Bowhunting Australia - Sambar Stag "Big Brows" Encounter - Twin Elements
A bowhunt from the archives, enjoy this instalment of Twin Elements #Throwbacks
A bow hunt two years in the making.
Sambar stags are notorious for being the brown ghosts of the Victorian bush. After locating a heavy mature sambar stag on one of our trail cameras, this nocturnal visitor was noted and placed on the hit list. Continued nocturnal visits throughout the year proved to be the only encounter with this stag. Despite countless bow hunts and stalks on this particular property, hours spent walking the hills and uncovering every ounce of visible scrub with the binoculars we couldn’t turn him up.
The only trace he left to were scattered nighttime appearances on the trail cameras. It was as if he was haunting us.
Another year had passed and doubt begun to enter our minds. Normally the stag had showed by this time of the year, at one of three wet gully systems each containing a wallow.
Had another lucky hunter managed to take him?
Had he simply changed home range as travelling sambar stags do so well?
We couldn’t know the answers to those questions, all we could do was continue to check the cameras and put in the man-hours on foot hoping that he would eventually show up.
It was at this point that I had named him “ big brows” for his heavy straight up style.
After coming to terms with his absence, the impossible happened and after slowly making our way along a spur we knew often held bedded deer, we spotted antlers. Could it be?
Two years had passed since we first knew of this stag and finally we got a meeting in the flesh.
After a slow calculated stalk, placing each foot on the minimal noisey leaf litter and debris finally sees us cut the distance to within bow range. Positioned 28 meters from a mature sambar stag, with a shooting lane should he stand.
All we could do was wait. With a consistent breeze, 45 minutes passes and all is well. You couldn’t ask for more perfect conditions. Perhaps a better window to his vitals, however in saying that, if I was a rifle hunter, a shot to the base of the neck and this stags days would be done 40 odd minutes ago.
With the bow however, even under 30 meters it’s a waiting game.
With every second the chances of being detected increase.
Will the mountain breeze swirl, will a wallaby further down the hill pick me up. Will he simply turn his head and spot me in that uncanny sambar way.
Watch the hunt for “Big Brows” unfold.
Thanks for watching