Hunting once again, Maybe this year I will get my Stag.

 I had been wanting to take a break from renovating my house for a while, and the Fallow and Red Deer Rut coinciding with my break provided the perfect opportunity. I had been in contact with a couple of friends and both were keen to come and spend a week hunting with me. Plans were made and Tom was to arrive and spend one week hunting with me before returning home then, Jeremy was to arrive the following week and spend the week. Well you know how it goes and as things turned out both Tom and Jeremy arrived on the same week. Not to worry I have room for both and there's plenty of country to hunt, I figured with a little planning I could make things work ok. I spent the week beforehand preparing, cutting firewood, servicing my vehicle, and planning just so I could devote as much time to hunting as possible, and with all the preparation complete, including a late afternoon hunt where I was successful in securing a nice Fallow Doe to fill the freezer, yes I was ready. 

A Fallow Doe for the freezer.

I was eager to hunt when Jeremy arrived mid afternoon on the Saturday. We had a quick cup of coffee and a catch up before heading out for a short afternoon hunt at a place that has regularly produced deer for me in the past. I had retrieved a camera from an active wallow nearby a few days previously and was very impressed with one Stag in particular having been watching him for nearly 2 years now. We had received 10mm of rain overnight so the bush was damp and quiet, prefect for stalking. Jeremy and I made our way up the gully just as the catabatic winds started dropping, things were looking good and we hunted up the side of the gully before crossing the ridge into the next gully where I had a good spot to sit and wait overlooking the opposite face. We quietly located my spot and sat and listened to the birds calling as the sunset hoping to catch a glimpse of the Stag. 

My spot overlooking a nice open face.

We could here something moving further up the opposite face but could not see it. I suspected it was a group of Sambar deer but without being able to see them I was not sure. When the light had faded past the point of being able to see properly we donned our headlamps and started to make out way back towards the vehicle. We had only made it about 100m meters when the Honking started, confirming my suspicions of Sambar Deer moving a bit higher up. In all I could hear 3 distinctly different Honks and the Honking continued for a good 5 minutes as we quietly made our way back over the ridge line. We quietly returned to the vehicle and discussed the afternoons events as we drove home for dinner, Jeremy had experienced his first Honking and it was proper Honking too,  we were both  well and truly eager to hunt again the following morning.

The Stag I have been watching for a while now.

We were up early and drove to our hunting spot in the darkness, arriving just on first light. The timing was perfect and with the wind in our faces we headed off up our chosen gully. We hadn't gone more than a few hundred meters when we spotted a Hind and a young calf about 50 meters from us, a quick look around revealed no other deer visible so Jeremy decided to take calf for meat. At the sound of the shot a second bedded Hind burst out of the ferns and headed off  up the hill with the first Hind following. We made our way to where the calf lay and began the task recovering the meat for Jeremy to take home. 

Once the meat was bagged we hung it in a tree and marked the spot on the GPS and continued our way up the gully. Jeremy was concerned there would be no more deer in the catchment after the shot but I reassured him that would not be the case. After another uneventful hour or so we decided to have a rest and a cup of coffee then return to the vehicle and retrieve the meat on the way. We had just started to make our way back when we were honked by a bedded Hind and she quickly made here getaway. Jeremy remarked that he was surprised there were even any deer remaining in the catchment after he had shot the Calf. I explained that that was often the case with Sambar they go on alert after hearing a shot but they often don't move from where they are bedded.

We had a lazy afternoon and decided to have a few practice shots at some targets and then package the meat from the mornings hunt as Jeremy was feeling the effects of the long drive from Queensland to Victoria. Tom was arriving in the morning and I was going to meet him at the airport so I had a few hours driving ahead of me the next day too. Jeremy stayed at home in the morning and I drove into town and picked up Tom, returning home a little after midday. We got Tom settled in and had a light lunch before heading out for an afternoon hunt. I equipped Tom with one of my Rifles and we hunted some easy country close to town that often produces deer but we saw nothing, and returned home for dinner just after dark. 

I had arranged for a friend Steve to hunt with us the following morning and we would split up into pairs. Steve would guide Tom, and head from the ridgeline downhill and emerge on the edge of some farm land at a pre determined time. While Jeremy and I would hunt higher up the catchment and return to the vehicle in time to pick up Steve and Tom. Steve arrived just before dawn and we set off, I dropped Steve and Tom off and continued up the ridgeline for another 2kms. Jeremy and I parked up and began the descent into the catchment. I had not been in this area since the bushfires 2 years ago and was surprised at how thick the regrowth had become. Hunting was going to be extremely hard for the next few years until the trees grew some height. I took the opportunity to replace some cameras I had lost in the bushfires, and was pleasantly surprised to find the old wallows well and truly active again.

The extent of the regrowth from the bushfires, Silver Wattyl has become the dominant species.

We encountered plenty of Sign but no deer and after a few hours and placing 3 cameras we began the long climb up a spur to the ridgeline. Just over an hour and a half and 600mts gained height later we emerged on the ridge track soaked in sweat and made our way back to the vehicle in time to pick up Steve and Tom. We had a short rest and a drink then drove to our predetermined meeting spot, a call on the UHF confirmed they were waiting to be be picked up. Tom was quite tired but well and truly happy with what he had seen even though he hadn't seen any deer, Steve had shown him plenty of sign and given him a crash course in Sambar Deer along the way. After a catch up and some lunch we slowly drove across the the tops to an adjoining catchment where I thought we could have an easy evening hunt.  We arrived late afternoon and once again split up with Tom and Steve taking one side of the catchment and Jeremy and I the other. 

Jeremy and I made our way across the creek and slowly up the gully glassing as we went, we had progressed about 500mts when I spotted a familiar shape slightly above us. A closer inspection revealed a Stag looking in our direction not sure of what we were. I pointed him out to Jeremy and told him to take a shot if he could. Unfortunately despite my directions Jeremy could not locate him in the fading light and told me to take him if I had a shot. I could still see him quite clearly and seeing him grow increasingly uneasy I decided to take the shot before he departed. At the shot I lost sight of him momentarily and then saw him running across the face before turning uphill for a few paces then back across hill before stumbling, I tried to get a second shot but lost sight of him in some thick bush as he stumbled. 

Jeremy and I made our way to where he was standing when I shot and could see some running marks which we followed in the fading light. We lost track of them in the area where I had seen him stumble and could not relocate them as we lost light. We marked the position with the GPS deciding to leave the area alone in the dark and return in the morning, rather than trample all over any sign in the dark. Dejected but hopeful of following up in the morning we returned to the vehicle, we relayed the events to Tom and Steve when we arrived and Steve suggested we bring his dog with us the following morning. It was a beautiful evening cold and clear and the stars were bright, freezing conditions with rain and snow however was forecast the following afternoon. 

The evening stars from my back Verandah.

I didn't sleep well that night and was glad when Steve arrived at dawn with his dog, I was hopeful of retrieving the Stag as we headed out to begin the search. Jeremy and Tom hunted the other side or the creek while Steve and I searched for the Stag. We started where we had lost sight of the Stag and quickly discovered lot's of deer tracks going in every direction, we had been searching for just over 2 hours when I finally located a very small spot of blood, this was followed by another some meters away. We marked and followed the drops as we found them for the next 4 hours the spots becoming smaller and further apart until we eventually lost them after the Stag kept making his way uphill and crossed a ridge into the next basin. Dejected at the loss we made our way back to the vehicle, however we were confident that the lack of blood and the fact the Stag continued proceeding uphill indicated the Stag was not mortally wounded and would most likely survive. Jeremy and Tom relayed that they had sighted a Fallow Doe whilst sitting and waiting over a gully but were unable to get a shot.

After a quiet lunch we decided to hunt some farm fringe and Tom once again partnered up with Steve and I with Jeremy. We hunted the same face separated by about 50mts in elevation and about 300mts in distance. Jeremy and I saw nothing and on returning to the vehicle discovered that Steve had sighted a nice Stag and attempted to get Tom a shot, unfortunately Tom could not see the stag through the bush in the fading light, and the Stag evaded them unaware of their presence. That evening was cold and wet and had the feeling of snow falling at higher elevations. The Venison roast I had in the slow cooker was eagerly devoured that night and we all slept well with full bellies and the warmth of the fire radiating through the house.

The morning was bitterly cold and damp betraying the fact that it had indeed snowed on the tops. We left the house in the dark to arrive at our planned starting point just on dawn. We parked the vehicle and geared up before crossing the creek and heading up the gully. After a slight detour caused by my missing the correct path we were again on track up the correct gully. We made out way quietly through the waist high ferns and were promptly honked by an unseen Hind, she promptly showed us her ginger rump as she disappeared. We contoured our way up from the bottom of the gully and had progressed about 300 meters when I spotted a bedded Spiker looking our way not sure of what we were. I indicated to Jeremy where he was and he soon had him in sight. The Spiker was not looking concerned and I suggested Jeremy take the chance to sneak closer and take a rest against a tree in preparation for a shot should one present itself. 

Jeremy took a rest against a tree and waited, the Spiker turned side on presenting the opportunity for a perfect neck shot, Jeremy made no mistake and I watched the Spiker drop in my binoculars at the sound of the shot. I glanced at Jeremy and indicated the animal was down then looked up to see what I thought was a second deer making it's way down the hill towards the creek. I took a hasty running shot and heard the sound of a solid thwack before losing sight of the animal. Jeremy proceeded to where the Spiker had been when he shot and I to where I had lost sight of the deer I had shot. As Jeremy followed the substantial blood trail I located a downed Spiker not 5 paces from where I had lost sight of the deer I had shot. It soon became evident it was indeed the same animal Jeremy had shot, my shot had merely ended what was in fact a "dead run".

Jeremy's Spiker as we found him, the exit wound clearly visible on it's neck.

  

Jeremy was extremely surprised to see that the Spiker had regained its feet and run just over 120mts despite being hit well in the neck, his spine clipped and having carotid arteries completely severed. I explained that this is not uncommon with Sambar and a deer that drops to a shot quite often regains it's feet only to run away from the surprised hunter. I congratulated Jeremy on his first Sambar Spiker and we sat quietly for a few minutes before taking some pictures to mark the occasion.

Jeremy with His  first Sambar Spiker.

Jeremy and I with His first Sambar Spiker, credit Tom Marshall for the pictures.

We made ourselves a nice hot drink and had a short rest before processing the Spiker and bagging all the meat. We then hung the meat in a nearby tree too cool in the frigid morning air before continuing our hunt up the gully system. We were now keen to Secure Tom a Deer. We made about another 500mts progress before a change in the wind and the arrival of freezing sleety rain dictated we change our plans and return to the vehicle. We recovered the meat and with Jeremy, Tom and myself fully loaded we were able to recover the whole animal in one trip. We arrived back at the vehicle exhausted but jubilant at Jeremy's success. We returned to the house for a well deserved hot lunch of Venison Liver and Kidneys, fried Onions, scrambled Eggs and Baked Beans with bread and a rest, before one last afternoon hunt to try and get Tom a shot at a deer. 

 Jeremy chose to stay at home and package some of the meat from his Spiker, while I took Tom out for the afternoon. I had chosen an easy to access spot on some farm fringe to hunt thinking that with the cold turn the deer would be keen on an early afternoon feed before bedding down for the night. I was proven correct as not 30 seconds after we were settled into out spot I located a Red Deer Hind stepping out of the bush line. I quietly indicated to Tom where the Deer was and told him to take a shot as soon as he had located it and was happy. Tom was again unable to locate the deer in the fading light, and at that moment I inhaled a bug that induced a coughing fit. Despite this the Hind was unaware of our presence and I was confident Tom would get the chance of a shot. Tom did eventually locate the Hind when she moved, unfortunately she stepped back into cover and did not reemerge. We waited until it was far too dark to see before walking back to the vehicle by the light of our head lights.

The arrow indicates where the Hind stepped out.

With Temperatures dropping and rain starting to fall we headed of home for a hot meal and a good nights sleep before one last morning hunt. 

In the morning we were up before dawn again and headed out for one last try to secure a Deer for Tom. We hunted up a gully and found a good vantage point to sit and wait for deer returning from a night feeding on farm land to pass by on their way to their bedding areas. after about 45 minutes we could hear something moving above us but could not see anything. We waited another 10 or so minutes them made a move as it was nearing mid morning and we had things to take care of in the afternoon. We had walked about 50m meters when we were honked by a group of Hinds bedded above us that quickly climbed over a saddle and out of view. That was the last deer we saw whilst out hunting and sadly Tom had to return to Perth without shooting a Deer. He is however as keen as ever to return and try again as we encountered Deer every day of the hunting trip.

We cleaned up and packed all our gear that afternoon, I would be hunting the alone the following week but took the opportunity to wash and clean all my gear. Tom and Jeremy were leaving early the next morning, Tom returning to Perth and Jeremy to Brisbane. We had a last night dinner at the local Pub with one of my neighbors and a few drinks before retiring to bed tired and exhausted after a weeks hunting Sambar Deer. 

Jeremy left early the next morning on the long drive north and I drove Tom to the airport in Albury for the flight back to Perth via Sydney. It was a foggy and rainy morning and I was quite surprised to see 3 Stags and a Hind bedded out in the open in a paddock on the way back to town. It just goes to show Sambar are where you find them.

Sambar Deer bedded in the open. 

 
With Jeremy and Tom on their way to their respective homes I still had another week to fit some more hunting in, maybe my luck would change and I would finally get the Stag I have been hunting for all these years..