calling malforms - last nights outing

Offroad Gary

Well-Known Member
was going out last night to look for charlie, then Waynes post regarding calling muntjac gave me a different idea, sit in high seat where i know charlie frequents and also munty (and sometimes roe). plan was to sit for charlie loaded with 85gn hollow points and should munty walk past, give gime a few pips on the butallo, and then maybe a quick dose of hollow point :p

i've recently been dabling with some home loads and thought i would try my latest batch in a secluded spot, before retiring to the seat with the factory ammo. so off i went, in tha landy, driving around the perimeter of a 145 acre field which is quartered by 4 curlew strips, meeting at a coral in the centre. just as i enterd the field i bumped a deer which bolted about 80m into the crop and dissappeared. A buck, i thought for my first instinct but i didnt get a clear view, but i was sure it was a buck. i backed up the landy, reversed out of the field and parked a way back in the next field.

next move, out of the landy, fleece on, hat on, scrim over face, gloves on, sticks, binos, butallo, blaser .243, leupold 6.5-20x50 and the 85gn federals.

a waited 10 mins or so, looking over the crop from the gate, nothing showing, a few blasts on the call, nothing.

i knew it was there somewhere, so i moved down the field edge, and sat, with my best view down the drilling lines. about half an hour later a head appeared 120 m out, very dark and definately a buck! but a malform, the left antler had 3 points and was growing backwards and downwards following the neck, the right antler was curled round behind the ear and pointing forwards under it. the 20x mag of the scope was great at this point for a real close inspection. trie dthe call again, no response.

i waited a while, and he started moving off away from me. no chance of a shot, as i couldnt see his body and the neck was out of the question beacuse of the range, perhaps if the crops wernt so high i could have got on the bipod, but that range is too far for me off of sticks, even sitting. didnt have the dog with me either and the last thing i wanted was one down in the crop.

my plan was now to cut him off at the pass! (the coral in the middle where he appeared to be heading), 100m for him, 300m for me so i got going and skirted the field, moved down the curlew strip, watching him as he went. as he got to the coral (apparently oblivious to me) i was about 40 m off and ready on the stick waiting for him to emerge from the crop onto the fresh youg plants which act as wild bird food (very tasty). i could see the tips of his ears moving around and then suddenly, for no apparent reason (wind was good), he sprung from the crop, over the fence and into the next quarter of the field, out of sight. i gave a few blasts on the call, hoping to stall him, and then moved along to see where he was. nowhere :cry:

there was a slight dip about 100m off, and the ground dipped away a further 200 from there so i made my way there to check for him. nothing.

but, to my surporise i spotted another buck (6 pointer, very wide a top, with very light antlers) about 200m off in the next quarter of the field, right on the boundary. i couldnt quite see if he was in front of the wire, or behind it, between the wire and the hedge. tried the call again, he was definately interested, but wasnt budging (perhaps the malform had spooked him?). still couldnt tell if he was behind the wire :evil: so i got closer, when i got to about 100m he spotted me and ran, he was in front of the wire, so i could have taken him. but not at 200m off sticks.

i managed to get half an hour in the seat after that but no sign of charlie or munty, just one of those stripey things :confused:

an enjoyable evening. i will try for the malform again :p and the other buck :evil:
 
You are now a man on a mission. He sounds a good one to take, would like to see him.

John
 
GoogleEarth_Image-1.jpg


A = WHERE I BUMPED THE MALFORM
B = WHERE I SPOTTED HIM AGAIN
C = WHERE I LOST HIM
D = WHERE I SPOTTED THE OTHER BUCK
:D = A WOOD FULL OF FALLOW (NOT MINE)


SORRY I HAD TO BLANK OUT THE CO-ORDS, ITS MY TREASURE MAP, NOT YOURS :lol:
 
Bucks den that is a good question and one that i am sure people will have a stab at but for me i would say it depends on what causes the malformation if it is something to do with lack of testosterone then i am sure the desire to do anything in the rut will be lessened buy the same degree as is missing in this male hormone if it is anything else i am sure he will be as keen to hunt down chase and defend territories the same as the rest.
PS good story and i am sure while you got **** all you had a real good time out there i know i have had some of my best times out coming home empty handed
..
 
Great post Bucksden!
Nice read even though you didn't get the buck, but it gives you a reason to get out there again eh?
Malforms, as far as I know (and that's not far, I'm no expert, just a keen amateur), happen as a result of injury when the buck is in or nearly in velvet, so unless he was shagged out or the wind between you and him had changed he might have responded to the call.
But was it a little early?
I have been told by old hands to leave off calling roebucks until the rut is well under way, might you have just been a bit early to elicit a response?
Anyway, better luck next time!
G
 
bucksden said:
i didnt raise my point!!

do malforms (if not created by injury) respond to the call, or even rut??

cheers
the answer in most cases is yes even those that hav suffered an injury will still be able to rut, aslong as testosterone levels are high enough
 
went looking for the malform sunday night, no luck but found this little fella in the wheat right up near the boundry. taken off sticks with .308 and speer 2023 150gn soft point. he was romancing a doe at the time, came to the call, winded me then disappeared into the crop. i decided take the mohamed/mountain approach and walked into the crop with the gun mounted on the sticks, stopping every 10 m or so. he popped up about 80 yards away and barked at me. nobody barks at me ;) just checked on google earth - had to carry the little bugger 1700m back to the landy - you should see my chaffing :cry: out again tonight on a hampshire estate :D :D :D


27072008294.jpg
 
1700m, rather you than me!! Just over a mile, no wonder your chaffing.

Get some nappy rash cream on it!!

Well done.


TJ
 
Nice one Bucksden,and,I know all about the Chafing,I never run out of 'Zinc & Castor oil' cream...................Martin.
 
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