Because we still can Bro....
My brother in law is 7 years younger than me,his health took turn for worst 10 years ago,fibrominalgia (however you spell it) is a bastard of a thing.
we knew something was up when I chucked a red hindquarters on his shoulders and he struggled to carry it 100 yards up hill,numerous tests later he had some idea of what was ahead.
we have shot ducks together for 25 years,a heck of a lot of wallabies got converted into good wallabies when we were out in hunter hills too. weve managed our share of deer and a couple of pigs too,always have a good day out on hill together but he is poked for a week afterwards.
if completely honest in last 5 years Ive got a bit peeved ringing to see if he wants to head out for a hunt...too tired,bit sore,no gas,not this time etc..but I keep asking,hes a good mate.
duckshooting this year,we had good time together and headed down to wainono for a paddle,during the day we said...not sure if it was him or me ,if we dont keep getting out and doing this,one day we will look back when our bodies are poked and have regrets...
I rang him on friday,completely out of blue and asked if he wanted to come for a walk Sunday with workmate n I. yip im in he replied....stoked.
then workmates wife decided jobs at home more important,so I rang BIL back and we decided Saturday was the go....
now where to go to?????
my old dog Meg has been patient at home getting scragged by young Poppy,so I really wanted to get Meg away for a hunt.... didnt feel like chasing reds in the bush,so had a look on DOC website at my options.....nimrod is out..no dogs.. hakataramea the same... couple of options popped up hour away,so a plan was hatched.
picked BIL up at 05:30 and got to block just on daylight,started the trudge up hill...and we just kept plodding till we hit the top,sat had look around,I managed to tip 3 wobblies over who were silly enough to stop long enough for the trebly to do the rest....AJ missed a few,not by much mind...the first one had hair on head parted by 7.62x39mm projectile,I saw impact as was watching through scope. we got to top of that area,AJ said..well we come this far lets keep going and see whats over next hill,so up we went...and then to top of next one and next one... I have topo maps on my phone so could see block boundaries,we were roughly in middle of block and could see another hill ahead,so bugger it ,we climbed to top of that one too,then sat and got glassing,well I did,AJ had a wee break...where would deer be hiding he says... well somewhere like down there I say,in fact there is one there..LOL... I had spotted a fallow yearling WAAAAAAAYYYY down bottom of gully WAAAAY down below us,in direction away from home...
bugger it we not here to shag spiders,lets go... so we did...7-800 meters downhill away from home.it was 10;30 by this stage so we knew we had a bit of time up our sleaves.... now those pesky wallabies that had been elusive all morning...the little huas were lining up poking tongues at us..I shit you not,at one point I had four sitting watching us no more than 100 yards away....huas.... any way we got down to gully bottom without spooking fallow. up on to wee spur opposite it and I got AJ to sit and watch in case it bolted with his trusty Bakial at ready while I attempted to get closer,he was all of 150 yards from it so I sure he could tip it over if needed,I was carrying a trusty bakail too,mines a trebly so I figgured if could get a wee bit closer to hundy yards I could seal deal without fuss even with fixed 4x scope..yearling fallow ARENT very big....got a good spot to sit and lined up deer ,got Meg in behind me and sent a 63grn sierra semi point into crease. whop and staggery walk then it tipped over all of 4 steps later...
Meg led me to it and AJ came down for butcher session... meat all divied up into out packs,the creek took care of rehydration and then the long slog up n out began...those pesky wallabies must have wore out their tongues as were nowhere to be seen on slog up hill..we made the top with 2 sit down breathers,then another at top and another most of the way home..got back to wagon at 14;30 tired but happy.
long way for an unfit truck driver and not so healthy mate...but if we dont get out and do it while we still can...it will be too plurry late.
get into em folks.

photo before someone jumps up n down.

Great yarn Elvis…and it’s awesome that your BIL was up to the stomp mate…and you managed to put some venison in the freezer as a bonus.

Elvis, you get a lot of good hunting in. Are you the norm or exception over there?

well...the Mrs thinks Im exceptional!!!!! yeah right!!!

seriously,there is hunting to be had everywhere if you have the time and willingness to get out and go for a hunt.
there are more deer around now than at any time in my 50 years on the earth.. pigs are not going anywhere,plenty of guys hunting them...its only the dreaded green rain that really stuff things up...
wallabies are spreading due to no organized culling anymore.... recreational guys shoot many thousands each year and pest control guys heaps more than that.
I drove within 30 yards of a dozen canada geese this morning and another pair this afternoon... giant canadas

“Elvis” wrote:

… dreaded green rain…

That’s a new thing for me mate…not familiar with “ dreaded green rain”.

hmmmm do you remember a few years back,you made comment on here about a certain substance and I said I would take you off my Christmas card list???

or maybe this is better?

the plurry stuff is added to cereal pellets,dyed green and spread via monsoon buckets over vast areas of land......
the results are not pretty.
it is deadly to dogs and the resulting death is very very traumatic.
antidote is not very effective,mass blood transfusions in normal attemp to save a poisoned dog.

the use of it is one of the most hotly debated/controversial topics over here and has been for over 40 years...

when an area has been poisoned it is a no go for hunting for 6 mths or more... 100mm of rain is supposed to be threshold to make it safe again...not every pellet falls where rain will wash it.....

Ahhh…the damned 1040 poison…that stuff is evil beyond comprehension. Worst part being it is residual and remains active in the carcass of the animal it kills. Any other critter that munches on the poisoned animal is then poisoned and will usually die. Not sure if it weakens and becomes less toxic as it passes from one critter to another though.