My wife, Carol and I headed to the bush for a few days, just 37 days since having my 2nd knee replaced (left), same day as 308lover. The red stags had started roaring and we are just meat hunting and collecting heads for TB autopsy (glands in head are tested) after 10yrs of 1080 poison operations to rid the ranges of TB infected possums that pass infection on to cattle, deer and pigs. If this survey of heads comes up clear of TB then 1080 poisoning which also kills deer will be finished in this area.
The first evening we put up a hind and weaner before I put Carol up a tree over looking a clearing while I walked up the track to listen for stags roaring. We both heard maybe 10 stags roaring but as this is solid bush, only 1hr left of shooting light and my wariness of my new knees ability to stand up to traveling we headed back to camp. I had done about 2km and my knee felt good.
Next morning, 2nd April, we headed out in the dark and stags were roaring everywhere, so we headed for the closest which happened to be in the tightest vine ridden place, but they usually head up onto the range as daylight progresses, which is more open. This was the case, with 2 stags challenging one another so we could pinpoint the stag with out having to roar. It was very dry underfoot and we ended up mucking it up.
We climbed up a ridge and 2 stags were 'going' on the other side and we managed to get within 50m of one when they shut up. It was so dry under foot we couldn't move unless he roared. He roared again after at least 5min and I could move on to a damper piece of ground and saw him at 15m as he moved to my right. I hit him a bit far back but you take what's presented in thick bush so he ended down in the creek, 20m away.
Just a scrubby little 8 pointer, typical of this areas genetics.
Ten years ago I would have gutted him chucked him on my back and headed off back to camp (1km) but not today. We took both back legs and back steaks, dragged him out of the creek then cut the head off and a 4hr trip back to camp as, silly me, took a 'short cut' that required a lot of chopping of vines. We got back in camp stuffed.
The stags roared all night again but in the morning my leg was not sore, but just felt so fatiged, I had a stag roaring at 300m and as he wouldn't come through to us I left him and we headed home. Carol rechons I'm getting old.
Two days of rest and I'm feeling great, the weather's fine and I might just head out again.
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Originally Posted by proguide66
