What age would you put the stag at around the 16min mark? Still fairly new to hunting and trying to learn how to age them. My guess is about 5 years? Cheers for the time to mark these vids!

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Hi Simon, This is an important topic. I’m working on a video now covering this as it’s a big detailed topic with lots of descriptions and is far easier to learn when looking at pictures to compare. It’s also a difficult skill to learn, especially if you hunt a lot of different areas and not seeing the same animals multiple years in a row. Preferably with photos each year to compare. Obviously you can age exactly by taking the back teeth and have them aged if you shoot the animal. This is definitely the most accurate way to get good but it’s obviously not always practical. There are a few key points to look at. Skull length and width.( does it have a bulkier muzzle.). You will see a younger animal generally has a narrower shorter nose. Almost a baby face , rather than the Knarly old look. Low slung belly, possibly a slouch in the back and a low slung neck. Neck generally is a bit bulkier to. These are older characteristics. If an animal has the big chest look tapering strongly to the flank with not much belly and the impression he’s fit but skips leg day, he’s young. Rump: big rounded rump like a horse is a sign of age generally. If it’s butt narrows to a point, especially in a straight line from the back of the leg to the tail it’s a sign he’s probably younger. Antler height off the skull. If his burrs are low to the skull then this is a sign of age. Generally as an animal ages, each time he’s drops antlers and grows new ones the distance between the base of the antler gets closer to the skull. If his antlers are right on the skull he’s very likely to be old, However, they don’t always get low. That being said a young stag doesn’t have low burrs. The antlers themselves. This is very much the least reliable method in most cases apart from some of the older animals that can often show signs they are perhaps going backwards - Weaker tops- not finished properly. Or maybe just getting that larger mass and less defined points. Generally this is a lot better information if you know the areas potential for heads to begin with. Obviously if you recognise an animal from a previous year this can really be quite helpful. Just remember these are all indicators and it’s the combination of all of these things that are needed to paint an accurate assessment of the animal. To answer your question on that particular stag at the 16 minute mark, I would say 7-8 years old. I don’t think he’ll get any better and is possibly going to get worse depending on feed availability over the next year. Most likely 7 is my best guess. I would have been happy to take him if he was stripping he’s velvet. Remember you never stop learning on this topic so if anyone else reads this feel free to chime in with information. Hope this helps, cheers.👍😁

@simonmiddleton9284

6 ай бұрын

@@controlledrecoil-nzhunting oh wicked looking forward to that video! That's heaps for the very detailed reply mate! Bloody cool you're so willing to pass on what you've learned through the tears, very much appreciated!

@ashnewman9036

6 ай бұрын

Bloody ripper of a video Tom! Wicked to see some nice animals getting around.

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers mate 👍👍👍

Once again I find myself on the Nullarbor straight surrounded by kangaroos and alot of red dirt while you are. In stunning scenery and lots of deer. Keep up the great work.

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Mate that’s still epic! It’s crazy to think that hunting can create such a awesome community and connect us from some of the more remote places around. Thanks again 👍👍

Beautiful country at 4000 ft. Valleys wonderful and deep and rich with animals. Like your style of hunting, need I mention any more about that. Nice to see some potentially great boys out there. Great content mate. Can't wait for you to take us backcl there. Cheers .

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Thanks mate, really appreciate your support. I’m certainly looking forward to it . Cheers 👍😁

Can't think of anything better than waking up to a ridge full of young stags toying with each other, what a sight. Love your ventures, keep the great content coming, cheers.

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Thanks mate. Yes it was an awesome sight. Cheers 👍👍

Mate. That was an awesome video. Beautiful country, brilliant use of cameras and music that helped bring about a calm while watching beautiful animals. Keep em coming. 💯

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Thanks mate, appreciate your support. Yeah great to see them up in the tops. Cheers 👍👍

@joshuawallace2704

6 ай бұрын

I'm looking forward to what you show us this year. There is so much potential there.

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Yeah I’m sure it’s going to be a good one. Some cool things happening in the background too. 👍👍

*Controlled Recoil - NZ Hunting* Beautiful country, thank-you sir for taking the time to bring us along. GOD Bless.

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers mate, thanks for your support 😁👍

Home always provides not only food but also some of the best scenery on the planet 🤘 Love your patients and care you have towards all things living brother, your paving the way for up and coming young hunters with your content so yeah thanks heaps for all the hard work you put into your uploads for us to enjoy as well 🤙 Chur to the chur from the brother Mike 🫡

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers Mike! Really appreciate it brother. Awesome to have your support 😁👍

Awesome video Tom. Cheers for sharing once again!

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Thanks mate 👍👍

Epic as always, your patience and ethics are flawless. Well played sir!

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers mate, great to have your support 👍👍

Awesome vid Tom, man a couple of those stags were huge aye, wicked potential. Best of luck for your next mission catching up with them again. Phil

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers mate, yeah that last one is a taker as soon as he’s in hard antler. Thanks 👍😁

Great content as always, nice to see the Batchelor boys hanging out.

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers mate. Yeah it’s an awesome time of year to see the potential in areas. 👍👍

Great vid. Ahh the old chippies, great emergency fire lighters they are too!

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers. Well I didn’t know that , I’ll have to try it out. Thanks for watching 👍👍

Absolutely amazing bud! Still living the dream eh! Keep the videos coming, i look forward to seeing them. Still trying to convince the wife and kids to move their lol

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

2 ай бұрын

Cheers mate, glad you’re enjoying it. Really appreciate your support. 👍👍

Another awesome video mate, stunning country and animal's 👌

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers bro. Shaping up to be a good season 👍👍

Hey Tom merry new year to you etc, some very good looking up and comers in amongst that lot, thanks for sharing and good on you for taking the time to check for young ones, each to their own but im on the same page as far as that goes! Cheers greg 👍

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Thanks mate, appreciate it. 😁👍

You have got a bloody good set of eyes on you. Well done

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching 👍👍

Awesome video mate some good looking deer in there and stunning country your very lucky

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers mate. Yes we certainly are here. Thanks for the support 👍👍

bloody good content mate, look forward to seeing those stags again

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Thanks mate. Heck yes , me too 😁👍

This one proves you don't have to put an animal on the ground to have a great show. Thanks Tom.

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers mate, appreciate your support 👍👍

thats some self control bro, hills were crawling with life. chur for the videos 🤙🏾

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Yeah ha patience will pay off. I’ve been culling crap heads and leaving good ones in this area for 15 years now and it’s definitely having a great impact. The last 4 years have seen some great heads and length coming through. Cheers 👍

Looks very similar to the country I hunt with a good mate of mine when I'm in NZ. Good for laying down in the long grass and having a snooze in the sunshine 😂 Plenty of animals about, great for the future stocks. Keep up the great work esp with that damm wind 😂

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Ha it’s certainly good for that. Yeah the wind up there wears on you a bit. Cheers 👍👍

You're a dedicated hunter. Thanks for the vids.

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers mate 👍👍

Mate you’ve got ya roar spot all sorted. Good numbers about🤙🤙

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Yeah it’s shaping up well especially with the feed around. It should hold the hinds in that area. 👍👍

Awesome Tom.

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers mate. Thanks for watching 👍😁

Brilliant country and well done, not just pulling the trigger for the sake of it.

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers mate. Yeah it’s a neat place up there. 👍👍

Awesome vid mate. Some good blood there alright 👍

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers mate. Yeah been culling crap and leaving good ones for 15 years now and it’s really starting to pay off in these last 4 years. 👍👍

Nice patience on the big stag, reckon you should have knocked over a couple of spikers / yearlings as you know what too many deer numbers mean! 🚁 ☠️

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

5 ай бұрын

Hi Greg, Yes you’re not wrong about controlling numbers. I am very conscious about there becoming too many. As you’ve suggested we do have a responsibility, as we all know what the other options are If we don’t do our part. That being said i almost always leave young stags as you never know their potential when they are young. Each to there own of course, and you can’t end up letting everything walk. Just was a tough call as nothing stood out as an obvious cull. There will definitely be some hinds taken out though once they loose their fawns. Cheers for the support mate 👍👍

Bloody awesome hunt tom good stuff

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers mate. Bit of action for you recently to ae

Onya bro 👍 Couple there for the roar too 😉

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers bro👍👍

MM77 Approved 👍🏼👍🏼……………………………………………………….. The scenery is beautiful, but I know that it makes for some tough hunting. You proved by your patience why it’s called hunting, not killing! LOL

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers mate. Yes it’s a stunning spot. Patience is important. I’ve seen so much improvement of the animal quality in this area over the last 15 years. I’ve been taking out the weaker heads and letting the good one’s age. It’s one thing to let them get mature but they need a chance to be dominant to past on the good genes. The beauty is now the depth of animals with age on them is consistent so there should be a steady supply of older animals that have reached there peak coming through each year. Satisfying to see anyway. 👍👍

Excellent

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers mate 👍👍

Awesome video. Keep it up

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Thanks mate 😁👍

Awesome video Tom, love your approach to hunting. Thanks for putting another one out! I've been lucky enough to see some really cool velvet stags this summer too, always a great sight. I've noticed you're using an Element scope - the HDLR? I’ve seen some of your other videos and your shooting is on-point. Have you done any videos covering the scope in some detail? The reason I ask is that I'm currently saving up to replace my fixed-4-power scope on my Vanguard 308. I’m mountain and bush hunting on public land in Nth Canterbury and Kaikoura which means travelling lots of kms by foot. I’m currently not shooting deer past 150m as I’m limited by my current scope. I would like to be able to push that out another couple of hundred meters when needed. The Element Helix HD looks like it might be a good option for me so I was wondering about your thoughts on it. Thanks and keep up the great work and inspiration!

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

5 ай бұрын

Hi mate, That’s great to hear you’re seeing a few stags. Unfortunately I haven’t done a video on the scope yet. It’s a great scope. I’ve had a good run with it. Gets my 308 out to 650 on animals and 1050yards on targets with the short 16” barrel. Nice reticle and illumination. Parallax adjustment. Zero stop etc. I have a couple of element scopes but the HDLR is probably the best value for money and well suited to hunting. They compare well to the Leupold vx5 but are $1000.00 less which is pretty hard to go past. Obviously there are heaps of options and your situation will dictate what’s best for you. Wayne is great to deal with too. If you end up going for one, call him 027 200 9746 He’ll look after you. Thanks for the support mate 👍👍

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

5 ай бұрын

Hi mate, That’s great to hear you’re seeing a few stags. Unfortunately I haven’t done a video on the scope yet. It’s a great scope. I’ve had a good run with it. Gets my 308 out to 650 on animals and 1050yards on targets with the short 16” barrel. Nice reticle and illumination. Parallax adjustment. Zero stop etc. I have a couple of element scopes but the HDLR is probably the best value for money and well suited to hunting. They compare well to the Leupold vx5 but are $1000.00 less which is pretty hard to go past. Obviously there are heaps of options and your situation will dictate what’s best for you. Wayne is great to deal with too. If you end up going for one, call him 027 200 9746 He’ll look after you. Thanks for the support mate 👍👍

@spoonheadmusic

5 ай бұрын

@@controlledrecoil-nzhunting thanks Tom, appreciate you taking the time to respond. That's not the first time that I've heard that this guy Wayne is a good dude. I'll keep doing my research and definitely keep these Element scopes in mind. Thanks again!

I always learn something on this channel. This guy is a real "woodsman/hunter".

@Matt-ze2xc

6 ай бұрын

He's the Clint Eastwood of the hills the hang mans rope shooter

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for your support. Glad you enjoyed the video 👍😁

Nice animals. Find back wheels and backstraps .Save the monsters for later

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

5 ай бұрын

Yeah, very nice condition meat at this time of year. Cheers 👍👍

Man I want to get over there and do some Stag hunting!!! Beautiful country!

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Cheers mate, where are you based?

@Dmoore37

6 ай бұрын

@@controlledrecoil-nzhunting South East USA

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Awesome. Well if you’re ever planning to come over let me know, I’d be happy to get you landing a stags 👍👍

@Dmoore37

6 ай бұрын

@@controlledrecoil-nzhunting appreciate you mate i certainly will!

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

👍👍😁

What an amzing vidoe! What camera do you use? What editing software? Love your vida

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Thanks, I use canon and Nikon for the longer range footage. The main one is the Nikon P1000 for the extremely large zoom although I find the canons easier to use in general. Have used several edit software adobe Digital Premiere and IMovie. iMovie is easier to use however the compatibility is sometimes difficult. You often have to save to files to convert formats before exporting. Cheers.👍

Grouse vid cheers. Awesome footage. The length on that last fella!! If you don’t mind - what camera are you using for the zoomed images?

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Hi, yes he was a good one alright. I’m using a Nikon P1000. Cheers mate 👍😁

Great trip once again what’s the camera your using thx

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Hi, I have a couple of them. The big zoom one is the Nikon P1000. Can be hard to get at times. I also use Cannons. They are great cameras and better to use for general footage but the P1000 zoom is hard to beat in the big country. The cannon SX60 and 70 are great for closer in as the lens speed is a lot faster so great for action in close as well as shots out to 400/500 yards. If you’re wanting better quality the DSLRs are really the way to go but pricey when you need the bigger lenses and you simply won’t have the zoom capability or the compact size. Depends how far you want to go. Thanks for watching.👍

I don’t know how it is out your way, and maybe because we don’t get to use suppressors, but so often we have trail cams, hunt for trails etc…but the day after the first day of season, most of them totally change patterns. But eastern canada is mostly thick forest with no spotting like you have. Where you are is a bit like a much warmer north west

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Yes I know what you mean. It’s certainly an advantage being able to glass from a distance and not scent the area. Suppressors probably help a lot too, but I also think the hunting pressure here is less abrupt as we don’t have a opening day or official start to the season. Sure there’s a season for waterfowl and upland birds and for some specific areas, but overall for deer etc we can hunt all year long. The roar of course is always more popular with more hunters . I just thought it may be due to a more consistent hunting pressure rather then such a sudden change in activity. I could be totally mistaken but just a thought. Thanks again for watching 👍😁

@jimf1964

6 ай бұрын

@@controlledrecoil-nzhunting I’m sure you’re right about not having an opening season. For us, depending on where you are, the season could be from one month to three for big game. There’s so many deer in farming areas, which aren’t unfamiliar with people, but there would be a sudden change in human activity with bow season starting, then muzzle loader, then rifle.

I love your videos! I just moved back to Nelson and am just getting into hunting. Would you be keen to show two newbies a few tricks of the trade?

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Hi, yeah no worries. Private message me. Details at the end of each video. Cheers 👍😁

Wow crazy good country mate is that family property ur on?? Stay safe budd🤙

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Hey mate, yup sure is. Such a cool spot. That place never gets old , it’s always got something to offer and will also kick you hard if you take it for granted. I’m very lucky, but glad I can share it with you guys . Thanks again for your support mate 👍👍

@bigd4000

6 ай бұрын

@@controlledrecoil-nzhunting ur very blessed mate an thanks for sharing it with us👍

Hey mate what is your backpack? Would you recommend it? Cheers

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Hi, my pack in this video is an Eberlestock. They have many options of packs. I love the fact they are molle compatible so adding extra pouches etc is easy and makes it very modular to suit your purposes. This however can add a bit of weight. They are very comfortable and made well but it’s worth deciding if you need the models with rifle scabbards or not. I find them very useful and convenient for carrying tri-pods for cameras and spotting scopes but it’s a lot of material so adds a little more weight. They are not cheap but they are made very well. I would prefer less internal pockets on mine and use the molle pouches on the outside for my detailed gear but that’s just my preference. Worth checking out. I would buy one again. Be sure to check the capacity as the pictures can make them look bigger if your buying online. Cheers.

@subie_drummer4613

6 ай бұрын

@@controlledrecoil-nzhunting thanks for the reply mate love your videos. I'm just starting out so looking for a good pack to start out with so only need to carry for a days hunt with a rifle scabbard or clip, if you can recommend anything? Ive looked at the hunters element packs but don't know anyone with one. Cheers

When do you graze that country? I would've thought you would have cattle up there

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Yes its grazed almost all year round but this year we have another block leased so it’s great to give it a break and set it up well. It always has a merino wether flock on it but less at the moment. Cheers 👍👍

@mattyallen3396

6 ай бұрын

@@controlledrecoil-nzhunting i honestly didn't know that farmers kept wethers any more.

Are the antlers worth much?

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Hi, yes they actually are. $40 per kg for hard antler and roughly $150ish I’m guessing for high quality velvet. Cheers 👍

I hunt not far away. Wots Ur fave peak time 4 roar?

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Hi Matt, there’s always a bit of variation each year but you can’t go wrong with the last week of March/ 1st week of April. The Last two years, end of March has been off tap. Cheers 👍

@Matt-ze2xc

6 ай бұрын

@@controlledrecoil-nzhunting that's good coz I come down 30th last year n they were going good but this year 29th to 6th April n hope I catch a few flippn thea lids n sum good footage. Cheers m8

@controlledrecoil-nzhunting

6 ай бұрын

Yeah I reckon you’ll be on the money 👍👍