“ This was the best day of my life !”
yelled out “ Run !” I took off after them , through some bullrushes , across the creek and up the other side . I nearly caught up and they did a dodge back down to the creek . Fine by me – they couldn ’ t run so fast in the bullrushes and I caught one with a big dive . We took some more pictures , then I set it free and we carried on back for tea .
On Monday the work started . My job , with Loyal , Jessica , Dania and William , was mainly picking up the lambs and chasing sheep into the pens . It was a good time but it was still work .
After work Dad and I and Ken went down to the killing shed , where Buster had left us a sheep for mutton . We cut it all up for everyone at the shearers ’ quarters .
On Tuesday the sheep were wet from the rain so it was a bit of a short day and some of us got to go for another hunt . Dad and I went with Peter and Loyal . The first mob we saw split up , so we did too . I had a crack at a goat about 120 metres away below us and dropped it with my first shot . We caught up with the others back on the track and Loyal had just shot a hare .
Next we saw another mob on the ridge and sneaked over the edge . Dad spotted them and shot one straight away . The rest turned and ran . Peter and Dad then shot another one . Then it was Loyal ’ s and my turn . We shot our one quite a long way off . We both fired at the same time and it just dropped dead on the spot .
After we had moved the dead goats into the blackberry we split up again . Peter and Loyal went back to see if they could get more goats from some that had got away ( they did ), while Dad and I climbed another ridge towards home .
On reaching the top we were surprised by a deer watching us only about 30 metres away . It was a hind and not that frightened . Dad and I stood very still and watched her . She walked about a bit then trotted over and gracefully jumped the fence . I asked Dad to let me have a shot . After a lot of begging he agreed .
We carefully stalked over the next rise where we could just see her head . To get into a good position for a shot we commando-crawled then lifted our heads up carefully so we could see her properly . Just like with my first goat , I took aim and fired . She toppled over , but when we walked up there she was gone . After a search Dad found where she had rolled down through the blackberry and then he spotted her , dead , part-way up the next hill . I was so happy . This was the best day of my life !
We dragged her to a good place under the trees to gut her . Dad took some photos and I gave her a hug and thanked her for letting me shoot her . Dad put her front legs through the back legs to make her easy to carry and off we went back to the shearer ’ s quarters . It had been a great day .
Wednesday was our last full day . The other kids and I had fun , trying to catch frogs , naming things in the clouds and playing in an old car . And we also did a little bit of work .
Our last day was Thursday . We did some work docking the lambs and killed some goats that had been rounded up with the sheep . They are a pest because they eat the new trees that people on the farm are planting .
Then it was time for another long drive home . We stopped in Rotorua to get Dad ’ s new gun , which he had arranged on the way down . We stayed at Trish ’ s place in Tauranga for the night . It was fun on the farm but nice to get home from my best adventure ever .
NZ Hunting & Wildlife 196 - Autumn 2017 37