I posted this on an Australian Bowhunting forum and though it would be worth posting here too. Something different to whitetail and elk.
Before I start the story of last weeks adventure in the Victorian high country, I want to take a step back in time and tell the untold tale of the one who got away during a similar trip last year.
It was a sunny day in the middle of November 2015, I woke up early to hike to my favourite spot for a Sambar hunt. The location I had chosen carefully. I had visited the same place several times before but even though it is quite easy to find this particular spot, the hike is more effort than most hunters are willing to put in. Not to mention that you will need to be of a certain degree of fitness to even reach as far.

Once I set camp and got some preparation underway I packed my day pack and headed towards the gully I had in mind. This particular gully is set quite steep, close to a seasonal water source. I had seen a number of deer before and in 2014 I had had a stand off with a big stag at 10-12 m on the ridge line above this steep gully. That time, he was smart enough to elude my bow and arrow even tough I was eye-to-eye with him for a good 10 minutes and probably at full draw for 2. No ethical shot presented itself so I walked back with my head low. Already then planning my return. Tenacity wins the race.

The sun was setting and I had made it about halfway up the gully when I caught some movement further up. I snuck in to some skinny wattle trees when I spotted a hind feeding about 50 m above me. I had very sparse cover so I opted for a still hunt. Within minutes the whole family unit arrived. I had 2 hinds, a young stag/spiker and a young one feeding away. I decided to see if I could get a 40 m shot when I saw the tree whipping further up the hill. A large stag stepped out at 60-70 m, checked on the rest of the deer before getting back into bashing the young saplings.

I sat still for probably 10 minutes carefully watching the deer. Every now and them they would flick their head up and stare in my direction but soon resume feeding. I had dropped my boots and made an attempt to close the gap but was almost busted. I now had one one small piece of cover behind me and very little opportunity to move. I watched the larger stag wonder up to a certain tree and watch the hinds multiple times. The tree was at 50 m straight across the gully, level with me. After a further 5-10 minutes I realised that the deer was moving slightly away from me and if I wanted a chance for the stag I would need to take the 50 m shot. It is hard to estimate the size but I would assume he would be around 28". I made the choice to set my Spott Hogg dual pin sight to 50 m and wait for the stag to make his move towards the tree as normal. If everything planned out I would get a perfect broadside shot.
I saw him walk towards the spot and I drew my bow when he side stepped and stood on the wrong side of the tree. I had no clear shot. From here everything happened very quickly. As I let down he suddenly moved quickly straight across the clearing on a diagonal towards me. When he passed the only cover between us, a small tree 10-15 cm wide I quickly came to full draw. He walked up on my side of the gully and stared in my direction. During these few seconds I remembered I had my pin at 50 m. He was far closer than that now. He continued to walk up towards me. I estimated the range to be around 25-30 m. I put my pin under his brisket and let the arrow fly.
I can tell you that after this instance I spent a fair amount of time practising shooting different distances with the wrong pin to learn the drop. I heard the solid sound of the arrow hitting a black wattle smack on. Arrow sailed well over his back. I have just missed my first large stag. The deer got alarmed but did not spook to badly. I could watch them quickly but fairly calm trotting across the hillside out of view. Last light disappeared and I was left with a cold feeling running down my spine. I tucked the tail between my legs and went back to camp. I did not want to disturb the gully anymore and decided to collect my arrow during day light.
The next day during lunch I went back to get my arrow. The irony when I found my arrow as part of nature with a butterfly resting on my fletches.

After this week I reviewed my gear, practised more and started to plan another trip back to this spot. Being a Sydney sider I only get the opportunity to hunt the ANP once or twice a year. It actually took me a year to get back to this particular spot.
I was Monday morning and I was in my car, on my way down towards the Victorian high country. In a stroke of luck my work place needed to do some renovations and my work was very limited so I got a whole week off. In the week leading up I had had some concerns for the weather forecast. If you remember parts of Victoria had huge floods and the Owens basin had seen more water than ever. My hunting spot was a bit further away but after speaking to Parks Victoria I got the bad news that entering the ANP the way I normally do would be impossible. On top of that the annual track closures where still in place.
In the days leading up to my departure I spent hours trying interpret google earth to find an alternate route to my treasured gully system. I had found a way which both Victoria parks and friends who knew the area thought was a bit radical. It would be a hard walk, wet, steep and long. On top of that they expected snow at higher altitude, very different to my trip previous year.
As I had a whole week I decided to look around a bit on the way, visit some new state forests and do a bit of four wheel driving. I stopped in Whitfield to get the latest weather forecast from Parks Victoria and ask a few questions. I got the information I needed and I was on my way. First stop was lunch and an armed bush walk on the way. I basically only got out of the car when a feral cat moved across the road. It was a quick stalk and an arrow found its way through its chest. It wasn't the mighty Sambar I was after but my first cat was on the ground. I knew I just saved the lives of a few native birds, lizards and smaller critters so I was a happy hunter.

Quickly after, I jumped in the car as I wanted to get to Lake Cobbler before dark. As many tracks are closed I would drive as far as I could then proceed by foot. I had never been to Lake Cobblar so I decided I might as well see what tis all about. Park Victoria had warned me that it was going to be rather wet and cold so I might want to use the hut there for the night. I arrived just before dark and set up camp. That night was beautiful and I had a nice meal cooked over the camp fire.


The next morning I woke up with a shiver. As soon as first light arrived I understood why.

A good breakfast, hot coffee and some Peak Chocolate I did some scouting around the Cobbler plateau just so I could tick the "hunting in the snow" off the list. The morning was cold, foggy and misty. I spooked a couple of deer already bedded in very thick bush. I can tell you that stalking in snow is seriously hard.


After the sight-seeing it was time to jump in the car to see how close to my planned gully system I could get. My first attempt that evening was disappointment. I spent two hours on hands and knees trying to get through some serious thick bush. I made it about 200-300 before I gave up. What looked like a possible solution on google earth turned out to be too steep and too dense to consider. I was now wet, tired and hungry. I called it quits for the night and got some well deserved sleep.
To be continued...
Before I start the story of last weeks adventure in the Victorian high country, I want to take a step back in time and tell the untold tale of the one who got away during a similar trip last year.
It was a sunny day in the middle of November 2015, I woke up early to hike to my favourite spot for a Sambar hunt. The location I had chosen carefully. I had visited the same place several times before but even though it is quite easy to find this particular spot, the hike is more effort than most hunters are willing to put in. Not to mention that you will need to be of a certain degree of fitness to even reach as far.

Once I set camp and got some preparation underway I packed my day pack and headed towards the gully I had in mind. This particular gully is set quite steep, close to a seasonal water source. I had seen a number of deer before and in 2014 I had had a stand off with a big stag at 10-12 m on the ridge line above this steep gully. That time, he was smart enough to elude my bow and arrow even tough I was eye-to-eye with him for a good 10 minutes and probably at full draw for 2. No ethical shot presented itself so I walked back with my head low. Already then planning my return. Tenacity wins the race.

The sun was setting and I had made it about halfway up the gully when I caught some movement further up. I snuck in to some skinny wattle trees when I spotted a hind feeding about 50 m above me. I had very sparse cover so I opted for a still hunt. Within minutes the whole family unit arrived. I had 2 hinds, a young stag/spiker and a young one feeding away. I decided to see if I could get a 40 m shot when I saw the tree whipping further up the hill. A large stag stepped out at 60-70 m, checked on the rest of the deer before getting back into bashing the young saplings.

I sat still for probably 10 minutes carefully watching the deer. Every now and them they would flick their head up and stare in my direction but soon resume feeding. I had dropped my boots and made an attempt to close the gap but was almost busted. I now had one one small piece of cover behind me and very little opportunity to move. I watched the larger stag wonder up to a certain tree and watch the hinds multiple times. The tree was at 50 m straight across the gully, level with me. After a further 5-10 minutes I realised that the deer was moving slightly away from me and if I wanted a chance for the stag I would need to take the 50 m shot. It is hard to estimate the size but I would assume he would be around 28". I made the choice to set my Spott Hogg dual pin sight to 50 m and wait for the stag to make his move towards the tree as normal. If everything planned out I would get a perfect broadside shot.
I saw him walk towards the spot and I drew my bow when he side stepped and stood on the wrong side of the tree. I had no clear shot. From here everything happened very quickly. As I let down he suddenly moved quickly straight across the clearing on a diagonal towards me. When he passed the only cover between us, a small tree 10-15 cm wide I quickly came to full draw. He walked up on my side of the gully and stared in my direction. During these few seconds I remembered I had my pin at 50 m. He was far closer than that now. He continued to walk up towards me. I estimated the range to be around 25-30 m. I put my pin under his brisket and let the arrow fly.
I can tell you that after this instance I spent a fair amount of time practising shooting different distances with the wrong pin to learn the drop. I heard the solid sound of the arrow hitting a black wattle smack on. Arrow sailed well over his back. I have just missed my first large stag. The deer got alarmed but did not spook to badly. I could watch them quickly but fairly calm trotting across the hillside out of view. Last light disappeared and I was left with a cold feeling running down my spine. I tucked the tail between my legs and went back to camp. I did not want to disturb the gully anymore and decided to collect my arrow during day light.
The next day during lunch I went back to get my arrow. The irony when I found my arrow as part of nature with a butterfly resting on my fletches.

After this week I reviewed my gear, practised more and started to plan another trip back to this spot. Being a Sydney sider I only get the opportunity to hunt the ANP once or twice a year. It actually took me a year to get back to this particular spot.
I was Monday morning and I was in my car, on my way down towards the Victorian high country. In a stroke of luck my work place needed to do some renovations and my work was very limited so I got a whole week off. In the week leading up I had had some concerns for the weather forecast. If you remember parts of Victoria had huge floods and the Owens basin had seen more water than ever. My hunting spot was a bit further away but after speaking to Parks Victoria I got the bad news that entering the ANP the way I normally do would be impossible. On top of that the annual track closures where still in place.
In the days leading up to my departure I spent hours trying interpret google earth to find an alternate route to my treasured gully system. I had found a way which both Victoria parks and friends who knew the area thought was a bit radical. It would be a hard walk, wet, steep and long. On top of that they expected snow at higher altitude, very different to my trip previous year.
As I had a whole week I decided to look around a bit on the way, visit some new state forests and do a bit of four wheel driving. I stopped in Whitfield to get the latest weather forecast from Parks Victoria and ask a few questions. I got the information I needed and I was on my way. First stop was lunch and an armed bush walk on the way. I basically only got out of the car when a feral cat moved across the road. It was a quick stalk and an arrow found its way through its chest. It wasn't the mighty Sambar I was after but my first cat was on the ground. I knew I just saved the lives of a few native birds, lizards and smaller critters so I was a happy hunter.

Quickly after, I jumped in the car as I wanted to get to Lake Cobbler before dark. As many tracks are closed I would drive as far as I could then proceed by foot. I had never been to Lake Cobblar so I decided I might as well see what tis all about. Park Victoria had warned me that it was going to be rather wet and cold so I might want to use the hut there for the night. I arrived just before dark and set up camp. That night was beautiful and I had a nice meal cooked over the camp fire.


The next morning I woke up with a shiver. As soon as first light arrived I understood why.

A good breakfast, hot coffee and some Peak Chocolate I did some scouting around the Cobbler plateau just so I could tick the "hunting in the snow" off the list. The morning was cold, foggy and misty. I spooked a couple of deer already bedded in very thick bush. I can tell you that stalking in snow is seriously hard.


After the sight-seeing it was time to jump in the car to see how close to my planned gully system I could get. My first attempt that evening was disappointment. I spent two hours on hands and knees trying to get through some serious thick bush. I made it about 200-300 before I gave up. What looked like a possible solution on google earth turned out to be too steep and too dense to consider. I was now wet, tired and hungry. I called it quits for the night and got some well deserved sleep.
To be continued...