Sambar stag - shot and tracked

I was in this spot two weeks ago and just missed out on seeing a couple of stags fighting but couldn't find out where they were holding up. This time I found a well used game trail some distance back in the scrub. I followed it back quietly for a couple of hundred meters, then it started to open up overlooking a creek and there was a stag out in the open, eyeballing me as I came slowly through the dogwood. I slowly raised the .308 and hit him just behind the shoulder with a handloaded 180gr Core-lokt . He took off for cover with a hind in tow. I tried to find their tracks which I thought would be fairly obvious through this soft ground. Failing to find any sign I went back to the car about 3k's away and got the cutters and had another go at finding him. Again failing to find any sign, I went back to camp and got my mate Phil and his dog to give me a hand to try and find the stag. I was pretty confident of the shot so we kept looking and eventually found him some three hours later. The original footage is twenty minutes long, so I had to cut it down to get it uploaded. The stag had traveled some 150 meters uphill, from where he was shot and we had very little to go by at the start ie; small blackberry leaves broken off, broken ferns and the odd broken twig before we started to find some blood. The projectile stopped just before exiting the opposite side just behind the shoulder. I was extremely happy to find him.
Thanks Phil for your help in tracking this animal and of course the carry out.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• sambar
• stag
• deer
• wallows
• stalking
• hunting
• tracking

[glvgun1]

good footage mate!im only new to the sport of stalking and havent got a stag yet,im in lakes entrance not far from up your way, so it will only be a matter of time,good work!

[dogrunnerlive]

Thanks glvgun1 and good luck!

[RockDoctor07]

Nice Stag, 5*

[dogrunnerlive]

Thanks Doc

[236vic]

I agree with placement, I have a tikka t3 lite having trouble with placement.

I think the remington 180gr core lokt just has to much punch for me.

If i reload with less powder will this help my placement.

[smolians]

Sensational clip, and fantastic Stag. I have been using a 308 for 2 years and it has served me well. Its only an old M17 cut down and modified, but i have shot 4 deer, 3 sambar and 1 fallow and they have all dropped on the spot. I have a new 30-06 now so the 308 might not get as much work, but i certainly think theyre a great gun for sambar. My mate shot a fallow doe behind the shoulder with a 376 steyer and it ran away. Its all about bullet placement i reckon.

[DenwarTheoriginal]

I've bought the T3 Varmint Stainless Steel .308.

Though I'm going to run 150gn bullets as they hit harder and mushroom more.

Can't wait to go on a backpack hunt!

Cheers!

[dogrunnerlive]

Looking forward to seeing the results Denwar

[KNGPIJ]

Useless dog...

[DenwarTheoriginal]

Cheers mate, thanks for the feedback!

I'll probably be getting my T3 lite in .308.

[dogrunnerlive]

jmvssf, good on ya' mate, let me know how you go.

[dogrunnerlive]

Denwar, I'm really happy with the .308, haven't lost any sambar with it yet but very nearly lost this one. Only started hunting sambar with it mid '09 so have to wait and see. Shot placement is the key doesn't matter what you use.