PeterM
01-03-07, 12:25 PM
It’s opening day today the 1 of March (NSW) and I have gotten up very early (I stayed a my mates place) and ditched out of bed was going to head down my favoured creek just before sunrise this morning, but the slight breeze was not in my favour so I decided to head up the creek and into the neighbours where I normally don’t go because to the regular spotlighting (I still had permission as I have only seen him two weeks earlier on a Sunday afternoon scouting trip with he was horse ridding again).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/Deer%202007/IMG_0769-2-2.jpg
I had not travelled that far when I picked out a dark shape; it was a doe feeding towards me at some 100 metres heading down the same creek I was heading up. As the light was slowing increasing I managed to get behind a large rosehip bush and lay in wait. As she closed the gap to 43 metres I took my change while she was feeding on a small patch on new green grass from the 3 inches of rain the area has gotten in the last 2 weeks. The Tribute has been checked, retuned, shot a few hundreds times in preparation for this day and with new strings and cables she has been waiting for what seams like and eternity, as always it went off without a hitch, almost like in slow motion I watched the arrow effortlessly sail over to the doe, and pass perfectly though her broadside, all in and instant, she kicked and with a little explosion took fight while in that faction of a second I saw the dirt fall back to earth where my arrows had imbedded in the sandy soil as she exploded from here standing position!
I lost sight of her as she travelled over a small rise, but I herd a loud crash lot long after she disappeared so I walked straight over to arrow, which was now that mixed stain coloured red, wiped it clean and placed back in the quiver and made my way over to where I saw her, no need to wait I thought in this case with a perfect shot like that!
She had only travelled some 60 metres before succumbing to the effects on a razor sharp Magnus Stinger BH, I took some pictures and the back legs and back straps out of her and placed them in a cool spot all before the sun had even hit the sky, not bad start for the start of the season IMO.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/Deer%202007/IMG_0714-2-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/Deer%202007/IMG_0782-2.jpg
So I continued on up the creek for some time and I found some fresh buck tracks, this got attention back on track pretty quick, so I slowed again and made my way up the creek bank to look for any lingering deer (hopefully bucks) that might still be out. I glassed for some 10 minutes and then decided I wanted to be closer to the timber so I made my way across the open green paddock, only to be slightly disappointed in my find, half way across in a little desperation, there where two dead deer, I know shouldn’t be that shocked since I was right in the middle of spotlighting territory but still I guess if you shoot them then why not take something with you rather that just leave them to rot?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/Deer%202007/IMG_0784-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/Deer%202007/IMG_0788-2.jpg
The two deer where within 15 metres of each other and it's pretty a good guess they where shot in early to mid January as the birds have peaked the tips out of the buck antlers, as that would have been soft still and the last spot on harden before he would have rubbed out at the end of January, pity rally. That pretty much put the brakes on and I decided to go pick my meat and head back to the farm house and come back later when the wind direction was in travelling in my favour so I could hunt the better section IMO. But I still was satisfied my hunting bug with the first deer on the year, and some fine table fare.
Well I have been scouting and running around all over the place for the last 2 months, looking at deer for the 07 season, things might be a little harder this year as there is not as much tall grass and the thistles are non excitant from the drought, so bowhunter’s down this way be doing it a little harder when they hit the open stuff. I haven’t really seen many bucks until last week when I found 8 in one day, two of which where not bad, one around 170 to 180 and the best one would have gone 190 DP max so it was a start anyway.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/Deer%202007/IMG_0770-2.jpg
One more month of Pre season and then BRING ON THE RUT!!!!!!!!!!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/Deer%202007/IMG_0769-2-2.jpg
I had not travelled that far when I picked out a dark shape; it was a doe feeding towards me at some 100 metres heading down the same creek I was heading up. As the light was slowing increasing I managed to get behind a large rosehip bush and lay in wait. As she closed the gap to 43 metres I took my change while she was feeding on a small patch on new green grass from the 3 inches of rain the area has gotten in the last 2 weeks. The Tribute has been checked, retuned, shot a few hundreds times in preparation for this day and with new strings and cables she has been waiting for what seams like and eternity, as always it went off without a hitch, almost like in slow motion I watched the arrow effortlessly sail over to the doe, and pass perfectly though her broadside, all in and instant, she kicked and with a little explosion took fight while in that faction of a second I saw the dirt fall back to earth where my arrows had imbedded in the sandy soil as she exploded from here standing position!
I lost sight of her as she travelled over a small rise, but I herd a loud crash lot long after she disappeared so I walked straight over to arrow, which was now that mixed stain coloured red, wiped it clean and placed back in the quiver and made my way over to where I saw her, no need to wait I thought in this case with a perfect shot like that!
She had only travelled some 60 metres before succumbing to the effects on a razor sharp Magnus Stinger BH, I took some pictures and the back legs and back straps out of her and placed them in a cool spot all before the sun had even hit the sky, not bad start for the start of the season IMO.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/Deer%202007/IMG_0714-2-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/Deer%202007/IMG_0782-2.jpg
So I continued on up the creek for some time and I found some fresh buck tracks, this got attention back on track pretty quick, so I slowed again and made my way up the creek bank to look for any lingering deer (hopefully bucks) that might still be out. I glassed for some 10 minutes and then decided I wanted to be closer to the timber so I made my way across the open green paddock, only to be slightly disappointed in my find, half way across in a little desperation, there where two dead deer, I know shouldn’t be that shocked since I was right in the middle of spotlighting territory but still I guess if you shoot them then why not take something with you rather that just leave them to rot?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/Deer%202007/IMG_0784-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/Deer%202007/IMG_0788-2.jpg
The two deer where within 15 metres of each other and it's pretty a good guess they where shot in early to mid January as the birds have peaked the tips out of the buck antlers, as that would have been soft still and the last spot on harden before he would have rubbed out at the end of January, pity rally. That pretty much put the brakes on and I decided to go pick my meat and head back to the farm house and come back later when the wind direction was in travelling in my favour so I could hunt the better section IMO. But I still was satisfied my hunting bug with the first deer on the year, and some fine table fare.
Well I have been scouting and running around all over the place for the last 2 months, looking at deer for the 07 season, things might be a little harder this year as there is not as much tall grass and the thistles are non excitant from the drought, so bowhunter’s down this way be doing it a little harder when they hit the open stuff. I haven’t really seen many bucks until last week when I found 8 in one day, two of which where not bad, one around 170 to 180 and the best one would have gone 190 DP max so it was a start anyway.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/Deer%202007/IMG_0770-2.jpg
One more month of Pre season and then BRING ON THE RUT!!!!!!!!!!!