My Quest for A Sambar Stag.

My First Mature Sambar Stag.

This Blog entry has it's beginnings just over 31 years ago when I started Sambar hunting. My first foray into Sambar hunting took place in the Buffalo Valley in July 1991, I was 21 years old and full of enthusiasm having read every book about Sambar I could lay my hands on. That trip I let a big antlered mature Stag that was standing in the middle of the road walk away and so began my Quest. Over the intervening years I have spent many weeks freezing, camped out in the bush including being camped out at Lake Cobbler Hut on the 29th of June 1994, that night the temperature dropped to -23 at Charlotte's Pass, I can only hazard a guess how cold it actually was on the Cobbler Plateau. I have been covered in Leaches, savaged by ants and had many sleepless night courtesy of noisy Koalas and other assorted Marsupials. I have enjoyed every trip regardless of the outcome.

My First Sambar Deer, a Hind taken with a Sako .3006.

I have had reasonable success over the years keeping the freezer full of Venison, countless Hinds and Spikers have made their way home with me, but not a mature Stag. I have seen more than a few over the years but luck has always been in their favor not mine. Subtle wind changes, snapping sticks or a Stags uncanny ability to place a tree over their vitals, you name it I have experienced it. I have used the years wisely and refined my gear and my techniques. I have some beautiful photos taken with both game cameras and DSLR to show for my efforts, photography is another interest of mine.

Lake Cobbler Falls circa early 1990's

Yesterday the 23rd of August my luck finally changed for the better. The night before had been bitterly cold, and a blanket of snow had fallen down as low as 800mts and a cold wind was blowing from the Southwest. Around midday the sun came out from behind the clouds and with more bad weather forecast over the coming days, I thought if I was a Deer I would be stuffing my face while I could. So I packed my gear for a quick afternoon hunt in a gully I had been looking at for a while and I suspected held good numbers of Deer.

I knew from past experience that if I could find a sunny, sheltered area out of the wind with good feed I would find the Deer. I also knew that the sound of the wind through the trees, though making the deer edgy, would cover any sound I made. I parked my vehicle in my chosen location and after crossing a very swollen creek I began to make my way into the catchment. Keeping the wind in my face I climbed about 300mts above the creek then contoured along the main face crossing a couple of feeder gully's. keeping quiet was relatively easy given the sodden ground and I quickly bumped into two Hinds feeding on a sunny bench. Unaware of my presence I let them feed on their way and then continued on mine. I found a large wallow that hadn't been used in the last few days and figured that a Stag would be keen to give it a freshen up during the break in the weather. 

The Wallow in the head of a feeder Gully.

From my vantage point over the Wallow.

I sat for a while and had a quick snack and a drink watching over the wallow. While there I used my binoculars and spotted a deeply rutted game trail and some trees coated in mud indicating the path the Stags took when entering and exiting the Wallow. Armed with this fresh knowledge, I checked my map and located a reasonably flat section of spur about 500mts further up the gully, the game trail entering the wallow looked like it came from the same direction as the spur. 

I decided I would set off and explore the catchment some more and made my way along the game trail towards the flat area, stopping and looking ahead and both up and down hill with my binoculars every 20-30 meters or so. As I reached the flat area I slowed right down and scanned the sunny spots ahead looking for the smallest movement. A couple of times birds got me a little excited and I very slowly picked my was as quietly as possible through the waist high undergrowth. As I moved between two trees I must have made a very slight sound as not 30 meters in front of me a Stag stood up from his bed in the fern and gums. It was a strange sight seeing him rise sleepily and gain his feet, he was slightly unsteady for a couple of seconds still half asleep, it reminded me of a drunken man trying to get up from the ground, his head lolling around. 

I stood bolt still as he looked around, all I could see of him was his head and a little of his neck. When he looked away for a second I shouldered my rifle and as soon as I was holding steady on his neck I squeezed the trigger. I lost sight of him as the .375H&H  rocked me back and I quickly reloaded and settled once again on the area he had been. I stepped forward rifle at the shoulder and saw him on the ground, once I had a clear view of him I put a second shot into his chest to ensure he was not getting up. I could not believe it had happened I had finally got a Mature Stag.  

My Stag where he fell.

My Stag where he fell.

Standing at the Stag looking at the tree I took the shot from just right of center.

I stood and watched him for a few minutes soaking in what had just transpired, I had waited so long for this moment I wanted it to be right. I dropped my back pack off and took out my camera and started taking pictures of him as he fell. I wanted to record the moment as it was before I attempted to pose him for better phots. I like to record things as they were, the raw details of the situation, an honest picture of the scene. With the initial pictures taken I then set about posing him as best I could on my own, I wanted to do him justice and I hope I achieved that in the pictures I took.

After I had taken the pictures I stood back and took in what had to be done next, I was caping him out for a mount there was no question of that. I took my time and did as good a job as I could in the bush, being extra careful not to slice a hole in his skin. I would do the final caping of the face at home where I could turn the ears and split the lips. I had shot the Stag just after 4pm and knew I would not be out before dark, I was keen to get moving as I had to cross the creek again and I was not looking forward to doing it by headlamp. I took the backstraps and packed them in my backpack and then hung the legs in a tree to be retrieved over the following days. I wrapped the cape over the Stags face and between his antlers and tied it in place with some 3mm cord. With the caping done I hefted my pack on and tightened up the straps, I then swung the head and cape over my head so the antlers hung over my shoulders and the head rested on the top of my pack, it was surprisingly comfortable despite the weight. I had recently purchased a Talarik sling hook and this little device now came into its own, allowing me to devote both hands to either holding the antlers or steadying myself. I would recommend that if you hunt with a pack you purchase one even if only for use during a carry out. 

After about a kilometer it was getting too dark to walk safely with the load I was carrying so I stopped for a break and got out my headlamp, a great little unit from PEAX in the US.  With a light source now assisting me I reached the creek and the crossing was once again cold and the water raging from the recent rain and snow. Once safely on the other side it was only a few hundred meters to where I had parked and I made short work of the distance. At the car I lifted the head from my shoulders and took off my pack then took a couple of long drinks from my water bottle. I packed away my rifle and ammunition, and placed the head and cape in the tray then washed my hands and closed the canopy.  I started the car and just sat for a few minutes before making the trip home. I was in no hurry and actually enjoyed the drive, taking the time to appreciate the mist slowly rising along the river flats as the dull red glow in the Western sky slowly faded to black signaling the end of the day.   

Rest my faithful companion for we have walked
many a mile and you have done you job well.

Once home I unloaded my gear and the meat and Head then spread the skin flat to cool on the back veranda as the frost settled on the lawn. I had a long hot shower and a quick dinner before rugging up and sitting outside, enjoying a quiet Glenfiddich with my stag for a while.

  

I spent the next day caping out the remainder of the head, splitting the lips and turning the ears, before salting it well. The remainder of the day was spent answering emails and texts and talking to a few friends about my hunt. I made an entry in my hunting journal and sent a few pictures to family and friends and made arrangements to have my Stag mounted. I cleaned my gear and split some wood for the fire and before I knew it the day was done....