Triple treat buck hunt

As we drove into our deer hunting property in the late afternoon, it was obvious that the rut hadn’t yet begun but the start was imminent, with a large amount of fresh deer sign throughout the area. Small saplings had been thrashed around the edge of every track and clearing, with some ‘not so small’ trees also given the once over by the resident buck population.

We also checked some of the regular scrapes that are used each year by the dominant bucks. Most had been ‘cleaned out’, with fresh dirt and dust covering the surrounding foliage. Some even sported fresh damp urine-soaked patches in the middle. Things were looking good.

Up before dawn the next morning, we headed out from camp on foot. There was a brisk freshness to the cool April air as we quietly made our way to the top of the big hill behind camp. We sat contentedly listening to the sounds of the bush as we scanned the paddocks below with our binoculars.

With only a limited amount of time on our hands, my son