Hey Fellas,
Missed out hunting Fallow deer this year due to work and family commitments, and was in dire need of some time out in the bush to blow out the cobwebs.
I've managed to get acess to a place close to home that has some fallow and red deer on it, so threw the gear in the ute and headed off for an afternoon hunt.
It was my first real hunt here, so I had spent some time poking along through some likely looking areas and glassing without any luck. I saw the horizontal shape that could have been a deer, and spent a few minutes studying it with the binos trying to figure it out.
I had nearly dismissed it as a fallen tree, but noticed hair sticking up on the shoulder region, It slapped me in the face that it was a Red Stag at about 65m!
He moved not long after this and bedded down in the thick Eucalyptus, I quickly pulled out the camera and snapped off a few pics of him bedded in the afternoon sun.
I quickly identified him as a young stag with plenty of growing to do so he wasn't in any danger from me. Let them go, let them grow.
I put the bow down and snuck in with the camera, and managed to get some shaky video and a few more pics. After about 20mins of sneaking and pics, I was about 35m from him when he stood up for a stretch and walked out of the stuff he was bedded in and stood broadside for a few more photos.
He looked at me for a bit but wasn't too interested in me - I think the vias camo was doing it's job. He strolled off downhill for his late afternoon feed, so I backed off and let him be happy with my first red deer encounter.
I was still buzzing when I got back to the car. No other deer were seen, but I managed to scare a few rabbits with some blunts.
Just a few hours in the bush and the batteries were recharged, smile on my face and spring in my step.
I love bowhunting.
Cheers, Memo.