A half-decent roebuck...

May 2006... (I've only just worked out how to post photos up :oops: , but at least now I can drop some more articles in with piccies! :D )

I took a trip up to Yorkshire with a couple of mates for a weekend after Roebucks; it fair lashed it down, meaning the car had to become an impromptu drying line:
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...and I had a lovely smell of wet spaniel at night! :confused:
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(I doubt Springers make ideal deer-dogs; Max accompanied me so that he didn't drive my wife round the twist whilst I was away :lol: )

On the Saturday morning, it was an early start, and after a long stalk back along the stream at the bottom of the valley (throught the drizzle), we rounded a bend to spot a youngish buck grazing around 80yds away. I put the rifle up to the sticks, took careful aim at a perfect broadside target.... and watched a pretty startled youngish buck leap the fence and vanish into the conifers :eek: .
It looked like a clean miss, and a thorough inspection of where he'd been stood showed absolutely no evidence a all of a hit. I think buck-fever had struck. Luckily, the guys I was with didn't take the p*ss at all. Not much they didn't!!!! For the rest of the day it was pointed out to me - repeatedly - that I wasn't going to get a better chance than the one I'd fluffed.... I was a bit miffed with myself ( :evil: ), but at least a clean miss was preferable to a wounding.

Saturday evening rolled around, and although the rain had let up, it was a bitterly cold northerly that was blowing through. I headed off for the far side of the plantation, and struck off from the road to sit up tucked into a fallen tree that was halfway down a ride, from where I was able to see for around 180yds further down, along with a the small patch of ride that was catching some sunshine - and looked like the only spot where a buck may pause to catch a few warming rays....

After about an hour of sitting in a freezing wind and getting chilled to my core, I caught a movement to my left around 60yds in front of me, just inside the treeline....a buck stepped out across the ride, and paused about 7yds from the opposing treeline. I took my chance. Resting the rifle on my knees, I steadied the reticule, squeezed, and BANG! He jumped forward, but looked hard hit. I left him for 10-15 minutes, and he was found 10yds inside the treeline, just as we were running out of daylight.

I think he's a pretty decent buck.... :D

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Merlin
 
A good trip Merlin.
Max is the spitting image of his mum, is his tri-colour still a vivid as it was when he was a pup?
Sadly Hollie is no longer with us she passed away a coulpe of years ago, so she is busy chasing pheasants in the sky :(

Hopefully catch up again at some point.

Forgot to say, nice buck :oops:

Jonathon
 
Cheers mate - The colouring is fading a little now, especially around the muzzle area...grey is the new brown! (And to be fair, I'm a little greyer of sideburn than I was a couple of years ago too)

First day out this season is on Saturday; given his age now, I think he may be on half-days, with a lunchtime swap to Brock, the new loon, ermmm, gundog-to-be (1/2 Labrador, 1/4 Irish Water Spaniel, 1/4 Standard Poodle....always makes my wife laugh when I gloss over the 'poodle' bit!! :lol: ). Lovely-looking dog, but possibly not the sharpest knife in the draw :eek: ...as an aside, my wife is recovering from whiplash and mild concussion after Brock managed to run full-tilt into her a couple of days ago when she was crouched down tying a shoelace; 28kg dog hurtling down path at speed looking at me rather than where she was going vs the side of my wife's head.... :eek: There was only ever going to be one loser.

(I'll let you know next time I'm going to find myself down your way.)
 
Don't want hijack your thread but here are a couple of pics of Buster ( Maxs' dad) and Archie ( maxs' brother )

Buster- about 5years ago
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Archie- about 5 years ago
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Buster- now
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Archie- now
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Jonathon
 
Jon
luv the pic with buster and the roe legs
that pic must be a few years old
:evil: :evil:
sorry mate
 
stone said:
Jon
luv the pic with buster and the roe legs
that pic must be a few years old
:evil: :evil:
sorry mate

Cheeky git.

Well I keep them in the freezer and bring them out every now and again just to remember what a deer looks like close up :lol: :eek:

Catch up soon
Jon
 
Great pictures and write up. Is that the red mist in your eyes or too much whiskey ??????
:lol:
Paul
 
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