PeterM
21-08-07, 11:04 PM
I had not long finished the very busy Fallow deer season, and I’ve started my search for the Rusa of the south coast, when I received a call from my mate Paul from South Australia asking if I wanted to have a go at some red deer? Since I had not been down to Water Valley in some time and a place for a short three day self guided hunt had just become available, of course I jumped at the chance!
I managed to pick up some very cheap tickets off the net and three days later I was being picked up by Paul with a client of his from America at the Adelaide airport, and we where off, only a three and half hour drive and I’ll be at the largest hunting preserve in the southern hemisphere, and looking forward to the experience.
The first morning Paul dropped me into what we call front block, as he took his client to the search for a massive fallow that he had seen the some 7 days earlier. This massive section contains just about all the species of deer on it except for Hog and Rusa, so anything could be on the cards, but you have to work to get the better deer or just be lucky, which ever comes first. As I sat on a small rise to glass the open to scrub looking for a decent red I spotted the numerous fallow bucks and even a few Chital, many a red hind and some not to bad red stags feeding out in open to semi open flats. But I was looking for a red with both decent length and as heavy as possible, and oh course with lots of points, but he also had to have the length in the tops, so this is not an easy task.
After some three hours of moving to better vantage points and glassing over a lot of country, I had seen a large number of deer, but nothing that I really wanted to waste too much time on. I had seen a few very nice fallow bucks that would all go over the 210 to 220 DP range, but the reds were thin, so I progressively made my way over the to corner on the front block which joints onto a block called West Slopes, this used to be a ADA block. In this block there have been many huge fallow bucks taken from it over the years, well so I have been told, so you would never know your luck, as it also contains a few Sambar.
As I came within one or two kilometres West Slopes I managed to find a group of red deer, which brought me out of my semi nomadic state and got my full attention. The better stag was feeding in the tops of a fallen gum tree, with two other stags and a doe. He was heavy, with at least 16 to 18 points, but he was not that long in the tops but I moved in for a stalk anyway, as you never know what might walk out of the scrub near by. I used a small natural line of timber to close to about 45 metres I could not get a shot at the big stag because of the doe feeding right next to him because she was covering his chest! She and the others would not move as the fallen gum tree leaves seemed to be a delicacy, as the drought down here had also hit hard and the amount of feed on the ground was thin.
As I was peaking over some low bushes the eagle hawk eyes of the doe caught something, as she swung and turned and immediately started walking to her left to investigate what it might be, she was trying to get down wind also which was not possible, as I had the slight breeze in my face. As she moved past some trees that obscured her view I laid flat out on the ground! So I thought the 3D camo and the low grass would just about make it nearly impossible to see me. After about 20 minutes of this cat and mouse game, she wouldn’t give up, she wouldn’t relent and eventually she gave a loud bark which I wasn’t ready for, and scared the **** of me! I hate it when they do that and you’re not ready for it. The only alarm call worse are Chital! This was enough to make the others move on too, since she was now making a steady exit stage right, my chances for a shot where now no good and getting further away by the minute.
After they entered a section on scrubby timber, I slowly made my way to the top of a larger hill, so I could get a better vantage point to look over and into the timber, it also turned out that I could see into West Slopes. I watched to see if the group of reds would emerge but they never did. I spent the rest of the day glassing just inside the West Slopes. It was getting late, so I started to head back, I hugged the entire timberline where possible and used all the little patches of scrub to conceal myself for the hunt back, as you never know what might walk onto on my way to Paul’s cabin.
Day two and I have managed to kick Paul out of bed at 5am and myself which is no mean feat I can tell ya! He has dropped me a little closer to where I left off yesterday this way I can have as much time as possible to locate the reds from yesterday. As I had only three days to find a specific deer, you need all the time you can get and then some. I was amazed on how many fallow deer there were! I watched many walk back into the timber in West Slopes, it was inspiring, plenty still remained out but if I had more time I would have loved to sit just inside the timberline as the deer moved back in. There was some very impressive heads that walked into the timber indeed, but all I really wanted was a red stag. The group from yesterday was out on the other side of the timber and just feeding, so I made my way to the timber edge on the opposite side and prepared for my stalk though it. With a little luck hopefully I will be setup on the other side as they walk back in.
It was only about 30 minutes later and I am carefully positioning myself inside the timber just 20 metres of what looked like a major pad. I could still see some of the group out in the grassland, and I got set into the best position I thought that might give me a shot at a stag if they ventured back in and past my position. The sun was well and truly into the sky by the time I figured out that they are not going to come back into this patch of timber to rest, they have kept feeding out into the grassland and stopped under a few trees all the way out in the flat. So I decide I’ll head out after them. As I’m crawling out onto the semi open flat I realised that there really isn’t that much grass to conceal myself behind, so onto my stomach I’m forced, I thought here we go just what every good deer hunt needs a long tedious craw on your guts for at least two hours plus to really confirm that bow hunters are crazy or obsessed!
By the time I have covered half the distance, the morning wind had started to pick up and on a few occasions I thought that it had given me up, but it held and the reds where still in there chosen position. As the gap closed, a small problem emerged, I had not bothered with breakfast and by this point had made me even more paranoid as I edged ever closer, my stomach was grumbling pretty bad and I am telling it to shut up, you might scare the deer off, WHAT THE! Looks like the lack of sugar in the blood was having an effect too and I had left my utility belt back in the timber so not even a chewy muesli bar could stop the roar. By this time the grass cover had really dropped off too, I could only imagine my self eating a muesli bar flat out on my back on the ground now, I was trying to keep myself concealed and saying to myself if only I had one!
Only some 80 meters to go, I managed to put a plan together, there was a pulled stump of a fallen tree that might be close enough, to tell the truth it was the only choice I had anyway, it was the only cover that would allow me to get to my knees while I came to full draw to take a shot without being seen, so I started to inch my way over to the stump, over the next hour or so, by then the wind was picking up but is was still in my favour. I am now crunched in under the tree stump, and it’s a tight fit, I’m thinking to myself it’s really not that big a stump, funny how your perception of things from an ants level is a little distorted.
The stag that I have been chasing since yesterday is feeding out in the grass only 40 metres away and is facing my way so I am very carefully looking though the exposed roots of the stump. There is also a new stag that is sitting in the shade of the trees that grabs my full attention. He has better length and is wider and longer tops! I start to get the shakes as the adrenalin starts to flow. I’m still jammed up tight in under the stump and with the big stag bedded in the grass under the shade of the tree and I cannot see his chest as the grass is covering it, so there is no shot on offer, his mate on the other hand has changed directions and is now facing quartered away and at 40 metres, I am telling myself they are both really good stags and I should just take him as he is now in the best position for an excellent shot, but I have come all this way and you have to say to yourself, don’t settle for anything less, so I am now committed in my mind on the larger stag under the tree.
As the remainder of the group is further out in the grassy flat only the two stags are left, the other stag is now moving back toward him at the 43 metre mark. I sense this could be my chance, with the Goldtip already knocked and my hand on the grip, I slowly hold the bow up and attach my release, I stay crouched down behind the stump, just waiting to see what he is going to do, I see the stags front shoulder move and then he starts to rise, he is now on his feet and having a little stretch, you could see there was a quite substantial difference in body size of the two stags now standing together, he would have been an easy six inch’s taller at the shoulder and around 100kg in body weight heavier than the other! I start to draw my bow, still crouching as low as possible as the Darton Maverick hits its solid wall, I anchor and line up my No Peep and straighten up and take aim over the stump, the two stags notice my movement as I straighten, they have taken a keen interest in the bushy like animal that has just partially appeared, but its too late, I’ve had all the time in the world and I have placed my 40 metre pin of my Trophy Ridge Matrix sight slightly high and just forward of his front shoulder, the shot is away! In the second it took for the shaft to get there it had disappeared, I see the arrow hit the exact spot is was aiming for, the stag turned some 120 degrees, and I see the Goldtip fall out from behind his last rib on the other side as both animals take flight, its lodges in the sandy soil and remains upright.
I watch as the two stags which are neck and neck bolting directly away from my position, but it did not take long and I could see the Magnus Stinger 4 blade broad head had done its job perfectly again, the stag looked like he was getting lower to the ground, almost like watching someone going down a shop escalator from behind, he stops and props upright, and then collapses on the ground only some 50 to 60 meters away. I get up and walk over to the arrow sitting in the ground and replace it in my quiver, I then place a fresh shaft on the bow and slowly make my way over the to the fallen stag, he has fully expired by the time I make the short walk to him I replace my arrow and put my bow on the ground and stand in awe of the big animal, I was one happy camper! I ran my hands over his antlers and counted all the points, there are 17 in all, I then took notice of the different formation of both sides and they seem quite different, one side typical red the other a bit unusual. He body size was really a stand out! A rough guess on his weight would be around the 230 to 250kg mark easy, but it was the stags very light colour and the medium extension of his rump patch that started to make me think. I couldn’t tell his true colour as the shade of the tree concealed this just before the shot. I then made my way back to get my utility belt to get something to eat and try calling Paul on the small UHF radio he gave me, “You there OLD MAN?” instantly I get the a response “Yes LAB RAT!” excellent I thought “Can you come pick me up and take some pictures for me please mate?” he asked how big it was and I commented “It’s not bad, not bad at all, I’m very happy with him mate!” I told him it looked a little different than normal “Yeah!” he said in what way? I said it looks like it might be a hybrid, he responded saying that’s possible but unlikely. I gave him my exact location, and he said he would be there in about 45 minutes.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/2005%20Red%20Stag/2005RedStagPBM2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/2005%20Red%20Stag/2005RedStagPBM5.jpg
Paul commented on the fine stag and still could not believed that the arrow had completely penetrated the big bodied stag and especially at 43 metres! We took a heap of pictures with the my new Canon IXUS 700 and then I started to speculate on if it was a hybrid, Paul said maybe, it looks like a hybrid, its big enough but he then stated a few facts to me, that red can and do get bigger than this stag and the lighter colour is from his winter coat, and it also was a very old animal, as for the extended rump patch he said its hard to tell but it looks like its is a bit deceptive, as he thought it was just the lighter colour of the rest of the animal that makes it look extended, a good point, and even though the antlers are different the points still are curling in which is typical for red as Wapiti tines tend to throw upwards or out not in, and the only way to really tell is to have the skull examined by an expert, well this shot holes in my hybrid theory but in my mind it looks like a hybrid, what do you think?
We dissected the stag and took the meat back to the cool room, some 20 km back at the house and there we caped and finished off the preparation on the skull for my mate Nigel Thompson mount. Buy this time a large storm front was approaching and it looked like that it was going to rain a little later, as we were off tomorrow it didn’t concern me because, I get to sleep in tomorrow my hunt was over!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/2005%20Red%20Stag/2005RedStagPBM1.jpg
Bow used was a Darton Maverick set at 81 lbs with Trophy Ridge Matrix 5 pin sight and Trophy Ridge drop zone hunter rest, NAP Shock Blocker 1000 Stabilizer.
Shafts used are Gold Tip big game 100+ that weight 523 grains with the Magnus 125 grain Stinger broad head witch leave my Darton Maverick RC at 285 feet per second.
I managed to pick up some very cheap tickets off the net and three days later I was being picked up by Paul with a client of his from America at the Adelaide airport, and we where off, only a three and half hour drive and I’ll be at the largest hunting preserve in the southern hemisphere, and looking forward to the experience.
The first morning Paul dropped me into what we call front block, as he took his client to the search for a massive fallow that he had seen the some 7 days earlier. This massive section contains just about all the species of deer on it except for Hog and Rusa, so anything could be on the cards, but you have to work to get the better deer or just be lucky, which ever comes first. As I sat on a small rise to glass the open to scrub looking for a decent red I spotted the numerous fallow bucks and even a few Chital, many a red hind and some not to bad red stags feeding out in open to semi open flats. But I was looking for a red with both decent length and as heavy as possible, and oh course with lots of points, but he also had to have the length in the tops, so this is not an easy task.
After some three hours of moving to better vantage points and glassing over a lot of country, I had seen a large number of deer, but nothing that I really wanted to waste too much time on. I had seen a few very nice fallow bucks that would all go over the 210 to 220 DP range, but the reds were thin, so I progressively made my way over the to corner on the front block which joints onto a block called West Slopes, this used to be a ADA block. In this block there have been many huge fallow bucks taken from it over the years, well so I have been told, so you would never know your luck, as it also contains a few Sambar.
As I came within one or two kilometres West Slopes I managed to find a group of red deer, which brought me out of my semi nomadic state and got my full attention. The better stag was feeding in the tops of a fallen gum tree, with two other stags and a doe. He was heavy, with at least 16 to 18 points, but he was not that long in the tops but I moved in for a stalk anyway, as you never know what might walk out of the scrub near by. I used a small natural line of timber to close to about 45 metres I could not get a shot at the big stag because of the doe feeding right next to him because she was covering his chest! She and the others would not move as the fallen gum tree leaves seemed to be a delicacy, as the drought down here had also hit hard and the amount of feed on the ground was thin.
As I was peaking over some low bushes the eagle hawk eyes of the doe caught something, as she swung and turned and immediately started walking to her left to investigate what it might be, she was trying to get down wind also which was not possible, as I had the slight breeze in my face. As she moved past some trees that obscured her view I laid flat out on the ground! So I thought the 3D camo and the low grass would just about make it nearly impossible to see me. After about 20 minutes of this cat and mouse game, she wouldn’t give up, she wouldn’t relent and eventually she gave a loud bark which I wasn’t ready for, and scared the **** of me! I hate it when they do that and you’re not ready for it. The only alarm call worse are Chital! This was enough to make the others move on too, since she was now making a steady exit stage right, my chances for a shot where now no good and getting further away by the minute.
After they entered a section on scrubby timber, I slowly made my way to the top of a larger hill, so I could get a better vantage point to look over and into the timber, it also turned out that I could see into West Slopes. I watched to see if the group of reds would emerge but they never did. I spent the rest of the day glassing just inside the West Slopes. It was getting late, so I started to head back, I hugged the entire timberline where possible and used all the little patches of scrub to conceal myself for the hunt back, as you never know what might walk onto on my way to Paul’s cabin.
Day two and I have managed to kick Paul out of bed at 5am and myself which is no mean feat I can tell ya! He has dropped me a little closer to where I left off yesterday this way I can have as much time as possible to locate the reds from yesterday. As I had only three days to find a specific deer, you need all the time you can get and then some. I was amazed on how many fallow deer there were! I watched many walk back into the timber in West Slopes, it was inspiring, plenty still remained out but if I had more time I would have loved to sit just inside the timberline as the deer moved back in. There was some very impressive heads that walked into the timber indeed, but all I really wanted was a red stag. The group from yesterday was out on the other side of the timber and just feeding, so I made my way to the timber edge on the opposite side and prepared for my stalk though it. With a little luck hopefully I will be setup on the other side as they walk back in.
It was only about 30 minutes later and I am carefully positioning myself inside the timber just 20 metres of what looked like a major pad. I could still see some of the group out in the grassland, and I got set into the best position I thought that might give me a shot at a stag if they ventured back in and past my position. The sun was well and truly into the sky by the time I figured out that they are not going to come back into this patch of timber to rest, they have kept feeding out into the grassland and stopped under a few trees all the way out in the flat. So I decide I’ll head out after them. As I’m crawling out onto the semi open flat I realised that there really isn’t that much grass to conceal myself behind, so onto my stomach I’m forced, I thought here we go just what every good deer hunt needs a long tedious craw on your guts for at least two hours plus to really confirm that bow hunters are crazy or obsessed!
By the time I have covered half the distance, the morning wind had started to pick up and on a few occasions I thought that it had given me up, but it held and the reds where still in there chosen position. As the gap closed, a small problem emerged, I had not bothered with breakfast and by this point had made me even more paranoid as I edged ever closer, my stomach was grumbling pretty bad and I am telling it to shut up, you might scare the deer off, WHAT THE! Looks like the lack of sugar in the blood was having an effect too and I had left my utility belt back in the timber so not even a chewy muesli bar could stop the roar. By this time the grass cover had really dropped off too, I could only imagine my self eating a muesli bar flat out on my back on the ground now, I was trying to keep myself concealed and saying to myself if only I had one!
Only some 80 meters to go, I managed to put a plan together, there was a pulled stump of a fallen tree that might be close enough, to tell the truth it was the only choice I had anyway, it was the only cover that would allow me to get to my knees while I came to full draw to take a shot without being seen, so I started to inch my way over to the stump, over the next hour or so, by then the wind was picking up but is was still in my favour. I am now crunched in under the tree stump, and it’s a tight fit, I’m thinking to myself it’s really not that big a stump, funny how your perception of things from an ants level is a little distorted.
The stag that I have been chasing since yesterday is feeding out in the grass only 40 metres away and is facing my way so I am very carefully looking though the exposed roots of the stump. There is also a new stag that is sitting in the shade of the trees that grabs my full attention. He has better length and is wider and longer tops! I start to get the shakes as the adrenalin starts to flow. I’m still jammed up tight in under the stump and with the big stag bedded in the grass under the shade of the tree and I cannot see his chest as the grass is covering it, so there is no shot on offer, his mate on the other hand has changed directions and is now facing quartered away and at 40 metres, I am telling myself they are both really good stags and I should just take him as he is now in the best position for an excellent shot, but I have come all this way and you have to say to yourself, don’t settle for anything less, so I am now committed in my mind on the larger stag under the tree.
As the remainder of the group is further out in the grassy flat only the two stags are left, the other stag is now moving back toward him at the 43 metre mark. I sense this could be my chance, with the Goldtip already knocked and my hand on the grip, I slowly hold the bow up and attach my release, I stay crouched down behind the stump, just waiting to see what he is going to do, I see the stags front shoulder move and then he starts to rise, he is now on his feet and having a little stretch, you could see there was a quite substantial difference in body size of the two stags now standing together, he would have been an easy six inch’s taller at the shoulder and around 100kg in body weight heavier than the other! I start to draw my bow, still crouching as low as possible as the Darton Maverick hits its solid wall, I anchor and line up my No Peep and straighten up and take aim over the stump, the two stags notice my movement as I straighten, they have taken a keen interest in the bushy like animal that has just partially appeared, but its too late, I’ve had all the time in the world and I have placed my 40 metre pin of my Trophy Ridge Matrix sight slightly high and just forward of his front shoulder, the shot is away! In the second it took for the shaft to get there it had disappeared, I see the arrow hit the exact spot is was aiming for, the stag turned some 120 degrees, and I see the Goldtip fall out from behind his last rib on the other side as both animals take flight, its lodges in the sandy soil and remains upright.
I watch as the two stags which are neck and neck bolting directly away from my position, but it did not take long and I could see the Magnus Stinger 4 blade broad head had done its job perfectly again, the stag looked like he was getting lower to the ground, almost like watching someone going down a shop escalator from behind, he stops and props upright, and then collapses on the ground only some 50 to 60 meters away. I get up and walk over to the arrow sitting in the ground and replace it in my quiver, I then place a fresh shaft on the bow and slowly make my way over the to the fallen stag, he has fully expired by the time I make the short walk to him I replace my arrow and put my bow on the ground and stand in awe of the big animal, I was one happy camper! I ran my hands over his antlers and counted all the points, there are 17 in all, I then took notice of the different formation of both sides and they seem quite different, one side typical red the other a bit unusual. He body size was really a stand out! A rough guess on his weight would be around the 230 to 250kg mark easy, but it was the stags very light colour and the medium extension of his rump patch that started to make me think. I couldn’t tell his true colour as the shade of the tree concealed this just before the shot. I then made my way back to get my utility belt to get something to eat and try calling Paul on the small UHF radio he gave me, “You there OLD MAN?” instantly I get the a response “Yes LAB RAT!” excellent I thought “Can you come pick me up and take some pictures for me please mate?” he asked how big it was and I commented “It’s not bad, not bad at all, I’m very happy with him mate!” I told him it looked a little different than normal “Yeah!” he said in what way? I said it looks like it might be a hybrid, he responded saying that’s possible but unlikely. I gave him my exact location, and he said he would be there in about 45 minutes.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/2005%20Red%20Stag/2005RedStagPBM2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/2005%20Red%20Stag/2005RedStagPBM5.jpg
Paul commented on the fine stag and still could not believed that the arrow had completely penetrated the big bodied stag and especially at 43 metres! We took a heap of pictures with the my new Canon IXUS 700 and then I started to speculate on if it was a hybrid, Paul said maybe, it looks like a hybrid, its big enough but he then stated a few facts to me, that red can and do get bigger than this stag and the lighter colour is from his winter coat, and it also was a very old animal, as for the extended rump patch he said its hard to tell but it looks like its is a bit deceptive, as he thought it was just the lighter colour of the rest of the animal that makes it look extended, a good point, and even though the antlers are different the points still are curling in which is typical for red as Wapiti tines tend to throw upwards or out not in, and the only way to really tell is to have the skull examined by an expert, well this shot holes in my hybrid theory but in my mind it looks like a hybrid, what do you think?
We dissected the stag and took the meat back to the cool room, some 20 km back at the house and there we caped and finished off the preparation on the skull for my mate Nigel Thompson mount. Buy this time a large storm front was approaching and it looked like that it was going to rain a little later, as we were off tomorrow it didn’t concern me because, I get to sleep in tomorrow my hunt was over!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/2005%20Red%20Stag/2005RedStagPBM1.jpg
Bow used was a Darton Maverick set at 81 lbs with Trophy Ridge Matrix 5 pin sight and Trophy Ridge drop zone hunter rest, NAP Shock Blocker 1000 Stabilizer.
Shafts used are Gold Tip big game 100+ that weight 523 grains with the Magnus 125 grain Stinger broad head witch leave my Darton Maverick RC at 285 feet per second.