The Hunt Smart® System BOOK Success Stories

This book is the culmination of almost forty years studying Sambar.

Our new book ‘The Hunt Smart System ®’ is presented in chronological order just as I teach it on my highly successful Hunt Smart® course. In fact I designed this book to replace our Hunt Smart course when I was no longer conducting it. ‘The Hunt Smart System ®’ is a complete A-Z reference which shows you how to find sambar at any time of the day, in any weather, at any temperature, in any level of hunting pressure, at any elevation, no matter where they are - on the farm fringe at 200 metre elevation, in the back country at 450 metres or in the subalpine between 1500 to 1650 metres.


Nicholas Trupkovic - Sambar Deer Success Story

Nicholas Trupkovic

Hunt smart system book
Success Story #8



Hi Errol, On the 21/9/24 I managed to harvest this Sambar stag, my first to be exact. I utilised the “sight n go” method you describe in The Hunt Smart System book. Using advice from your book I found fresh prints, and employing all the factors you mention in the book I started to follow them. I continued to glass ahead of me and two minutes later I heard something ascending up the face towards me. The stag walked straight up to me and I took a broadside shot at 40m and he dropped on the spot. I could not believe it! Despite many encounters with Sambar stags I had never had an opportunity to take a shot, but the knowledge in your Hunt Smart book has given me a massive confidence boost and I… ...

Nicholas Trupkovic, Geelong VIC

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Reid Hjorth - Hunt smart system book Success Story #7

Reid Hjorth - Sambar Deer Success Story
Gday Errol, It was great chatting to you last week. I appreciate your time and learnt even more than I had already learnt from your book. I only get to hunt Sambar once every two years normally. I have been successful in 5 out of 6 trips. However all but one sambar were aware of my presence.

With an ongoing ankle injury, I needed more knowledge for my latest trip to make my life easier and help me pinpoint where they’d be. I had two Kiwi’s coming over for the hunt, so a few months beforehand I bought your latest book “The Hunt Smart System”. The area was new to all of us and on day one I identified a maxi hub as discussed in your book and I spotted two Sambar that afternoon, and both were totally unaware of my presence. For the first time, I was seeing unalarmed deer compared to my usual few seconds which caused me to make snap decisions. On day three, having just got to my hotspot, I spotted a stag, just going about his business. He was completely unaware of me so I had plenty of time to assess his antlers which I believed to be bigger than my last. I lost him for a short time, but when he appeared in a small gap I made the most of the situation and put a bullet i… Read Full Story >>

Reid Hjorth, Mudgee NSW

Ange - Hunt smart system book Success Story #6

Ange - Sambar Deer Success Story
I am still a relatively new hunter and have been hunting for about 2.5 years. A few months ago, I set myself a goal to travel to the Victorian high country in November to harvest a sambar for antlers and meat, with open sights (no scope).

With the timeframe set, my learning, training and preparation for the trip took on a whole new intensity on top of looking after a family and full time work. Your books helped me to learn about sambar, including applying the overlays, and your principles along with studying the topography, significantly narrowed down possible hunting areas within my region of interest. Once I arrived in the general location, I approached the hunt by glassing with the Vixen 10x42s and bino harness (thanks Lynne for assisting with this purchase), along with some low impact stalking to find the best and most likely areas based on the weather, hierarchy of needs and overlays. During my trip, I stalked in to about 25 metres on a sambar that was as big as a horse.  The deer knew that there was something unusual going on and it left the area quickly, but didn’t seem to be spooked. It was a magnificent cr… Read Full Story >>

Brent Bovell - Hunt smart system book Success Story #5

Brent Bovell - Sambar Deer Success Story
Hi Errol, my name is Brent Bovell. My wife Eleanor purchased your entire collection of books for me over Christmas just gone after I was hospitalized after a work accident, I have read them and they have taught me more about deer hunting, than anything I have watched or read before. I didn't think I would be able to hunt for sambar again after I did my back, but thankfully I have been out hunting then since and trying to incorporate as much knowledge I can that you have given me in your books.

I have seen more deer in my last 2 trips than in the past decade and I harvested a nice mature hind only days ago, whilst I was hunting in a "zone of silence" as you would say. Thank you very much. I will be trying to book into one of your courses as soon as I can to get even more knowledge from you as I learn better with visual learning. I have attached some pictures in this email, I hope you have the time in your busy schedule to see them. Thanks very much Errol I hope to meet you soon 👍🦌 Kind regards, Brent Bovell Read Full Story >>

George Grelak - Hunt smart system book Success Story #4

G'day Lynne and Errol, It was a pleasure to talk to you both today. I'd like to stress that everything I said during our telephone conversation was not a compliment but a true statement of fact.

Your books on Sambar have no equal anywhere in the world, due to the amount of the knowledge (which you convey extremely well), due to the breathtaking photographs and their aesthetic appeal. There’s only one criticism of the books I can offer. They are too cheap. You’ve undersold your expertise and your very hard work. Regards, George Grelak Read Full Story >>

Oleg Kozlov - Hunt smart system book Success Story #3

Oleg Kozlov - Sambar Deer Success Story
I just want to say a huge thank you for your amazing book "HSS" and a hard work on it. I bought it, read it carefully, planned a hunt and saw the deer during the first hunt in my life (07 Mar 21) and harvested a Sambar hind during a second hunt in state forest (dd. 02 Apr 21)...

I also found a wallow because I applied a knowledge of Sambars (which I got from your book). My friends hunters were impressed… I made a lot of mistakes before getting license. Assumed that pushed through a bush, walking them up strategy and changing places would help me to find Sambars (did that during scouting in bush while waited for license and PTA). Then I got your book and mindset was changed. Oleg Kozlov Read Full Story >>

Jason Cottam - Hunt smart system book Success Story #2

Jason Cottam - Sambar Deer Success Story
After taking up Sambar hunting a few years ago I’ve seen many but never been able to successfully harvest one, even though I have come close many times. Hence the recent purchase of your book - The Hunt Smart System ®.

Last Sunday when I returned from yet another unsuccessful hunt your book had arrived, so I grabbed a beer and started reading. Each night I’ve been carefully digesting it and reflecting on the many hunts I’ve had these past years. After reading the first 145 pages I applied what I had learnt to a hunt planned for yesterday. I mapped out the wagon wheel, and identified where the deer would most likely be at first light, and where I should be. I’m guessing by now you know what the outcome of yesterday’s hunt was. A huge thank you Errol. Oh how my tale of woe has changed in a week.  Jason Cottam, Mitcham VIC Read Full Story >>

Chris Bordin - Hunt smart system book Success Story #1

I've just finished reading The Hunt Smart System ® by Errol Mason. 400+ pages and it pretty much tells you where and when you will find deer.

I put what I learnt to the test today. Got within 60m of a sitting deer (sambar) until 2 wallabies sent it running. Well worth the read and highly recommend it. Read Full Story >>

Chris Bordin, Wallan