SAMI A CHANGE OF PACE PART 5 - INDICATING DOGS

This was not one of those hunts. I had decided to take Sami into the bush for some quality father-daughter time, but had some work admin to attend to first. So by the time that was done, and we had driven down to the edge of the amazing Aorangis and got into the actual bush, it was close to 9.30am. Ah well, the deer didn’t evaporate after dawn.

Things had been wet but cool and conditions were ideal for bush hunting. We were heading up a big bush ridge that meant that the wind would be crossing it a bit more than just straight in our faces. Once we had gained elevation further up the ridge, my intention was to drop off the side and sidle back through the faces with the wind completely in our faces. The wind was a bit swirly, but would come really good for later on.

Early in the hunt, Sami at eighteen months old was a mix of business and youthful exuberance but she soon settled into the rhythm we had established as a team. Once again, she was on the busy side, but was regularly self-checking and when needed, coming closer or waiting till I caught up. Deer sign was pretty average but half an hour up, Sami lifted her nose and drifted us off the right-hand side of the ridge and almost with the wind. Strange. We did 80-odd metres like this and then she caught another good puff that saw