10 day Alpine Sambar Hunt

[WhelanLad]

hey fellas just got back in from 11 days out bush on an Aushunt members annual hunt gathering in the Wonnangatta Valley of Victoria
for the most parts we hunted down at 500m up to 700m elevation, on the successful hunt I was at 1400 an shot her just below 1600m asl, it had snowed on the peaks at this range a few days prior, the higher I got the more stag sign I saw though.

see how this goes, a copy and paste.

The over nighter up out of the Valley.

heres a short recount of the hunt dave and I went on.


First arvo i just wanted to go an walk around to see what was infront of me for the following day, as I had only picked this spot off the topo map the rest was unsailed seas.

the evening made for some great photo as we circled the hill and back to camp.

Dave had spent some time stalking in on a spooked Sambar Hind, who was honking to alert/calm her young calf who went the other way as we interrupted their evening feed.

a good 8 to 10 honks later an the wind favoured Deer an not dave.

We awoke from camp, proberly the better sleep I had, a fresh cool morning an cracking sunrise as we were elevated from the gulley floors, it was something.

A quick bite an I was eager to get going, dave too, eager but reflections of old ladies preparing for their day, set in as I gazed toward the alpine gums.

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it hadn't appeard cold in the early evening, but when you go in to look at the wallow an its frozen stff, then you know it got cold

I'd stalked off in one direction an left dave poking up a gulley over looking some wallows, I had trekked a good 2.5k , slow stalking right up to the place I had picked on the map, I reached the venue at around midday and sat an glassed for 2 hours or so

checking the Etrex and maps for my location

I was on a ridge , it was some amazing views of some amazing country

 

[WhelanLad]

While I was glassing I picked up a pair of back legs an zeroed in on that area for a few minutes until a Deer appeared! I was hoping for the Stag! but it turned out to be only a hind feeding at 12-30

I didn't want to get caught out on dark almost 3 km from camp so I made my way back early, around 2:30, missing the best time to be on that hill but as they say, Always next time.

As I stalked back through where I had just came from hours prior, I spied a deer standing still just lifted from her bed on the sunny face, standing about 80m away if that.

I thought I was busted as I tried to make a plan of attack, a branch hid her head an vitals so I decided I would take a step left, an if she presented I would shoot.
I moved she didn't, I aimed and pressed...... Bark flew an created a dust in the moist alpine terrain, right infront of her chest! I couldn't believe it.

she ran 5 steps an paused, paused long enough for me to have chambered a BT energetics 168gr poleaxe into the chamber and as Brown met Crosshair in the shoulder region I sent one. she took off at a rate of knots, through the 3ft high greenery an out of sight.

I was kind of spewing she didn't drop, figured I had shot her high in the lung I made contact with dave, he was almost in another postcode but still on the same ridge, so I made him hustle up an help me find her as I was having trouble locating any sign of a hit.

As I was about to give up an tell dave not to worry I walked past what looked like this

told dave I found a speck of blood but that's all, an if he was to take the meat then it was a good idea that he come up quick.

I'd followed the wrong marks and soon got on the right track, daves encouragement after I mentioned of the placement was "well that sounds good, it shouldn't be more than 100m away"

by the time dave trekked a good kilometre or so I had located the Hind, went down the ridge to find Dave an bring him back to the Deer.

 

[WhelanLad]

she had ran only 100m, dropped a couple specks of blood an wore a hole through her shoulders/chest just nicely.


We checked her out, said cheers an got to work.

I shot her with the T3 .308Win

hoping to get it done an get back to camp before dark

The end of an unreal hunt..... its still Calling and this chapter has not closed just yet!

Sore shoulders, legs and short tempers greeted us at the vehicle, but all had cleared by the time we hit the Wonnangatta Valley again.


Cheers

WL

NO STAGS HERE

All in all a great 10 days or so away, busy valley with a lot of hunters present, coming and going. educated deer and spotlighted stags..

Will head to different ground next time but enjoyed the Camp fire with the aushunt Members!

Thanks for viewing

WhelanLad

 

[Mauser GDog]

Awesome post, thanks mate!
Sleeping on the ground in Australia in that little 1 man tent....shudder!

 

[dutchhunter]

Thanks for posting always enjoy your hunts and pics ,,the deer you shot seem to be a lot like are elk thy are bigger then I would have thought ,anyways very nice congrats .wonderfull place to hunt ,,Dutch

 

[Boomer]

Another fine adventure brought to us courtesy of WL! Thanks for the effort you've made to share it with us.

 

[daka]

Always gratefull to see posts like this.
Thanks and congrats on beautifull hunt

 

[BigBraz15]

Congrats on a great hunt!

Your poleax bullets I have never heard of before. What type of bullet are they, cup and core, bonded, solid?

 

[WhelanLad]

Awesome post, thanks mate!
Sleeping on the ground in Australia in that little 1 man tent....shudder!

Yeah mate its just the start of Winter so the snakes are gone, we still have spiders, euro wasps, mosquitos, leeches, possums, cats, dingos and the odd bitey caterpillar to watch out for though in there all of which I survived.

Thanks for posting always enjoy your hunts and pics ,,the deer you shot seem to be a lot like are elk thy are bigger then I would have thought ,anyways very nice congrats .wonderfull place to hunt ,,Dutch

Hi mate, Yes, IMO just as big as a Elk hind although Shorter Legs and thick Hide with a lot of muscles. I quite often refer to my Game as "Elk" on CGN to give you better idea when im asking about Bullets or Calibres etc.
It wont be long an the World will hear more about the Sambar deer in Australia, an just how elusive the Stags are, even the Hinds as a species in General is one of the most elusive I know. very difficult to hunt and cannot rely on spook an shoot.
Thanks for your comments, appreciate it.

Another fine adventure brought to us courtesy of WL! Thanks for the effort you've made to share it with us.

Not a problem at all Boomer, appreciate the comments and as I say, my way of giving back to cgn.

Always gratefull to see posts like this.
Thanks and congrats on beautifull hunt

Appreciate it mate, cheers

Congrats on a great hunt!

Your poleax bullets I have never heard of before. What type of bullet are they, cup and core, bonded, solid?

mate jump on Facebook and look up B&T energetics, a new company out of Melbourne and claiming tolerances of less than 0.002 or something of a Gr, mass produces and would be happy to ship I'd imagine. they do main Cals for now but expanding all the time.
the poleaxe is a open tip flat base, and open tip rebated rim type base too, im yet to try those but shortly. jackets and bonds I believe.

He will even make you any gr you want in say .30 cal and I thnk he does .22 and maybe a few others.
Worth a look imo, I think I did a post in hunting section with photos of the Projies on a Sambar hind hunt.


Thanks fellas!

WhelanLad

 

[WhelanLad]

for interest Sake. Bren from B&T says he can ship no worries an has deco clearances etc.

So if I can get some more info up an on here, maybe think about a group purchase to try?

a lot of target shooters are winning events here with the ULD low drag type bullet, and for hunting they are grouse!

WL