Glad to hear the pup is doing well after the gravity lesson.

Took another fella out to DOC block today for a wander around in the bush as he hadn't done much bush stalking and wanted a few pointers,also he has a visla pup and wanted to have a look at how I work with Meg.
again I took a new fella to my favorite stomping ground, and I will do so again (sometimes you just have to have faith in your judge of character) he was shocked by the hum of wasps when we first entered bush at 6am,to be honest I was a bit worried myself. I had warned him to wear long pants and I was wearing overalls and gaiters myself,luckily we managed to avoid getting stung but came close with encounters of 5 nests.
the bush was plurry wet and cloud/mist down low so visibility was interesting.
we stalked up leading ridge with Meg giving solid indication at one point but I couldnt locate animal.
we broke out into clearing high up and had fresh sign around us and Meg locked up and lifted leg (never seen her do that before)we looked and looked and circled around uphill/upwind but couldnt see anything in wet manuka and flaxes so carried on.
hadnt got far..maybe 70 yards into bush and Meg wimpered and moved quickly BUGGA mate heard deer move off below her..she just too far ahead for cunning deer who live there...next time
we carried on sidling around for about 1km through some really neat gully heads with only a close encounter of the possum kind...Meg legt that alone even thoguh it popped up under her nose, gave mate my rifle and subsonic round and took dog away while he "disposed " of it with air rifle type splat.
we carried on another couple of gully heads and Meg got keen again,I looked up hill and 30ish yards away was a spikers head and neck up went rifle down went bolt finger on trigger "BANG YOUR DEAD" said I and confused deer walked away, we had good laugh and moved up and sat down for a bit of a spell,as we got up to go Mate looked down hill and spotted another deer,this time a hind but as we couldnt tell id fawn at feet we let her go too
a bit of an epic downhill through slippery wet crown fern to main creek,then an uphill sidle to lookout clearing didnt produce any more excitement
so all in all a great day out,dog got some more work,puku got a tad smaller and heart failure put back a bit .
Mate ticked all the right boxes for me and Meg thought he good Bugger too.
sorry no photos too plurry wet for cameras today.

Damn I'm green with envy mate. I seriously doubt I could do walks like that anymore with my dodgy back and knees. Sounds like you guys had a pretty good day out in the scrub mate, although those wasps sound a tad worrying. There must be something you can apply that will keep the buggers away. Maybe Tropical Strength Bushman insect repellent would be the go...about 20% DEET in the stuff, and it's not overly perfumed either.

20 %!!!!!!!! shikes Mate we use 40% and higher just for the sandflies........ but dont get it near your plastic sunnies as it melts them the wee hot ars%& german huas are territorial and attack if you get close to the nest or even flightline through ferns close to nest.
frontline flea treatment in tin of sardines fixes them....might just have to buy some and wack a few nests out...but $$$$$$$ for frontline is high.

Elvis wrote:

20 %!!!!!!!! shikes Mate we use 40% and higher just for the sandflies.......

I use this stuff:



100% Deet. Works great, but as mentioned... dont get it on any plastic.


-DallanC

DallanC wrote:

Elvis wrote: 20 %!!!!!!!! shikes Mate we use 40% and higher just for the sandflies....... I use this stuff: 100% Deet. Works great, but as mentioned... dont get it on any plastic. -DallanC

WOW...I'll have to keep an eye out for something as strong over here. If someone is gonna get a tick on them, you can bet ya bottom dollar it will be me. I reckon this stuff will be just what the Dr ordered.

the Bushman range you mentioned earlier go to 80% Mate...pretty potent stuff at that....the sandflies on the west coast treat it all like salad dressing and I reckon they just home in on it by the smell when looking for victims to carry home to their lairs.

I have used Permectrin II for many years on my horses and me. No ticks whatsoever.

Mix one cap full to a quart of water in a pump spray bottle and spray in on your clothes. Not directly on your skin. Usually just spray it on your jeans is all that's needed.

pharmacist down in Te Anua suggested that metholated spirits work just as good as they have a bittering agent put in them to deter alkies form drinking it.

well here is as good as any where to post.
went out for walk on private land again today,same place Mrs helped me carry out deer the other week....as there is already a small deer cut up in fridge ageing...I didnt need more meat,just a walk and if big antlered stag popped up...well so be it. had one of those afternoons where the world just feels great place to be,walked about 2kms and had seen 5 different hinds but no stags in tow...so back tracked and climbed up ridge above them,Vs down in valley looking up.got right up above then and spotted one hind,then another,the heard stag roar...and yip there is isall of 250 yards away..a good solid 9pt 5 on each side,3 on one top he had good spread but still young,maybe 4 year old...given another 4 years he will be a cracker,rang up my hunting mate for a yak..he was at home gardening...while talking to him another smaller 8pt stag popped up 100 yards away,then noticed a bull thar on spur at bush edge all of 150 yards....holy smoke animals galore and none I wanted to shoot and carry out.... the sun was getting low in sky so I boogied on upand along ridge before dropping down spur towards track far below...poked nose over ridge and looked at another solid 10pt red stag... good but not good enough to tempt me....carried on homeward in gathering dusky half light,a warm norwest breeze had sprung up so was pleasant enough,looked up hill and saw big spiker all of 150 yards away...then when terrano was in sight 2 big fat hinds peering down at me from the matagouri scrub..yeah nah....I DO NOT NEED ANY MORE MEAT.... got back to wagon and skulled my lukewarm cup of tea from thermal mug...oh boy that was great,uneventful drive home through farm in dark,txted farmer to let him know out safe and thank him for access.
and I dont even have to clean my rifle barrel as no shot fired.

old story,sometimes you need to catch a fish,other times you just need to go fishing.
home had shower,eaten meal the good wife had waiting for me
LIFE IS GREAT.

Can't say I've ever had a day that good mate...you have a damn sight more self control than me mate.