“On a Mish” #143 Be Seen, Be Safe (Part One). Boyd Creek Tops. Snowdon Forest Conservation Area. 17.3.2017. I’ll never forget a situation I faced when doing my job as Track Manager on the Humpridge Track. It was the day I could hear the whiz of a hunter’s bullets! There is hunting land near the track, but on this situation, I was positive they had crossed the boundary in order to claim their prize. On another mish into the Boyd Creek Tops the peace of the upper basin was disturbed by the buzz of a helicopter and the sound of gunshots, we just hoped we wouldn’t be mistaken for a wild animal…
So many times, I have shown my hunting mates my pictures of animals in the wild and they are shocked I haven’t fired off a few rounds. I always say that I go shooting with my camera, and I hit my target more times than not. If you get caught in the crosshairs of a camera you aren’t in danger, so in order to NOT get caught in the sights of a firearm it is best to be seen with bright clothing or stay away from hunting areas to be safe.
The intrigue of each track available on the Milford Road had led my girlfriend and I to the Boyd Creek Tops Track. The trail is one that is not in Fiordland National Park like most of the others, but that doesn’t detract any beauty seen while out on a mish. A dense beech tree forest eventually finishes at the edge of a large basins topped by Mount Winton and a couple of unnamed peaks in the Countess Range. From what my girlfriend at the time and I could see on the map, it looked like and epic mission.
Autumn had provided the goods weather wise, and we were en route for the track, ready to hunt for pristine scenery. After parking up and saddling our packs, we wandered off into the forest. The track starts off flat as it enters a beautiful beech forest, and then begins to climb up several terraces. On one of the terraces there is a clearing, and standing proud was a young stag. It was awesome to see the young fella cruising around his home. He looked over and noticed me and in the blink of an eye he had galloped off to the cover of the forest.
The distance between the Milford Road and the Boyd Creek Tops doesn’t look very far or hard on the map, but as it turns out it was a bit of a slog to get out in the open above the forest. Like many trails, tracks and routes in this area, a lot of work needs to be done before you break through the treeline and see what’s above. One last climb got us to the treeline, and instantly the aches and pains were replaced by oohs and aahs. It might have taken a while, but it was definitely worth the effort.
We found the perfect place to camp on an area of open ground a couple hundred metres from the treeline. After getting the tent set up it was time to go on the hunt for some water. At this stage the huge basin was quiet apart from the distant sound of running water. Little did we know that early-ish the next day the sound would be broken by not only the sound of a helicopter flying not too far above our camp, but also the sound of gunfire as the machine circled its target…
