A FIXE ROYAL OF SIX HUNDRED POUNDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2569, 10 June 1903, Page 59

A FIXE ROYAL OF SIX HUNDRED POUNDS.

On nearing the bottom of the epur my friend sighted a large-bodied stag taking Jib morning bath, and a short distance to his left wa& another large stag awaking the echoes with his roar. As it was now my turn to get a stag, and the deer were some 600 yds off, I decided to leave my friend and get a little closer to the one on our left. I crawled up within some 300ycte and opened fire. My bullet struck low, hitting the stag somewhere about the lower portion of his body; he fell, but rose again and started off for a clamp of bush some ehort distance away. I tried to give him another ball, but my gun jammed in the magazine, which prevented me from firing. Mr Cuthbertson, who was watching the operations, saw what had gone wrong, and quickly came to my assistance with his rifle: but it was too late, as the stag was in the bush, and gone pos?)bly for ever. By this tin.c the stag ou my left had approached v. ithin ilicot.ng distance', to I tried a shot with mv friend's gun at him The fir^t bt'll bi ought the Dtag down and

disabled him, but on my approaching he tried to make away down hill, so I gave him another ball, despatching him. This proved to be a very large royal of great length and spread of horns, the body weighing 6001b. It was probably the largest deer yet killed at Haw-ea. We decided to have a good hunt for our wounded friend, but after some two hours' searching we gave it up, and made down the creek towards our home, each being quite satisfied with our day's sport. The other membera of the party came home at 5 p.m., with a. very good 11-poin'ter, which had fallen to tho rifle of Mr Horn. The guide informed me that it was without doubt the best shot that had ever taken place in hi 3 presence. The stag was some 650yda off, down hill, and after expending a few cartridges to find his elevation, Mr Horn got the stag in the Bixth shot, the animal rolling to the. bottom of the gully without hurting his antlers in any way. Thia made three deer for the first day's stalking. CAMP No. 2. On the following day we shifted camp some four miles up the creek, Mr Bell being in attendance with hie pack-horses. Mr Pearce and Mr Cuthbertsou went out in the direction of Dingle Pass, while Mr Horn and I went to Wind Trap Gully, the guide going with Mr Bell end pack-horses. This day tras very windy, and we had a lot of to- get around to the ke side of the herds to prevent their sense of smell making them' aware of our presence. We saw a great many different herds, but came upon none of any size-, and the 6tag^ seemed small, so we returned to camp, and found our friends had returned with two rather good heads— ll and 12 points respectively. The guide had a splendid dinner cooked, and had also everything nicely arranged in our new camp, which was to last us for three nights. The next morning Mr Horn went to Deer Spur after a large stag we had heard roaring thrre. Mr Pearce and Mr Cufchbertgon went to Dingle Pass, where they had met with such good luck on the previous day. As I had no gun. I stayed in camp with the guide. During the day soveral small stags came quite close to our camp, and kept up a continual roar ; several paradise ducks also cam© to visit us ; and, on a large biroh tree opposite the camp, sat two 6parrowhawks, awaiting their chance to prey on the small birds as they flew past. "The guide interested me by giving mo two or three lessons in taxidermy, which 1 greatly appreciated, coming from a man like. Mr King (who is the local taxidermist at Pembroke), and one, I should say, of the best in the colony. Our friends came home during the evening, Mr Cuthbertson briiißint? a very good head of 11 points. Mr Hern -had followed a very large &tag for some long distance, but was unable to get •a shot at him, do he decided to return to camp, and try another stalk from a different quarter at Eome other time. On this evening my second rifle turned up, so I was again fully armed. TWO DAYS AT A SHEPHERD'S HUT IN THE BACK COUNTRY. During tho evening the guide informed the party of a shepherd's hut in the back ranges, so Mr Horn, and with him Mr Cuthbertson, decided to go with the guide and spend two days there. We rose early and got a good start, and our friends pat off to the hut, while Mr Pearce and I went to the Morven Hills. We had a good time, and, I think, crossed some of the roughest country that I have over seen. On reaohing the crown, of the range we decided to separate, each taking a long spur, numbers of deer "being in sight, and stags roaring all round us. I picked what I considered the largest stag, and made after him. I had a good rough tramp, and upon getting near whero the herd was feeding I saw eaveral small stags wandering around and keeping up a good chorus of music all the time while my stalk was going on. I managed to get within reasonable distance, and found the stag was not 6O large as I thought him to be, and I was just about to leave them undisturbed when a much larger stag emerged from behind some rocks. As he was broadside on, I decided to take a shot. The fhet bullet went clean ovor him, but he st'll stood there-, with a look of aston -aliment, wondering whero the sound (from my smokeleEs rifle) had come from With the eeeond shot I pinned him through the shoulder, killinghim instantly. He was a fine big beast, with \ery laige horns— a 10 pointrr,— in pump condition. I cut off tho head, and returned to camp, just reaching there at tho same time as my friend, who had also been succe&ful in killing a 10-pointer. A LARGE STAG (BIG BEN). After having something to ea.t I travelled up the creek to see what the country there was like, and on rounding one of thehe-nds I came upon quito 20 hinds and a very large stag. Tho stag was swimming in the creek at the time, and tho hinds were all feeding. I was too far off for a.' shot, so I tried to get a little c'oser by keeping in the scrub alongside the creek. All went woll until I came upon three blue mountain ducks in the creek, which, on being disturbed, gave out their alarm of danger, the deer at the same time pricking up their ears and running around, woll knowing that something in tho form of an enemy was approaching. The hinds quietly walked off into tho bush, while the stag stood there with his horns thrown back, looking in my direction and emitting Ins challenge of dcfiaiico with a great loud roar. I saw that it was impossible to get any nearer, so I fired The stat; still 6tood roaring, and again I fired, but this time he gave a bound over the creek and into the biu-h after fcis hind=. I made up to the place where the ptag had been standing, and found that it was only half tho distance I took it to be, so this accounts for my bullets going high and missing the stag. This waa by far the largest stag that I had been, and I often hunted in the vicinity of his home, but was never successful in getting another shot at him. I made my way down towards tho camp in the dark, and found my friend had a nice venison stew praparod, which was very acceptable, considering our long day's hunt. The next morning, our friends still being in tho back country, Mr Pearce and I decided to hunt the top of the Morven Hills, po, getting an early start, we travelled some four miles up tho creek before we started to make our ascent. We each took a leading spur, and arranged to meet at the top. Almost in every pi; v stags could be hoard roaring, and m- In rods could be seen feeding on the <nf" ' slopes After passing several hc-rcLs hinds and an occasional small stag. 1 sighted what I thought »a« a ta<.'ui r good head, so I on after him, and, after a great crawl over rock*, crooks, etc., I managed to p?t a shot, aud was fortuuato enough to kill the st.ig with my first ball.

He was a rather good 10-pointer, with Very even horns, long, and of great spread. 1 loft the head in the gully, intending to call for it on my return journey from the top. I made a line for the highest pinnacle, where it was possible to get a good lookout, and a grand view of tho surrounding valleys. Here I waited some long time for my friend, who, no doubt, had altered his course to suit his stalking. A good loud coo-ec was answered from below in one of the gullies, ■so I descended, and gob the stag's head, and moved on down towards Timaru Creek in the direction of the coo-ee. I waited in the creek for some considerable time, and a.3 there wero no signs of my friend turning up I started to make my way towards camp, when I heard a shot quite close to where I had been sitting. Two more shots went off, and I waa then able to locato Mr Pearcej who was shooting at a stag running around a steep, rough face. It was a very difficult shot, and that probably accounts for my friend missing the stag, which was a good royal. We made our way down the creek towards camp in almost darkness. And what a tramp through that creek ! I believe wo crossed and recrossed some 16 times before reaching camp.