One this morning

Finally got some time off work to go do some stalking. Arrived on the ground around 6.40 which was still too dark. So decided to drive round and watch a clear fell while the light came up and I was able to see what was infront off me.
Well around 7am it was light enough to stalk. I decided to drive into the main wood and would park up but that idea was scrapped when I went to my parking place and found that they were picking up logs in that area. I then decided to have a drive round to another area and on passing a large clear fell caught something that never used to be there. Up with the binos and confirmed was a roe facing away. I decided I would park up and take the chance if anything you always learn something new stalking in on deer, parked the car up grabbed all my gear incase it was a buck and headed down a clear fell from behind the buck. Stoping scanning every few yards as I felt like I was breaking every dead branch in the area. Well survived that bit off the stalk with the roe feeding up the tree line away from me. Was still best part of 600yards away so positive sex I'd wasn't happening with my cheap binoculars. Next part of the stalk was down through trees for a few hundred yard to come out below the buck at around 150yards. Tried to walk through it but felt like a was making the noise off an elephant, do we all think that? So down on hands and knees and crawled throu till I got to the bottom. Wet elbows and knees are not long waking you up in the morning. Got to the end poked out through and bottom off the trees and got a positive id it's a buck so heart starts beating up another gear. Buck was happy feeding away from me so got the bipod out and tried to find a high spot to put the bipod. Wasn't happy with all the grass if front of me so decided to extend the legs flatten the grass infornt off me and got comfy. Whined the ziess right up to 12x mag watched the buck feeding away from me for what felt like an eternity, this aloud me to control my breathing and get comfy so wasn't a bad thing. The buck turned round facing down the hill and I squeezed off the tikka, shot felt good report back from struck sounded good. Buck jumped up rolled down a hill into the gully below. I chambered another round and waited for it to arrive up either side off the gully. Waited there for 10mins with buck no appearing so everything felt good. Picked up my sticks and binos and headed over to where the shot was. On excitement of shooting this buck and when I got over there everything looked different and I lost where the shot sight was. Walked up and down to see if I could find blood as the gully was all reads and long grass. So couldn't see anything and started to panic that one I had not properly marked shot sight and two couldn't find any blood. Decided to walk the tree line again but take a minute to think about where the buck was and where it had gone up the tree line. Walking up the tree line I noticed what looked like blood but also looked like the grass was red. So upon touching it confirmed dark red blood, relief starting to set in but no deer in sight. When I got the start I got a real good blood trail think adrenaline had made me walk right past it. So followed the trail for 15 yards and there was my buck stone dead. Check blink reaction and pulled it out of the long grass to where I could perform the gralloch. On inspection of the outside realised that shot was not as good as first thought entry was perfect taking out the heart, but exit was far back clipping the stomach and gralloch was a real mess. Buck hadn't turned as broadside as much as I had thought was more quartering towards me. Not happy but a lesson learned. Then for the fun the drag back through everything I had come through, absolutely drenched in sweat when I got to the car. Decided it would be best I go straight home and save what I could for my self. Removed saddle and rear legs rest got wasted. Real shame but unfortunately nothing I could do about it. Good to be back out stalking again though.
 

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Enjoyed reading that and the pics. It is amazing how easily it is to lose track where the deer was when the shot was taken once it has dropped into the long grass or gone through a hedge. Glad you found him and got your venison, perhaps not as much as you would like but I am sure that you will enjoy it anyway. So a successful morning all in all.
 
Yeah was a successful morning well pleased :) no didn't need the dog was an easy find when a calmed my adrenaline there was a good blood trail.
 
I've been doing this now for 17 years and I still manage to lose track of the shot site more regularly than I like to admit. It doesn't take much, all you have to do is look away briefly on your aproach to see where you're putting your feet and it's gone when you look back again.
​Well done on the buck.
 
NIce write up well done on the Buck. Nice to hear some one admitting their mistakes too. Keep at them
 
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