Luke
07-04-07, 03:19 AM
As I sit typing this and reminiscing on the 3 awesome days hunt with Scott my nose is filled with the sweet smell of goat leg roasting in my oven. Garlic, butter, onion, bacon, mushrooms, rosemary, salt, pepper and a rubbing with olive oil and mmmmm.... I can't wait.
Taylor and I made the 8 hr drive south to hunt the fallow with Scott on the new block he and Jo had secured access for bowhunters on. We stepped out of the trusty Lux at Walcha to a chilly NSW evening that was dispelled by hearty handshakes, warm smiles and a good hug or two (cheers Jo ;)).
After rising at 3:30am the next morn and gearing up, the drive to the property passed quickly and it was with short drawn breath I realised it was going to be a good few days hunt as the headlights swung over 6 or 8 deer feeding not 100m's from the property home! My first fair dinkum fallow hunt and I was pumped.
It had been hard to raise Taylor from sleep (what 10 yr old isn't hard to wake at such an ungodly hour :shock:) but he was ever so greatful I did. We geared up to the grumbles and croaks of some over possessive bucks and headed up the hill to wait for the sky to turn.
As the black of night melded with the greys of dawn and the true lay of the land began to unfold before me, Scott and I realised that the house paddock and vineyard (where the fallow had been graising) was not to be happy hunting grounds that morning. The wind had sprung up from the east and was blowing swiftly over our shoulders. Like a blanket, the dark had seemingly held the breeze at bay and as it's velvet touch was being drawn back the schizophrenic hunter's companion chose not to be on our side. We had crept up to about 60m's from the deer we'd seen under our headlights earlier but it was not long before the mature chocolate coloured stag moved his girls off into the thick scrub.
We headed back down the road to another paddock. Moving through a thick stand of scrub we busted out two does that had bedded early for the day. We finished off the morning sitting on a hillside waiting for any further noise from a buck that had been grunting a little longer than his mates. We were hoping to pin point him for a stalk but it wasn't to be.
Scott inspecting a rub tree - not more than 100m's from the farm house.
http://www.aussiebowhunter.com/images/walcha/rub-tree-scott.jpg
That arvo, we split up and Taylor and I headed back to the hillside to see if the noisy buck would appear from his hiding place. On our way I spied a lone chocolate doe resting in the head of the gully above the scrub we'd busted the does from that morning. I spent a half hour on hands and knees getting as close as I could. I could move no more to better my shooting position as her eyes would pin me at the slightest error yet her body was hidden behind the base of the tree trunks. The wait was on. After what seemed like forever she stood and started feeding out. As her head passed behind the tree I drew and she appeared with me statuesque holding the second pin on her vitals.
Now I'm sure it was of more surprise to me than her, when she startled on the spot for no apparent reason at all! :shock: I had not even twitched a mucle and she'd sensed my presence, but I was not yet busted. She took another three steps forwards, it was now or never as I believed she was about to bolt. Holding steady and concentrating with every ounce I aimed and released.... only to see the arrow dive just under her chest :( It was only after Scott had a very close encounter with the same doe the next morning that we agreed she was well below average size, and this lead to my error in judging the distance accurately. Oh well...
Under 40m's from the last rub... absolutley smashed :P
http://www.aussiebowhunter.com/images/walcha/HCA.jpg
The next morning, the same place - the vineyard, but this time no deer :( Back to the paddock we'd seen the doe in the day before and a different angle of approach due to a more favourable breeze. Walking along a game trail in total stealth mode my eyes grew to the size of dinner plates at the sight of two large palms moving about just above the height of some fallen logs further up the game trail in front of me! Motioning for Taylor to ease to the ground and remain still (as he has learnt and executed so very well since he's started hunting with me :P) I set to task closing in on the unsuspecting buck...
To be continued... After I come back from hunting the reds today hehe
Taylor crashed out after a good day's hunt ;)
http://www.aussiebowhunter.com/images/walcha/taylor-asleep.jpg
Taylor and I made the 8 hr drive south to hunt the fallow with Scott on the new block he and Jo had secured access for bowhunters on. We stepped out of the trusty Lux at Walcha to a chilly NSW evening that was dispelled by hearty handshakes, warm smiles and a good hug or two (cheers Jo ;)).
After rising at 3:30am the next morn and gearing up, the drive to the property passed quickly and it was with short drawn breath I realised it was going to be a good few days hunt as the headlights swung over 6 or 8 deer feeding not 100m's from the property home! My first fair dinkum fallow hunt and I was pumped.
It had been hard to raise Taylor from sleep (what 10 yr old isn't hard to wake at such an ungodly hour :shock:) but he was ever so greatful I did. We geared up to the grumbles and croaks of some over possessive bucks and headed up the hill to wait for the sky to turn.
As the black of night melded with the greys of dawn and the true lay of the land began to unfold before me, Scott and I realised that the house paddock and vineyard (where the fallow had been graising) was not to be happy hunting grounds that morning. The wind had sprung up from the east and was blowing swiftly over our shoulders. Like a blanket, the dark had seemingly held the breeze at bay and as it's velvet touch was being drawn back the schizophrenic hunter's companion chose not to be on our side. We had crept up to about 60m's from the deer we'd seen under our headlights earlier but it was not long before the mature chocolate coloured stag moved his girls off into the thick scrub.
We headed back down the road to another paddock. Moving through a thick stand of scrub we busted out two does that had bedded early for the day. We finished off the morning sitting on a hillside waiting for any further noise from a buck that had been grunting a little longer than his mates. We were hoping to pin point him for a stalk but it wasn't to be.
Scott inspecting a rub tree - not more than 100m's from the farm house.
http://www.aussiebowhunter.com/images/walcha/rub-tree-scott.jpg
That arvo, we split up and Taylor and I headed back to the hillside to see if the noisy buck would appear from his hiding place. On our way I spied a lone chocolate doe resting in the head of the gully above the scrub we'd busted the does from that morning. I spent a half hour on hands and knees getting as close as I could. I could move no more to better my shooting position as her eyes would pin me at the slightest error yet her body was hidden behind the base of the tree trunks. The wait was on. After what seemed like forever she stood and started feeding out. As her head passed behind the tree I drew and she appeared with me statuesque holding the second pin on her vitals.
Now I'm sure it was of more surprise to me than her, when she startled on the spot for no apparent reason at all! :shock: I had not even twitched a mucle and she'd sensed my presence, but I was not yet busted. She took another three steps forwards, it was now or never as I believed she was about to bolt. Holding steady and concentrating with every ounce I aimed and released.... only to see the arrow dive just under her chest :( It was only after Scott had a very close encounter with the same doe the next morning that we agreed she was well below average size, and this lead to my error in judging the distance accurately. Oh well...
Under 40m's from the last rub... absolutley smashed :P
http://www.aussiebowhunter.com/images/walcha/HCA.jpg
The next morning, the same place - the vineyard, but this time no deer :( Back to the paddock we'd seen the doe in the day before and a different angle of approach due to a more favourable breeze. Walking along a game trail in total stealth mode my eyes grew to the size of dinner plates at the sight of two large palms moving about just above the height of some fallen logs further up the game trail in front of me! Motioning for Taylor to ease to the ground and remain still (as he has learnt and executed so very well since he's started hunting with me :P) I set to task closing in on the unsuspecting buck...
To be continued... After I come back from hunting the reds today hehe
Taylor crashed out after a good day's hunt ;)
http://www.aussiebowhunter.com/images/walcha/taylor-asleep.jpg