| Marrakai |
| (.416 member) |
| 17/04/15 07:16 PM |
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Representative Red Stag
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Had to attend a niece's wedding on Hamilton Island over the Easter weekend, so took the opportunity to slip down to another niece's property in the Brisbane Valley straight after for a taste of the 'roar'.
Managed to collect a nice 4x4 head in the scrubby creekline on the first afternoon: my first ever red stag! I was sneaking onto a roaring stag with hinds, when an unseen contender off to the side got my wind and bolted across the levee in top gear. Just as I got a comfortable lead on him through the scope, he performed a long graceful leap over the last patch of lantana at the edge of the overflow, and I shot him out of the air like a low-flying black-duck!
After a quick self-timed photo or two I continued after ol' prickle-top but the wind reversed just as the sun set and he beat me. I did get an enticing glimpse of top tines and heavy beams through the trees as he slipped away however!
Closed the bolt on 2 more 4x4 stags over the next couple of days, one popped out of a clump of lantana about 5 metres in front of me and roared right in my face! I let them be of course, but never saw the big guy again.
There's always next year!
Collecting the prime cuts: we ate venison steaks, stir-fry and stew for the next 4 days.
Meat-Ants doing a fine job of cleaning up the head.
NitroX
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| (.700 member) |
| 17/04/15 07:43 PM |
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Re: Representative Red Stag
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Looks good Marrakai. And the right rifle too.
I love hunting red stag as well.
| Bidgee |
| (.375 member) |
| 17/04/15 07:58 PM |
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Re: Representative Red Stag
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Good stuff, nice looking red. I would be happy with him. The few I have seen around here are fairly lean looking, always see them when I least expect them and never when I have a rifle in hand.
I came through the Brisbane valley today, nice looking country with no shortage of green grass.
Cheers
| 93x64mm |
| (.416 member) |
| 17/04/15 09:19 PM |
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Re: Representative Red Stag
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Top job Marrakai!
We're all glad you're a good 'wing-shot' - well worth the effort that one.
Here's to a better one next time
Cheers
93x64mm
| Ash |
| (.400 member) |
| 17/04/15 09:58 PM |
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Re: Representative Red Stag
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Excellent looking deer! Whats the rifle? A mannlicher in what chambering?
| Ripp |
| (.577 member) |
| 17/04/15 11:17 PM |
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Re: Representative Red Stag
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Congrats on the hunt. Looks to be a great day..
Ripp
| Rule303 |
| (.416 member) |
| 18/04/15 10:36 AM |
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Re: Representative Red Stag
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It is illegal to shoot low flying deer..................................no wait, I mean it is illegal to shoot deer from low flying aircraft
Nice shooting Marrakai. Good bit of thickness in his timber.
| Sarg |
| (.400 member) |
| 22/04/15 06:45 PM |
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Re: Representative Red Stag
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Well done sounds like & looks a great hunt, you have better Red Deer hunting in Aussie than NZ now days & have in fact for a long time, more real FREE range stags any way !
Looks like a Ruger International I would say ?
| ozhunter |
| (.400 member) |
| 27/04/15 02:32 PM |
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Re: Representative Red Stag
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Tops! What cal Ruger?
| MarkR |
| (.333 member) |
| 28/04/15 07:12 AM |
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Re: Representative Red Stag
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Well done Tony. Looks like a successful trip.
Cheers,
Mark.
P.S. Getting the Jeffery sights sorted at Kudu Bob's atm. Should be back soon.
| Marrakai |
| (.416 member) |
| 29/04/15 11:13 PM |
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Re: Representative Red Stag
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Thanks for your kind comments gentlemen.
I anguished over which rifle to take on this hunt, having a couple of Mannlichers in 6.5 and one in 9.5, as well as the Kurtz Mauser, but (sadly) ended up being practical rather than romantic!
That Ruger RSI .308 is my pig-culling rifle, so it is in my hands a lot and I typically take over a hundred animals per trip with it, most of them on the run. For my first 'roar' it was a no-brainer, but next year it will probably be either the Jeffery Mannlicher or the Kurtz.
The projectile was a 150gr Sierra SPT Pro-Hunter, bought as 'seconds', and loaded at the milder end of the spectrum. Even so, the bullet demolished both lungs and exited right behind the off-side shoulder. He only made about ~15 metres after the shot.
Mark:
Looking forward to a shot or two with the adjusted sights. I have ammo, remember...