Cecil Peak DoC Goat Shoot

Last weekend the local DeerStalkers branch was invited by DoC to carry out a bit of pest control for them.  The only catch was that it was over at Cecil Peak Station (on the other side of the lake) and we had to get ourselves there.  Thankfully, it turns out enough people in DeerStalkers had a boat of some description so we signed up.
We arrived at the boat ramp bright and early on Saturday morning and waited for the strange assortment of boats (jet boats, ski boats, little boats, our boat...) and people in hi-visibility gear to turn up.  We thought we'd done pretty well with a hi-vis boat as well!

The country was pretty hard and although as a group we only shot about 25 goats, we also saw chamois and deer (although unfortunately they were off the menu).  The original plan was to stay the night, but with a really bad front arriving late afternoon we all decided to high tail it back to civilisation.  Although unfortunately high tailing it didn't work so well with one of the jet boats breaking down before we even left the far side of the lake.  After attempting to get it started for half an hour and with rapidly deteriorating weather, eventually everyone gave up and decided that our boat was the best one to tow it back with.  All of the other boats left at that stage were better suited for flat water (ski boats and jet boats) so our "deep V" came in handy for the slow trudge back across the lake with a good 2 foot chop.  So yet again our old "dunger" turned out to be a gem!  We only wished it was the alloy jet boat and not the 2 tonne all steel one that had broken down....

Here's a shot of the remaining boats lined up on the beach just before the weather turned.  Hopefully at the next meeting on Thursday night we might be able to get copies of some of the other photos taken - but no promises!