Medal class Sika stag comes to the call

Lakey

Well-Known Member
Hi All,

Was out yesterday morning for a pricket, and decided to move into a highseat overlooking an area of fir plantation and birch scrub with lots of bracken and tree guards. I hadnt been in the highseat more than 10 minutes when I spotted a movement under a clump of birch trees off to my right. A quick check through the binos showed up a black body trotting away from me, so I reached for the call and blasted out a couple of screams.The calls had an immediate effect and the animal changed course and disappeared off to its left behind some fir trees. A few minutes passed and then I spotted a big stag moving to my left behind some more fir trees. Realising the animal was way too big for me to shoot (I was only after youngsters) I grabbed the camera in my chest pocket and snapped off a few shots as the stag came on towards the high seat. In the end it emerged into the clearing immediately infront of the seat at about 40 yds and would have been a simple shot had it been on the menu:rolleyes::doh:

First picture in the series is a glimpse of the stag slowly approaching behind birch trees

P1170554.jpg
 
Now fully emerged into the open, me looking on with my .30-06 next to me in the seat:)It would have been simplicity itself to have gone for a lower neck shot

P1170558.jpg
 
Cracking Photo's AGAIN Lakey and how Nice to hear it was not all about "Wacking a BIG STAG" take my hat off to you mate :tiphat: :thumb:
 
Well done mate I bet there's not many members would of done the same and reached for the camera instead of the rifle
 
Thank you for the fine comments, I have to come clean however and say that I wasnt on my own land at the time, and my instructions were to target poor prickets only (ie antler spikes with tips below the top of the ears) so this cracker of a stag was well and truely off the menu:D

That said, I know how much stick the big stags get around us, and as good stags are not that common, I would have probably have spared it anyway, even if it had been on my patch. I find big stags mysterious and awe inspiring and just enjoy looking and photographing them.

This stag is definitely at risk however and will have to keep hidden away if it is to survive until the end of the season, it is medal quality - definitely bronze, maybe silver, so would make a wonderful trophy for one of my mates clients.

I hope it makes it...............

Lakey
 
Thats a beautiful looking sika stag. Where about's in Dorset? My uncle lives in Wimborne st Giles and has ground with good sika on it.
 
Thanks for all the kind comments. I too get pleasure from knowing there are good stags like this one out there.

Cougar - The area where the photographs were taken is near Dorchester, However Sika stags exist in an area from Poole/Lytchett Matravers around to Abbotsbury in the west and stags/prickets do turn up in land as far as Bullbarrow,. Core territory is mostly on the Isle of purbeck(Swanage, Corfe Castle,Lulworth,Kimmeridge,Wareham) and in the Wareham forest and surrounds. there are also pockets of sika in New Forest and around Honiton I believe.

ATB

Lakey
 
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