grassy flats, so I followed, only stopping to listen for grunts or estrus bleating of does. Only some 10 minutes later I could here a few doe bleating so I slowed and carefully glassed the flats and the approaching scrub in front. As I entered the edge of some tee tree scrub I could her a doe calling softly, so I made my way around the edge of the tee tree ever so slowly to find a few does and a buck standing some 30 odd metres away right on the edge of and sandy gully, I made a small movement forward so I had a clear shot and waited. I didn’t take long and the buck had moved into an excellent position for a angled shot forward in to his chest, and this time he was just standing still, I drew and placed my 30 metre pin behind his last rib, and fired the arrow struck perfectly and the group exploded, I remained still and it only took some 10 seconds and I could see the buck falling buck down the opposite bank!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/IMG_0469-3.jpg
The first buck of the day taken at 31 metres.
Awesome I thought, how lucky was that, I made my way over to him to check my price and not a too bad set of antlers I guess, I then went back trying to find my arrow as it had completely passed though the buck, but I just couldn’t find it. It’s at this point three bucks started grunting in the timber right in front of me only some 80 to 100 metres max away, I immediately loaded anther arrow in the Vital Bow gear rest and headed that direction!
I had only gone 70 metres when I saw a buck crossing my path some 50 metres in front, so I knelt down as I was not sure if he had seen me, as he was moving rather fast, I watched as he made a be line for a scrape under a tree and the stopped to check it out, at this point I knew I had not been busted, I carefully moved to my right and just into and behind some thin tree cover, then I thought I wonder if he will respond to a few grunts of my own? I let out 4 grunts in a row, and the waited, as I watched to see if he would change direction, and maybe walk to me this time. I couldn’t see him now as he has moved into a little wash out I was next too, so I grunted a number of times again, and waited, then I could see his legs and he was coming straight up the wash out on the other side, I drew and got set again, he was walking to me, 20, 15, and at 10 metres this time I was not going to make the same mistake as Thursday, he turned slightly and I drove an arrow from my 80lbs Tribute right in front of his shoulder blade and angling back into his chest!
He ran some 20 metres and stopped, as he seamed to be dazed as what had just happened, and then he ran, and disappeared from sight I immediately got up and placed another arrow on the string and made my way to where he disappeared. As I crossed the washout I could see the tops of his antlers some 50 metres, so I slowly moved forward and positioned my self for a possible follow up shot. He was standing quite still as I closed to 40 metres and drew and started to aim for the finisher, but he collapsed as I was taking careful aim, unreal I ran over two bucks in 15 minutes, what a day!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/IMG_0460-2.jpg
The second buck of the day taken at 10 metres with a frontal chest shot.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/IMG_0464-2.jpg
The other side on the same buck, but with the sun highlighting the back ground!
I set him up for the pictures first, while there was a buck some 500 metres away still grunting his butt off, I took his head and made my way back to the first buck, with the light fading fast I set up and the remainder on the self timed photos and removed his antlers and headed for home, with that same buck still going off in the distance, might have go hunting Sunday now!
I would like to thank Archery Supplies (02 62883735) for the Tribute, and the BowTech accessories that came with the bow, mainly quiver and stabilizer, and also the super tough Carbon Tech shafts!
Or visit them on the web site at: www.archeryshop.com.au
Tuesday arvo:
Early in the week, I found an ok buck I guess, he was very good on one side but very weak on the other, he was grunting his arse off and pushing out two spikers as there tried to get close to his herm of 10 does. As he pushed them out and they retreated the buck would immediately turn and run back to round up his does, the spikers would wait just a short time and start to sneak back in, as they did this I every so slowly moved in too, this happened about five times, by then I was right in the middle of the stand of timber they where initially beaded in.
As the buck would push one of the spikers out I would draw and try to get a shot at the big fella as he came over the rise, but he would never stand still long enough for me to confidently get and solid shot opportunity, but the spiker was be no more than 3 metres at anytime when he stopped and turned back to see where the buck was! He would look at me kneeling on the ground with my bow upright covering my eyes, he didn’t think I was anything that might harm him, then he would sniff a scrape just near the timber edge and start his approach again, within in 30 seconds the buck would come over the rise, again I’m at full draw and the spiker would almost be sitting in my lap, but every time this happened I couldn’t get clean shot, it was either a tree or a bad angel or the spiker would stop right in front of me! The buck which was no more that 20 to 12 metres away at anytime, I just couldn’t make a clean shot! But after 4 attempts the wind finally blew the whole deal.
Only some 20 minutes later and I’m closing in on another good buck, and this fella way the best I’ve seen this year, he had very good length and he was even. He grunting and pushing around a few does not some 30 metres in front of me, but with the timber thicker that the last encounter I cannot get a clear shot again, as he would not stand still and the right window never metallised for me to get a shot before they all moved to quickly away from me to follow without giving away my position. I did this again on two more groups of rutting bucks, but they where moving too fast, the cover just didn’t give me a reliable shot.
Thursday arvo:
Made my way into the same section as Tue, and I didn’t have to wait long before the afternoon shift started grunting, again I made my way to source of the sounds, this day the wind really didn’t want to do my any favours all, with it blowing just about all on my stalks, before I really got anywhere near the action. But as the sun set the wind normally dies right off and this gave me one more chance before I ran out of light, I had made my way to a buck grunting very hard just inside the timber line and managed to slip right in behind them so they where heading I my direction for once! Again this fella was good on one side and the other was broken off, he was pushing out two other smaller bucks this time, while still harassing does in his harem.
As I edged ever and ever closer, I was in range but still he wouldn't stop moving and the odd branch or two in the shooting lanes I had set up for just about always ran across his vitals when a decent shot presented itself, still I pressed ever closer. But now the group had just left the timber and where just on the outer edge of some grassland, with myself still perched just in the timber some 25 metres away. Something spooked the buck and he turned and came trotting straight back into the timber straight at me! I came to full draw and lined him up, 20 metres, 15, 10, I was just about to shot him directly in the front of the chest when he put his head down to negotiated some tree limbs and covered his vitals, at two metres he spots me and turns on a dime and the runs out to 30 metres and stops, right behind I tree of course, no shot again!
Saturday arvo:
With over night rain and the temperature drop, this would make for a bit quieter stalking and maybe a little bit quicker in some case to cover the necessary ground to maybe get into a better position, and of course the tracks would have to be fresh!
Took note of which way the wind was blowing today it was only light and consistent this time, and planed my route, didn’t take long and I found a small mob with one small buck in it so I moved on. In the next gully I found buck tracks heading out and into the grassy flats, so I followed, only stopping to listen for grunts or estrus bleating of does. Only some 10 minutes later I could here a few doe bleating so I slowed and carefully glassed the flats and the approaching scrub in front. As I entered the edge of some tee tree scrub I could her a doe calling softly, so I made my way around the edge of the tee tree ever so slowly to find a few does and a buck standing some 30 odd metres away right on the edge of and sandy gully, I made a small movement forward so I had a clear shot and waited. I didn’t take long and the buck had moved into an excellent position for a angled shot forward in to his chest, and this time he was just standing still, I drew and placed my 30 metre pin behind his last rib, and fired the arrow struck perfectly and the group exploded, I remained still and it only took some 10 seconds and I could see the buck falling buck down the opposite bank!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/IMG_0469-3.jpg
The first buck of the day taken at 31 metres.
Awesome I thought, how lucky was that, I made my way over to him to check my price and not a too bad set of antlers I guess, I then went back trying to find my arrow as it had completely passed though the buck, but I just couldn’t find it. It’s at this point three bucks started grunting in the timber right in front of me only some 80 to 100 metres max away, I immediately loaded anther arrow in the Vital Bow gear rest and headed that direction!
I had only gone 70 metres when I saw a buck crossing my path some 50 metres in front, so I knelt down as I was not sure if he had seen me, as he was moving rather fast, I watched as he made a be line for a scrape under a tree and the stopped to check it out, at this point I knew I had not been busted, I carefully moved to my right and just into and behind some thin tree cover, then I thought I wonder if he will respond to a few grunts of my own? I let out 4 grunts in a row, and the waited, as I watched to see if he would change direction, and maybe walk to me this time. I couldn’t see him now as he has moved into a little wash out I was next too, so I grunted a number of times again, and waited, then I could see his legs and he was coming straight up the wash out on the other side, I drew and got set again, he was walking to me, 20, 15, and at 10 metres this time I was not going to make the same mistake as Thursday, he turned slightly and I drove an arrow from my 80lbs Tribute right in front of his shoulder blade and angling back into his chest!
He ran some 20 metres and stopped, as he seamed to be dazed as what had just happened, and then he ran, and disappeared from sight I immediately got up and placed another arrow on the string and made my way to where he disappeared. As I crossed the washout I could see the tops of his antlers some 50 metres, so I slowly moved forward and positioned my self for a possible follow up shot. He was standing quite still as I closed to 40 metres and drew and started to aim for the finisher, but he collapsed as I was taking careful aim, unreal I ran over two bucks in 15 minutes, what a day!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/IMG_0460-2.jpg
The second buck of the day taken at 10 metres with a frontal chest shot.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/IMG_0464-2.jpg
The other side on the same buck, but with the sun highlighting the back ground!
I set him up for the pictures first, while there was a buck some 500 metres away still grunting his butt off, I took his head and made my way back to the first buck, with the light fading fast I set up and the remainder on the self timed photos and removed his antlers and headed for home, with that same buck still going off in the distance, might have go hunting Sunday now!
I would like to thank Archery Supplies (02 62883735) for the Tribute, and the BowTech accessories that came with the bow, mainly quiver and stabilizer, and also the super tough Carbon Tech shafts!
Or visit them on the web site at: www.archeryshop.com.au