Aussie red stag
Whitetail Deer
Put a trail cam up last week just down the road from home as the red deer roar is kicking off and got a few photos of stags and hinds having a wallow thought you guys would enjoy. These are wild free ranging bush deer. Not the best genetics but good fun to hunt regardless.
Thanks for the pictures. I hunted a Rusa in Victoria a few years back, would love to hunt more in Australia!
That’s COOL! Thanks for sharing!!! Reds are on my bucket list.
Tyler that stag looks like he got quite excited rolling in the mud.
When is your season open to bow hunt these critters?
Thanks! I hunted them in Queensland a few years ago, had a blast and killed a nice double five with my recurve. These are direct descendants of the original release from GB back in the late 1800s, and Scottish Highland red deer are to the big eastern Euro stags as Coues deer are to Iowa whitetails. Very challenging to hunt free range.
As I wrote in my feature for Bowhunter, Its not the size of the antlers that matter, but rather the size of the challenge.
I was fishing in southern Chile last week and stags were roaring around us. I love hearing that! Tyler, you're lucky you live where you can hear them.
Wild wilderness how did you do on your Rusa hunt? Australia Is a great place to hunt getting access to property can be a challenge at times.
Wilbur he sure did! Season is open year round in Queensland for all feral species. Bowhunting these red stag outside the rut is very challenging however. They live in heavy cover in some steep hilly country.
Your 100% right Jaquomo the challenge is very rewarding and although they are not monster stags we still do get some good quality 6x6 and 7x7s in this area.
Good thread Tyler, how far from your home are you able to hunt these?
About 40 minutes from home.
Picture to show the type of country we hunt. The deer come out to the open to feed but don't hang out in the open area very long most stags we get are in the steep gullies where they feel safe.
Good luck! I'll have to put hunting stags on my bucket list.
Bigger guys showing up now. Hopefully catch him in daylight though.
Nice ones! Especially for free range. Hope you get one of those big boys Tyler!
Thanks Tavis, heading out tomorrow for a few days hope to get some good action!
Thanks for sharing. Wish I could have snuck in a hunt while I was there the last time, but the wife had other plans. It will happen! Thanks for the motivation.
Good luck! Are they still roaring where you are? I hunted Queensland in mid-February a few years ago and they were going nuts. Roaring going on in Chile two weeks ago.
Nice Tyler, I've watched some "TV Celebrities" hunt Red Stags across the pond. I'm assuming most of those are NOT free ranging, as some of them are true giants!
Keep posting pics, love the looks of the country side.
Bob
here is a free range public land NZ stag A friend and I took a couple years ago.
here is a free range public land NZ stag A friend and I took a couple years ago.
Jaquomo they are roaring hard right now! Im surprised to hear you say they were roaring in February that seems very early. Its always march/april in my area. Queensland is a big state so may differ on exact location. A lot of our stags are still in velvet in February.
Bob NZ has done a lot of work improving the genetics of their red deer over the years. You are correct in that a lot of operations are not free range. Also some of the ones that do state free range can be a bit of a grey area IE. Stags raised and released on big pieces of private land or stags released just outside the wire during the roar with a fenced area full of hinds in heat the released stag then paces back and fourth along the fence trying to get to his hinds. NZ also has great free range stags on public and private lands but they don't compare to most of the stereotypical giants we see on TV
Well fellas I got it done. Will do a short write up with some more photos on a new thread. Stoked!
Awesome stag Tyler! Can't wait to hear the story!
Nice work Tyler! Great stag. Thanks for posting.
What a great looking animal! Congrats!
Thanks guys! full story is on thread "Solo Stag Success"
Love seeing hunting in areas that are not at all like "home" here in the North East USA. Congrats on your stag Tyler! Looking forward to reading the story - be safe on the pack out!
