Daylight this morning saw me on a bit big exploratory mission. I had my pack on and it it an inflatable packraft, paddle, and lifejacket. Fluer trudged along always a bit ahead of me, pretending she knows what I want from her. We reached the river in less than an hour. I assembled the boat and paddle and tied everything. This would be the dogs first trip in a one person raft. it could get interesting so I had my "sacrifice rifle" A Howa mini in 6.5 Grendel in case everything went too the bottom.



We got across safely, though these little lite rafts don't go upstream well and want to go downstream fast. You can't see it in pic, but there's a rapid starts just right of Fleur and I had to paddle upstream quite a way before making for the opposite bank in a kind of 3/4 upstream facing sideways paddle. I had the idea that crossing the river might leave some of the punters behind. Turns out no, as luck would have it that just after I entered the bush on the far side, I came across a recent and partially completed hut. Obviously a builder by trade as its framed up professionally and with 150x50 timber. Bugger! My hopes of finding a little private paradise just went whoosh!

Anyway I explored the area and small clearings. Not as much sign as I had expected, but with the obvious last weeks of saws and hammering going on, that might be expected.

The area is ringed by bluffs and I traversed the country looking for a route up, to no avail, before heading upstream too a marked creek. the deer sign improved and though it looked like a shear sided gorge, I poked my way on up. The sign was good and I expected to see at least a dumb hearing on the ample food in the area, but no and gradually the sign changed species. I was a bit confused until Fluer did a strong indication and moved forward. Ahead a goat stood on the stream bank. Id seen no goats or sign on the other side of river, so this was new.



We pushed on up for another hour, looking for a route out of the gorge. I was thinking hard about why the sign had changed and where the hell had the deer gone? Id been going for 4 hours at this point, so turned back and headed down back too the deer sign. Sure enough from a different angle, a likely looking route appeared through the trees. I didn't have time today though and it would still be a 40 meter climb, which Id rather do with company first time, so I kept on back towards the river.

Back at the boat and Fluer decided to play up just after launching. She's never been much of a water dog- won't swim with the others when we walk them, so with trepidation I pushed her in, wondering if it would be a clusterfuck, But better than tipping me out. She swam along behind me for a good 100 meters with no problem and we beached where I wanted to no trouble.

After that it was a haul back up through the bluffs and a new route home looking at some more country, before intersecting the track again. Nearly back at car.

200 meters from journeys end and Fluer suddenly gave a strong indication and a bit of confusion. She hasn't done this much yet, so I wasn't sure what was up, but got ready looking for a deer as she lead the way.Suddenly from under out feet a boar jumped up and dashed off. followed by pig grunts and growls from 3 different spots. A skinny sow stopped about 30 meters from me, and more for Fluer than anything, I lined her up and fired and saw her flop sideways.

We headed over and I gave her some great big pats and good dog praises. The exit would was huge! and then I realised it wasn't the exit, but had to be the entry. WTF? I looked back the way Id come to see the little 120gr projectile had gone straight through a sapling on its way to target.






All up 5 and half hours of solid hunting for the one chance the day offered me.

Some thick looking country.

Yep, not easy country to hunt. Lots of country just too thick to get a decent chance, and the der use that country a lot in daylight, coming out into more open stuff at night. Im trying to find a few quiet spots they might utilise open country a bit more and hit them moving back too the thick stuff.

Great training day for your pup…I’d say she did great!

Hunters hut getting built? You may have to don the blaze.

Yeah, When the roar starts I will.
What scares me more is camping near the clearings and having some arsehole with a thermal shoot at a heat signature while I'm sleeping.

Allmost all hunting related deaths in NZ in last 3 years have been after midnight.

bloke was shot in his swag here 2-3 years ago.

Yep the trouble is, guys that break the rules and use thermals on public land, which is not allowed here, are not likely to be particularly safe either.

It is tough to fit your person, a dog and kit in one of those packrafts! I did it once and made my pup swim back on the return crossing, which he wanted to do anyway.

Finally built a two person packraft and even that is a bit tight.

Congrats on the pig, thanks for sharing the story and amazing the bullet went through the sapling and stayed on-course to the pig.

Out of interest, do you sit with feet in the raft? or over side? I find it slightly easy to have feet over side for some reason.

The native bush is thick. I always hunted the edges and the pine forests on Graeme's place with James.

Yes, for people from other countries, it can be daunting. It's Temperate rainforest, and has a huge mix of long lived forest giants and thick scrubby understory. Coupled with our mountainous environment it is tough to get to grips with.

Great day outing sounds like