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Post by kiwi on May 15, 2016 22:11:52 GMT -5
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Post by kiwi on May 21, 2016 5:22:06 GMT -5
Sat dawned fine and mild as we spread out looking for a freshie Was over an hour when Andrew gets on the radio saying he's got one . Most likely early fri evenings marks . We set up and around I go . We put a couple dogs in . They are making hard work of it and over an hour and a half still haven't lifted it . Going around the road further I find another one going into the side we are hunting and the first couple dogs are 500 yards underneath us . Unloading another 3 dogs I walk them in along the marks. Eve , Em and JayBee are working the marks and Tom , Flo and Sid are coming up the ridge working theirs still . They meet and go through the creek and get onto the other face . WE are well set up still and it is over 2 hours since the first dogs have been let go . No more silence this morning , The noise of these 6 dogs fill the air as they find their deer, Making good ground they go downstream just under a track , as they get 2/3 the way down .They split Em , Tom & Sid peel off and head back up.While Flo , Eve and Jay Bee head for the bottom. Em , Tom And Sid come back under the road and young Will looks to be in the best spot however they cross the track below him and climb up onto the ridge. Hearing the dogs getting closer , finger goes onto the safety as eyes and ears search for signs of the approaching deer . The deer can be heard coming towards the firebreak and bursts out into the open. Turns away from me and angles across .The red dot finds his ribcage and the 30-06 bullets finds it's mark , Doesn't take another step and Em is already out on the fire break heading for the downed deer with Tom and Sid right behind Flo , Eve and Jaybee have their deer running hard .he tries to turn and run back uphill but doesn't get far . Turning again and heads to the bottom where Jack and Ian are well set up and waiting. The pressure is telling and the deer jumps onto the track and sprints towards Jack as it tries to get away from the dogs . Jack fires truly and the day is over . Not even noon and we have a couple . We'll take these goods days as we all know they aren't all like this
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Post by kiwi on May 22, 2016 0:44:04 GMT -5
The dogs , Tom ,Em and Sid . Em in the last couple years has stepped up and along with her sister Flo really put some speed into the hunt. Tom is the father of Em , Flo and the last litter as well , Mary , Eve , JB and Sid
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Post by hycohounds on Jun 2, 2016 13:46:54 GMT -5
be grateful for the easy that ways the hard ones aint so bad...................
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Post by kiwi on Jun 9, 2016 3:08:03 GMT -5
Owe a couple stories , a couple Saturdays ago we ended having a joint hunt with another crew as there were only 3 of us . Country is a lot bigger and the dogs can end up in 3 different river systems .They already had dogs going by the time we got around there .And it wasn't long and shots were heard .1 down . dogs had split and a couple were still running .We set up to help them ,when another shot was heard ,A sneaker was missed so I got around and tipped 5 dogs out . Em ,Flo ,Eve ,Sid and Jaybee. Half a dozen strides and the air was filled with hounds singing on hot scent .They were well set up for this . The dogs ran parallel with the road for a mile before turning and heading down through the creek and start climbing towards the head of the creek Shots rang out again but that was the end of the other hunt , so a small stag and a young doe were down . Our dogs were singing clearly in the still winter air . It was now 3/4 of an hour as the deer climbed up towards an old logging road where 3 hunters had the crossing points covered. The spiker was covering the ground quickly with the dogs but 100 yards behind now . 4 shots and this race was over and the dogs rounded up We regrouped and put all our dogs out this time . took half an hour and we had two hunts going .Tom and Ellen got across the road into some big country ,while the rest went around the head of a big creek. Tim and I set off chasing Tom and Ellen , racing about 5 mile to get out and around ,I got to where the creek hits the river but the dogs and deer had just beat me Big trip ahead now , put chains on Tim's landcruiser and off we go , Having a V8 Turbo diesel and chains made short work of a couple long steep slippery hills . The dogs were a fair way ahead of us and were already across where the next track hits the river, So off with the chains so we could go faster.We were starting to lose daylight as we reached the intersection of the next track that took us down to the river. The dogs appeared bayed several hundred yards downstream from where the track hit the river It was all but dark as we got to the river .Rifle ,headlamp and leads was all I took . They were fair humming in the dark as I negotiated the river and it's logjams to within 100 yards of the dogs . I was stuck by deep water , a high bank and a big log jam . WE can't shoot deer in the dark so I started calling out.Took 15 minutes before they first stopped barking but soon they went back to the deer Ended up being nearly an hour til they gave up and came to me . Slipped them on a lead and started walking out . Far out , 300 - 400 yards is a long way in the dark , but we got them out and in the crate . Took nearly an hour to get back to Tim's hut ,Warm fire going , got changed and had a beer. The other dogs had lost the deer in the river ,but never mind we had all the dogs back Last Saturday dawned after raining all night and it was still raining in the morning, we had a quick look after we had hunted fri with Ellen putting in huge run by herself , I ran 3 dogs in sat morning and they got out on us although weren't hunting yet .We spread out again to cover where the dogs were looking and then it happened .The 3 dogs stepped on a young doe . Straight down to the creek and bayed . Gavan , Ian and Will were waiting as the dogs and deer walked slowly down the creek but they had a way to go .Took a while but slowly they climbed up out of the creek and Gavan was waiting but 100 yards further up the hill . She walked into view with Flo , Em and Mary telling all that would listen ,they were looking at one As she neared Gavan ,the deer turned side on and with the dogs safely 2 or 3 yards behind .Gavan puts one in her shoulder and we eat venison again this week . Dogs and deer loaded up , home we go and get out of the rain
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Post by kiwi on Jun 14, 2016 21:32:48 GMT -5
Saturday ,we just got soaked and despite trying .Didn't get a start .Cleared up late in the afternoon so we got a whole pile of firewood , had a few beers and a cook up Sunday dawned fine ,Andrew found one red hot going into a place we normally don't hunt much . We let go 6 dogs and it only took 200 yards to lift it . Being cool and still ,the whole creek system filled with the sounds of the hounds . She crossed over between Robbo and his son ,on a corner . No time for a shot so they go further down the track .The hounds are going strong and Robbo catches sight of her with Em and Eve but 2 yards behind with the other 4 20 or so yards behind . She gets onto the main ridge and heads for the creek .So within 40 minutes she has taken to the water to try and shake the hounds loose . We now loose hearing of them and within a mile of running the creek .The GPS tells the story ,bayed . We have a big drive around now to a track that takes us right above them .500yards or so . This takes a while as it's a fair drive and we have a few trees to cut off the track. Getting above them they are easily heard ,still bayed Eventually we get there .Andrew & Brad go in just down stream .I take a longer ridge to be downstream of them while a couple others head in upstream .It takes time and as he gets closer ,The breeze takes Andrews Scent up to the deer .She breaks but doesn't get far and bayed again. Takes him a fair time to climb up and come down so the wind doesn't betray him again . The regrowth and vegetation is dense down on the creek and it takes some more time to see the deer and account for all the dogs ,they've been bayed for well over 3 or more hours now . Then a single shot is heard and the valley becomes silent . Dogs are clipped up and the steep 500yards is slowly climbed leading dogs and carrying meat . The relief on everybody's faces is obvious as we all hit the track . Time for a rest and a chat . let's go home
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Post by kiwi on Jun 19, 2016 1:04:19 GMT -5
Went up Friday night and the fog made the drive a bit harder . Dirt road has been graded and after the rain ,it was very slippery . Never mind ,it has to be done and when I got to camp , a warm fire was going . Gavan and Ian were just finished eating .So on goes a couple sausages and a beer is soon in my hand . Light showers come through but not too bad . So a couple sausages in bread are washed down with a couple beers . Time to turn in and sleep comes easily to tired eyes and the pitter patter of rain on the tarp. Andrew arrives at 6AM ,it's daylight at 7am .Dogs out on the chain , fire springs back into life and a plan is sorted on where to look for deer It is still moist but clearing and after an hour we meet with Andrew who has some marks that have come up onto the road and gone back into the low side. They have had some rain on them and look light early Friday evenings .Dogs out and collared up .We put Ellen on them and she is struggling . Andrew volunteers to walk her in ,so I let go Tom , Maggie and Tammy as well . They only go in 200 yards and she starts cold trailing , another 100 yards and she's up and running in this real scrubby ,ferny gully . Hounds aren't far under the road and are clearly heard as they pack up and start this race in fine style .There are 4 of us up the top and 2 down the bottom .She turns and goes down 200 yards before heading back under the road to where we are waiting , We have the 4 known crossing spots well covered. She turned and heads towards Mick only to swing back in at the last moment . Now only 150 yards under the road Andrew is next in line and as she trots out onto the firebreak ,a 30-06 bullet takes her in the neck It's over ,Tom ,Maggie ,Tammy and Ellen are right behind , clipped up ,Deer is cut up and the 4 dogs fed off the neck and rib meat . They've earn't a rest for we have 5 more dogs to run So around the road we go to a ridge , Andrew walks them in again to where I reckon we'll get a start .Out goes Em , Mary ,Eve, Sid and JB They go down about 400yards as I follow their progress on the GPS and Mary is taking them down the right hand side of the ridge and across a track . The rest follow and they get just over 600yards away and open right up . Don't need the GPS to follow this and they head straight down . The creek system is just filled with hound music and finally it's quiet again as they've gone out of hearing . Gavan & Pete are hearing the dogs coming clearly now ,Straight to Pete but 100 yards or so away turn and head towards Gavan . They go above Gavan and are heading upstream . He has a short run to the next crossing point and gets there . The deer climbs a little and then comes down to the creek ,runs downstream 50 yards and steps up into Gavan's sight . His .357 swings onto the deer's shoulder and it falls within a couple strides Eve is right behind it with the others 30 seconds further back Up the top , I finally get the echo of a gunshot come back to me .Andrew relays that the deer is down and dogs are caught Meet you back at camp ,where we pack up and head for home as the afternoon is getting old .The fog is coming in and we need to be going Do it all again next week
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Post by kiwi on Jul 4, 2016 3:25:55 GMT -5
Won't bore you with too much of the story , let the pics say most of it Young Will is just a teenager and gets a good stag Goes 27 inches in length which starting to get up there , 30 inches or over put you in the top bracket Ripper tops on it , good brows and overall an excellent head for any hunter seeking a sambar deer trophy. It was our second run for the day Dogs ran him for 90 minutes before he decided to make a run down the creek . Will was put in an important spot to cover a main exit from this creek system and was up to the task . Being a junior hunter Will must be supervised at all times while hunting . So credit goes to the supervising hunter to let Will cover the spot and just be the back up shooter. Dogs put in two good runs , we all got home sat night and had a few quiet beers
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Post by hycohounds on Jul 8, 2016 14:40:29 GMT -5
dang right, I love it when the young guys burn powder. congrats to guy.......
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Post by Lanscam Kennels on Jul 9, 2016 11:04:47 GMT -5
Congratulations Will, nice stag
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Post by kiwi on Jul 19, 2016 6:40:05 GMT -5
Here's another view of Will's stag , nice and even , good brows and tops Dogs with a small stag I took last Saturday week ago , with our dogs , Most of these are by Tom and out of a pair of sisters , Bonnie and Ellen Ellen is in the front left and Tom at the back right of the picture Sambar stags are not growing their antlers all at the same time , some can be cast , some hard and some in velvet at most times of the year .Having a hound season from April til November , we encounter stags at various stages of antler growth at all times .Although it must be said the majority are in hard antler now and the rut is approaching . Again this spreads over a fair length of time from now til November being the main times , peak is most likely July ,August and September around here A better view of Tom One of the rivers in a winter flow , the deer love using the water Dogs relaxing under the tarp on a friday afternoon , sometimes take a bale of straw up , they can lay on it during fri afternoon or after the hunt and better to have dry straw than snow or wet dirt under the tarp for us as well
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Post by Gunslinger on Sept 20, 2016 16:43:24 GMT -5
Is it starting to warm up there kiwi?
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Post by bryant1 on Sept 30, 2016 8:56:36 GMT -5
Nice stories and season Kiwi.
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Post by tjsikes on Oct 11, 2016 21:32:09 GMT -5
Kiwi, I enjoy seeing your posts. They are very interesting to me.
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Post by Gunslinger on Oct 12, 2016 20:27:21 GMT -5
Kiwi has great stories
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