It was a single shot, and although I was covering it with my .223, I was not needed as the doe crumpled and rolled off the steep face. A nice clean kill at 130 meters. I swung around after assuring the deer was dead, and my scope found one of the last goats alive on the property. That just happened to be on the same face that evening. I touched the trigger and she too crumpled at about 200 meters. That was it! A very fitting end. Next to me was Top_Predator. one of the first members of the forum Id met and hunted with here, and it was his rifle that had shot the doe. The shooter however was a newbie too the sport and that was his first deer ever.
Ive lost count of how many people Ive hunted with here, Hundreds! Also I cant remember how many new hunters have got their first big game animal here as well, but its many many many. So with the next day being my last day of ownership of this piece of land, I could not think of a more fitting way to spend it than with one of the originals, and with a newbie on his first successful deer hunt. If i had to have a day which could be sad, I should fill it with value and triumph and good things.
As ive mentioned elsewhere, I sold my farm, and it is going into trees. Part of that means that the animals will be culled, and so knowing that, I have filled the last weeks with as many people as I can who would value taking some meat.
Another early member of this forum who i got to know well, was out the week before with a mate and they took 4 nice eaters. TP and I did a couple of big days quickly and efficiently cleaning up the goats. That in itself was a remembrance of days past and culling was something I hadn’t done in 20 years. Two good shooters working in tandem, and we had a hundred goats down in a couple of days. Not hunting by any means, but when doing this, I valued good ,clean, fast and accurate shooting.
The last deer I shot on the place myself were for other people. Three bucks, two together, headshots so as not to ruin any prime meat at this time of year, and a third which hung around a bit long when we spotted it from the car. Another head shot as he walked back towards the bush and I went home happy with my shooting that evening.
A newer friend from Canada who’s working here at the moment brought his son out for a couple of days, They did well and got a couple each with some longer shots.
Also I had been watching a guy who is teaching himself to hunt, videoing it and posting his adventures with him and his dog on youtube. One of his goals has been to get a pig with his dog, and I knew I could help, so contacted him and invited him out. The results can be seen here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwG3L1KcETI&t=281s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW79sbAYUI0

So with that done, there was just the final deer and goat and a couple of pigs shot earlier that evening By TP and another new hunter who was here as well.

11 deer, 3 pigs, some goats and most importantly, a heap of fantastic memories to stick alongside the million or two fantastic memories ive had from hunting and fishing on this place. In all that time its been a pleasure and privilege to share many of them with you all.
Now with my spell on this farm at its end, I felt there was no better way of going out than sharing one last report with those of you who are still here.

Thanks, its been a pleasure! Ive got new adventures coming up, and hopefully a new era can start and ill be sharing them with you all as well.

Cheers!

Shankspony.

Great post and I am almost tearful for you. Must be a wrench.

Wishing you many happy adventures ahead!

Wow. I wish I had a fraction of those hunting memories. Thanks for posting from the heart.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
Wow. I wish I had a fraction of those hunting memories. Thanks for posting from the heart.

Go out next hunt Bill.

You will have lots of memories!

Shanks..one chapter is closing, a new one about to open! Can’t wait to see what new adventures wait for you on the south island!

Thanks for sharing the last days on the old place!

Z

ATB Craig,

My comment is that I could do with a carcase as good as that one being de rugged,yum, it looks awesome!
Sent you a video btw.

Cheers all.
Gryph id a carried that spiker in your vid out for ya, he looks to be pretty prime too.

ha ha I doubt it unless you have been on the weights,`roids or both lol.
I remember the hind you shot that you said " I reckon I can take her out whole"

G + I looked at each other with the "yeah right" expressions.

Btw I have been eating his twin bro (longer velvet spikes) for the last couple of weeks...warm weather annoyed me as I dont have a full size coolroom so I split him and gave half to a mate down the track. I cbf dealing with meat that hasnt set.

Poignant, realising there will be no more tales to read of outings and adventure on Shank's farm. Always enjoyed the AR posts when they appeared. Shanks, always considered you a thoughtful and articulate man.
Yes, the end of an era and a chapter that's closing. Simply life though as we mark off the passing milestones.
You didn't say Shanks but I really hope you and Kathrin are moving on to better things and that you see new opportunities and adventure on your horizon.

quote:

Originally posted by gryphon1:
ha ha I doubt it unless you have been on the weights,`roids or both lol.
I remember the hind you shot that you said " I reckon I can take her out whole"

G + I looked at each other with the "yeah right" expressions.

Btw I have been eating his twin bro (longer velvet spikes) for the last couple of weeks...warm weather annoyed me as I dont have a full size coolroom so I split him and gave half to a mate down the track. I cbf dealing with meat that hasnt set.

well Im not claiming Id carry him out whole....

They are big suckers. Shoot em properly through the shoulders, and you only have to deal with back legs and back steaks anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by 30.06king:
Poignant, realising there will be no more tales to read of outings and adventure on Shank's farm. Always enjoyed the AR posts when they appeared. Shanks, always considered you a thoughtful and articulate man.
Yes, the end of an era and a chapter that's closing. Simply life though as we mark off the passing milestones.
You didn't say Shanks but I really hope you and Kathrin are moving on to better things and that you see new opportunities and adventure on your horizon.

Cheers Grant. Yep, we are moving down around Reefton. Got a nice farm lined up with fallow on it, reds across the road, and chamois not far off.

Craig, sorry to see you go and hopefully the new place down south works out as well as better. At least, you'll be getting a new place on the South Island for James to hunt!

Good luck, Mate.

Cheers Frank, We didnt get anything the night you were here, but was pleased to show you around a bit.
Not just James. If you are ever back in the country, you know how to find me.

Cheers Mate!

The end of an era indeed. Thanks for so many great memories and conversations & insights on hunting and life.

https://i.postimg.cc/Qtr6dpjV/Dawn.jpg

Wow thats an awesome Pic Hendrik! Not sure ive seen it before.

All the best Craig. I hope your new adventure brings much happiness.

Cheers Muzza.

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:
Cheers Muzza.

Got any rabbs down there shanks?

I think so. But Ive just come back from a property where TP and I spent 5 hours one night this week and shot about 70-80.

One of the saddest posts I've read on AR. Reminds me of Karen Blixen's "Out of Africa" where she wrote "I had a farm in Africa".
At least you have a new farm to move to even if you will need longer gumboots on the Coast. Did you get much damage and slips on the farm in the recent pluvial patch?
We are in the process of shifting in the opposite direction having sold our farm in Southland to concentrate on the Bay of Plenty, 26 years after we sold up in the Bay to move South. Painful process but the climate is gentler!
Good luck at Reefton! what are you going to run there?

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:
I think so. But Ive just come back from a property where TP and I spent 5 hours one night this week and shot about 70-80.

AS long as they were all head shots its ok.

Well then Ill disappoint you. It was shotgun from a moving 4x4 as they flushed from cover. very enjoyable!

You can do that here with a rifle,spotlight and the sambar deer in my paddocks lol.

Think If I tried it, you'd be sending some lead my way.

quote:

Originally posted by the Pom:
One of the saddest posts I've read on AR. Reminds me of Karen Blixen's "Out of Africa" where she wrote "I had a farm in Africa".
At least you have a new farm to move to even if you will need longer gumboots on the Coast. Did you get much damage and slips on the farm in the recent pluvial patch?
We are in the process of shifting in the opposite direction having sold our farm in Southland to concentrate on the Bay of Plenty, 26 years after we sold up in the Bay to move South. Painful process but the climate is gentler!
Good luck at Reefton! what are you going to run there?

Cheers Mate. I quite like that comparison!

Beleive it or not, but we get higher rainfall up here than where Ill be moving too. Its just it doesn't fall as evenly up here and we are getting droughts. No damage but still raining, ground is parched so the 6 inch we've had has only soaked in an equivalent depth. The cows are turning over dry dirt still.
We have taken advantage of the land price boom up here, and bought a fantastic 700 cow farm at half what it would cost in the waikato or probably Canterbury too. The new low slope rules just were the end and we would have had to make the decision sooner or later, so thought do it now and get something thats a bit more future proof.

come head shoot the rabbits with the old Krico,its a bit of fun too.

Yep, have enjoyed many days sneaking around with the .22 shooting rabbits. I take it you eat them if you are asking for head shots?

No I was brought up in an era when it was head shots or not at all,it helps a young bloke to learn a bit more. I can paste them with the Swift if needed.
I have given the last 30 away mate,skinned/cleaned etc.Some people love them.

.

Wow thats a heck of a post and
a heck of a thread! Shanks thanks for sharing.
Have really enjoyed your posts over the years.
Am pleased that you and your family have
something new to start and look forward to
new posts of fallow and chamois and more!

With Aussie opening borders to tourists soon
hopefully NZ will follow in which case I will
be over in 2022 for a long over due tahr hunt
on the SI. Who knows, maybe I’ll look you up!

All the best. Have a great start and thanks for
all the excellent posts over the time! Looking forward
to the new next ones!

Charlie

.

Thanks Charlie! sSome good fish in the river too.

Ive got some ends to tie up here, and wont be down south until june 2023, so a little while to go. But would love to catch up at some point.

Sorry to hear this, Craig. It was probably the most beautiful farm I've seen. What are you guys going to do now?

Good luck on your new endeavor Shanks. I have enjoyed getting to know you a bit over on the PF.

Keep well,
Lane

Cheers guys.

Paul. we will keep on farming. It will just be on a farm thats less likely to be caught up in illogical badly thought out governmental whims.

It's a strange world we live in where a government only allows foreign investment in land if they plant trees on productive farmland. Farms like Shanks' which took a huge amount of work and investment to clear to produce food for an hungry world are now going to be locked up in perpetuity for "Carbon Credits". While the Labour Government encourage good land being taken out of production at one end of the country, at the other end, in Southland and Otago, they are doing the opposite. In order to preserve a landscape of unproductive tussock grassland they are paying millions to cut any pine tree which tries to grow on it. It would make sense if that was a viable long-term strategy but they are encouraging foreign investors to plant pines on adjoining land and the seed will drift. In a thousand years time all the tussock country will be covered in pines whether people like it or not. While I personally love the great vistas of Central Otago they are an artificial man-made scene caused by burning off all the original Mountain Totara and Beech forests to hunt Moas.
In a hundred years time when Carbon credits have been forgotten they will spend a huge amount of effort bringing Shanks' farm back into grass. People will still be hungry then!

Yeah, kind of. Who knows what the future holds. 150 years ago my place was forest. Its mostly going back into forest and depending on the mood of the day in another 100 years, and the drivers of capitalism, if such a thing still exists.( And presuming we are still allowed to eat animal products...) then maybe some of it is cleared again. Who knows.

It’s scary that government thugs are allowed by peoples constitution to trample citizens rights
Cant wrap my head around it
That’s one good thing about US, good luck for government trying something like that…it ain’t happening here that’s for sure

Dont be so sure. I follow a few US farmers, and very similar things are happening.

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:
Cheers guys.

Paul. we will keep on farming. It will just be on a farm thats less likely to be caught up in illogical badly thought out governmental whims.

All the best to you and your family, Craig.

I hope your new venture goes well.

hey Shanks:

How big a place are you leaving?

Or going to, you said 700 cow's, acre per cow
or 100 per ??

New place have lots of bottom land?

Thanks mate, hope you're getting enough ahead
to make it worthwhile doing.

George