WORTH THE WAIT

FEATURE Rob Urquhart

It was May 30, 2024, when what sounded like a rifle shot going off turned out to be my left achilles rupturing. We were a week off heading to Queensland on a Mollucan rusa hunt that had been booked 18 months prior with Duane and Vikki Stayner, owners and operators of Northern Safari Co. After several phone calls to cancel and rebook the hunt, flights and accommodation we had new dates organised for June 2025.

An operation to repair my achilles and 12 months of physio appointments, rehab and gym sessions had Nicole and I heading down the highway to Melbourne to meet our young mate Ryan who was going to hunt with me on this trip.

An early flight saw us landing in Cairns mid-morning. We met up with Duane and Vikki and said goodbye to Nicole who was driving up to Port Douglas for six days of much-needed ‘R and R’.

We were heading north on a six-hour drive to the hunting property. Stopping at Lakeland to top up with fuel and grab a delicious hamburger saw us arrive at the property with just enough light for Ryan and I to have a shot with Duane’s .325 WSM and familiarise ourselves with his rifle before heading down the long driveway to the accommodation we would call home for the next six days.

Pulling up at the house we were greeted by 30 hinds and calves eating grass on the lawn. Seeing them, I knew we were in for a great week! After a nice meal and a few night caps we hit the sack by 10pm ready for what would unfold in the morning.

Day 1

Up at 6am with a coffee in one hand and binos in the other, we glassed over 60 deer including a number of stags from the backyard. Leaving camp, we drove down the farm’s airstrip where supplies and the mail get dropped off to the property owners. It wasn’t long before we spotted a group of deer including two stags in the bush line. Running the binos over them Duane said one of them was a definite shooter. Ryan was carrying the rifle but the deer kept milling around so that no shot presenting before they were swallowed up by the bush.

Down the track a sow was in the wrong spot at the right time allowing Ryan to shoot his first ever pig and he was stoked. A failed stalk on another stag and multiple sightings of other deer saw us back at camp at 11am as the sun was getting high and the deer were bedding down. We were back out at 4pm to another part of the property and glassed several mobs of deer until the sun dropped below the tree line closing out a great day.

Day 2

The number of deer we were seeing was incredible; over 100 feeding in the open before they made their way back to cover. Close to where we had seen the shooter stag on Day 1, an animal that we had named ‘The King’, we spotted him again. However, as hard as Ryan tried, he just couldn’t find a clear shot at him as his girlfriends kept him out of harm’s way. I’m sure The King was starting to play on Ryan’s mind but it was still early days and we hoped the stag would slip up if we saw him again.

After lunch we packed fishing rods and headed to the spring-fed lake to try our luck on sooty grunter. The lake is also home to cherabin, red claw and freshwater crocs. Birdlife is abundant, including spoonbills, sea eagles, whistling kites, Jesus birds, black ducks, grey teal, glossy ibis and, a first for me, green pygmy geese. It wasn’t long before Vikki was showing us lads up, landing three sooty grunters before Daune and I were on the board.

Soon we were back out for the evening hunt and more stags were turning up getting ready for the hinds to start cycling. Arriving back at camp we kicked back, had a few coldies followed by a scrumptious meal prepared by Vikki, made plans for the morrow, and hit the hay full of anticipation.

Day 3

On Day 3 it happened and happened in a hurry! We spotted The King on the edge of the bush at 80 metres with a great shooting lane for Ryan as none of his girls were there to keep him safe. Ryan wasted no time in settling the crosshairs on the stag’s shoulder and the .325WSM roared. The King, who had ruled that area fell, his days over. However, it wouldn’t be long before his spot was filled by another big boy as the hinds would be coming into oestrus in the not-too-distant future.

Daune and I watched as Ryan approached his stag, knelt beside him and took it all in. The smile didn’t leave his face for the rest of the day and rightly so…shooting a Mollucan rusa with 30-inch antlers isn’t something you do every day. With the head skin off, we were back in camp by 8am and Ryan was on the tins to celebrate his success. It was now my turn to try my luck for a stag.

Leaving camp mid-afternoon, we cruised tracks through the bush, covering various areas of the property. Eventually Ryan spotted a lone stag laying under a tree and after three sets of binos gave him a good looking over, I made the decision to take the animal if a shot presented. Eventually our presence got the better of the stag, he stood up broadside and I took the shot. My stag had beautiful symmetrical antlers in hard velvet with pronounced pearling and matched with a perfect cape. Two stags in the salt in the one day, the beers and CCs tasted extra good that night!

Day 4

We were back into it at daylight as I was keen for a second stag, something like a non-typical head. Cruising some thick grass tracks I said to Ryan “You had better grab the rifle and shoot that big boar in front of us”. At the sound of the shot the boar collapsed and Ryan was as happy as a pig in shit, so to speak, after taking his first trophy boar. After photos we went back to covering plenty of country looking for a funky stag but without success. That evening had us glassing a number of stags including one with a drop tine that we had also seen the previous day. This animal hadn’t started to strip his velvet so didn’t really appeal to me. After another magnificent meal prepared by Vikki and some more wetting of the palate it was off to bed in preparation for the next day’s adventures.

Day 5

With a coffee down, we packed the Cruiser and headed off to see what was about. Deer numbers were down as we headed to a back block. Rounding a bend, I looked to my left and spotted eight stags and two hinds at around 400 metres. They were moving along feeding so we crawled to a pile of rocks 100 metres closer. One stag in the group had a drop tine with velvet hanging from his antlers. I told Duane “I’m going to take that stag if he pulls up”. My binos ranged him at 220 metres. After clearing some trees the stag stopped, allowing me to take the shot. I lost sight of him in the recoil but heard that sweet sound of a thump and Duane confirmed that the stag is down.

While approaching the deer, I heard Ryan yelling something and I thought “F@#k, my stag is up and running”. I hurried towards Ryan but it was a wild dog that he had spotted, with no shot presented. After all the commotion we found my stag exactly where he had been standing. Lifting his head from the grass revealed a cool drop tine on his left antler and I’m super chuffed. Duane then informed me that it was the stag from the past two days that I had passed up, he had just started to strip his velvet overnight. Tipping the tape at 30 inches on his longest antler this stag would make a beautiful mount along with my first animal. Back at camp Duane caped the skull while Ryan and I tipped down a few frothies. The remainder of the day was spent boiling heads and exploring this magical place.

Day 6

An early start saw us arrive back in Cairns at midday. We said our goodbyes to Duane and Vikki as they headed to the airport to pick up their next clients. It had been a drawn out 12 months since my mishap but, gee, was it worth the wait!

To Conclude

Ryan and I can’t speak highly enough of Duane and Vikki’s guiding service on the incredible property they have access to, the number of deer and trophy deer we saw, Vikki’s amazing hospitality from the meals that she served up throughout the trip plus our washing was done daily as well. The accommodation overlooking the lake was something else to wake up to each morning and the abundant wildlife was a photographer’s dream.

Give Duane from Northern Safari Co. a call if you are interested in hunting these amazing deer as he runs a first-class operation.