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Gryphon has invited me to visit several times and years ago, but finally arranged a visit.

Gryph was as expected welcoming and very hospitable, and told me we would have to watch the fog in the mornings as some of the areas he hoped to hunt were difficult if the morning was foggy.

BTW I had encountered fog on the drive over to Victoria in Western Victoria near Horsham, Ararat etc, and end up with less than 20 metres visibility. I was driving over over night and in the early morning the road was pretty empty on a Saturday night/Sunday morning, which was lucky.

The morning was foggy so Gryph decided we would hunt a secret spot elsewhere which was higher without the foggy river bottoms. Parking the car on the side of a track we moved into the forest and aimed to cut down towards a river. Gryph asked me to walk closer to the river bottom down the slope, keeping a eye on the other slope for deer, while he walk a higher fenceline area. Some parts of this creek/river were very nice to see. A couple of times he arranged a strategy to see if any deer in an area could be flushed towards where I was hunting. at times found very fresh tracks from that night or morning but didn't spot any deer.

Later in the morning I hit some thick brambles areas and had no choice except to move continually straight up the slope as any game trails seemed just to go up and down the slope. Hit the expected fence line and thought Gryph must be further along in front of me somewhere, so getting around the brambles area headed back down the slope. Followed some fresh tracks which led into a steep and interesting gully, climbed through that and looked around and continued.

Continued but wondered where Gryph was, as had spotted him for quite a long time, thought eventually might spot him again. Found some ribbons on trees, including ones which looked like official forestry ones. Some earlier ones led to a stand of cyclads, a hidden stand prehistoric cyclads perhaps? No idea.

Then the strangest thing. Found a little tin roofed shelter with a park bench and a small bird bath. A track behind. Decided to have a rest and blow a whistle a few times to see if I could contact Gryph, but he was obviously out of earshot.

Followed a track behind to a house or building but decided not to approach it closely. Decided to try to follow the fenceline back towards where we had started. Continued along and found another two shacks.

Near this area, spotted a spiker sambar stag moving off through the forest at a trot with another deer in front of him, which I had never seen. Tried to follow them up and get a shot, but didn't spot them again, and lost their tracks. So success of sorts. Had spotted two deer on the first morning.

Now realised somehow I had got turned around. Continued in the direction I though was the right way, but the land looked quite different to expected. Continued along for a fair distance. Found another vehicle track and decided to follow it, and it led back to the third shack. Decided to fill up the camelback with a couple more litres from a tank, just in case. I also carry an EPIRB in case of emergencies, also a jet stream fire lighter, matches, emergency food, etc. Usually have a small first aid kit, space blanket etc but not on this day.

Set off through the bush, but decided as I wasn't sure of the direction anymore, to head back to the shack and follow the track back out to a road, and walk the long way around if necessary. At the worst I would need to camp on a roadside that night rather than lost in the bush.

The track was a couple of kms to the road, then set off along the road to find the vehicle. What I did not realise, was this road was on the far side of the hunting area and not the same road. I did think it seemed the wrong direction but did not know how the road would bend or any intersections.

My main problem was I had no conception of the lay of the land, rivers, roads, etc not having seen a map of the secret spot. Nor a GPS. Gryph had told me a story the night before of how a friend GPSed one of his secret spots and never would he be taken to one again. I took it as a message to me, but evidently was mistaken as it was not intended that way. Nevertheless decided the vehicle would be GPSed the next hunt.

Walked the road through a reserve and eventually to some farm lands. Unfortunately the grazing land expected was on the wrong side of the road. Found a farm at an intersection. But obviously the car was in the opposite direction! FFFF me! I would have to walk back and off in the opposite direction. Other than tired legs, it wasn't an unpleasant walk.

Now during this time, I had heard a shot or two, way off in the distance, but if they were signal shots, wondered if I fired would Gryph leave the vehicle, where I hoped he would be, and head off in the forest, while I was walking around to him on the road. Decided not to shoot a reply shot, and instead hope he stayed at the vehicle.

Found the tracks to the shacks again and decided to check the others out. One was some sort of greenie/nature camp but no one seemed to be there. There was a caravan there. The other two seemed to be hunters shacks or weekenders in the bush.

After a long walk, and a road intersection or two, and during quite a big cirlce, saw Gryph driving towards me. The vehicle parking spot was further down the hill. The road I had walked back on was further along the road opposite to the direction we had driven in on, so unfamiliar. JG had been waiting for about 3 hours, but it was only early afternoon at this point of time.

Back to JG's house for some lunch.

In the evening we went to a short drive to check out some valleys with binoculars and see the place.

Even given some minor drama with getting 'turned around', seeing a couple of sambar was a success.

Next morning another hunt in another place subject to any fog. The GPS would get used the next day, and JG also drew a mud map of the hunting area. All good ideas.

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John aka NitroX

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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"