Well, time to kick this off again.
After a bit of too-ing and fro-ing, Jeff convinced me to take a replacement 50# version of the same bow after I initially declined (thanks mate, glad I did). What with one thing and another it took me a little bit of time to tune up some arrows and was lucky to be able to get the same arrows for the 40# version to fly with a bit of weight in the back and dropping to 125gr points - worked out well as I had some new Outback Supremes I was looking forward to flinging. The arrows ended up being quite heavy but the cast was fine out to 20-25m and I have recently started facewalking for further shots if required for a follow up shot. 3 under worked well, with such a heavy arrow (~15gpp) the bow was almost silent, but it felt like a dog no matter what I did shooting 3 or even 2 under. It actually worked out for the better as I now have 3x similar point on distances as my other regular bow (20m,27m and 36m).
Fast forward a few weeks and I arranged to take a day off from house duties to do a full day in the bush chasing goats, deer, foxes, rabbits - anything that should be there (ok, goats really). The plan was my usual one on this range: walk up one gully system against the katabatic morning wind, then cross over when the day warmed up and the wind switched to the usual W/NW afternoon breeze. Unfortunately despite a frosty morning and light strength, the wind gods hadn't read the script and I started up the gully with a tail wind.
Leaning the bow against a rub tree, I grabbed a happy snap then almost immediately spotted a pair of Crested Shrike Tits, and these 2 flew about hunting for insects in the tree tops for 5 min while I called to a few Grey Shrike Thrushes and snapped a couple of poor photos (oh for a DSLR!). These are the first of these I have seen, and when I spotted a small flock of Dusky or White Faced Wood Swallows (unable to identify clearly) I knew Spring was well on it's way as the Wood Swallows are a warm weather visitor.
- P9160081.JPG (251.39 KiB) Viewed 77544 times
- P9160088.JPG (238.15 KiB) Viewed 77544 times
Moving on up into the start of the gully, I traversed easily through the soft rain and dew wet leaves doing a bit of stumping along the way. Cresting a corner in they gully I saw white and immediately was busted by a nanny - damn it! I doubt I would have been successful anyway as the wind was behind me, but I waited a bit before moving off to the other side of the gully and slowly creeping my way forward again as goats will often give another opportunity if they're not completely spooked. Nothing doing, so I continued up the gully until I was high up into the tall wet forest. Pulling up next to a fig tree, I had some lunch watching the family matters of some Superb Fairy Wrens, a pair of Rufus Whistlers and some Tree Creepers listening to the sounds of the bush. These figs pop up here and there throughout the range and I have a few marked on the GPS as they all appear to get hammered quite heavily by ungulates.
- P9160091.JPG (244.28 KiB) Viewed 77544 times
Fig tree just right of center.
Turning across the ridge, I slowly crossed over into my intended gully before slowly descending along the tiny creek which appeared, disappeared and re-appeared through the gravel bed constantly along it's length like liquid magic. Reaching the dry granite/gravel north facing slope, the first of the Daisys and Happy Wanderer flowers caught my eye confirming that Spring (or first spring as my dad would say) was here.
- P9160092.JPG (92.48 KiB) Viewed 77544 times
- P9160094.JPG (107.55 KiB) Viewed 77544 times
While take a pic, I spied a small yellow arsed ant (ok, not their real taxonomic name, but I'm no mymecologist). These things are ubiquitous with the dry granite slopes and I often come across them out in the bush or cutting firewood. It didn't like being a star and took off as soon as I took a pic.
- P9160096.JPG (161.48 KiB) Viewed 77544 times
Crossing the ridge line I dissected one of the old mining roads that crisscross the whole area. This road I'm assuming, was headed to a mine only a short way above where I stopped for lunch. Many of these mines are still big and open enough to go in, but I'm in no hurry but have them marked as a storm refuge if needed. Keep in mind these would have been cut entirely by hand through hard granite rock up some pretty steep inclines - they were built tough back then!
- P9160093.JPG (228.02 KiB) Viewed 77544 times
Dropping slowly I eventually made my way down until I spotted the back of a goat across the gully below me. Creeping in behind a Grass Tree, I grabbed the binos and spotted another 2 along side. Guessing their path would stay on the same side, I crossed over and snuck in close and bedded down in a crease in the ground surrounded by granite boulders and ledges which would give me a nice shot down on the goats as they passed below me. Nocking an arrow I sat for 5 min before they came into view, unfortunately they like the wind they hadn't read the script and crossed over onto the opposite face just out of bow shot. One of the nannies did come in close enough, but was partially hidden by a bush and I didn't want to take the chance and hoped they'd continue along the base of the gully in front of me giving a clear 20m shot. Had I waited where I first saw them I would have been on a direct path in front of them giving a clear shot. As they moved up the gully they climbed away from me at the same time, so I '"injun'd" my way in full view down the 10m or so to the base of the gully then crossed over and used a grass tree to close the distance.
- P9160097.JPG (210.72 KiB) Viewed 77544 times
Suddenly a warning sniff rang out from one of the laggers alerting the closest nanny who I had my eye on. Dropping low, I lay on the ground smelling the earthy damp smell of the ground just inches from my nose. Although I was in no hurry with plenty of daylight hours left, a headache that had been building from the sun glare flared up and after waiting it out for 10 or so minutes, I chose to push things and stood up hoping to move them off and have a quick chance of a follow up shot as they turned around. When I took a spill crossing the slope, I gave it up and headed for the car with the goats watching me out of sight.
Reaching the car I headed home, stuffed but having enjoyed a nice day in the bush - the hunting is the icing on the cake, just watching, hearing smelling and feeling "nature" at it's best was tonic for the soul!
Stepping outside I hit the target bale and found that out to 18m the cast was fine, but I won't be shooting animals past 15m as it falls like a rock once past that. What surprised me most was that the benefits of a high FOC began to shine through despite the 15gpp - it hit harder and penetrated further on the bale than a lighter faster arrow, and the flight was as good as if not better than a lighter arrow with lower FOC. With such a heavy arrow, the bow is very quiet so I'm not going to bother fitting silencers as the loudest part seems to be the hollow aluminium shaft sliding past the wooden index mark, but I will probably fit a small leather patch to quieten it even more and give me a definite reference point.
