It Starts With Trust: Sam & Tim’s Otago Stag

This tip starts with trust—and in Tim Schulpen and Sam Yule’s case, it ended with a big Otago stag on the deck.

Recently, we had an order come through from our friend Sam Yule for a radio pouch to attach to his bino harness—an interesting request from a man who spends most of his weekends hunting solo, letting no one slow him down or doubt his decisions. That way, he can leave a hunt knowing everything was on his shoulders, successful or not.

And while we admire the grit of solo hunters like Sam, some of us prefer the added banter, discussions on tactics, extra eyes, and— in this case—an extra voice in our ear to help guide us onto a thumper animal. A lot of us don’t have the opportunity or commitment to hunt two or three times a month, so when we finally lay eyes on an animal that gets our heart pumping, we want to make the most of it.

An Unlikely Pairing That Paid Off

On this occasion, Sam invited a friend he had only ever talked to on social media about hunting gear and past trips. Tim was offered the invite simply because he’s a good bugger—but also because the area they were hunting doesn’t hold a high density of animals. If a mature stag is found, though, it’s more than likely going to be something special, thanks to the strong bloodline running through the Otago mountains.

But the country is vast, time is short, and there are countless pockets and creeks for animals to hide in. Sam figured that along with his experience and fitness, the key to finding success this weekend would be an extra set of eyes.

However, an extra set of eyes scanning the terrain from the other side of the ridge means nothing if you have no way to communicate what you’re seeing. Sure, you can wait for the evening debrief at camp, but when an animal shows itself, you need to get things moving in real-time.

The Value of Real-Time Communication

On the last day of the hunt, Sam and Tim had once again split up, with Sam dropping off the front face of camp. He spotted a great stag on the other side of the valley and knew it was worth the effort to chase. He radioed Tim with the location so that while Sam climbed back to camp, Tim could track the feeding stag and pinpoint where it bedded down.

Because it’s one thing to spot a stag while it’s moving—but a mature, cunning stag will almost always bed in a spot that gives it a clear vantage point while concealing its big red body. Once that happens, getting eyes on it again can be a serious challenge.

This time, having Tim on the spotter while Sam moved meant they could see exactly where the stag would hold up for the heat of the day—only possible because of their radios.

A Game Plan in Motion

Hours later, with camp packed up and on their backs, Sam and Tim dropped into the valley floor, setting up a new camp and putting a game plan in motion. The idea was for Tim to climb up another face with a spotting scope, his rifle, and a radio to keep an eye on the stag while talking Sam in as he snuck up a draw, out of sight and downwind.

Most of us know that once you’re standing in the middle of a mountain face, everything looks different. Landmarks shift, ridgelines change, and suddenly what seemed obvious from afar becomes almost unrecognisable. Solo hunters accept that this is just part of the game—it’s all up to you. But your chances of success drop dramatically.

In Sam's case, he had Tim confirming over the radio that the stag was still bedded and guiding him on where to move next. With good wind, time on his side, and Tim in his ear, that stag was as good as dead.

Nothing’s Done Until It’s Done

But this is hunting—nothing’s done until it’s done.

The wind did a full 180, blowing Sam’s scent straight to the stag. No more than 30 seconds later, Tim came through on the radio: “He’s up and off.”

Sam’s heart sank as he watched the stag moving through the head basin, not slowing his pace. All hope was lost—chasing down a spooked stag in mountain terrain isn’t realistic.

But that’s not how Tim thinks.

He piped up on the radio, telling Sam to keep eyes on the stag while he side-hilled at pace, trying to cut it off. What had seemed impossible at first started to shift as Tim covered ground. For most of this time, he was out of sight, relying entirely on Sam’s updates coming through the radio attached to his bino harness.

Ten minutes after the stag had originally spooked, it was rolling back down the mountain after Tim managed a single lethal shot.

Although Sam was gutted not to have sealed the deal himself, he was beyond stoked to see Tim refuse to accept reality and make it happen.

What This Hunt Proves

We get it—it takes trust to let someone new into your hunting spots. That’s why it’s important to connect with like-minded hunters you can rely on. No one gets a second chance if they’re not loyal to keeping a spot quiet.

But if you’re lucky enough to have mates you can trust, take it a step further than just sharing some banter. Get some radios in each other’s hands.

We always recommend the GME 5W handheld radios because they’re simply well-built and reliable. Sure, they’re a little bigger than a 2W, but they’re not much heavier—and they open up so many more possibilities for communication.

The TwinNeedle Setup

In Sam and Tim's case, Sam was running the 5W GME in his TwinNeedle radio pouch, attached to his Bino Pro. Tim was running a 2W GME with the belt clip attached to the MOLLE on the side of his harness. While it was secure enough, it wasn’t nearly as well protected from the scrub.

And while the 2W and 5W can communicate well enough, it’s like an adult playing catch with a child—you’re limited to how far the child alone can throw.

Credits
Hunters: @Sam Yule and Tim Schulpen
Imagery: CASO Creative
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