30min sambar hunt

[220]

Very quick hunt late yesterday, after 1/2 mile walk to get to where I wanted to hunt from into a slight breeze I only went 100y before nailing the australian sambar hunters holy grail a 30" stag.
A very big bodied mature animal would have been close to 1000lb. Spent today carrying out more meat and capping him out for a full shoulder mount.

[Ernie]

Never heard of a sambar. Impressive animal. Congratulations on your successful hunt.

[Hatchdog]

Congrats on getting your trophy. That’s an impressive looking animal.

[JEBar]

A very big bodied mature animal would have been close to 1000lb.

WOW .... very nice, very nice indeed .... congratulations on a good hunt, what rifle did you use

[220]

Sambar are a Asiatic species introduced to Australia in the 1860's than can be up to 160 cm (63 in) at the shoulder and may weigh as much as 550 kg (1,200 lb), They are the 3rd largest cervid species with only moose and the elk growing bigger. The really adapted to the alpine regions of Australia and estimates put numbers as high as a million animals. They are regarded as the premier game species in Australia.

[markiver54]

Wow! Ya learn something new every day I guess.
Congratulations on a successful hunt, and thanks for the education!

[Ernie]

Thank you for the information.

[220]

This is straight from wiki but turns out there is a huntable population of sambar in the USA

Sambar deer were introduced onto St. Vincent Island, Florida, in 1908 and increased to about 50 individuals by the 1950s. White-tailed deer also live on St. Vincent Island; however, they inhabit the highlands while the sambar deer mostly live in the lowlands and marshes. To ensure that the sambar deer population does not disrupt the native whitetails, hunting permits have been issued since 1987 to regulate the population. Each year, about 130 permits are offered for the three-day hunt.

[Vaquero]

Very nice... Congrats
Any info on said rifle/caliber used to take this trophy?

RP

[220]

Very nice... Congrats
Any info on said rifle/caliber used to take this trophy?

RP

I was well under gunned by most sambar hunters standards, used my weatherby vangaurd in 240wby with 100gr partitions. 270 win with 130gr is the recommended min cal here and mandated further south. The partitions allow the 240 to punch well above it weight, penetration with them is amazing. I clipped the back of the shoulder on this bloke so it had around 4" of skin muscle and sinew to penetrate before even entering the chest cavity. It did it with ease and exited the other side but you have to be a bit more selective with your shot selection with the smaller calibers.
338win 375H&H are fairly popular sambar cals here in Aus and not unusual to see hunters carrying 416 or 458 magnums. Sambar are adrenal deer they get a massive shot of adrenaline when alarmed and will run when dead on their feet sometimes amazing distances. Given the heavy cover they are usually found in it is very easy to loose them even when fatally hit.
This one I took out the heart and off side lung, he was leaking like a holey bucket leaving a blood trail a blind man could follow and still went 150y.