G'day NitroX, I'm not Gryphon, but I'm back from work guys thank christ.
Mate I've been hunted Big River and Elidon for close on 30yrs yeah I'm an old bastard ok, I've seen the changes come and go in the area like some years plenty of Sambar and the next nothing, I hunt (solo) all year round what I have found in Eildon there is a "herd" (family) if you can call it that which move around the whole legal hunting area with an occasional stag entering from the Big river state forrest across the Jamieson/Eildon road, there is good quality Sambar there but hunting and picking up their movements can be frustrating for a first timer.
Big River takes in a bloody big area mate and there is still good deer to be found in some areas.
I've had some of my best hunting and please don't laugh, during summer on the flats where creeks run I know of a area during hot summer I can sit down and watch a stag and some hinds come down to munch on green fodder and drink, I watched a stag over time for some years in the same place every year, I never pulled the trigger but he has now gone maybe to age or someone elses bullet I'll never know but I hope he is out there rooting some hind.
I leave you with one area mate and you will see Sambar if you put the work in - a line from Mt Terrible to Mt Duffy Big River- hard yakkar but it's all there....best of luck...Les

forgot to mention Wonnangatta mate I spent a week up there with a two mates a couple of months ago saw some nice stags out of range but took two young hinds for meat. still got 40kg in the freezer. top tucker!..Les