I originally went up for a day trip to check my trail camera. I arrived at about 730am and went straight to it and swapped the card. I went back up to my camp area to check the pics on my laptop.

I had seen this bloke on every set and noticed he had been around a lot more lately. I shot a spikey sitting in the same hide 5 weeks earlier. So I knew they were bedding on this NE face somewhere.

I decided to hang around and have a sit until dark, got down at about 1.30pm after lunch and parked my self down for the rest of the day.

Seen a few wallabies, rabbits, a fox whilst sitting, but no deer.

At about 5pm I started hearing sticks breaking and bird alarm calls from the face I suspect they were on.

My Vixen 8x42 binos s were on full alert.

As we sat down we could only just see as it was almost dark.

Then out of the scrub he walked. Vixens went up and I see it was a stag, the same one we had been getting on the camera. I sprung to my knees I could just see his face so I put the crosshairs on him until he took one more cautious step, then BOOM. He dropped then got up and ran straight at me. He stopped in his preach then I let him have one more. The 308 and 165gn Woodleigh cartwheeled him dropping him in his tracks.

Mate you could of heard me yelling from Mansfield.

Errol’s course and the Vixen binoculars made all of this possible. It was an awesome experience watching through the binos then taking an unalarmed sambar stag using methods taught on Errols course. What an experience, just shows persistence pays of.

Errol, thanks again for all your support and knowledge in which you have passed on to both me and Wayne. Without this knowledge I wouldn’t have had the chance to take such a fine animal.

Cheers,

Shane Costello