but that wouldn ’ t put me off either . It was just wonderful to get out , cradling my near-new . 270 which I knew was shooting accurately .
Wherever I hunt I always enjoy knowing that at least there is always some chance of finding a deer . It ’ s like having a Lotto ticket except that you ’ ve actually got some control over your chance of bagging the big prize . Stag or hind , I didn ’ t mind .
Here and there I found gaps in the trees , off the edge of the ridge , with all kinds of feed growing on them – good spots to maybe get the drop on a handy deer .
There was nothing doing but I was enjoying just being all , all alone in the bush .
I stopped for a snack of chocolate in the silent bush … almost silent though I caught the occasional sound of engine brakes on the main highway far below . Then I realised it wasn ’ t engine brakes at all – it was a stag roaring . A thrill went through me like an electric shock . Again ! Yes , there was definitely a stag somewhere not too far away . The bush around me wasn ’ t so empty after all .
This was no longer just an optimistic wander in the bush : it was a real , fair-dinkum hunt .
First I told myself not to do anything too quickly . Finish the chocolate and wait to hear another roar . Keep cool . Should I roar back ? Not yet . With roaring , less is more , so I waited to try and tell the animal ’ s direction , and see if he might come closer without my encouragement .
Then I heard it again , this time a longer , low moan . Now I dropped the chocolate back into my pack , s-l-ow-l-y opened the bolt and thumbed three cartridges into the magazine . Closed the bolt on an empty chamber . Slipped the pack on and got to my feet .
Now keep your cool , Rogie , I told myself , don ’ t blow this – it could be the chance of a lifetime . Optimistically I started to visualise the possibilities , like it wouldn ’ t be a hard carry back to the car …
After another minute I couldn ’ t resist a tentative roar , so I put my head back and groaned as convincingly as I could . Just imagine my excitement when there was an immediate answer ! I could clearly make out the direction , it was further along the ridge and down to my left .
I was a bit exposed here so I decided to move along about 30 metres towards a patch of shrubs that would provide me with cover to try to roar him in closer . Bent double , I made it to a patch of pepperwoods alongside a fallen log . A perfect ambush spot .
Then I heard another roar – a real hard bellow of a roar that set the blood surging through me . Not for many years had I felt so hypedup while hunting … my heart was hammering and I made myself take a few slow , deep breaths . That stag couldn ’ t be more than a couple of hundred metres away . He might come into view any moment . Or I might spot one of his hinds and get a meat animal …
I opened the bolt and softly moved it into the half-open position , pushing a round partway into the breech , and got set up against the log . Next step , target acquisition and identification . Just one more roar first … Well , I certainly was counting my chickens before they hatched . And I wasn ’ t at all
A properly dressed hunter waiting and listening in the bush ... is he safe ? Photo by Brad Ramsay from the 2016 NZDA photo competition ( note : Brad was not involved in any way in this story !) prepared for what happened next .
I let out another roar , but in my excitement my voice cracked and it didn ’ t come out right at all . And then there happened the last thing that I was expecting . From just out of sight a loud very anxious male human voice called out , “ Don ’ t shoot , Trev ! It ’ s a bloke ! It ’ s a bloke ! Don ’ t shoot ! It ’ s not a deer …”
It took all three of us a while to get over the shock . In the confusion at first I thought the guy was yelling at me not to shoot – and I remember momentarily thinking “ why am I being told off ?!” but the message was clear enough to alert us both .
For a minute or two I was shaking like a leaf , but I still managed to clear the rifle and get to my feet before they came up to me . Of course , I was going to identify my target properly – but how could I be sure about them ? Did my bungled roar save my life ? I ’ ll never know for sure . As it turned out , the other hunters seemed more like commonsense types than trigger-happy idiots . We walked out together and they said they ’ d been a bit sceptical from the start about my roaring . Huh ! But I was too relieved to take offense . They weren ’ t about to ignore my roaring , but they weren ’ t going to be careless either .
Later I felt even more relieved because initially it hadn ’ t crossed my mind that I might have been shot . I had it imagined the other way round – even though I know and understand Rule 4 . My imagination was working overtime , recalling how my father used to remind me to think how dreadful it would be to come across a bloke you ’ d just shot . Often he ’ d point at an exit wound on a deer or a goat and say , “ Just imagine seeing that on a person – and knowing that you were responsible .”
He certainly made the message clear and I ’ m grateful for that .
Later on when the first shock had worn off I felt some disappointment about having missed out on a deer . But I reminded myself that the outcome had been good for all parties . So I felt OK about how things had turned out .
But it reminded me never to be complacent . To take special care when roaring , and always to remember to positively identify your target .
Please be safe this Roar .
NZ Hunting & Wildlife 196 - Autumn 2017 17