Hunt

Last month I went for a walk to new spot in the Wairarapa, but didn't see anything, but I did learn the lay of the land, and that I did the track backwards!. This Friday I decided to head back down, and have a better look, focusing on certain clearings instead of trying to do the 10km loop.

Leaving home at around 4am, I got to the road end around 5, and within an hour I was at the start of the ridge line, 30 minutes later, I was sitting on a nice high knob glassing over about 10 different clearings all starting to be bathed in sunlight. Not really knowing much about this deer hunting lark, I figured a good plan, spring growth, warmth from the early sun, should see some deer. Sat there for a good 2 hours, and then moved to another spot further along the ridge, so I could investigate the clearings further along. Still nothing.

Around 9:30 I decided to head back home. Whilst walking back toward the end of the ridge, I came across the track that lead out to the spur on which most of the clearings I was watching were. Since the day was young, I figured a bit of an explore was in order. Slowly making my way through along the track, I heard some rustling of leaves on the other side of a gully, sitting down and bring up the binos, nothing...heard the noise again...still nothing, then all of a sudden two deer (yearling and hind) appear out of nowhere on a really sharp face, they were there all the time, but being a novice, I didn't see them. The yearling was oblivious to me, but the hind I think saw me, but couldn't smell me as the wind was going up the gully, and I was on the otherside.

Sitting dead still, she went back to eating, whilst I carefully placed the pikau down, and crawled in behind it. Ear plugs in and I lined up on the shoulder and squeezed the trigger. Previosuly I've always held the rifle too tight and my shooting was affected (badly), this time, hardly a grip on the rifle. Consequently the rifle kicked up and I was left looking into the sky...No deer there. Quickly I stood up and grabbed the binos..Where did they go....I heard crashing saw some trees shake. "Looks promising" I thought, then below some more trees shook, looking distinctly like the deer had fallen down through some more trees. Phew...Next trick, recovery. Marked the location with the GPS (which gave me the 5 minutes for her to seize up if she was wounded), and then headed down the steep gully.

The one tip the guy who gave me directions gave me about this spot was "Stay out of the bush, it's pretty tight" He wasn't joking! A few minutes later and lots of scrambling through the bush, I was on the face the deer were...Spotted a few drops of blood, a bit more, and then none. Did it carry along the face, or down the side. Hanging on to a tree and peering over the edge, I spotted one more drop of blood, letting myself fall into the ferns, I found some more, and a distinct track of flattened ferns heading down hill. At the end of the ferns was a bloody big dead hind! Cool I thought, my first "public" land deer, quickly said sorry to the girl (don't really enjoy the killing), and then dragged her down the hill to a small clearing where I gutted her. Unfortunately she was pregnant with 1 fawn, but that's life (and death).

After gutting her I tried carrying her down to the bottom, but as I got her on my shoulders I just ended up straight back on my ass! OK I thought, I'll drag her out.

Dragged her to the bottom, and then realized I had about 40 to 50 metres of uphill tight bush to drag her through..Yeah right! So in the dappled light of the small creek I removed the shoulders, hind quarters and backsteaks. The plan was to cart the up the hill. So with the hind quarters on the shoulders I picked up the rest and the rifle and started moving. My balance was so off and the bush tight, I quickly realised that this method wasn't going to work either. New planed was formed quickly, make multiple trips and carry it to the top in bits, First the back steaks and the rifle, back for the shoulders, and finally back for the hindquarters. So I never lost sight of the rifle, I did the whole hill in about 5 metre stints!

About 1/2 way up, I figured that this was too bloody hard, and starting investigating how much meat was on the shoulders, and very quickly deemed it not worthwhile carrying them out, so they were left!
About 20 metres later I found a game track that took me up and out on the track, so leaving the rifle I quickly got the GPS out to locate the daypack (with the water), and headed pronto to that (I was getting pretty dehydrated by this stage). Then after a few minutes of recuperation, I headed back down for the find quarters, they were getting heavier and heavier with each step, so I quickly removed each haunch from the pelvis and carried them up in even smaller bits.
Upon getting back the track (2 hours to travel 200m), I found a good tree to hang things in, and formulated a plan for getting home. There wasn't much hope of me carrying it out whole, so I skinned the legs, and trimmed up the backsteaks, and put it all in the daypack, and started the long hike back to the truck.

Along the ridgeline was all up hill, and it was done in 5 step increments, with a rest in between each. After 2 and a half hours of this, I go the the end of the ridge and the gentle descent towards the truck, after a good long rest and some food, I headed down the track. At this stage is wasn't the weight of the pack that was getting me, it was cramps and the nausea from the pack straps on my shoulders. Out came the spare clothing and it was quickly taped to the pack straps to make it a bit more comfy. After another hour and a half walk I got back to the truck...Man was I glad to see the truck.

All in all, a good hunt, only one shot (as that's all it needed), and having never having to carry a deer before, I now have a great deal more admiration to those who carry them out whole!!!!
Unfortunately no photos..