b'HUNTINGA well trained hunting dog is worth their weight in gold for any avid gamebird hunter.03 OBSERVATIONfresh scratching and you know to expectYou need to stay alert, and I spotted a While moving through thethe unexpected from them.Being readysmall white flash, was it a small bird?I bush for deer I am constantlymeans, I am more likely to score a bird. put the binos up and a deer stepped out observing my surroundings, looking forwith its head down feeding!It was the any sign such as prints, poo, wallows or04 WATCH AND WAIThinds ear I had seen, and I then waited rubbing on trees.Fresh sign means yourI have managed to shoot afor nearly 10 more minutes to get a clear prey is nearby and you might just getcouple of deer by finding ashot and it rolled down the hill about 40m an early warning instead of a genuinegood-looking spot, with plenty of sign,from where I was sitting.Another time, surprise when an animal is standing out infresh growth and sun, then just sittingI employed the same tactic in a sunny the open.Surprises often dont end wellon it.Now this takes a lot of time, notbush lined valley, with a small stream for a hunter as you miss the opportunitytwenty or thirty minutes but a goodbelow and there was a lot of recent trail when caught out, being observant andhour or more.I shot my first sika onlysign.I had only sat down for 15 minutes alert gives you a better chance to score150m from our hut in the Kawekas bywhen a hind appeared in front of me out some fresh meat for the freezer.Huntingemploying this tactic on the last dayof nowhere and less than 50m away.I wily pheasants which are uncanny atof the hunt after walking miles on themanaged to quietly raise the rifle and holding in cover, even just long grassprevious days.It was a cold springshoot between the trees; it wasnt a clean means I have developed a fast reactionmorning and as the sun came out ontoshot, but we found her in the stream bed to a quick rising bird.Find their fooda steep clearing, I sat for over an hourto finish her off.Sometimes letting the source such as lupin or inkweed withabout 70m below watching the tree line. deer come to you works too.90FISHING IN GODZONE SEP/OCT 2021'