G'day all, it's been a busy start to the year so I thought I'd share some pics from the season so far...things are only just really getting going here with the reds roaring on and off and the fallow just starting up. Heading out for another 4 days next week so hope they are going nuts!

Filled the freezer early with my Ruger No.1 7x57..





Shot this 10-point red stag on the last day in Feb with my A-Bolt .30/06. Only young, but a great hunt and the management want reds shot on this place...



Some we let grow...


Whistled a few red-coats too...


Shot this big old fallow cull, deformed on the right, nearly 31 inches on the left and around 10 years old going by the jaw...



And to cap it off my hunting mate Muz shot his best trophy to date last week after years of effort...this great red stag in a big scrub block, on the roar holding down about 20 hinds...40" and 14 points. Ruger .308.


Can't wait to see what the rest of the year holds. Good luck to all!

blacks

well done . Great pics - thanks for posting them.

Tim, that's bloody impressive, mate!

Geez, Blacks - you're making memories for yourself right there.

Thanks for posting. Great pics. Good luck !
Steve

You caped that red I see. For the cape or for him Tim?
The old fallow buck? Save his cape? I ask as there are often fellas out there looking for a spare.

Yeah I did cape him mate, I have a mate here who is looking for a cape as he is donating a mount to a local museum, so I thought if I don't use it then he will. Still undecided but will see what the season brings, He's only young but nice and even, and I haven't shot many reds.

I was going to cape the fallow too as a spare, but unfortunately around his deformed coronet it would have left a gaping hole around a regular coronet. Shame as there is always someone looking!

Cheers

blacks

Good going mate. Glad to see you're getting some shots. The fallow certainly looks like an old codger with those sunken eyes. Good body size too.

Keep us updated on progress, it's six months till the rut rolls around here and I'm already antsy.

Blacks - we don't rely on beam length to judge fallow over here. Can you tell me what a good/great buck would measure?

Cheers Boggy, yeah having a good year and the rut is just hitting top gear here. Looking forward to getting back out there in three days time.

A mature fallow buck would be 26" plus, a good trophy 28". Anything over 30" long is exceptional for our fallow. Our 'Douglas Score' measurement uses a combination of measurements, length, width, tine length, palm length and width, number of points etc. to put it very simply, and relies mainly on symmetry.

Cheers mate

blacks

Is there any reason why management want reds shot out but fallow managed on the same property? Looks like there are some superb genes from the looks of that youngish stag.

quote:

Originally posted by Boghossian:
Is there any reason why management want reds shot out but fallow managed on the same property? Looks like there are some superb genes from the looks of that youngish stag.

Long story mate, and a lot of politics. But basically, in our area, fallow are accepted as the 'traditional' deer of the area as they were an acclimatisation society release over 100 years ago. (The reds were too, but this seems to be forgotten!)

There certainly are some great genes here, my profile pic for example.

So many farmers will accept a few fallow, but not reds which they see as being larger, eating more stockfeed, and doing more damage in general. Especially in times of drought when stockfeeds are a precious resource, and the summer just gone has been very dry. A red will eat similar amounts to a steer, where they see fallow more like sheep I guess.

They are the landowners, we can but do our best under their rules.

Hope this helps

blacks