NZ Hunter – August 2019

shockingly colour blind has probably

saved a lot of deer from me over the

years – but it didn’t save this one. His

shape was unmissable. That – and the fact

that he had a couple of branches with

white tips bobbing about on his head!

I soon had my camera set up on the

tripod and zoomed in to show the

Gotman the prize I had found at 540

yards. It was a very grey-looking Sika stag,

and it was just mooching about on a face

so steep a bull tahr would have been

proud.

After some deliberation, I decided

I would descend down towards the

slip to try and close the gap and

find a suitable platform to set up my

300 WSM. I worked my way around the

head of the gully and then started a mad

scramble over and under scrub, dodging

loose rocks and big old flax bushes

while dropping down several hundred

yards. I finally approached a flattish rock

where I could get set up, while keeping

movement to a minimum.

I flicked out the bipod to steady the

Remington and again set up the camera

before frantically glassing the big slip

to find my stag again. Nothing. In the

20 minutes it had taken me to close

the distance, he had moved off. After

the high of finding a deer – I was now

experiencing the low of losing him!

‘Stay calm’ I told myself. ‘Get a grip.’

As my experience kicked in, I figured

he hadn’t seen me or smelt me so he

wouldn’t have gone far. I glassed the next

gutter over, which was narrow but had

more feed bushes to tempt a beast. Sure

enough...I spotted him halfway down

and instantly put the range finder on him.

In fact I did this another half-dozen times

to be sure I was on-target.

The range finder settled on 350 yards

while my ‘eye-crometer’ estimated 25

degrees so I dialled in 4.25 clicks and

set about locking in the stock with my

day pack. Finally I took the shot, which

echoed around the Kawekas before a

‘whack’ came back. The stag burst uphill

for 20 yards before he edged his way back

down the shingle scree. After two more

shots he disappeared out of sight and

a few moments passed before I heard

shingle sliding...

After packing up my kit I climbed

back up to find the Gotman. Not

feeling 100% confident in my shooting

ability, I relayed the story and he

convinced me that sliding shingle was the

key to a dead stag!

We set off climbing around to the head

of the big slip and slid our way down the

moving shingle mass – pure adventure

in itself. Black Panther made up for her

early morning misdemeanour by finding

my beast in a steep gutter at the head

of a small creek. Amazingly, when I was

back home I found photos I’d taken two

years earlier of the same stag in the same

spot when he’d given us the slip – and

interestingly his rack hadn’t changed

during that time!

Owner - Allan Foot

The Sika stag

from two

years before

Stag down

Recovery time down

the shingle slide

August / Septem- ~ NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE 43

shockinglycolourblindhasprobably
saveda lotofdeerfrommeoverthe
years– butit didn’tsavethisone.His
shapewasunmissable.That– andthefact
thathehada coupleofbrancheswith
whitetipsbobbingaboutonhishead!

I soonhadmycamerasetuponthe
tripodandzoomedintoshowthe
GotmantheprizeI hadfoundat 540
yards.It wasa verygrey-lookingSikastag,
andit wasjustmoochingaboutona face
sosteepa bulltahrwouldhavebeen
proud.

Aftersomedeliberation,I decided
I woulddescenddowntowardsthe
sliptotryandclosethegapand
finda suitableplatformtosetupmy
300 WSM. I workedmywayaroundthe
headofthegullyandthenstarteda mad
scrambleoverandunderscrub,dodging
looserocksandbigoldflaxbushes
whiledroppingdownseveralhundred
yards.I finallyapproacheda flattishrock
whereI couldgetsetup,whilekeeping
movementtoa minimum.

I flickedoutthebipodtosteadythe
Remingtonandagainsetupthecamera

before frantically glassing the big slip

to find my stag again. Nothing. In the

20 minutes it had taken me to close

the distance, he had moved off. After

the high of finding a deer – I was now

experiencing the low of losing him!

‘Stay calm’ I told myself. ‘Get a grip.’

Asmyexperiencekickedin,I figured

hehadn’tseenmeorsmeltmesohe

wouldn’thavegonefar.I glassedthenext

gutterover,whichwasnarrowbuthad

morefeedbushestotempta beast.Sure

enough...Ispottedhimhalfwaydown

andinstantlyputtherangefinderonhim.

InfactI didthisanotherhalf-dozentimes

tobesureI wason-target.

Therangefindersettledon 350 yards

whilemy‘eye-crometer’estimated 25

degreessoI dialledin4.25clicksand

setaboutlockinginthestockwithmy

daypack.FinallyI tooktheshot,which

echoedaroundtheKawekasbeforea

‘whack’cameback.Thestagburstuphill

for 20 yardsbeforeheedgedhiswayback

downtheshinglescree.Aftertwomore

shotshedisappearedoutofsightand

a fewmomentspassedbeforeI heard

shinglesliding...

AfterpackingupmykitI climbed

backuptofindtheGotman.Not

feeling100%confidentinmyshooting

ability,I relayedthestoryandhe

convincedmethatslidingshinglewasthe

keytoa deadstag!

Wesetoffclimbingaroundtothehead

ofthebigslipandslidourwaydownthe

movingshinglemass– pureadventure

initself.BlackPanthermadeupforher

earlymorningmisdemeanourbyfinding

mybeastina steepgutteratthehead

ofa smallcreek.Amazingly,whenI was

backhomeI foundphotosI’dtakentwo

yearsearlierofthesamestaginthesame

spotwhenhe’dgivenustheslip– and

interestinglyhisrackhadn’tchanged

duringthattime!

Owner- AllanFoot

The Sika stag

from two

years before

Stagdown

Recovery time down
the shingle slide

August / Septem- ~ NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE 43