Write Ups

Hits on my trail camera various times of the day/night from Fallow Muntjac and a Fox, with rain forecast it is a local bit of ground so not a drama to pack up and head home if it started to rain. I came in the reverse direction for a change and not long the thermal was glowing white hot with what I guessed to be a doe moving through thick cover, a chance came so I took her on. 1 in the bag so now to wait for a Buck but he never showed, short drive to a productive spot with a second back in cover but it drifted away, then a third showed around 200 yards with me on a fast walk to cut down the yards again it drifted in to cover! A scan of the tree line showed which was probably the one from a few mins ago! quick shift on the stick click...

A new shooter, @lewis01, joined the forum a while ago and mentioned his rough location in his introduction. I sent him a message as I live close by. Since then he has had his FAC granted, and we have been out together a few times on rabbits, as well as one stalk. He has also joined my syndicate and has put in a lot of practice with the rifle. On Friday night we went out foxing. Hopefully you enjoy the footage. Apologies if the captions are a little quick, but I wanted to explain what was happening as the evening unfolded. I had the thermal spotter and the call, and Lewis had my rifle. We had already been out for a couple of hours, including a quick zero check beforehand and some practice off sticks. When the chance finally came, it...

Since getting a 6.5CM a couple of years ago, the old 243 hasn’t been out of the cabinet since. 120gr Sako Blades in 6.5 just work - 80gr Barnes TTSX in 243 kills, but Ive found just doesn’t stop even if going up the front leg. With the fallow season over, I rezeroed with 58gr VMAX for the table - 1/2 inch grouping out of my Mauser. Appreciating smaller species, but jeez what a difference - dogs getting fat. 😄 Few pics from the last fortnight.

Fine beast that i boobed with the last rut but caught up with him this morning. Wee beast at 15.2kg but a nice stalk into 60m so had to be real canny.

A fifth fox has been harassing my boys’ chickens and rabbits for some time. The first four were dealt with without any real trouble, but this one has made a fool of me. I have lost plenty of sleep over it: not through worry, but through fruitless nights in the chair. He is shy, inconsistent, and astonishingly quick, typically spending less than 30 seconds between entering and leaving. Some nights there is nothing at all, then the following night he will appear five times. I left out a spread of bait, including dead rats as they dropped, squirrels, rabbits, and a few old pheasant bones. The first trail camera triggers an alarm to wake me, and I then have to come fully to my senses and get the rifle into the fight before he slips away...

Completed my DSC1 last month, so while my FAC application is in progress, I was looking for guided stalking opportunities to start building some experience. I posted on one of the Facebook groups, looking for a local guide, and was messaged by a chap not far from me. After a chat we agreed on a date and arranged an evening stalk, mid-week. Met up after work, had a practice shot with his rifle on a steel target to make sure I was comfortable - no issues there - Blaser, 6.5x55, Swaro optic on sticks, very nice to shoot. We loaded up into his truck and headed out. I won't give out his land location out of respect for privacy, but it was hilly terrain, and fortunately a nice, clear and dry evening. Out of the truck, we worked down over...

To say this has taken a while to get going would be an understatement! After stalking for what must have been about 15 years, I had decided back in 2021 that I wanted to see how my .308 would shoot with the iron sights that I had not yet even looked through, let alone fired at a target using them. After setting up a circle about an inch wide, then going back to about 75 yards, I immediately decided to make the target a bit bigger and close the distance because there was no way I could even see that! So a 2 inch circle and 60 yards of range was fairly comfortable for me. Took a few shots, adjusted the rear sight and finally I thought I had a pretty solid 3 shot group. (For those who don’t know, you can only see the pin on the foresight...

Lost the MIL yesterday evening so said to the missus i'll get a good head for the wall this morning to remember her by. Out at 0330 with a stunning warm morning and the dawn chorus an absolute joy to be part of. Things could hardly have went better with a superb buck,a 3 legged buck and some nice pictures.

I was lucky enough this evening to be invited to have a go for a muntjac, I was shown to the highseat and advised on the ground in front, safety and backstops, I was also told that if a fox happens along it take priority over the deer. I got comfortable and let the world around settle back down after our disturbance, after a short time a cock pheasant was shouting, I assumed it to be a fox so kept my eyes peeled but it never showed. After about an hour a buck and doe came out onto a part of the meadow which is not shootable, I watched them slowly work around the hedges and along the river bank, the buck disappeared into the wood and the doe had found cover on the river bank, back to just enjoying the evening. The doe then re appeared...

Decided to see if either of my kids (6 and about to turn 9 in a couple of weeks) were ready to join me on a stalk anytime soon. Rather than take them out on a proper stalk we headed out this afternoon, for a look around my permission, to see if we could get a good picture of some roe deer. Whilst no deer showed we got a picture of a couple of hares. My eldest did really well, was quiet as a mouse, followed my instructions and tried to keep her brother in check. My youngest is still a way off coming out and probably the reason we saw no deer today 🤣, but they both still said they enjoyed it anyway.

Way way back in the day, before Facebook was a thing, I'd started my blog and was looking for other hunting bloggers in the UK. I found a blog called Bashing Bambi and struck up a correspondence with its author - Fat Tim. Reluctant ex- squaddie, railway man, and game keeper, Tim had left the army a little earlier than he’d have liked, so twenty five-odd years later he was still regaling anyone within earshot with tales of his youthful daring-do.The railway was just a method of having the money to take more punts at the sealed bid sale. His passion was directing operations from a quad bike; keepering, and as shoot captain. When he found out I’d only shot one deer so he offered to take me stalking. We'd agreed to meet up at...

1st write up, not deer related I'm afraid but wanted to share a beautiful moment. I've never been much of a fisherman, when I was a kid it was catching roach in silted up ponds, but I didn't have the patience to appreciate it. Mackerel fishing was always a blast and great memories were made but it was always more of a holiday activity. The last time I tried fishing was with a hobo line around a beer can for catfish in Colombia, I got sunburnt, dehydrated, eaten by mosquitos and didn't catch anything. Frankly I have no idea where to start. I'm lucky enough to live near a beautiful chalk stream some of which flows through common land. Me and the 4 year old would often walk down by the stream and see people trying their luck. After...

Bit long winded and will put all pics to outings in a sperate comment. Irish boys said they would hang fire with coming this year although might make it later so i said i would do a few places i don't shoot on enough and take some beasts i should have had a year or two ago. Held out Friday evening to a close to home bit that i do the moling on.The lad has told me to help myself to the roe but with having to drive through his close to get to the hotspot i've never bothered shooting any in at least 5 years.In those years i've glassed it many hundreds of times and always plenty beasts. Sat on the road and had a glass and straight away saw a buck chasing a nice abnorm which had the better head,and when the chase ended i was surprised to...

Been trying for this older lad for the last couple of months and after a few close calls his time came early this morning. 4th winter at the feeders that i've known and time for something fresh to get let in.

Some difference in a week with loads of chasing this morning and necked this chunky fella. First roadside scrapes this morning and the offenders were not that far away.

Been out the past two mornings, had a couple of bucks, Wow the ticks that are about (Northumberland) seems to be abbundent. Anyone else seeing this.

Got up on the sticks and the cradle broke. Had to follow him for three fields before I was able to get a shot. Super grateful for the opportunity. Does anyone know a taxidermist that handles perruques?

After taking delivery and zeroing the new rifle last week, she took her first deer last night. This young chap is a regular on my small patch and tended to take the same route several night per week and at roughly the same time. I have noted deer often hold routines for a few weeks then change them - often to another routine. He'd eluded me until now for a variety of reasons. He has cast recently as can be seen. Risked a neck shot at 66m as he was very close to the boundary, and was successful - he dropped on the spot.

Slightly long post, mainly because I am restless between waiting for renders. I have been invited out midweek on a mixed brief, so yesterday I thought I would check both rifles from sticks at 100m before the trip. I always zero from sticks, as that is how I use my rifles in the field, but it also avoids the neck ache from lying prone behind a rifle for extended sessions. On this occasion it had the added benefit of keeping me out of the dirt in a field that had recently been sprayed with slurry and ploughed in. My stalking rifles are generally set around 1" high at 100m, which is usually a fairly hassle-free zero. I followed suit with my vermin calibres. The problem is that a slightly longer-range zero can become less forgiving for...

Took a good friend out for his first buck. Saw nothing but does and some very young bucks most of the evening. Then just on last light walking back to the truck we catch out this beauty! Took ages to find him. Thought id have to go get the dog but he was curled up under a gorse bush... Some of Aberdeenshires finest 👌🏻