SOLO WANDERING

In March I scored a set of free ferry crossings that gave me five days in the middle to get some hunting done, so to make the most of my time I thought I was about due to explore some of the southern Marlborough tops country

I’d had a taste with the trip to the Clarence so I was keen to see what else was hiding in those rocky scree-laden heights.

By evening on the day I was dropped off deer were popping out all over the show, it seemed I’d landed right in the thick of things. Fully twelve hinds appeared before the first stag showed though. After setting up camp I walked down the ridge and found a scrubby old stag with spindly wee antlers but in beautiful condition, I sat and watched from 60 yards as he fed noisily in the tussock but I left him be as the focus for now was a real trophy. A few days later and he’d be in danger though, I had four days of 25 degree heat before the chopper returned so I wasn’t going to be taking meat animals so soon no matter how much my mouth watered!

Coming back up the ridge