warnie
04-03-07, 04:04 PM
I went out west of Bourke for the weekend. Over the last month I have been keeping track of how the ground water was going after the rain that had ruined PeteM and I's hunt at Christmas. Before last weekend I had heard that it was all but gone, so this weekend was the earliest I could get out there.
On Friday I went around a few tanks trying to suss out some new ones and also to get a feel for which tanks had the best goat numbers watering and cover for the bow hunter as there were still a few tanks I hadn’t seen. After the Friday evening lap I hadn’t found any I liked more than the big tank I had sat on towards the end of last year so we returned to it on Saturday morning.
Well what a day, goats came in soon after first light and it wasn’t many mobs latter that a really nice Billy came in. He came in half way up the long tank so I couldn’t get a shot. I followed them out into the scrub and played cat and mouse for an hour or so. They just wouldn’t stop for long enough to get within 50mtrs. A couple of times they stopped for a pick and I closed in as quickly as possible just to have them off again when things were going well. Eventually they met up with another small mob and this slowed them down enough for me to get out in front of them. I had a shot at thirty metres as he paused before following his mates into a thicker clump. The shot was a quick one and maybe that’s why it wasn’t so good going a low and a hand span too far back. He only went ten yards before stopping and I was able to place a second arrow in front of his hind leg and it came out in front of the offside shoulder, a good shot. As he was pitch black I couldn’t see the points of impact to accurately gauge just how good the shots were so I backed off and observed him for half an hour until the mob had left him. He was finished and wow wasn’t I excited, he is 37inches and of a lovely style. One up there with the other big one I saw on my first visit to this property that I haven’t seen again. I am a little more relaxed now I have relatively big one. If the rains come then I have enjoyed getting a few off these waters first. When I got back to the tank Shaun Ruddock had taken a really great Billy too with massive bases.
This morning we sat on a lonely little trough (the only water we know of in 40 000 acres), and quit a few goats came in. Nothing as big as my fellow, one did make me think about a shot though, lucky for him others watered on the trough all around him and no shot was offered. I will measure him later this evening. Oh and by the way on Saturday the farmer said he measured 50 degrees on one thermometer and 49 on another, both are in the shade of his veranda so pretty much are set up as they should be, no wonder we drank so much water.
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k165/warnie_2006/Dungarvonshawnwebb.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k165/warnie_2006/Dungarvonshawnswebb.jpg
On Friday I went around a few tanks trying to suss out some new ones and also to get a feel for which tanks had the best goat numbers watering and cover for the bow hunter as there were still a few tanks I hadn’t seen. After the Friday evening lap I hadn’t found any I liked more than the big tank I had sat on towards the end of last year so we returned to it on Saturday morning.
Well what a day, goats came in soon after first light and it wasn’t many mobs latter that a really nice Billy came in. He came in half way up the long tank so I couldn’t get a shot. I followed them out into the scrub and played cat and mouse for an hour or so. They just wouldn’t stop for long enough to get within 50mtrs. A couple of times they stopped for a pick and I closed in as quickly as possible just to have them off again when things were going well. Eventually they met up with another small mob and this slowed them down enough for me to get out in front of them. I had a shot at thirty metres as he paused before following his mates into a thicker clump. The shot was a quick one and maybe that’s why it wasn’t so good going a low and a hand span too far back. He only went ten yards before stopping and I was able to place a second arrow in front of his hind leg and it came out in front of the offside shoulder, a good shot. As he was pitch black I couldn’t see the points of impact to accurately gauge just how good the shots were so I backed off and observed him for half an hour until the mob had left him. He was finished and wow wasn’t I excited, he is 37inches and of a lovely style. One up there with the other big one I saw on my first visit to this property that I haven’t seen again. I am a little more relaxed now I have relatively big one. If the rains come then I have enjoyed getting a few off these waters first. When I got back to the tank Shaun Ruddock had taken a really great Billy too with massive bases.
This morning we sat on a lonely little trough (the only water we know of in 40 000 acres), and quit a few goats came in. Nothing as big as my fellow, one did make me think about a shot though, lucky for him others watered on the trough all around him and no shot was offered. I will measure him later this evening. Oh and by the way on Saturday the farmer said he measured 50 degrees on one thermometer and 49 on another, both are in the shade of his veranda so pretty much are set up as they should be, no wonder we drank so much water.
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k165/warnie_2006/Dungarvonshawnwebb.jpg
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k165/warnie_2006/Dungarvonshawnswebb.jpg