12/08/2026
BBQ Brisket
Itās the COVID-19 days. Everyone has cleared out the supermarkets, and toilet paper is somehow worth its weight in gold. The Yarra Ranges are still within my allowed radius, so Iām out exploring.
Iād recently bought a new compound bow and YouTube-schooled myself on how to use it. I get my 4WD onto an overgrown, narrow track thatās slowly closing in around me when, suddenly, the bush opens up into a fairly sizeable clearing ā just enough room to do a U-turn.
To my surprise, thereās a BBQ smoker sitting there.
I open the lid and there, staring straight back at me, is a Sambar doe Euro skull sitting inside it.
At this point, Iām feeling pretty uneasy being there alone. Then I notice a bright yellow bow target hanging from a tree. Both the BBQ and target look fairly new, just abandoned there in the middle of this pristine forest.
My first thought?
Someone elseās gear⦠but seriously, clean up after yourselves!ā š
What happens next sounds like something Iād struggle to believe if someone else told me the story.
After exploring this newfound spot, I eventually decide itās time to head home. Iām doing around 55 km/h when suddenly I have to swerve to avoid two Sambar deer.
I look back in my side mirror to watch them disappear into the bush.
Then I hear a massive bang.
Iād hit something.A tree? A rock? A person?
I honestly had no idea.
As the dust settles, I can see a Sambar stag kicking on the ground, unable to get back up. It had been hit badly and appeared to have injured its neck.
Honestly, this was a horrible moment.
It certainly wasnāt how I imagined taking my first Sambar stag,
Looking back, I think that moment probably shaped the way I hunt to this day. Iāve always enjoyed taking photos and watching deer more than taking shots at them. Unless itās a genuine opportunity at range, or a good representative stag, Iād rather leave them be unless Iām out guiding my mates to a first deer etc.
I like to think I did the most humane thing possible in a terrible situation.
However it sounds or looks from the outside, that moment really hit home for me.
Sometimes, you donāt choose the moment.
The moment chooses you.