Sambar Hunting Q's

[MikalLaukart]

I've been stalking sambar with a bow for about a year and a half now and i have seen hundreds of them. i have had a few Very Very close encounters were i should have taken the shot, perfect set up and everything but i have stuffed them all up which is a real bugger every time i think about it. The closest i got to a unaware Sambar was 10m for real which my thoughts were wait for the perfect shot which i ended up waiting for to long . i no a few wallows which a actively used as if you look in the November entries for the outback broad heads competition you will see the pics. My plan is to sit at a game trail that is coming from the wallow before morning but i am worried of going down there with a torch and spooking a deer before i even get to the trail can anyone help me with some advise.What would be the preferred way to hunt Sambar with a bow by stalking them or by sitting and waiting.

[Dale Furze]

Mikal, when we (me and my hunting mates) hunt Sambar we use a number of different methods. Due to their generally hard habits to pattern we are now relying a lot on game cameras to try and get some rough idea as to when and where they will show up.

We will still hunt (just wander around the bush looking), sit on cleared hills and glass for considerable time for a possible 'spot and stalk' and just recently a few of us are using treestands over a 'hot' area. We have found the sit on a game trail and wait tactic a bit futile as the breeze rarely stays constant down here. This is where a treestand comes in handy, it can get you above the breeze.

Walking into a wallow in the early hours is always a gamble, if you have the time and the area is a little secluded use some secetares (? Cutters) to trim a cleared path to within 20m of your preferred waiting position. This will take some time but it can pay off in the end, you should then be able to sneak in there without the use of a torch. We always have cutters in our packs, they can help you get from one side of a gully to the other when the blackberries are a bit thick.

If you are seeing deer on a regular basis, just remember they are big boned but soft skinned, pick the easiest way into the heart without hitting the big bones and slip an arrow into that spot.

WHEN they run off, give them plenty of time to expire. They are very resilient when pushed and you will find that they will give you the slip.

Hope this helps you a little. Good luck.

Dale.

[Luke bazook]

stuffing up your shots may make you feel bad but from that you get a new experience and know not to do the same thing next time. Yesterday evening i whistled in a fox to 10m, but there was a dead branch on the ground just in front of its chest. It was a risky shot but i took it anyway hoping something good would come out of it. The arrow hit the centre of the branch right in front of the fox. It is probabely my 4th or 5th fox ive had a shot at and somehow theyve always outdone me. But from that experience i now know to make sure the shot will count.

[Piggy]

Mikal, like Dale I like to still hunt mainly because I get to see more animals and enjoy the slow walk. I do believe however that your best chance is to sit and wait if the deer in your area can be patterned.
Occasionally I will sit off known feeding areas or most commonly the game trails leading to them where several game trails join up into one before emerging into the feeding area and have a number of ground blinds constructed giving me several choices depending on wind and weather.

Trying to hunt wallows espically if active I believe is difficult as the deer will be toey as they approach making it harder for the bow hunter.
By far most of my encounters occour while still hunting with the deer being sighted on the move to feeding or bedding areas.
I always try and keep my body shape hidden by crouching, squatting or crawling along and staying in the shadows as much as possible although where I hunt it's quite thick where a shot would be almost imposible.
I find the deer to be quite curious and lately have been pretending to be a wombat which has allowed me to get within less than 20m on deer while they are staring at me and stamping but the instant eye contact is made there gone.
As far as the "perfect shot" is concerned it very rarely presents so if you can place the arrow in the vitals accurately do it, if in doubt DON'T.
After a shot remain motionless and quite and as Dale said "wait" at least 20 min then follow up if you spook them there no telling how far the will go.
You proberly know most of this but if you wish to chat pm me you Number

Cheers


Paul