After a quieter April hunt where animal sightings were few and far between, May’s Illawarra Hunting Club trip to Bago State Forest well and truly delivered. With 16 members making the trip south, camp was set up at the outstanding Pilot Hill Arboretum, which quickly became one of the standout talking points of the weekend. An absolute cracker of a campsite with great atmosphere, good company and the perfect base for a weekend in the bush. A few hunters also spread out and tried their luck through Green Hills State Forest to cover a bit more country.

From the first morning it was clear the deer numbers were strong. Deer were everywhere. The challenge, however, was getting close to them. The animals were extremely skittish and switched on, keeping hunters on their toes all weekend and making every opportunity count.

In the end, three deer hit the deck across the hunt, with Bangor and Hayden continuing their usual form by bagging a stag each. Both were quality young stags and a reward for persistence and solid hunting. Nathan Bailey also opened his account with a little spiker. 

Despite the tricky conditions, nearly everyone managed to lay eyes on deer throughout the hunt. Well… almost everyone. Poor old Pon somehow managed to miss out on seeing any deer at all, granted he wasn't there that long, But as always, Pon found another way to contribute to the weekend, rolling out some unreal reverse seared chestnuts that quickly became a camp favourite and more than made up for the lack of sightings.

Like all good club hunts, the weekend was about more than just what ended up in the back of the ute. It was good people, laughs around the fire, stories getting bigger by the hour, and another quality weekend spent in great country with great mates. May certainly reminded us all why Bago continues to be such a popular destination for club hunts.

For all the photos from our weekend away, make sure you head over to the Illawarra Hunting Club Facebook page.