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264
.375 member


Reged: 15/02/11
Posts: 596
Loc: NT Australia
Tahr 2018
      #314053 - 17/03/18 09:11 AM

Chris,Joey and myself have just returned from a trip over the ditch. West coast first then bad weather and moved to the East coast.Mixed success with two good bulls shot up real high and lost to the edge. Bad weather set in and no visibility for two days. Called the heli in for a pick up as soon as the weather broke.Another two days waiting for a lift out.

East coast weather was unusualy hot and we had good hunting.No bulls seen but high numbers of nannies, seen around 40.

Herse a pictorial run thru of our trip.Cheers Mick

drop-off West coast

valley

small water fall before it rained

first 200m all straight up and monkey scrub


hut above my right shoulder

1500m

1700 near the top

1800m

over the edge was scary steep

tahr we spotted were near the snow/ ice sheet above my head

800m away, safe spot for spike camp, glassing

spike camp, minaret

Chris lining up a bull,264wM M70

We both got shots at bulls in the boulder out crop. Chris had first go and hit a nice bull at around 230m .He dived into the boulder outcrop. Another bull appeared and I got a solid chest shot on him, he reappeared and I got another into him. Then out of sight.
Worked our way through the boulders and unseen ravines. Found plenty of blood leading to and over the edge, into unrecoverable country. We were shattered.
Another bull appeared after shots, between the two points

tired exhausted and shattered, coming down the ice sheet

demoralised and no water dinner , just before dark

Bad weather sets in over night. Back for a look in the morning very dangerous conditions.


sheltering out of the wind and rain

Made the move back to the hut and hut bound for two days. eventually got a lift out and travelled back to the East coast


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eagle27
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Reged: 24/01/09
Posts: 1108
Loc: Nelson, New Zealand
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: 264]
      #314054 - 17/03/18 09:29 AM

Good stuff, as you found out hitting Tahr is one thing, recovering another.
Bit earlier for the bulls yet, need the first winter snow to drive them down from their lofty heights and then of course coming into the rut around this time.

Myself and two sons and a two mates of the boys all heading into our South Westland tahr block last week of May. Won a block last year in the ballot but DOC failed to allocate the block to me so gave me my pick of the blocks and the week of my choice for this years ballot blocks.

Looking forward to another great week on the tahr weather permitting of course. Always see lots of animals each day in the block we have but as usual those big bulls can often be seen but still very allusive to get. Then again sometimes they can pop up a few hundred metres from camp, just got to ready at any time.


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264
.375 member


Reged: 15/02/11
Posts: 596
Loc: NT Australia
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: 264]
      #314055 - 17/03/18 09:31 AM

East Coast
popular spot

Chris Found a mob after dropping off a scary ridge,well I got scared! Things moved fairly quickly after spotting the mob down in a scree slide. Dropped down as quick as we could and stayed out of sight. The wind was going to be touch and go.We set up at 320m and hoped they would come towards us.Decided if they turned or fed away we would shoot.Waited a while and they started to move away.

Chris was first up with me getting what ever was on offer. After his shot.

His first shot was a hit and the nannies ran towards us, fast and my first shot was just behind the one I picked out. 230m approximately fair amount of leed and pole axed one. Chris was still shooting . They slowed and started to pull up. I dropped another and Chris settled in and hit another.

We both ended up with two and were stoked

tahr nanny centre right near boulders, poor pic. about to be dropped

very happy Chris with his first tahr 264WM M70 320m 120 TTSX

running shot 230m, 270WSM 130 TTSX Kimber ascent

second

Chris recovering his second nanny



recovered meat skin

skinning

recovered 120 TTSX

found bulls head and nanny for comparison 11"

first hare

lift out


random pics
glassing
Joey up high 1700m West coast

being idiots.....


glassing from hotel, 4 reds on the slip

salting skin twizel car park
out of the wind


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264
.375 member


Reged: 15/02/11
Posts: 596
Loc: NT Australia
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: eagle27]
      #314056 - 17/03/18 09:45 AM

Quote:

Good stuff, as you found out hitting Tahr is one thing, recovering another.
Bit earlier for the bulls yet, need the first winter snow to drive them down from their lofty heights and then of course coming into the rut around this time.

Myself and two sons and a two mates of the boys all heading into our South Westland tahr block last week of May. Won a block last year in the ballot but DOC failed to allocate the block to me so gave me my pick of the blocks and the week of my choice for this years ballot blocks.

Looking forward to another great week on the tahr weather permitting of course. Always see lots of animals each day in the block we have but as usual those big bulls can often be seen but still very allusive to get. Then again sometimes they can pop up a few hundred metres from camp, just got to ready at any time.




Congratulations on drawing a block. Ive just started to look at putting in for the ballot.
Weather permitting! main reason we come over a bit early as limited experience with real cold conditions , so building up time on the ground. Slowly getting there with experience.
Losing the bulls over the edge was the low point of the trip. We pushed ourselves in the steep stuff that they went over. Decided on better judgement to stop as the ice sheet was something new to us. No ice axe or crampons. very slippery.
The visibility the next morning was very poor , gusting winds made the decision to get out very easy.
We were encouraged to take a few nannies and it improved our moral after losing the bulls. Gave some of the meat to one of the heli crew and ate the rest during our travels.
NZ great place , Next year. Cheers Mick


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Waidmannsheil
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Reged: 19/04/13
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Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: 264]
      #314057 - 17/03/18 09:48 AM

Bloody fantastic Mick, thanks for posting. Super photos with what looks like a lot of fun had by everyone and some nice trophies to boot. Amazing scenery and some pretty mean conditions at times. I like Chris's Model 70, that's what the 264 is made for. Super well done.

Waidmannsheil.

--------------------
There is nothing wrong with vegetarian food, so long as there is meat with it.


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264
.375 member


Reged: 15/02/11
Posts: 596
Loc: NT Australia
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: Waidmannsheil]
      #314059 - 17/03/18 10:02 AM

Quote:

Bloody fantastic Mick, thanks for posting. Super photos with what looks like a lot of fun had by everyone and some nice trophies to boot. Amazing scenery and some pretty mean conditions at times. I like Chris's Model 70, that's what the 264 is made for. Super well done.

Waidmannsheil.




Used to be mine , I imported a featherweight CRF model so moved it on. Still have a soft spot for it though. Chris has put it to good use over the last few years. I don't miss carrying the extra weight. Ascent was very good to carry.................. cheers Mick


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eagle27
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Reged: 24/01/09
Posts: 1108
Loc: Nelson, New Zealand
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: 264]
      #314067 - 17/03/18 02:12 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Good stuff, as you found out hitting Tahr is one thing, recovering another.
Bit earlier for the bulls yet, need the first winter snow to drive them down from their lofty heights and then of course coming into the rut around this time.

Myself and two sons and a two mates of the boys all heading into our South Westland tahr block last week of May. Won a block last year in the ballot but DOC failed to allocate the block to me so gave me my pick of the blocks and the week of my choice for this years ballot blocks.

Looking forward to another great week on the tahr weather permitting of course. Always see lots of animals each day in the block we have but as usual those big bulls can often be seen but still very allusive to get. Then again sometimes they can pop up a few hundred metres from camp, just got to ready at any time.




Congratulations on drawing a block. Ive just started to look at putting in for the ballot.
Weather permitting! main reason we come over a bit early as limited experience with real cold conditions , so building up time on the ground. Slowly getting there with experience.
Losing the bulls over the edge was the low point of the trip. We pushed ourselves in the steep stuff that they went over. Decided on better judgement to stop as the ice sheet was something new to us. No ice axe or crampons. very slippery.
The visibility the next morning was very poor , gusting winds made the decision to get out very easy.
We were encouraged to take a few nannies and it improved our moral after losing the bulls. Gave some of the meat to one of the heli crew and ate the rest during our travels.
NZ great place , Next year. Cheers Mick




Good to hear you exercised caution around ice, too many people get caught out with these conditions. I carry a pair of instep crampons when hunting the high country, just four spikes strapped into the boot instep, and they are great for slippery conditions such as scree, snow grass, snow and limited ice. Can be worn around the high country all the time to give an extra bit of grip, also good in wet bush. They're inexpensive and light to chuck in pack.
Ballot blocks are popular and put you into blocks usually only visited during the balloted weeks in winter as there are no huts so tent camping only and most would be too arduous to get to on foot. Only time of year choppers are allowed to be used for access.

Have been successful getting a block for the last few years except last year when DOC mucked it up. You don't usually get in for the whole week (fly in Saturday and must fly out following Friday latest) as the weather doesn't always oblige. Chopper pilots usually arrange fly in and pick up times to suit weather forecasts and they get it spot on mostly. Don't want to be in one of these blocks during a storm in May/June but when weather is good there are heaps of animals. DOC encourages hunters to shoot six other animals for every bull taken but not many would have that much of a blat except maybe on the last day. Cullers are put into many of these blocks in the summer to keep numbers in check, they leave young and old bulls alone for trophies but take out nannies and yearlings.

The ballots are popular with a lot of overseas hunters applying so I'm told. Plenty more other places to go, able to fly into huts etc but they too are pretty full up around winter tahr time.

Good luck if you go for a ballot. Will report our success or lack of it in June.


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Rule303
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Reged: 05/07/09
Posts: 4896
Loc: Woodford Qld
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: 264]
      #314068 - 17/03/18 05:25 PM

Mick hard work and fun. Good move on the caution. No animal is worth dying for.

Eagle best of luck with the Ballot hunt.


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Louis
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Reged: 13/05/15
Posts: 977
Loc: France
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: Rule303]
      #314070 - 17/03/18 06:42 PM

Mick, congratulations on your hard mountain hunt and thank you for sharing the pictures.
Louis

--------------------
"Everything that doesn't kill me makes me stronger"


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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26413
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: Louis]
      #314076 - 18/03/18 02:53 AM

Bloody incredibly difficult hunting. I've never done that myself. Good on you guys for tackling it. Great story - most would have left out the losses, but it does happen & makes the ending every more sweet. Well done Chris.
Thanks Mic.

Buddy of mine used to used the 120gr. XLC I think it was, form his 6.5x68 - about 3,400fps, seems to me - 26" tube. Excellent results on moose, deer and of course, elk.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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lancaster
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Reged: 06/05/08
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Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: DarylS]
      #314082 - 18/03/18 05:18 AM

looks like the good days

--------------------
Norwegian hunter misses moose, shoots man on toilet
.
bringing civilisation to the barbarians


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Ripp
.577 member


Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: lancaster]
      #314117 - 19/03/18 01:30 AM

Great Hunt..and great pics..

Thank you very much for posting..still on my list of mtn animals to hunt..

by the looks of the terrain, I had better do it soon , not getting any younger..B
Have to love those Barnes bullets..perfect performance..

Agree with the weight of the rifle..been using lightweight rifles for the past 10 years when hunting high..have absolutely no plans of ever going to a heavier rifle again..my wife has a similar lightweight Kimber in .308..shoots very very well...

Congrats again..

Ripp

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

Edited by Ripp (19/03/18 01:39 AM)


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264
.375 member


Reged: 15/02/11
Posts: 596
Loc: NT Australia
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: Ripp]
      #314127 - 19/03/18 08:44 AM

Ripp Next trip Chris will be carrying a Ascent in 280 ackley improved. I should have started hunting NZ 20 years ago. Hard to recover after the big climbs. Ill keep doing it whilst im enjoying it.......,,,,cheers mick

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Sarg
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Reged: 20/01/07
Posts: 1365
Loc: Nil
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: 264]
      #314129 - 19/03/18 09:25 AM

Cool report Mick !

You might have been Ok 20yrs ago but 30yrs ago you would of had major trouble finding a Thar as they were almost wiped out, in the early 80s when I lived down there, you could hunt for a couple weeks & not find a Bull or any Thar really, started picking up in the 90s & now Thar where they have never been eating grass & growing 14in in half the time, growth rings a inch apart !

Only the last 8-10 years have Deer/Game numbers built up & any body can find them now, when I started it was like a School boy Rugby player going up against the All Blacks, very hard & no animals to teach you or learn from !

A Deer was worth near a weeks wages back in the day !


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Ripp
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Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: 264]
      #314130 - 19/03/18 09:27 AM

Quote:

Ripp Next trip Chris will be carrying a Ascent in 280 ackley improved. I should have started hunting NZ 20 years ago. Hard to recover after the big climbs. Ill keep doing it whilst im enjoying it.......,,,,cheers mick




If my results are any indication, he will absolutely love the 280AI..I have used that caliber for high mtn game all over the world..incredible performance and accuracy..

Mine is a Lex Webernick RIFLES INC.. Strata model... all in with scope and mounts it weighs 6lbs 2oz... joy to carry and extremely accurate..in fact it shoots the Nosler factory loads in 140gr Accubonds so well I have never reloaded for it..

http://www.riflesinc.com/riflemodels.html

As to the mtns..yes, I too should have started 20 years ago..the mtns are not getting any less steep, however we are still doing it..so that has to be good enough.. I am headed to Turkey this fall for another Ibex as well..really looking forward to it..but will also need to get down your way in the next few years..

Thank you for the info..

Ripp

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..


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NitroXAdministrator
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Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39055
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: eagle27]
      #314143 - 19/03/18 02:50 PM

Quote:

I carry a pair of instep crampons when hunting the high country, just four spikes strapped into the boot instep, and they are great for slippery conditions such as scree, snow grass, snow and limited ice. Can be worn around the high country all the time to give an extra bit of grip, also good in wet bush. They're inexpensive and light to chuck in pack.




Can you post a photo of these? Thanks.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

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


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NitroXAdministrator
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Reged: 25/12/02
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Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: 264]
      #314144 - 19/03/18 02:56 PM

Interesting write up and lots of photos. Great.

Those mountains would kill me. Just walking up them. Never been great on mountains even when super fit, and now, find them even harder.

Enjoyed your story, losses and successes. I think the photos of scary slopes doesn't do them justice, as photos rarely do. I can see thaat ridge is a knife edge ridge with a scary drop off or climb down an both sides.

Wlaking on snow and ice must be a huge change of terrain for a Territorian.

Everytime I read these stories, I remember my 'ambition' to "hunt every year in NZ" and another year has gone by. For me, I think forest sika might be a better start, than mountian tahr. But a chamois would be a real dream.

A practical question. What sort of weight do you carry in your backpack for the climb up?

--------------------
John aka NitroX

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


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eagle27
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Reged: 24/01/09
Posts: 1108
Loc: Nelson, New Zealand
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: NitroX]
      #314146 - 19/03/18 04:10 PM

Quote:

Quote:

I carry a pair of instep crampons when hunting the high country, just four spikes strapped into the boot instep, and they are great for slippery conditions such as scree, snow grass, snow and limited ice. Can be worn around the high country all the time to give an extra bit of grip, also good in wet bush. They're inexpensive and light to chuck in pack.




Can you post a photo of these? Thanks.




My crampons are the older indestructible type whereas the modern ones are made of stamped hardened steel and look a bit flimsy.




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eagle27
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Reged: 24/01/09
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Loc: Nelson, New Zealand
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: eagle27]
      #314147 - 19/03/18 04:30 PM

John

Not all tahr hunts are steep and knarly and once choppered in you are generally in among the animals. It is the weather that plays the biggest part in how a hunt goes. I've had some good and some bad hunts even on Stewart Island for whitetails where it is almost exclusively pretty easy and pleasant bush stalking, they say keep Stewart Island for your retirement. One week on the Island was shear misery with a snow storm and bitterly cold weather sweeping right in from Antarctica.

Tahr hunts can also be the same, a few photos showing the extremes:

Jacobs block, good weather and all day sun.



Barlow block with week of snow and no sun in camp, just about the death of me, nephew got frostbite in a couple of toes.

Our kitchen


Up river from camp


Setting up to take a successful long range shot on bull tahr from camp, 300WM hit in flank enough to sit it down until nephew and super fit mate got to it where it stood up and ran down hill in a snow chute, nephew dropping it with second shot from his 7mmRM. Watched it all play out from camp.


Tahr shot just below skyline in small chute left of centre. Photo zoomed on camera,325 metre shot steeply uphill.


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Waidmannsheil
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Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: eagle27]
      #314155 - 19/03/18 08:10 PM

Eagle, very nice photos, certainly looks like a lovely place.

Waidmannsheil.

--------------------
There is nothing wrong with vegetarian food, so long as there is meat with it.


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NitroXAdministrator
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Reged: 25/12/02
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Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: eagle27]
      #314162 - 19/03/18 11:01 PM

Thanks Eagle.

Yes I remember Brian Harre saying he used to drop off his own huts on the tops, and hunters were dropped off by chopper to them, and stayed in them. Less arduous hunting when already on the tops, but no doubt still lots of smaller climbs up and down bits.

So I guess if staying in a regular hut, up there somewhere alreay, being dropped off would make it easier and more possible. Or using a tent etc.

But I amazed you Kiwis are not all wearing shorts in all your photos! Like the old days.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

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


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eagle27
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Reged: 24/01/09
Posts: 1108
Loc: Nelson, New Zealand
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: NitroX]
      #314188 - 20/03/18 07:12 AM

Aah, have you seen my legs? Most often I and the boys do wear shorts over thermals but have to be real men when in deep snow.
Despite the sun, at the altitude we are at for tahr any wind is very cold and as the sun sets the cold really gets into the bones when sitting around having a meal or a cold one. Down jackets are a must with an outer over top too.
At least with a chopper in and out weight is not normally an issue so you can take really good clothing and sleeping equipment, we even take small water bottles to fill with the hot water after boiling spuds etc., and chuck these in the sleeping bag to get things cosy.
I good warm nights sleep sets you up well for the next day. Of course a hut with fire and toilets etc. is bliss but mostly they are full up during the winter tahr hunts plus I snore badly so my boys won't allow me in a hut now


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Claydog
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Reged: 17/08/12
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Loc: Katherine, Northern Territory ...
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: eagle27]
      #314191 - 20/03/18 08:57 AM

Mick looks like a tough hunt. Awesome photos.

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264
.375 member


Reged: 15/02/11
Posts: 596
Loc: NT Australia
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: Claydog]
      #314195 - 20/03/18 10:17 AM

Eagle-great pics. Its snow conditions like in your pics that worry me.

Sarg- just read some books on thar by Ken Tustin. His section on meat recovery for tahr and deer said the numbers were reduced significantly.
Mountains would still have been the same. I would like to have seen the days of big numbers of deer.

Nitrox- im pretty scrawny so i carry around 12 kg and tifle for spike trips. Yeah a bit different to the NT.
Cheers mick
In the middle of clean up from cyclone marcus, we got smashed!


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DarylS
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Reged: 10/08/05
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Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Tahr 2018 [Re: 264]
      #314204 - 20/03/18 12:44 PM

Looks like you guys stepped into a late fall BC hunt that would get "called" as being too dangerous to walk about.
Nothing worse than getting a dump of snow when you are climbing up and down.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V


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