Its been basically since Cody could remember that he wanted a "like you dad". A "like you" was a Fallow deer, like the one on my garage wall. It is hard if not impossible to get Fallow Deer down these parts, bit easier 2 - 300 km inland - but they all booked for foreign hunters and priced in dollars.
There is another way,find a farm where there are not enough deer to bring clients out with a reasonable chance of success, but enough chance to actually get one if you hunt for days on end.
but then , these farms usually have the deer reserved for the sons, perhaps family.
I have been trying to get a fallow deer farm for about 8 years now.
I found one, eventually I found a farm with fallow deer and permission to hunt. The farm is really, really hard terrain (third visit smashed my bakkie). The Fallow deer are there, but as per photo's, its hard long hunting.
You need to click on photo to see photo or video properly.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53931351762_5dbd461c50_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2qaJgWs)20240817_081257 (https://flic.kr/p/2qaJgWs) by David Frank Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/183810052@N07/), on Flickr
There are flat spots down there, but they farmed, the deer are up here.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53932256426_6bc52e21fb_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2qaNUS7)20240817_084056 (https://flic.kr/p/2qaNUS7) by David Frank Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/183810052@N07/), on Flickr
We tried hunting them from the top, because they would be midway up mountain, generally looking down.
The gearbox seems to have overheated ? dunno, took 500 ml oil easily. Not sure what the problem is here.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53932588189_e6465104d4_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2qaQBua)20240817_110300 (https://flic.kr/p/2qaQBua) by David Frank Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/183810052@N07/), on Flickr
The boy was tired,if you look in background, that long valley ? We had come all way down over that mountain around that round hillock above Cody"s head.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/53932277641_6623f17213_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2qaP2aT)20240817_162849 (https://flic.kr/p/2qaP2aT) by David Frank Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/183810052@N07/), on Flickr
In the end, ha ha ha, we got one at the sleeping area, 500 m down from braai area next to river standing basically in the farming area.
3 hunts, R6000 fuel and 6 days of walking, there it is next to road at farm entrance gate standing looking over the gate. It must have just been crossing the low ground from mountain to mountain.
Dave, Dave, come quickly, come look, Cody got one. I was packing to leave and said he could go for a last walk before we left, "not too far my boy"
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53931399657_3dea731f21_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2qaJwbe)20240818_091746 (https://flic.kr/p/2qaJwbe) by David Frank Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/183810052@N07/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53932748490_87bfb59bf4_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2qaRr8Y)20240818_091832 (https://flic.kr/p/2qaRr8Y) by David Frank Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/183810052@N07/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53932636194_fc1a46c333_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2qaQRKQ)20240818_091903 (https://flic.kr/p/2qaQRKQ) by David Frank Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/183810052@N07/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53932748475_7ef5e40b4b_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2qaRr8H)20240818_092604 (https://flic.kr/p/2qaRr8H) by David Frank Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/183810052@N07/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53932636164_91bec006d4_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2qaQRKj)20240818_151123 (https://flic.kr/p/2qaQRKj) by David Frank Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/183810052@N07/), on Flickr
it has for me, become not how I lived, but how my son lived while I was living.
Me my boy and I, we gonna live till I die.
;D
Congratulations and well done to Cody.
Congrats Cody! Great effort from you both, sorry about the bakkie!
Please let us know how it tastes?
The boy .. is not looking like a boy any more ... :)
Where was this Treeman ?
Taste wise, it has the mouth feel of lamb and a similar taste, I marinated the first lot and it interfered with my perceptions. There is a definite, different taste and mouth lingering, not sure yet.
I heard the meat is nice and tastes like lamb.