'Rusa Hunt' - John Bates - 2007 

The last couple of weeks I've been searching a few properties I have just gained access to around Canberra with a few promising signs and a few deer seen. But as yet I have not come across any spots that you know you will see deer regularly.

My brother Mark is over at the moment from the states and with little over a week before he heads back I thought I'd better take him Rusa hunting with my good mate Ant.
We got into the gong late Friday arvo and had a quick scout only seeing 3 does and headed back to Ant's place for a few beers and watched a bit of Ant's and Pete’s video footage.

Saturday morning had us up by 5.30am and at the property by about 6am. After a quick check of the wind we decided to stalk around the tree line hoping to catch some deer milling around before they head back to the safety of the lantana. This plan worked well and within 10 Min we had spotted a spike and a doe about 100 yards off.

It was Mark stalk first but he kindly offered it back to me as he was using one of his old bows as his flash one is back in Oklahoma and with the still limited light he couldn't see his pins clearly. I gladly accepted as I could clearly see mine on the Team extreme sight.

I had a few good single lantana bushes scattered between me and the deer so I was able to cover the distance quickly and easily. Standing at the edge of the last bit of cover I could see the Spike who was lying down now but the doe was now where to be seen, after a minute the spike stood up and milled around a little, looking in my direction on a few occasions. The light was still dim and I could hardly read the distance in the range finder that I eventually made to be 43 yards, I decided I had to take him now as he looked like he was about to start moving back towards the thick stuff.

I settled the pin on his chest and released, smack!! The arrow had found it's mark and the deer disappeared. We waited a short time and walked down to the arrow now covered in blood confirming the hit. While standing there making plans of where to head for a deer for Mark with plans of coming back to look for my deer later we heard a faint noise on the bush edge.
Mark was first to spot him, lying 14yrds from the impact was the expired spike and my first Rusa on the ground. Boy was I happy, first Rusa, some great meat and a little less pain thinking about the big Rusa I shot and lost some six months ago.

Now it was Marks turn, we continued our slow route around the clearings weaving in and out of the thick lantana. We spotted a few more groups of deer but most where heading back already.

We spotted a group of about 12 deer still a little way from the edge of safety so we planned the ambush and put it into action. At fifty odd meters we sat and watched as two young stags pushed each other around and a few does milled around ever slowly heading for cover. It was decided that Mark would continue alone as the number of deer eyes would surely catch 3 of us out. 10 minutes later Ant's and my whispered conversation was interrupted by the sound of a bow letting fly and of an arrow hitting the dirt without an obstruction. While we waited for the Mark's return we were surprised to here another arrow fly this time with the unmistakeable thud of a hit.

The arrow entered the deer quartering away burying right down to the nock leaving the all important broadhead in the motor room. After the story of the missed shot, the second chance stalk and the good hit Ant and Mark headed of to blood trail the doe and I headed back to mine to start the butchering process.

After about 120 yards the blood covered arrow was found and the huge blood trail continued, and continued. 

I had now finished the butchering job and called the boys for an update, the news was not so good they had followed the blood trail for around 600 yards or so and a few hours with no luck, the doe had been consumed by the super thick Lantana that like to choke the gullies around here.

It was unfortunate we had lost a mortally shot deer which no one likes, but all in all we had a great morning with plenty of deer spotted and a spike for the table.
Thanks to super guide Antonio for having us down mate and taking time out to show us around your spot.