The weather was cold upon arrival i Queenstown , but the snow capped Pinnacles mountain snow fields above the airfield certainly let us know that an adventure had begun .
Ariving at the property the first night we settled in quickly , strong coffee to ward off the cold and the sharpening of Broadheads began ...
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/PICT0020.jpg)
Early the first morning we heard turkeys gobbling just near the house , so bows were grabbed and off we headed into the river bottoms ... now I know stuff all about turkeys and turkey hunting but I snuck in to 10 yards ... and they were were all strutting around puffed up , twice their normal size ...they had no idea i was there ... so I'd like to induldge you all by saying that at 10 yards i decided to let them grow even bigger by sending an arrow directly above the one i had picked outs back .... new Whippenstick 0 - turkeys - 1
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/PICT0064-3.jpg)
Later in the morning after a a good hunters breakfast I made my way hill side to begin the glassing for deer , goats and boar ... Doc, our host has a high fenced area of 1500 acres that contain some very very large racked, and very very wary Red and Fallow deer ..and numerous turkeys . The fenced area was a green light area for me for the turkeys [ fences ain't my thing but man are they spooky deer for bow range stuff ] but my real goal was the free range goats and deer of the mountainous gorge country that backs onto the farm ...
The afternoon i headed up into to the gorge to try and locate a good billy , something that had eluded me on my last hunt there ... the country is steep and with minimal cover ... the vegetation is either barbed, spiked, razor bladed and genuinely hates you ... it was also just on zero degrees with beautiful clear skies and a decent prevailing wind ...... the first afternoon showed many many mobs of turkeys up in the high roosts on the mountain and george tops ... and added incentive if the goats and fallow proved to tricky .......
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I stump shot my way back down the mountainside , taking in a view that we just don't really see here in Oz ... I gotta tells ya ..... that Whippenstick Classic of Ken's is juat a well mannered fine fine shooter . I just hoped this trip to do it justice but she whacked stumps , took the heads off thistles better than any bow I have shot in a long long while ...
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/PICT0092-1.jpg)
Another thing to note about the Manitoto valley range is that hunting the mountains provides true spot and stalk, something we don't really get where i live ... we tend to hunt water holes or stalk/ still hunt .. this was a place where i can spot my game glassing from kilometeres away, work my plan of atatck and base a day around it ... it also lets me single out a particular animal , something I prefer to do ... don't know why ... just makes it more challenging I guess ...
[ unless they are turkeys ... open season on those little buggers .... if i was honest I'd tell you about numerous great stalks into 15 metres ... only to miss and then miss again ....... but that would kinda ruin the story eh ... so I'll skip that bit ...
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/PICT0037.jpg)
anyhoo .. the next few days were spent traversing snow fields, climbing rock faces and generally getting myself into some really good positions only to be busted by the set of eyes I didn't see, a drifting breeze or just bad timing ... it was a bout as frustrating, physically and mentally challenging and good fun as a fella can have ..... but time was ticking away , my body was absolutely killing me and the thought of yet again up the mountains was nagging away at the quitter inside me ....
still the next day I went up top again , a 3 hr walk and climb ... to get above the snow line so i could again chance it coming down on the particular mob i had been hunting [ no easy feat finding them in the snow !] so I found myself above them ... with no safe way to get down the hill without tumbling to a broken spine ... so I did the only smart thing a newly married man with responsibilities could do ... i switched my pack , Arrowmaster etc round to my chest , held my bow in front of me and soggy snow bottomed self propelled tobooggeoned down the slope between piercing Matagaoru bushes ... it was a dumb thing to do , cold on my ass for sure but proved really successful in getting me into a good final stalking spot ...
the goats began to feed down hill , futher into the afternoon sun , and lower than the snow line ... I was kinda left with 1 shot at a final stalk , dirctly down into them to try and manage a shot ...
After a couple of hrs I managed to get my shot off at 25 yards ... not my best shot either but the billy bedded quickly allowing me to jocky onto position for a finishing arrow , albeit , one which was not needed for the race had been run ...
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/PICT0089.jpg)
The Whippenstick had flung my arrow with authority and ended a game that began a18 months ago .........
now i had a day to try for turkey ......
the most frustrating day of my hunting career ..
lil' trouble makers that they are
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/PICT0029.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/PICT0039.jpg) (http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/PICT0055.jpg) (http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/PICT0013.jpg)
directing my mate to the turkeys down below the red berried hawthorn tree (http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/PICT0085.jpg) (http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/benmaher3006/PICT0027.jpg)
Congratulations on a great hunt and Billy Ben.
Great looking place, thanks for taking us along.
That Whippin stick looks the business.
Congrats on the goat, Ben. The land looks a like a lot of places we hunt, except the critters are different.
Hey Wolf ... the Whippen stick "classic" sure is the business eh !
Also ... again and again , Rod Jenkins Arrowmaster proves itself the most versatile , user friendly quiver going round ... rain, hail, snow ... more snow ... she just kept my arrows all fine !
Great looking hunt, Ben. What country! I love the snow, but quite shocking for June...
You're quite a conservationist - "letting" those pesky turkeys get bigger. Another positive report on the Arrowmaster. It's on my list.
Thanks for taking us along.
Wow, awesome looking country. Congrats on a great adventure.
Rick
Thanks for sharing some of the adventure!
Congrats!
I guess you had a fantastic scenery to hunt in!
Sounds, and looks, like a beautiful place to hunt. Thank you for the goat story.
Another destination for the bucket list... Thanks for the story and pics!!!
Nice Pics of nice place, Thanks for taking us along Ben.
-Inder
Thanks for sharing your pictures and story. That looks like an incredible place to hunt! Great scenery! :thumbsup:
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
thanks for sharing, great stories and pics
:campfire:
Thanks for sharing the hunt!! Great pics!!!
That one is going to happen soon - got the boss convinced to go! Just a matter of time......
Tremendous Ben! First Class story, pix, bow, & hunt! Always pictured NZ one of my favorite places on Earth! Thanks much.
:clapper: :clapper:
Even though ive hunted alot of different things in alot of places stories like these always make me look out the window and wonder. Wonderful county and story Ben.
Great job Ben. I keep thinking of getting an arrowmaster.
Great pics, story, and goat! Congratulations!
Congrats thanks for sharing :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Great pics and story, congrats and thanks for sharing! :thumbsup: :campfire:
Thanks for sharing adventures and pics.
Awesome country!
Congrats! I was unable to get my goat while in oz in March (even with 3 legitimate shots). i really want to come back one of these days to get one of those Aussie billys and I'd love to make it over to NZ too.
Congrats again,
Bisch
:thumbsup:
Really enjoyed the story and pics. Like my arrowmaster, but it's not seen near such pretty country!
:thumbsup: Congrats, great story and awesome pics, thanks for sharing. :clapper:
Well done mate! Congrats on the hunt and the marriage. You look cold in the last pic.
Nice work mate now my misses has poped out the kid we can get up the hills and chase some samber
Jim
Congrats for your hard earned goat. :clapper:
nice looking country.
congrats on a successful hunt.
NZ is the best!
Congrats and thank you Ben :clapper:
Great stuff Ben!! New Zealand is a spectacular place - you are a lucky man to be able to hunt it! Congratulations on the goat. :clapper:
thanks lads ...
Ben, Thanks for the share. Looks like a great hunt. Congrats on a nice looking goat. Fun times.
Looks like a great hunt! Thanks for sharing.