Out last night with the mobile seat as we've been watching a lot of deer on one part of the ground but it's flat and hard to get near them (watched 12 last Thursday night but couldn't get a shot).
Beautiful night, few deer moving about as I walked in, set up and in the seat in no time and within half an hour a good buck appeared on the edge of a wood. Pinged him at 220yds and he gradually worked out from the wood grazing as he came. About 30 or 40 yards out from the wood he presented a good broadside shot and I took it. Knew it wasn't right though as soon as I pulled the trigger and he ran like the clappers with a bust front leg.
He did two fields and dissappeared into a dense, scrubby wood. I stayed a while longer then went to look for him - no blood trail and no sign other than a couple of fresh slots on a well worn deer path. Followed it as best I could but it was getting pretty dark. I scanned the torch around an adjacent field of long grass and picked up a pair of eyes. As I got closer I could make out it was a buck lying almost hidden in the grass, but couldn't be sure it was the one I'd hit. I got to within about 20 yards and he got up and hobbled away but i had to do a loop around him to get a safe shot but dropped him on the spot.
As it happens the second shot was a bit high and touched the spine (and has probably damaged a bit of saddle) but I put that down to shooting whilst holding a torch and having a heart rate af about 220! Bloody relief that I found and dispatched him but a rather troubling experience and I needed a stiff dram when I got in last night. Hopefully just one to put down to experience, but not one I want to repeat any time soon and I'll be checking zero before I'm next out just to be on the safe side
Beautiful night, few deer moving about as I walked in, set up and in the seat in no time and within half an hour a good buck appeared on the edge of a wood. Pinged him at 220yds and he gradually worked out from the wood grazing as he came. About 30 or 40 yards out from the wood he presented a good broadside shot and I took it. Knew it wasn't right though as soon as I pulled the trigger and he ran like the clappers with a bust front leg.
He did two fields and dissappeared into a dense, scrubby wood. I stayed a while longer then went to look for him - no blood trail and no sign other than a couple of fresh slots on a well worn deer path. Followed it as best I could but it was getting pretty dark. I scanned the torch around an adjacent field of long grass and picked up a pair of eyes. As I got closer I could make out it was a buck lying almost hidden in the grass, but couldn't be sure it was the one I'd hit. I got to within about 20 yards and he got up and hobbled away but i had to do a loop around him to get a safe shot but dropped him on the spot.
As it happens the second shot was a bit high and touched the spine (and has probably damaged a bit of saddle) but I put that down to shooting whilst holding a torch and having a heart rate af about 220! Bloody relief that I found and dispatched him but a rather troubling experience and I needed a stiff dram when I got in last night. Hopefully just one to put down to experience, but not one I want to repeat any time soon and I'll be checking zero before I'm next out just to be on the safe side