Starting off in stalking 2

buckstalker

Active Member
STARTING OFF IN STALKING

Part 2 - 1st Outing-end of August.

Hi All :)

You may recall if you read my first post, that I’m writing a series of posts called “Starting off in Stalking”.
Having told you about obtaining my FAC and the kit I’m now going to tell you about my first stalk with my mentor and new friend Chuck Walker.
Before we set off however, I’ll just describe the shoot. Hopefully the photo’s will help as well.
Basically it’s about 15 acres plus permission to “follow up” on a further 35 acres.
Set to one end of the 15 acres is a large house just off the entrance road. I park here and then move off down into a wood of mixed hazel coppice with large Oak, Ash, Birch and Chestnut as an over canopy.

Jerrysshootpics290208043.jpg


As well as deer, the wood is good for Pigeon flighting and roost shooting which makes a bit of a change in the winter.
The basic shape of the wood is a long oval with open grassland on the south side and an area of ex Forestry Commission conifers to the north. Two streams run through the shoot, one south/north into the conifers and one west/east running along the edge of the shoot underneath the conifers.

Jerrysshootpics290208047-1.jpg


This block of forestry acts as a deer reservoir for the shoot. Basically deer move from the forestry in the evening where they have been lying up during the day, through the shoot to get to the open grass fields to graze at night. In early morning they then reverse the process, thereby giving me two ambush chances in the course of 12 hours. The main Roe traffic is towards the western end and the Muntjac travel through all the way along on various of their paths.
A main open ride travels the length of the shoot along the northern boundary so it is possible to intercept deer as they cross this early or late in the day. Also a smaller path runs along close to the southern side a little way into the wood.

Jerrysshootpics290208004.jpg


About 6 months in to my obtaining the shooting I erected 2 high seats, one about the middle of the shoot and one towards the “Roe” end. These are used mainly in the winter, as there is too much ground cover in summer.
The seat in the middle gives me a comfortable 180’ field of fire facing south and overlooking the southern path, a small grass area and about 100 metres of the main northern edge ride and conifer wood.

Jerrysshootpics290208055.jpg


At the western end another deer fenced off wood forms a boundary and forces the deer moving from the conifers to funnel through the shoot.

Prevailing wind is nearly always from the south which means I usually enter the wood from the east along or just inside the conifers, often walking along the stream.
Most shots are taken to the south, west or north because a road travels along the eastern boundary.
It is possible to shoot east but only from about the middle of the shoot where the banks of the south/north stream form a good backstop.
Anyway, that’s the shoot described, now for my first outing.

Please turn to;
Starting in Stalking 3 for the Stalk (Post too long for one article)

Bye for now ;)

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Buckstalker

CZ452 American .22lr 16" with P'hale mod & Tasco 8x50
Tikka T3 Hunter .243 with Sm'dt & Bender 8x56
CZ550 American 7x57
AYA Mod 4 sxs 12 bore
WR Pape 1901 sxs 16 bore
and just for fun-
Bolt action 9mm Garden Gun (great for rats)
 
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