My First Deer

Well I'm pretty new to deer stalking having just done my DSC1 back in January and had two stalks spying deer but not able to get a shot, I thoroughly enjoyed these days but they still left me looking for my first deer. Well it's been third time lucky for me when I was fortunate enough to be invited by someone locally to go roe stalking with them so here's my story.
Most of the ground he has permission on is accessible by 4x4 so we set off in his pick-up glassing the fields and woods for roe. There was plenty movement of roe but all of them either spotted us and disappeared into the woods or they happened to be does. Then we spotted two roe in a field but they were too far away to determine the sex. We parked up in the pickup and proceeded with the stalk by foot. We had a difficult stalk to stay downwind of them through a few ditches and through a woods which seemed to have plenty twigs/branches snap when walking through. I was expecting the roe to have heard us from a mile away but we got closer to the field and got the binoculars out again, they were still there but it was two does. Just when we were about to give up and head back to the pick-up another roe popped out in front of us. I identified it through the binoculars and it was a yearling buck, I looked round and he must have seen it aswell because I was handed his sako and got the nod to shoot it. I began the last bit of the stalk to get into a shooting position myself. Just as I was nearing a shooting position I could have kicked myself when the air horn ringtone of my mobile phone started going off. Here I was going to get my first shot off and this happens!!! I quickly turned off my phone and when I looked up I thought I was the luckiest guy on earth, the deer hadn't heard it. I propped myself up against a fence post but the buck face face on to me. A few minutes wait till it turned broadside then with a squeeze of the trigger, bang! The buck ran in a tight circle then dropped while I reloaded incase a follow up shot was required. We waited a few minutes then I headed out to pick up my first deer, remembering to touch the eyeball to make sure it's dead. When I got it back to the pick-up I got handed the knife and got guided through the gralloch. I was so glad that when going through the gralloch that it been a clean kill through the heart and lungs.
So that's my first deer hanging up in the garage and a day I will never forget. One thing I definetely won't forget from now on is to check my phone is off before going stalking.
 
Congratulations!

One thing I definetely won't forget from now on is to check my phone is off before going stalking.

When I am stalking, if I want to leave my phone on, I set my ring tone to an MP3 of a blackbird singing.
 
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That first deer is alsome you will never forget it.

​ Keep the head and clean it mount it and hang in your shed/man cave/office write the tale of how you shot it and stick it to the back.
Every time you look at it you will smile and be taken back to that moment in time when you squeezed the trigger

The thing about the note on the back.

was given a fox head mounted for my man cave and it had on the back the date shot outside the chicken shed with a 20bore aya about 40 years ago it make it nice for someone in the future as well as you

well done chuffed for anyone who shoots there first and show as much passion and respect as you have and thanks for shareing

just have a browse before I leave my van and head to my first job for the day late now
all the best colin
 
Cheers guys, that's it all butchered and bagged in the freezer. I've eaten plenty venison in the past but there's nothing more satisfying than taking it from field to plate, can't wait to taste it.
 
Well done mate from one noob to another, something we'll all never forget I'm sure.

4 and a bit weeks til my DSC1 course now too!

Stratts
 
Good write up and as others have said you will not forget your first, I am envious as I did not get to gralloch my first, or any since.
 
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