First beast on FC lease

After quite a few visits (and I have seen a few deer) and a few very close calls lady luck finally shone on me this morning. Despite the mist, drizzle and midges I finally got my first deer from the FC patch Where I am a member of a syndicate.

After a long climb up a hill to a ridge (trying to find some wind to escape the midges) I got to the top and stalked into the very light breeze. On reaching the back of the ridge I spotted 2 deer like shapes in the mist. BONUS! They were settled and feeding happily so I got the binos out and had a good look. They were both red stags, one knobber and a big beast, so big that the knobber looked like a shetland pony next to a shire horse! Given the location and the big boy being in velvet that made the choice very easy. I thought, 'no dramas, I will take the small one and the drag should be ok.'

It turned broadside on and I took the shot. There was a good strike and because the coat was wet I could clearly see that the shot was well placed in the engine room.

The bigger stag crashed into the plantation, probably leaping over some of the fully grown trees:) he was huge!

I followed up as the smaller one had looked as though he had collapsed at the ege of the trees. Oh no he hadn't. He actually had gone 20m down the hill but was dead. The problem was he was at the base of pine trees with the branches 1ft off the ground. I managed to drag him to a mini clearing and soon realised that even though he was the little brother he was quite big. Full gralloch completed and lower rear legs removed (maximum weaight loss for extraction) and the extraction commenced. After much:banghead: hard work we reached the top of a prominant firebreak. Now on the map it looked clear down to the road and I could see grass as far as the curvature of the slope would allow. Easy street, ridge the sledge down the hill. Half way down the firebreak closed into full wood :doh::doh::doh::doh::doh::doh::doh:. By now you can imagine the amount of sweat and midges, to add to this pine needles went everywhere and the stag kept going the wrong way around each tree.

We finally made it to the road and I discovered that the back door on the wagon had jammed (it really is an old rust bucket) so I folded forward the back seats and must have been quite a sight for a few walkers as I had a pulley system set up to try and force this knobber through a passenger door into the boot of an old discovery while sweating and cursing. I did manage a very charming good morning though:tiphat:

What a list of lessons learned! Most important one If it looks small next to a big stag it does not mean it is small!!!!!!!!!

Sadly too many midges for photos, apologies!
 
so I folded forward the back seats and must have been quite a sight for a few walkers as I had a pulley system set up to try and force this knobber through a passenger door into the boot of an old discovery while sweating and cursing. I did manage a very charming good morning though:tiphat:

Excellent writeup, I bet that was a sight to behold. At least you didn't sit him on the back seat! :lol:

Alex
 
V tempting as his tongue was stuck out at a jaunty angle but what a stink to have that close!
 
:rofl: Oh thank you that really gave me a laugh ........................ i take a replacement for the rust bucket is now on the cards?

Congrats on the best well taken.
 
Nice result fella.

One thing I do notice about various write ups I read on here is that alot of people do a FULL gralloch and take the legs off, do you find that the carcass gets badly contaminated? The joints on the legs get all black and dirty, the inside gets full of pine needles/moss/peat, I find it makes for a badly presented carcass.
 
Well Done Mr Jinga,

Glad it's all come together. I assume it was a 3 door Disco you got? I can't remember. 3rd thing to learn, ensure rear door is free prior to leaving home. Same happened to mine, a quick spray of WD40 (or something similar) sorted it out though.

TJ
 
5 door disco which now has wd40 in the back!

Dan - I did the gralloch in 2 stages. Got all the green out then tunneled the heart and lungs out leaving the ribcage intact to prevent too much pine needle flavouring. Mucky work but it has turned out ok in the end!
 
We finally made it to the road and I discovered that the back door on the wagon had jammed (it really is an old rust bucket) so I folded forward the back seats and must have been quite a sight for a few walkers as I had a pulley system set up to try and force this knobber through a passenger door into the boot of an old discovery while sweating and cursing. I did manage a very charming good morning though:tiphat:

What a list of lessons learned! Most important one If it looks small next to a big stag it does not mean it is small!!!!!!!!!

Sadly too many midges for photos, apologies!

.....now what was wrng with just slinging him across the bonnet like you were some kinda good 'ole boy????:lol::lol:
 
The bonnet would have caved in and the fuel economy would have hit low single digits......apart from that my urban stirling neighbours would probably have called the police. I do like the idea of a good red head sticking out of the sunroof. Maybe seal the gap with one of those canoeing spraydeck things!
 
congratulations and your description of everthing is very familiar i bet to many on this site,it is amazing how a smallish stag suddenly feels twice as heavy as it should be when you have to extract it,as the saying goes "the easy bit is pulling the trigger,the hard work begins after"!!
 
After quite a few visits (and I have seen a few deer) and a few very close calls lady luck finally shone on me this morning. Despite the mist, drizzle and midges I finally got my first deer from the FC patch Where I am a member of a syndicate.

After a long climb up a hill to a ridge (trying to find some wind to escape the midges) I got to the top and stalked into the very light breeze. On reaching the back of the ridge I spotted 2 deer like shapes in the mist. BONUS! They were settled and feeding happily so I got the binos out and had a good look. They were both red stags, one knobber and a big beast, so big that the knobber looked like a shetland pony next to a shire horse! Given the location and the big boy being in velvet that made the choice very easy. I thought, 'no dramas, I will take the small one and the drag should be ok.'

It turned broadside on and I took the shot. There was a good strike and because the coat was wet I could clearly see that the shot was well placed in the engine room.

The bigger stag crashed into the plantation, probably leaping over some of the fully grown trees:) he was huge!

I followed up as the smaller one had looked as though he had collapsed at the ege of the trees. Oh no he hadn't. He actually had gone 20m down the hill but was dead. The problem was he was at the base of pine trees with the branches 1ft off the ground. I managed to drag him to a mini clearing and soon realised that even though he was the little brother he was quite big. Full gralloch completed and lower rear legs removed (maximum weaight loss for extraction) and the extraction commenced. After much:banghead: hard work we reached the top of a prominant firebreak. Now on the map it looked clear down to the road and I could see grass as far as the curvature of the slope would allow. Easy street, ridge the sledge down the hill. Half way down the firebreak closed into full wood :doh::doh::doh::doh::doh::doh::doh:. By now you can imagine the amount of sweat and midges, to add to this pine needles went everywhere and the stag kept going the wrong way around each tree.

We finally made it to the road and I discovered that the back door on the wagon had jammed (it really is an old rust bucket) so I folded forward the back seats and must have been quite a sight for a few walkers as I had a pulley system set up to try and force this knobber through a passenger door into the boot of an old discovery while sweating and cursing. I did manage a very charming good morning though:tiphat:

What a list of lessons learned! Most important one If it looks small next to a big stag it does not mean it is small!!!!!!!!!

Sadly too many midges for photos, apologies!

Know the feeling once tried to get three stags into an SJ 410
 
Very good write up .. id say pictures and words had a similar experience myself the only difference was i only had a VW Golf ...and the stag filled the boot with the seats down. The dog was well put out having to share the golf with the stag lol stag in the boot.jpg
 
Good work, like the picture. A 4x4 is just a state of mind. I have seen Polos do things that would make a LR blush!!!
 
Well done Jinga

I'm sure your not the first person to pull the trigger, and then think "how on earth am I meant to shift this?"

Try moving a 15 stone stag from the bottom of a ravine, gully, peat hag, bog.......

All the best

H.
 
cracking picture, what do you drive when stalking roe?? your scooter.. were theirs a will theirs a way..:eek:
Very good write up .. id say pictures and words had a similar experience myself the only difference was i only had a VW Golf ...and the stag filled the boot with the seats down. The dog was well put out having to share the golf with the stag lol View attachment 1860
 
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