Ben knocked off early on Friday. After quickly packing his Prado we had a short drive to the first property to start glassing. This weekend we were hunting some small local properties that adjoined each other. We set up and could see numerous rubs up high on the skyline. We soon spotted a young chocolate buck. Watching him traverse the mountain, he led us to a big white buck that looked OK in the spotting scope. However, the wind prevented us on making a play for him. That afternoon we ended up seeing three bucks and half a dozen does.
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The next morning, we were up early and after a cup of coffee headed out. Before shooting light, we could hear wild dogs howling on the next range. We separated and hunted different ridgelines. Ben saw a ‘shooter’ buck but couldn’t get into a position for a clear shot - he had a tight angle shot through a timber and barbed wire fence. Not wanting to risk clipping something, he was moving forward when a doe ran down the hill and the buck followed her, never to be seen again.
Glassing the tops on the first afternoon.
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Looking back over some of our hunting range.
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Meanwhile, I got onto a mob of does and trailed them through the timber. Although I could smell the buck, I couldn’t get eyes on him. A doe and yearling I hadn’t seen then took off and ran through the deer and they all disappeared into steep timbered country.
To pass time during the middle of the day we ducked down to the river for a cool-off and to flick bass lures. The swim was refreshing and we managed to land several bass using surface lures. There weren’t many big ones, but the numbers made up for it.
Fishing for bass provided a welcome distraction during the daylight hours.
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That afternoon Ben went looking for his buck but couldn’t find him while I was off on another property. I spotted a white buck bedded in long grass that looked like a shooter. I had two hours until dark so thought I had plenty of time. Stalking forward with the wind in my face I had to get under a fence. I shimmied under the bottom strand of barb wire, brushed myself off, put my backpack on and shouldered my rifle. As I turned to continue, I saw two bucks 100 metres away were looking at me. Mayhem ensued but no shots were fired.
The next morning Ben again went looking for his buck. He spotted another animal that was in the open feeding up towards cover. Ben hunkered down in a patch of scrub and sent me a text “Buck spotted and bedded. I’m waiting him out”. An hour and half later the buck got up and emerged from cover. Ben’s first shot missed but luckily the buck ran closer and when it paused at 100 metres a second shot put it down.
Making a brew back at camp.
The author’s buck.
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Ten days later on a different property the rain on my swag woke me at 4.30 am after it had been raining on and off all night. I had come up the day before but hadn’t seen a deer during my afternoon hunt. I wasn’t keen on getting up as it was cold and wet outside. I then heard “croak, croak, croak” and five minutes later heard it again. I’d set up camp for minimal noise in the morning so I geared up, gulped down a coffee and headed out just before shooting light.
The rain had stopped, which made stalking quiet and the wind was perfect, blowing steadily out of the south towards me and away from the croaking.
As I moved out, I spotted cows that were camped and needed to be by-passed. By this time the croaking had stopped. I soon had a young six-point buck and a doe chasing each other around the lantana in front of me - easy venison if I had wanted but I must be getting soft as I let them go.
Carrying the buck out.
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Having a breather after getting everything out.
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I waited ten minutes and stalked on. Up high and looking down a steep hill, I saw a buck moving through the timber 200 metres away. My first thought was that it was the small buck but, through my binos, I identified him as a shooter. I scanned the terrain below and picked out a tree to take my shot from. Only the tops of his antlers were visible as he moved through tall grass.
As I approached the tree, I watched the buck through my scope. There was a clearing 30 metres from the boundary fence and once he was beyond that he would be out of bounds. As soon as he entered the clearing and offered a clear shot, I brushed the trigger and at the shot he dropped as if poleaxed.
I cautiously approached him with the rifle ready for a snap shot but it wasn’t required. It was only then that I noticed that his antlers sported a drop tine. After taking some photos I field dressed him and started the carry out. From firing the shot to finally loading everything into the car was five hours.
