Hi All
Part two of my dream hunt as promised.
After Austria Andy and I flew from Klagenfurt to Cologne where we were to hunt with our German friends Michael and Heini.
Michael collected us from the airport and drove us the couple of hours to one of his hunting areas a beautiful estate consisting of 1000's of acres of woodland and some farm land ( I can't remember how many acres)
We met up with Heini at a local pub in the area and had a bite to eat.
Andy was to hunt and stay with Heini on his own farm a couple of hours away so they set off after our food.
Michael and I drove to his house he has in the area for when he is there a few days a week.
Unpacked and a change of clothes a quick check of the rifle and we were out hunting.
We were concentrating our efforts to try and get me a Mouflon ram.
Michael had put a lot of time in trying to pin down the best spots before my arrival so we concentrated ourtime on the areas where the elusive Mouflon had been hanging around rather than wandering blindly around the huge forests.
The first evening we sat up a a low tower which was on top of a railway embankment giving us a good view over a field and a patch of game cover. The first evening we had agroup of Red deer out in front of us but no “sheep”.
The next morning we tried another gamecover in a specially made clearing deep in the forest but only spotted Roe deer.
We then headed to where we had sat the previous evening and spotted a group of Mouflon ewes and lambs out feeding but no rams. “bloody sheep”
Later in the day I met up with the gamekeeper and we stalked a few areas in the forest where he new the Mouflon liked to lie up during the day but no luck.
That evening we headed back to the railway embankment again feeling confident after seeing the ewe's inthe morning. As it got very close to last light (Bino time only)about a dozen Mouflon came onto the meadow including a young ram and a huge mature ram with a big white sadde marking on his back wow what an animal.
We both thought “yes this is it”.The big ram proceeded to chase the young ram at very high speed around the meadow trying to push him away from the females, who by that time had fed to within 100 mtrs of our hide.
The light was now fading fast and the ram had decided to stay the far side of the field holding the smallram tight in the corner”bloody sheep”.
Eventually they had another chase around and then settled to feed at about 100 mtrs I had the rifle u pbut it was just too dark, I could make the ram out but could see nothing of the reticle and wasn't about to risk missing two shots in a week. “F***in sheep”
Next morning we were back in the hide again our bad luck this morning would take some believing.
We had some females out feeding and then another group started to come out we could see an old ewe and the young ram and more in the trees I guess including the big ram.
Again we were thinking “Yes this is it” when there was an almighty BANG and a flash that lit the sky up in the half light. As I said earlier this seat was on the edge of a railway line and in looked like some sort of transformer or whatever had blown up just as a train was passing causing the train to screech to a halt right be hind us frightening every Mouflon fo rmiles. “F***in lucky sheep”
Unbelievable what are the chances of that happening ( I wanted to cry)
Breakfast time.
That evening we went prepared back to our embankment seat this time I was armed with a different Blaser equipped with a big 56mm lens and a illuminated ret, “right ya b******ds”
We saw roe, boar badgers, foxs but no Mouflon. “F****n sheep”
Next morning last try we were up early and in the hide well before light.
As it was just getting to bino light I could see some animals come out of the wood but too dark to see what they were, a couple of minutes later I could see three of them were big rams with the tell tale white saddle on there backs “Right this has got to be it”
It was still to dark to shoot as the Mouflon maybe ten of them were all pretty close together and hard totell where one started and the other finished. We could nearly see enough and it was nearly possible to make out the curl of the horns another minute maybe two??????
WHEN!!!!! the heavens opened and it p****d down and the Mouflon went back into the trees like rockets.
“F****N SHEEP” I think we both nearly cried
We sat for an hour or more hoping they might come back out when it stopped raining but no luck, then we went in after them and stalked a nice area of woodland but those“f****n sheep were nowhere to be seen.
Ahhh well that's hunting I had a great trip and Michael treated me like royalty as always and now I'll have to go back again now
Michael, reading this back I think I may have some of the mornings mixed up but I'll blame it on my age, lack of sleep and quantity of beer and wine you made me drink and I can't be arsed to re write it.
Cheers Mate for a great hunt maybe nex ttime our luck at hunting Mouflon will change and I'll come home with one of those what I now call affectionately “F*****N SHEEP”
Andy had a great time with Heini but Iwill leave him to tell his story
Wayne
THE MOUFLON FIELD
Part two of my dream hunt as promised.
After Austria Andy and I flew from Klagenfurt to Cologne where we were to hunt with our German friends Michael and Heini.
Michael collected us from the airport and drove us the couple of hours to one of his hunting areas a beautiful estate consisting of 1000's of acres of woodland and some farm land ( I can't remember how many acres)
We met up with Heini at a local pub in the area and had a bite to eat.
Andy was to hunt and stay with Heini on his own farm a couple of hours away so they set off after our food.
Michael and I drove to his house he has in the area for when he is there a few days a week.
Unpacked and a change of clothes a quick check of the rifle and we were out hunting.
We were concentrating our efforts to try and get me a Mouflon ram.
Michael had put a lot of time in trying to pin down the best spots before my arrival so we concentrated ourtime on the areas where the elusive Mouflon had been hanging around rather than wandering blindly around the huge forests.
The first evening we sat up a a low tower which was on top of a railway embankment giving us a good view over a field and a patch of game cover. The first evening we had agroup of Red deer out in front of us but no “sheep”.
The next morning we tried another gamecover in a specially made clearing deep in the forest but only spotted Roe deer.
We then headed to where we had sat the previous evening and spotted a group of Mouflon ewes and lambs out feeding but no rams. “bloody sheep”
Later in the day I met up with the gamekeeper and we stalked a few areas in the forest where he new the Mouflon liked to lie up during the day but no luck.
That evening we headed back to the railway embankment again feeling confident after seeing the ewe's inthe morning. As it got very close to last light (Bino time only)about a dozen Mouflon came onto the meadow including a young ram and a huge mature ram with a big white sadde marking on his back wow what an animal.
We both thought “yes this is it”.The big ram proceeded to chase the young ram at very high speed around the meadow trying to push him away from the females, who by that time had fed to within 100 mtrs of our hide.
The light was now fading fast and the ram had decided to stay the far side of the field holding the smallram tight in the corner”bloody sheep”.
Eventually they had another chase around and then settled to feed at about 100 mtrs I had the rifle u pbut it was just too dark, I could make the ram out but could see nothing of the reticle and wasn't about to risk missing two shots in a week. “F***in sheep”
Next morning we were back in the hide again our bad luck this morning would take some believing.
We had some females out feeding and then another group started to come out we could see an old ewe and the young ram and more in the trees I guess including the big ram.
Again we were thinking “Yes this is it” when there was an almighty BANG and a flash that lit the sky up in the half light. As I said earlier this seat was on the edge of a railway line and in looked like some sort of transformer or whatever had blown up just as a train was passing causing the train to screech to a halt right be hind us frightening every Mouflon fo rmiles. “F***in lucky sheep”
Unbelievable what are the chances of that happening ( I wanted to cry)
Breakfast time.
That evening we went prepared back to our embankment seat this time I was armed with a different Blaser equipped with a big 56mm lens and a illuminated ret, “right ya b******ds”
We saw roe, boar badgers, foxs but no Mouflon. “F****n sheep”
Next morning last try we were up early and in the hide well before light.
As it was just getting to bino light I could see some animals come out of the wood but too dark to see what they were, a couple of minutes later I could see three of them were big rams with the tell tale white saddle on there backs “Right this has got to be it”
It was still to dark to shoot as the Mouflon maybe ten of them were all pretty close together and hard totell where one started and the other finished. We could nearly see enough and it was nearly possible to make out the curl of the horns another minute maybe two??????
WHEN!!!!! the heavens opened and it p****d down and the Mouflon went back into the trees like rockets.
“F****N SHEEP” I think we both nearly cried
We sat for an hour or more hoping they might come back out when it stopped raining but no luck, then we went in after them and stalked a nice area of woodland but those“f****n sheep were nowhere to be seen.
Ahhh well that's hunting I had a great trip and Michael treated me like royalty as always and now I'll have to go back again now
Michael, reading this back I think I may have some of the mornings mixed up but I'll blame it on my age, lack of sleep and quantity of beer and wine you made me drink and I can't be arsed to re write it.
Cheers Mate for a great hunt maybe nex ttime our luck at hunting Mouflon will change and I'll come home with one of those what I now call affectionately “F*****N SHEEP”
Andy had a great time with Heini but Iwill leave him to tell his story
Wayne
THE MOUFLON FIELD