I ended up giving away pretty well all of that last deer from a few weeks back. A fallow doe is about 90lb live weight so really isn’t a lot of meat in the end anyhow.
It was a good excuse to get out again this weekend.
After a less than ideal week of being at the Melbourne hospital with one of my boys I was glad to have some relatively good news for the time being and then to clear my mind out in the bush.
This particular spot is a mix of private and adjoining public that has over the years been a good spot for red deer.
I pulled the Ute in to within a few hundred metres of the private before first light and with my ever trusty companion at my side moved toward the opening through the thick bush. As the first rays of light filtered into the paddock as i arrived I immediately spotted a mature hind. Perfect I thought, she was about 250 m away and in an approachable position. That is until I noticed the always present kangaroos between us.
Not wanting to stir the deer I sat and watched them a few minutes so that I could gauge their route back into the bush and intercept them. The wind was quite strong but squarely in my face. As loaded my rifle I watched more and more deer materialised. In the end I roughly counted about 7 or 8 hinds and fawns, two young spikes and a reasonable stag.
Still hiding in cover and the wind in my face they all of a sudden bolted. I looked around and couldn’t for the life of me figure what spoked them.
I tried to cut back into the bush ahead of them, thinking that the strong wind might play to Ellie’s (my dog) favour and she could lead me into them. The tea tree thicket was worse than I anticipated and the recent rain made everything quite wet. I kept the lock tightly held under my armpit hoping not to have a failure to fire on a deer due to wet powder like I did earlier this year.
Once I made it to the otherside of the thicket I checked the prime, bloody wet! Cleaned it out and reprimed, I noticed straight away there was still moisture so cleaned it out and dried it as best I could with my shirt. Third time lucky the 4F Swiss prime seemed ok. I continued on and hit a game trail snaking back to the feeding area. Thinking a deer may use it I followed along and not 20m later I spotted a deer trotting along the trail toward me.
I raised the rifle and came to full cock as the one year old stag moved in closer. I held off hoping a fat hind or the big chunky mature stag might be coming up behind. He eventually stopped face on at 15m away, with no deer In sight I decided to take him. I shot for the base of the neck and dropped him in his tracks. The ball travelled through the length and passed out near his back leg.
No mucking around this time, I broke down the deer, brought it home, cut it up and put it straight in the freezer. This one is meat for me!
It was a good excuse to get out again this weekend.
After a less than ideal week of being at the Melbourne hospital with one of my boys I was glad to have some relatively good news for the time being and then to clear my mind out in the bush.
This particular spot is a mix of private and adjoining public that has over the years been a good spot for red deer.
I pulled the Ute in to within a few hundred metres of the private before first light and with my ever trusty companion at my side moved toward the opening through the thick bush. As the first rays of light filtered into the paddock as i arrived I immediately spotted a mature hind. Perfect I thought, she was about 250 m away and in an approachable position. That is until I noticed the always present kangaroos between us.
Not wanting to stir the deer I sat and watched them a few minutes so that I could gauge their route back into the bush and intercept them. The wind was quite strong but squarely in my face. As loaded my rifle I watched more and more deer materialised. In the end I roughly counted about 7 or 8 hinds and fawns, two young spikes and a reasonable stag.
Still hiding in cover and the wind in my face they all of a sudden bolted. I looked around and couldn’t for the life of me figure what spoked them.
I tried to cut back into the bush ahead of them, thinking that the strong wind might play to Ellie’s (my dog) favour and she could lead me into them. The tea tree thicket was worse than I anticipated and the recent rain made everything quite wet. I kept the lock tightly held under my armpit hoping not to have a failure to fire on a deer due to wet powder like I did earlier this year.
Once I made it to the otherside of the thicket I checked the prime, bloody wet! Cleaned it out and reprimed, I noticed straight away there was still moisture so cleaned it out and dried it as best I could with my shirt. Third time lucky the 4F Swiss prime seemed ok. I continued on and hit a game trail snaking back to the feeding area. Thinking a deer may use it I followed along and not 20m later I spotted a deer trotting along the trail toward me.
I raised the rifle and came to full cock as the one year old stag moved in closer. I held off hoping a fat hind or the big chunky mature stag might be coming up behind. He eventually stopped face on at 15m away, with no deer In sight I decided to take him. I shot for the base of the neck and dropped him in his tracks. The ball travelled through the length and passed out near his back leg.
No mucking around this time, I broke down the deer, brought it home, cut it up and put it straight in the freezer. This one is meat for me!
