Roaring stags in the red-hot sun

Not many would associate Australia with red stags, but stalking this species down under is a rich experience, says Thomas Nissen

- Thomas Nissen

It had just stopped raining when we turned off the asphalt road on to the dirt track that leads down to St Lawrence. The town was far from charming, but it meets all requirements for the 50 or so permanent residents who have settled in this bit of outback. We drove through the town and reached Greg Coyne's farm just a few minutes later. For the next few days, this place would be the starting point for what would turn out to be a truly unique stalking trip.

The oppressive, humid heat hit Mark Longhi Andreasen and I with an unpleasant force, immediately causing beads of sweat to break out on our foreheads. The heat wasn't just uncomfortable, we were also nervous about whether the stags would break cover in such conditions.

The next morning, we didn't leave quite early enough, as we had to wait for the tide. Our plan was to go by boat and there needed to be a certain amount of water on the beach in order for us to be dropped off at the outer edge of the property. We sped off over grey, murky water and a few minutes later were set ashore a few kilometres from the starting point. We had to take off our boots and socks to jump into the water, where we waded to the shore in water up to our knees. At the beginning, we walked along the sandy beach in bare toes before turning towards the small slope up towards a flat, marshy plain.

Our earlier concerns soon disappeared as we could hear stags roaring on the plain on the other side of a large shallow water. It seems that the red deer have adapted to the completely different living conditions, and there is something unique about hearing a stag roar in the middle of the morning in 25°C heat.