Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Ben Maher on April 05, 2011, 01:37:00 AM
-
From my recent hunt in NZ ...
a small Billy from the foothills of some beautiful but extremely rugged mountains .
later in the trip I hunted Red deer further south in Fiordland and saw what can only be described as Gods country ... simply stunning !
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/NZGOAT.jpg)
Equip ...
T/d 52 # Rhino 66" string follow
1 2016 arrow tipped with STOS 160 head , fletched with some beautiful turkey feathers given to me by my mate Rob Di Stefano
1 Green Arrow t shirt
This goat was later stewed with some veggioes and chilli ... beautiful !
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/nzfordad2.jpg)
I also later in trip managed to catch a 9 pound trout ... mmmmm yummm
i'll post more pics later ... i have to down load them off the video camera and I phone etc as the day i turned up in NZ ... my camera decided to die !
some of these pics below were actually taken by the other lads
here is me and the boys with our gear .. and me and my Robin Hood # 13
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/nzdad7.jpg)
-
Great stuff there Ben. Mmmmmmm goat and trout, got to love that. Great country, glad you had a successful trip.
-
Beautiful pictures, looks like a hunt of a lifetime. Please post more pictures...
-
Great stuff, Ben! Lookin' forward to the rest!
-
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/nzfordad4.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/NZCOAST.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/nzfordad6.jpg)
-
I can just immagine your experience.God on you!
-
Awesome stuff Mate!
-
Very pretty country and wildlife.
-
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/IMG_0342.jpg)
a bit of stumping amidst trying to outsmart the local trout
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/IMG_0234.jpg)
getting on the boat ... all packed up with my Bison gear !
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/IMG_0202.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/IMG_0234.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/IMG_0208.jpg)
-
Wow. Very nice!
-
Thanks for the pics Ben, beautiful scenery.
-
Beautiful pictures sir!
-
Great country! Looks like a wonderful place to hunt.
-
Very nice,thanks for sharing
-
:thumbsup:
-
Beautiful country! Love the picture of that first red stag. Thanks for taking us along :campfire:
-
Thanks for sharing that place is a dream hunt for Tracey and I
-
Awesome pics, saw the tolkien quote in your sig so I am sure you know Lord of The Rings was filmed there - beautiful country :thumbsup:
-
One day!!
-
Cacciatore ... mate .. its a must !
-
Beautiful stuff Ben! That is the stuff of dreams right there. Thanks for sharing mate!
-
Thank you for sharing!!
Beautiful country!!
God bless,Mudd
-
Thanks for shareing some of your trip with us. That is some beautiful country there.
-
NZ is definitely near the top of my bucket list! Congrsts on a great trip.
Bisch
-
Great hunt, beautiful country!!! Some day :)
Thanks for the pics and story ...
:campfire:
-
You have lived my dream hunt Sir. Very nice.
-
With scenery like that I amagine it was hard to leave,thanks for posting,Larry.
-
Very cool, thanks for sharing!!!
-
Nice. Beautiful country!
-
Excellent! Thanks for sharing.
-
Beautiful country Ben, Thanks for the report and Pics.
-
Thanks for the pics, now on with the story :readit: :bigsmyl: :campfire:
-
VERY NICE,,,CONGRATS,,,BEAUTIFUL PICS
-
Awesome Ben! Congrats bud :clapper:
What a beautiful place!
-
beautiful country, lucky you.
-
A bit of a story behind the goat .
I had actually been stalking a mob pof larger Billies up in the high rocks as seen in the photo's of the georges . After a few swirling winds had sent them scurring yonder I had decided to return to camp . As i climbed down what was a very large steep mountain that i nearly fell off a couple of times lol i saw this fella and his mates a few hundred yards ahead of me .
Wind in my face I dashed foward to jockey position in some low flat scrubby hills to ambush them as they walked past.
I mistakenly set up on the wrong game trail only to find them a further 70 yards ahead . Down on all fours , through Matagauri spikes [ ouch ] and sheep , i crawled and crawled to get into shooting position only to pop my head up with a nanny goat 3 yards in front of me staring at me .
Off they took around a small hill, myself rising to run to the top to catch them as the departed . Having no idea where they were running to I reached the top of the small hill to find the Goats only 15 yards off running right to left in front of me .
now I'd love to tell you all about my solid anchor , great back tension etc ..... I just remember my bow arm swining with the goats , picking the best coat amidst a sea of white and watchinfg the goat pile up 30 yards away .My shot was 'further back' than i am comfortable with but the sharp Stos 160 seemed to have done its job... On approach I loosed a 2nd shaft , quartering through his vitals, ending the days hunt and leaving me both remorsefull and excited ... also leaving me in a ball of shaking sweat !
-
Great story and photos. That is some beautiful country. Congratulations!
-
Incredible photos. Thank you for sharing.
-
Sweet........
-
Great Trip! Wow what a beautiful country.
-
The goat harvest just grand.
Fabulous pic of the Red Stag.
They are at the very top of my dream hunts.
Thank goodness, at least, turkeys are my second choice of which I am in the pre rut phase now.
Wonderful trip and I am so thankful you have shared it.
-
What a beautiful place to be , thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:
-
Awesome Ben! NZ is one of the places I hope to hunt in the future, thanks for sharing
-
Now I have NZ envy...
Great story and pictures.
Martin
-
Thanks for the story and amazing pictures.
-
Congrats on a great trip
-
Congrats on a great trip
-
Congrats on a great trip
-
Congratulations on your hunt! That's some very impressive looking country. Thanks for sharing your story and pictures.
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
-
Great pics! Looks like you had a great time. Thanks for sharing.
-
Thanks for sharing your trip it looks wonderful down there. My wife had a conference this year in NZ that we were going to spend an extra week playing. It got canceled and I am still sick over it. Congrats on the goat.
-
You are a lucky person to have been able to go there. Great pictures.
-
Originally posted by JParanee:
Congrats on a great trip
stuttering fingers lol. :biglaugh:
Did you get any other stalks in or is this the end of an awesome story?
-
Great pics, beautiful country!
Thanks for sharing :thumbsup:
-
Congrats on your hunt.
-
Charlie ...
I chased some Merriams turkeys into 12 yards ... then missed ! They were a lot around and there eyesight is pretty good eh !
Later in the hunt , further down south after the lads had headed back to Oz i spent a couple of days chasing Reds . As there was only three left of hunting and I could not bring any meat hoe nor knew anyone who would rtake it , it became more a game of "lets see how close I can get " rather than a concerted effort to drop the string... or so I tell myself
I managed on two occasions to "Roar " [ i sound like a sick shhep rather than a deer but it seemed to work ! lol ] some stags in ... and what a rush that is .
After glassing two hillsides , covered in what appeared to be low scrub I spotted a large stag not 400 yards off . He didn't seem to be moving anywhere and was , I think waiting for later in the day to feed . Finishing my coffee and worked a rough plan to approach the bedded stag , at the very least to get in and get some photo's .
After a good two hr detour uphill to approach with a crosswind , I began to notice that the ' low crub was deceptive as much of it was taller than me . It made great stalking country but also hid the deer from my view and as such "spot n stalk " now became a still hunt .... atop a steep mountainside where I often had to use hand holds to move .
After I become somewhat unsure as to my position on the mountain compared to where I had seen the deer I gave a few blows on the horn...waiting for a responce , like all children I became impatient and began to raise the horn to my lips for another , more aggressive 'roar ' when I heard my new friends responce . I figuerd he was within 100 yards but no further than 40 yards ... doesn't sound like much but in that country it could have meant a few hours more travel ...
Whilst I debated my options and indecision I heard another stronger responce , which seemed much closer than the first . The country was pretty unsure under foot and I was hesitant to draw an arrow in such terrain unless actually about to draw but needs must and a sharpened STOS 160 was now pointed in what was hopefully the right direction .
The afternoon had waned since i started up the hill and in the distanec I could hear other animals becoming active , including more roaring up the valley . However the wind had started to swril and time was now against me . Do I continue the stalk , aware that the only thing I could salvage would be antlers and perhaps a few choice cuts of meat ? approach more boldly but with the camera in hand ?
Perhaps , luckily the wind solved my dilemma for me . Ahead [ and much closer than I imagined ] I saw the tips of antlers rise and disappear above the shrubbery ... the sound of hooves dancing across rocks echoing past me as the stag made his way , much akin to how I would think an Ibex would travel down such a steep shale covered mountainside ...
This my adventure , at the least with bow inhand had ended . Would , had the stag presented himself , I have loosed my arrow ? I like to think not ... but who knows ?
As I write I have maps of the same area , my notes and a financial budget ...ready for next year when hopefully I'll be lucky enough to hear the haunting guttural roar of those stags once more
-
I just had to view that that magnificent Red Stag pic again.
Dream..Dream... Dream!!!!