PeterM
10-03-07, 12:49 PM
Well it had been awhile since I have been to look for Fox and Billy, with all the attention I had been paying on the deer I forgot how much I enjoy hunting these guys as the foxes come to you and the goats compared to deer as far as how hard they are to hunt, well lets not go there!
With 150mm plus of rain though out this part of t the world over the last month or so, the conditions and overall state of the country side has changed dramatically, for the better obviously! On the first attempt I whistled this guy in, as he came in he cut my track where I walk up the bank at 20 metres, which made him stop instantly and changed direction heading down river, as he went behind a small section of newly invigorated black berries, so I drew and gave another quick blow on the whistle and this made him stop at the end of the bush to see if he could locate the potential meal one last time, boy he must have been hungry, but this was a fatal mistake, form my elevated position on the bank, at 30 metres he never knew what hit him, the arrow entering just in front on the back legs and completely passing though his chest and entered the soft sand in an instant. He only made some 15 metres and the game was over, so one whistle, one fox, and great start to the arvo!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/IMG_0813-2.jpg
Well about and hour later, and few more whistles, no more foxes and no goat sign, I was beginning wonder if they had all left to greener pastures. Another 500 metres down the river, I spotted a Hare, and a rabbit that was still feeding, so I placed myself in between some brunt logs, looking straight into a section tee tree, and got set. I blew the whistle like always no to hard or vigorously and in only short spurts, then intensely scanned for movement, as I needed enough time as always to come to full draw when your whistling by yourself, 20 seconds later I could here the little sound of patting feet off my left, only to turn and have a fox just about on my lap, which opened my eyes wide as did he at some 3 foot! He turned on dime and headed directly back over the small crest form where he came, which of course in my blind spot.
With that little surprise out of the way, I continued on, not ten seconds later here come another fox, at 60 metres and this time coming on a gentle arch towards me. I slowly came to full draw, got set, he stopped at 50 metres, and only 10 metres form the real rabbit, which was as plan as day from my position, I gave a little whistle and he started coming in again, then he got to about 30 metres and stopped. But this time with the pin on chest I fired, this time the arrows just dropped under his chest and skipped past the same rabbit at about 5 metres! With a mighty leap and took off to my left. Oh well I know I should have held a little higher or tried to pull him in a little closer. Only some 30 seconds later he ran not 5 metres past the same rabbit on the edge on the tee tree, who still had not moved the whole time, so I thought this guy must have mixso, so I slowly moved in on him, and at 28 metres you could see that he could see (no mixso) so I let one fly, and yep I missed him too, he then just hopped back to the corner of the tee tree and sat, I thought man, it must be your lucky day so I left him be. Well even though I had blown the last two shots I had a smile across my dial, boy I really was enjoying myself, so I kept on my search, heading down the river.
It was getting on by now and in the distance on top of a small hill I saw what I had coming looking for, a mob of goats, and good mob too, about 40 in all, with the wind no really ideal, I had to cut my way along the bottom of the river, underneath them and circled back around to get in the right position, this took a little while as we know approaching goats from underneath is allot harder the coming from above or on the there level.
Now I had made my way out into the section field with only a rose hip bush for cover, as they gradually feed my way, and they came ever closer I picked out the biggest bodied Billy. With the sun now set but with all my pins still a glowing bright in my Trophy Ridge Matrix sight I took the 25 metre shot angling forward into the Billy chest, which scattered the mod in no time, but he only managed some 50 metres before going down the deadly combo of CarbonTech Rhino and Magnus Stinger 125g Brodhead, all pushed along by my ever reliable BowTech Tribute set at 80lbs.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/IMG_0835-2-2.jpg
Took some self timed photos in near darkness and started the long walk back to the car and the drive home, defiantly a great afternoon hunt.
Well now back to concentrating on the deer!
With 150mm plus of rain though out this part of t the world over the last month or so, the conditions and overall state of the country side has changed dramatically, for the better obviously! On the first attempt I whistled this guy in, as he came in he cut my track where I walk up the bank at 20 metres, which made him stop instantly and changed direction heading down river, as he went behind a small section of newly invigorated black berries, so I drew and gave another quick blow on the whistle and this made him stop at the end of the bush to see if he could locate the potential meal one last time, boy he must have been hungry, but this was a fatal mistake, form my elevated position on the bank, at 30 metres he never knew what hit him, the arrow entering just in front on the back legs and completely passing though his chest and entered the soft sand in an instant. He only made some 15 metres and the game was over, so one whistle, one fox, and great start to the arvo!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/IMG_0813-2.jpg
Well about and hour later, and few more whistles, no more foxes and no goat sign, I was beginning wonder if they had all left to greener pastures. Another 500 metres down the river, I spotted a Hare, and a rabbit that was still feeding, so I placed myself in between some brunt logs, looking straight into a section tee tree, and got set. I blew the whistle like always no to hard or vigorously and in only short spurts, then intensely scanned for movement, as I needed enough time as always to come to full draw when your whistling by yourself, 20 seconds later I could here the little sound of patting feet off my left, only to turn and have a fox just about on my lap, which opened my eyes wide as did he at some 3 foot! He turned on dime and headed directly back over the small crest form where he came, which of course in my blind spot.
With that little surprise out of the way, I continued on, not ten seconds later here come another fox, at 60 metres and this time coming on a gentle arch towards me. I slowly came to full draw, got set, he stopped at 50 metres, and only 10 metres form the real rabbit, which was as plan as day from my position, I gave a little whistle and he started coming in again, then he got to about 30 metres and stopped. But this time with the pin on chest I fired, this time the arrows just dropped under his chest and skipped past the same rabbit at about 5 metres! With a mighty leap and took off to my left. Oh well I know I should have held a little higher or tried to pull him in a little closer. Only some 30 seconds later he ran not 5 metres past the same rabbit on the edge on the tee tree, who still had not moved the whole time, so I thought this guy must have mixso, so I slowly moved in on him, and at 28 metres you could see that he could see (no mixso) so I let one fly, and yep I missed him too, he then just hopped back to the corner of the tee tree and sat, I thought man, it must be your lucky day so I left him be. Well even though I had blown the last two shots I had a smile across my dial, boy I really was enjoying myself, so I kept on my search, heading down the river.
It was getting on by now and in the distance on top of a small hill I saw what I had coming looking for, a mob of goats, and good mob too, about 40 in all, with the wind no really ideal, I had to cut my way along the bottom of the river, underneath them and circled back around to get in the right position, this took a little while as we know approaching goats from underneath is allot harder the coming from above or on the there level.
Now I had made my way out into the section field with only a rose hip bush for cover, as they gradually feed my way, and they came ever closer I picked out the biggest bodied Billy. With the sun now set but with all my pins still a glowing bright in my Trophy Ridge Matrix sight I took the 25 metre shot angling forward into the Billy chest, which scattered the mod in no time, but he only managed some 50 metres before going down the deadly combo of CarbonTech Rhino and Magnus Stinger 125g Brodhead, all pushed along by my ever reliable BowTech Tribute set at 80lbs.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/IMG_0835-2-2.jpg
Took some self timed photos in near darkness and started the long walk back to the car and the drive home, defiantly a great afternoon hunt.
Well now back to concentrating on the deer!