Hunting with Jon and Kayla | Part IV

Part 4: The shot

We reach the Lower Cut Over, on the south side of the Estate, where Jon had seen another trophy Red that he and his wife Kayla were keen on.

Mark, our guide, kills the Polaris engine, and we silently exit the vehicle. A lighter appears from his pocket: from the flame, the wind is favourable for us. He collects his Winchester 300, and readies it for the stalk.

This is Jon’s chance. Yesterday, we’d seen a trophy Red that had Jon’s name on it: a proud, strong deer with a generously spread set of antlers that would look great the wall back home in California. Our hope is that it’s just around the corner.

It’s still early in the morning, and the sun is coming down on the north-facing slope as we follow the path. That’s when we see them: three magnificent Reds, soaking up the last of the autumn warmth.

What happens next takes less than a minute. Mark loads the rifle, and passes it to Jon. The deer either doesn’t notice us, or is too distracted by their grass, to see Jon sneak up to a small knoll that provides more generous coverage and a place to lay down and secure his shot. He targets the centre

We see Jon shuffle in, brace, and take off the safety. The stag raises its head, looks at us.

There’s a small pause as we wait for the gun to go off. The air feels still.

Then the concussion rips through the air, and we see the spray of red.

Jon holds his position for a second, in case he needs to fire a second shot – but it stays chambered. The stag is down.

Mark is soon behind him; they’re exchanging handshakes, and Jon and Kayla share a kiss. They all head up the hill to check the kill.

It’s a moment of further congratulations and celebration. We’re soon dragging the body uphill and clearing away grass to take some good photos, arranging the deer and Jon so the light is on their faces and the valley is behind them. We take photo after photo – some with just Jon, others with Kayla too.

Kayla asks how Jon is feeling. He was nervous, he says, with all eyes on him – that’s why he took a pause before firing: to correct a drift, and straighten his breathing. The shot was perfectly placed in the lower neck, concussing the cluster of nerves by the spine: the stag was gone before it hit the ground. You couldn’t ask for a cleaner dispatch.

It’s an emotional moment – of pride, relief, and accomplishment, they say. This holiday has been a long time coming: Jon’s been working 60, 80-hour weeks, knowing that he was working to get here for this trip. Jon and Kayla wanted to make sure every door was open to them when they arrived. That they could take down an animal they’d be proud of, and do it well. They say a small prayer, and send the stag back to his creator.

Jon’s ritual is to open a miniature bottle of spirits to toast each animal. He’s got a line of them at home, marking all his trophies. Mark tells him to save it: he produces a hipflask of Ballantyne’s and some small metal hunter’s cups. We toast the shot, the animal, and good company. The sun is on our faces. Kayla laughs, saying she’s glad that Jon decided to bring her, and not his dad.

We head back to the Lodge with the animal in the back of the Polaris, and ready ourselves for a full breakfast, where we share our adventure with the kitchen team and fill ourselves with coffee and hot food.

Jon and Kayla aren’t done with their hunt yet. Yesterday they’d spotted some stunning Fallows with handsome palmations, “really unlike what’s at home,” as Kayla called them. One had a hide the colour of fallen pine needles, and another that was pale with a chocolate stripe down its tail.

Now that Jon’s secured his formidable trophy Red, he’s ready to get something unique – something that will add to the story of his time here at Poronui. I leave him, Kayla, and Mark to it. But before the day is done, sure enough, there’s a gorgeous Fallow in the back of the Polaris again – and another story to take home to California.