First day at the does

mole trapper

Well-Known Member
Thought everyone would have had a tale to tell tonight, i went up to my exeter ground to day to have a look at the fallow, was fortunate enough to take a mature buck and a pricket, saw several others, but nothing safe.
Problem came when it came to extraction, the pricket had thrown himself into the deepest most inpenetrable brambles ever on the steepest slope on the place, sweated like gary glitter........., anyway best not go there.
Second one, thought easy, bottom of a valley, gralloch walk back to the truck easy, Nooooooo, farmer has closed the gap, now we are looking at half mile drag on my own with big boy all up serious hill, oh sugar, ring farmer, he is busy , but rings farmer next door, Come on boy drive through here, i,ll give you a hand, how much do you charge to shoot these bast...s, :eek: i dont, feckin hell, in that case there are regularly at least 40 on my ground, will you have a go at mine, well it would be rude not to thinks me, so went and looked round his ground, super highways everywhere, going back up as soon as my back stops killing me.
Hope everyone else have some good luck over the coming weeks,
Regards MT.
 
first day at does

jammy bugger wot you need is a golf buggy or if feeling flush an argocat cos it's the dogs nudgers good on you yours the jealous one stone
 
Hi Mole Trapper,
Where have you been? You haven't posted for ages, its very nice to have you back. Well done on the Fallow. I've got to come down your way (well Prince Town) after Christmas. It would be nice to have a pint and a chat sometime. :D
 
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Hi Beowulf, been looking in from time to time, but very busy time of year for me. Picture of yesterdays boys and a picture of the new love of my life. Now I have got shot of the nivara
Hope these pictures come up. Would be nice to meet up some time (The rock inn at yelverton damned fine beer)
 
I'm easy, where ever we can get served is my moto Mole Trapper! Very nice Land Rover 8) . Great deer, although isn't the spiker a bit short in the leg? ;)
 
First day on the does screwed up by the local braindead game-keeper.
07:30 he comes tear arseing into the wood on that bloody quad bike to spin some grain out for the birds. Not even a Sorry or Good Morning.
What can you do?? No point explaining and requesting as the average keeper/ wing shooter dont care less ???
I know I'll run my dogs and landrover through the wood at 05:00 on the day of their shoot and see how they like it.
No changed my mind on that wouldnt want to stoop to caveman tactics like that sh :evil: :evil: t-head.

Mark
 
MarkH said:
First day on the does screwed up by the local braindead game-keeper.
07:30 he comes tear arseing into the wood on that bloody quad bike to spin some grain out for the birds. Not even a Sorry or Good Morning.
What can you do?? No point explaining and requesting as the average keeper/ wing shooter dont care unless ??? I know I'll run my dogs and landrover through the wood at 05:00 on the day of their shoot and see how they like it.
No changed my mind on that wouldnt want to stoop to caveman tactics like that sh :evil: :evil: t-head.

Mark

I can't remember the number of stalks that I've had ruined by farmers or gamekeepers doing just this. I was recenty after a stag in Devon and was waiting for a stag at the edge of the wood to step into the field when the farmer came bumping up the field and ruined the whole thing.

On the other hand, to be fair, there are some real good guys out there as gamekeepers.

I always have a smile to myself when gamekeepers, dog walkers and other ramblers come walking past my position completely unaware that I am there. I was stalking in Herefordshire last year when a very early dog walker came towards me. I had new Realtree camo on and moved about 25 yards off the path, lay in the leaf litter and looked away from the path and she and her dog walked straight past me - a good test of the kit but no point in continuing up the path!
 
I'm in two minds about my camouflage. What if what really happens is the people you think haven't seen you actually have and are in fact waiting to get out of ear shot to say "Did you see that tw*t pretending to be a tree?" :lol:
I swear its going to happen one day to me, I'll be kitted out like a Japanese sniper and someone is going walk by and say "Good morning". :oops:
Nice to see you back on the site MarkH, where you been? and how are the puppies?
 
Just come back from the range where I was checking the zero on my 458 Lott for the humane dispatch of wounded or injured animals. Does a injured pheasant count :evil: :evil: ??
The puppies are like this at the moment Mr B
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Mark
 
i sadden to hear some members comments about gamekeepers and farmers. yes i agree that they can ruin the odd chance. but i think its a dangerous situation to stalk in area that you dont know if others will be there. it wasnt mentioned if the gamekeeper or farmer knew the stalker was on the ground. but they have the same reasons to be on the ground also. and if im stalking in area with footpaths and bridle ways then expect walkers. but if i find someone in the wrong place, im polite, firm and explain how dangerous it could be and is.
it doesnt take a moment to let other land users know you shall be on the ground. those conversations could easily give you information on what they have seen recently.
you also can look along the lines of that deer will regularly see the keeper, farmer and walkers so will not be wary. i regularly work with a keeper and we see deer all the time not fussed one bit.
i will always remember im doing them the favour so i treat them with respect.
toby
 
In theory Toby you are right, but in the real world people are not always so reasonable. If you read some of the other threads you will see that quite a few stalkers have had problems with Game Keepers, Farmers and the general public. It has also been known for other stalkers to sabotage a rival's efforts or spoil stalkers chances of obtaining land. I know of one Game keeper who hates deer and thinks nothing of shooting them at night with the rifle and lamp should he find them on his land!
Some people get great pleasure from other peoples discomfort. Its one reason that I got out of Environmental Conservation work, it seemed all I did was pander to local resident groups, town council desk jockies and the NIMBY brigade. Wildlife and traditional country skills came a very poor second to people's ignorance and bloody mindedness.

I'm afraid thats life matey.

Mark, The puppies are really coming on a treat mate! :D Beautiful.
 
Good News.

Shot a nice yound fallow doe this morning just as the fog started to come down. Good hard lung shot at 50m from a kneeling position. She was aware of me so ran @ 30m.
Anymay Lola can now inject more deer=food into those puppies as she tucks into the red offal.
Toby
What you say is correct but and its a big but this guy is a real prat. Its there second year or running the pheasant shoot and my 5 year stalking the same wood. I pay very good money for the stalking rights. The rules are suppose to be . I dont stalk the week they have a shoot and I would expect the same manners in return
1. If my car is on the hard standing by the barn I am in the wood.
2. Please do not enter the wood until the end of the first hour after sun rise. Or first hour before sun set on my days.
3. I will shoot from three high seats so the bird men know where the back stops are and can avoid them.
This keeper ignores all these rules so I have to phone the shoot captain at least twice a season but it makes little difference you can tell by looking at his bodylanguage. Hates making verbal/eye contact just cranks up the quad as he drives past and has in the past covered me in mud doing just that.
I just keep saying to myself - keep cool and manners maketh the man. :D

PS On the long 5 min drive home waved 'good morning' to a breakfasting sparrow hawk.

Mark
 
Toby,

You are absolutely correct in what you say if you are in the woods without the specific knowledge of the keeper/farmer but in all the cases that I referred to the person concerned was fully aware that stalkers were out on the ground and exactly where. Notices had been posted at wood entrances to reinforce the message.

Slightly different to MarkH's situation we only stalk the wood I mentioned up to the end of October and again in February when the pheasant shooting starts or finishes and the understanding is (or should be) that the keepers and farmers staff stay out of the woods until 8:00 a.m and after 5:00 pm during these months. Knowing that there is always the possibility of a keeper or walker we do not take a shot unless we are completely sure of the backdrop and that no-one is in the vicinity.

In fact in one area that I stalk for muntjac, out of 2,000 acres we can only stalk in about 800 due to bridlepaths and footpaths which of course people have a perfect right to use - I just wish they wouldn't do it at 4:00 a.m.!!!!
 
i went out for my second ever stalk yesterday,up at 4am 80 mile round trip,couldnt understand why we were seeing nothing at all until we came through one wood to find the off road boys had found a way in :evil: .by the look of the tracks they had been in there in the night.never saw any keepers.
 
Does

Hi All
Nice Buck you got there M/T. I had a nice start to the season
2 fallow does Thursday morning, drove to Dorset Friday morning, 3 Sika hinds Friday night, 1 Roe doe Saturday morning, 2 Fallow does Saturday night and a Sika hind and Sika pricket Sunday morning a cracking long weekend back to work now for a rest :D

Just one thing about gamekeepers they can be a great asset to a stalker but If you get on the wrong side of them they could ruin your stalking on a regular basis :!: :!: :!: A bottle, a bit of venison and an understanding that he has a job to do can go along way to getting them onside.

WD
 
Nice one Wayne,
Did you manage to nick Malc's dog for me? I had a great day out stalking with Rob and friends yesterday on some very nice ground. It was a full on day and between us we culled two Fallow does and a Roe.

How did you get on SikaMalc, any good?
 
Dog

Hi Steve
Afraid not he kept the dog well hidden, I never saw any of them naked women you were on about either :D We all met up and had a couple of pints and some grub, I'm afraid I wasn't much company(sorry Malc) lack of sleep a couple of beers and a warm room nearly done for me. Glad you had a good day out.

Oh by the way when you speak to Malc just ask how he got on with the deer conservation work on Saturday :lol: :lol: :lol:

Wayne
 
Hi Wayne,
Glad to hear it all went well. Sorry to hear that you didn't see any naked ladies! Malc usually has it least four draped all over him, he's the stalking worlds answer to 'P-Diddy! :lol: 'All bling and be-atches' :lol: :lol:

I'm not going to ask him about his stalking this weekend because I'll end up stuffed and mounted on the wall next to the other wart hogs! I have heard though that LACS are going to give him a medal for abstaining from shooting animals! ;)

'Stand by for in coming!!!!' :lol:

Ooops talk of the Devil he's just looged on! i'll get my coat :confused:
 
Yes I do not shoot deer anymore, I am in a conservation mood at the moment.

Good weekend, but I missed a young spiker, and then my friend also missed. Weather was pretty crap, fog and very changeable wind. Tried to meet up with Wayne, but the pub was closed for refurbishment :oops:

Should have found the naked women you keep refering to Mr B, no chance I would miss that, but knowing my luck it would have looked like one of the Warthogs I have shot in Africa!!

Finally met up, had a good meal and a pint, also met another person who I have heard a great deal about but dont think I have met before.

After Roe this weekend, and will have the dog this time. Mr B keep practicing running up and down the stairs every night, you will need to be in shape for the Sika in Scotland, errr I dont mean chasing the missus either. On the other hand another friend who we have into stalking shot his first Fallow this weekend so it wasnt all bad news.

Yes you did look a bit tired Wayne, must have been that naked women you had back at the cottage keeping you awake?
 
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