Mixed bag hunting

[Von Gruff]

Woke a bit stiff and sore this morning and lay there smiling remembering the last three days. The planing for this trip started about 6 weeks ago when a friend who had been in europe for 8 months emailed to say that he was returning to Aukland and would fly down so we could have a hunt before he went off to work in the mines in western Australia. It was going to be easier for him not to worry about bringing his rifles with him so the few in my sfae would do for both of us.
I met up with him in Cromwell at mid day and after getting set up in the camp ground we went out to an archard belonging to a friend of his. ( We had both been building in this general area of NZ for a few years some time back which is how we met up) The orchard was just starting to produce but not at a comercial level for this year so we carried the 22LR and 12G through the trees and while a high wind meant the rabbits were not out and about we dod get a couple of large bags of apricots. We went out for a few hours onto a vineyard we used to shoot on and got 15 rabbits that we cleaned and left for the owner and his Dutch house guests. They were going to make serve them for a dinner party the following night.
The following morning we headed into the hills hoping to get onto goats and stopped for a look at an old musterers hut on the way for a look. It was quite dilapidated but had bunks for 8 crammed inside with a 6ftx4ft clear floor space between. It was only for sleeping.
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/001-18.jpg

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I had heard a month or two back that there were a mob of goats seen close to but we glassed for a while and saw no sign. We carried on to an area that has produced on a number of occasions over the years and after a bit of a steep climb down into the start of the bluffs we spotted a half dozen animals 300yds away.

The black spot just to the top of the bright rock about centre of pic is the first goat, is on 5 times zoom

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/006-1.jpg

and the result of Gareth taking the first shot with my 7x57 which I had put the qd scope on as he is not as used to the apertures and it was a lasered 253yds so he loaded some of the GS Custom bullets but the shot was still made a bit tricky by the up dratfs in the gullies and ridges between us and the goats. I was carrying my 404 with 350gn GC at 1400fps over 20gn Red Dot so it was a bit far for me.

This is the pic without zoom.

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/004-7.jpg

Von Gruff.

[Von Gruff]

What happened next will be remembered often over the years. Goats came from everywhere and a mob of about thirty boiled out of the rocks where the first one died and went downhill and we thought we had lost them for the day, so we were trying to work out whether we would try to work our way through the bluffs to collect it when the mob came up the gully we were overlooking and the bombup began. I will say that any other time we have been out that 7 rounds has been the maximum we have ever fired so I had only taken 15 for the 7x57 and 10 for the 404. We got 21 of the goats and then everything stopped and there was no more sound of departing goats, that is live ones getting AWAY from there and the odd dead one falling over bluffs and crashing away down hill.
We started the sometimes difficult task of recovery and took the back legs and backstraps from 8 or 9 which gave us both about 80-90 lbs each to carry out.

This is a looking back down at some we have just finished with.

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This is what a 50/50 350gn 404 at 1400fps will do to an animal

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/009-1.jpg

Von Gruff.

[Von Gruff]

We continued to dress out the animals and some we had to go some way down to retrieve, like this small one.

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/010-1.jpg

It was another of the small ones like this that make very tender eating.

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/011-1.jpg

Gareth after checking whether one we had seen go over the edge had stopped where it could be retrieved or not. It haden't so we climbed round a bit further for some more.
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/012-1.jpg

I took the first load up and looked back to where Gareth was just finishing up on his last one.

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/013-1.jpg


Von Gruff.

[Von Gruff]

When we were dressing them out on the hill we had left the leg skins on although Gareth had boned out the legs he took to save weight on the climb out so we stopped at a creek on the way down the hill to skin and wash them

This is the legs both bonned and on the bone with back straps including one young one that was taken from the loin back on the bone May not look as much as there actually is.

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/016-2.jpg

Because Gareth was flying out to go home then on the AU these all went home to my freezer.

I will have a bit of refinishing to do on my stocks as the Matagouri (a spiky bush) and spaniard,( a very spiky plant) had been hard on them with quite a few scratches as we worked our way through some of the dense patches.

On the way down off the hill in the truck we found a large patch of beautifully fresh mushrooms so that was tea taken care of.

The following morning we woke to a day of shower and very high winds but we decided to have a walk onto the hills of one of the other properties we shoot for rabbits but the wind was keeping them mostly tucked away out of sight so numbers seen were fewer than expected and quite fleeting although we did get an even dozen from the lower reaches before deciding to call it a day and head back to the camp. There were two other vineyards that back onto the hills we had been invited to shoot on but with the weather the way it was and the bag already taken we were more than satisfied with the few days we had had. I dropped Gareth off at another friend who would take him to the airport for his trip home and away.

All in all a very pleasant few days with a good friend and memories to treasure.

Von Gruff.

[waksupi]

Great hunt, in great looking country!

[white eagle]

wow outstanding
great hunt
it don't happen like that to very often
you don't use the front quarters ?
looks very tasty

[Von Gruff]

If there is only a few animals I will take all that is on offer but with more bone on the forequarter than on the rear it is easier to take the best and easiest to take and carry. We left a lot on the hill but these are a pest animal on sheep country and competition for the feed and every one gone is of benefit to the farmer. I usually like to take all that I shoot but sometimes the ability to carry it outand the amount of available freezer space along with responsibilities toward the farmer take presedence and much meat is left lying.

Von Gruff.

[white eagle]

bout what I figured
it sure does look tasty
If I ever come over there I would love to try that type of hunting
looks like a great time
I borrowed one of your photo's for my desktop background
absolutely beautiful country

[Jack Stanley]

Nearly had your position overun by goats ?? :shock:Let that be a lesson to take more ammo huh? Great show on putting them down for the count sir !!

Jack

[stubshaft]

Thanks for sharing. Great looking country there.

[Lloyd Smale]

how does it taste. Only goat i tried to eat was a 4 horned goat we shot at a local hunting operation. The meat smelled like urine when I cooked it and i ended up toss it all out.

[x101airborne]

Great job, Von. You and your buddy are fortunate. What kind of goats are those? We shoot catalina's and oudad's here. Theyre ferral like our hogs, but mainly in the rocky country.

[Von Gruff]

They are the domestic goats from many years ago that have escaped and gone ferel. They were released in some areas many years ago for the sport ( as were all of the animals in NZ, there being none native to the country)and have spread throughout the country and have adapted to most environments with secluded pockets breeding to type. We hunted some on another property a couple of years ago that had a mix of angora in them due to escapees over the fence from a neighbouring farmer who was fleece farming them. The numbers had built so large that we got the nod to get as many as we could because the helicopter shooters were coming in the following week when they took 122 of that particular hill block.
They are a beautifuly lean meat and while we have a few sheep in our spare section ( get 4-5 each year in the spring and put them in the freezer as they eat the paddock out then leave it recover till the following spring) and while sheep meat is what is the gold standard for most New Zealanders the goat is easily as tender especially as we only take the youg and nannies for the table. usually get the forequarters of my sheep made into small goods each year and mix it 50/50 with the goat. The sheep is generally more fatty and on its own can be a bit much but mixed with the goat brings a nice balance. Between the sheep, goats and rabbits (and an ocasional deer) I havent had to buy meat for the table in at least three years.

Von Gruff.

[RugerFan]

Beautiful country and some good shooting. Looks like you had good fun.

[JeffinNZ]

Nice work Gruff. Von Gruff versus Billy Goat Gruff!!!! Go the .404 Jeffery. Maybe I need a cartridge sharing my name. HHHMMMM.

[2Tite]

Thank you for sharing with us. That looks like great fun shared with a close friend. Certainly, that's the best way to do it. I'm curious if you ever take the neck for a roast?

[Von Gruff]

I'm curious if you ever take the neck for a roast?

I have been out and only got a single animal and then the whole animal minus the head n hooves comes home.

Von Gruff.

[Von Gruff]

Maybe I need a cartridge sharing my name. HHHMMMM.

TCBK ......what?????????????
Have you got something you are working on or were you thinking of the Pygmy

Von Gruff.

[Euan]

Mr Gruff, Great write up, and pictures. Will help keep the the protien intake up.
I like the pic of where the splater of 404 had been. Just shows you just don't 150 grains of powder and 4000 feet per second. Great stuff.
Cheers Euan

[JeffinNZ]

TCBK ......what?????????????
Have you got something you are working on or were you thinking of the Pygmy

Von Gruff.

No, I meant Jeffery.

[Bulldogger]

I envy that hunt, it looks like it was wonderful.

As to the comment on goat being rank smelling, it's all how you prepare it. Older goats can get pretty high and tough to boot, but if you cook it well it's still a treat.

The Frugal Gourmet gave a recipe in his book "Our Immigrant Ancestors" for Jamaican Jerked Goat. It's lovely. In fact I hunted down some goat last week (in the freezer section of a local ethnic market) and plan to Jerk it next week. I'd cook it this week but my baby sister is visiting and she's vegetarian, so we're having a no meat week, more or less.

Those goats look lovely compared to mine, young and tender. Mine is deep red and sure to be tough, but 2 hours bubbling in jerk sauce in a dutch oven will cure it of all ills.

I'll see about posting the recipe and pics next week, if there's interest.

Bulldogger

[Von Gruff]

The Frugal Gourmet gave a recipe in his book "Our Immigrant Ancestors" for Jamaican Jerked Goat. It's lovely. In fact I hunted down some goat last week (in the freezer section of a local ethnic market) and plan to Jerk it next week. I'd cook it this week but my baby sister is visiting and she's vegetarian, so we're having a no meat week, more or less.

Those goats look lovely compared to mine, young and tender. Mine is deep red and sure to be tough, but 2 hours bubbling in jerk sauce in a dutch oven will cure it of all ills.

I'll see about posting the recipe and pics next week, if there's interest.

Bulldogger
Would be interested in hearing about jerked recipe. I thought jerked meat was dried somehow or is the recipe just to impart flavour before the drying.

For us the goat meat is treated the same as sheep meat and the results are the same except there is more fat on the sheep. Dammed delicious though.

Von Gruff.

[Bulldogger]

I started a thread for the recipe. You're correct, I should have said Curried, instead of jerked.

I had some today and enjoyed it. Wish I had Jamaican Curry powder, the generic stuff I have just isn't spicy enough. Some hot sauce helped.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?p=1238728#post1238728

[Rafe Covington]

Looks like you guys had a great hunt, congrats.

Rafe:redneck:

[Dennis Eugene]

Wow That is some rough country. Takes a real man to hunt country like that. I bet there's not a lot of us could keep up with you guys. Great telling of the hunt and great pics. Thanks Dennis Eugene

[Von Gruff]

Wow That is some rough country. I bet there's not a lot of us could keep up with you guys.

If only you knew how many "breathers" we have to take, you might just revise that thought.:mrgreen::mrgreen:

Von Gruff.

[Dennis Eugene]

lol Believe me I believe you. I also hunt some rough country here in Alaska and no longer try to keep up with my son and/or son In law. Dennis

[TCLouis]

Von Gruff

Jerky is the "dried meat you were likely thinking of, Biltong (sp) in Africa I believe.

Jamaican Jerked meats are wet cooked and typically fairly spicy.

[Von Gruff]

Thanks guys, learned something new today.

Von Gruff.

[JeffinNZ]

If only you knew how many "breathers" we have to take, you might just revise that thought.:mrgreen::mrgreen:

Von Gruff.

Going up is one thing Gruff. Coming down is another. The old knees and legs take a beating.

[Von Gruff]

This area is the oposite in that we climb down into it than climb back up out again. Gets me going both ways.

Von Gruff.

[Just Duke]

That was an enjoyable Hunt VG. :holysheep Thanks a bunch for the pics! :lovebooli

[white eagle]

If only you knew how many "breathers" we have to take, you might just revise that thought.:mrgreen::mrgreen:

Von Gruff.

I have to take a breather just looking at this thread
beautiful country