Here Today Gone Tomorrow!

Klenchblaize

Well-Known Member
While out squirrel shooting on Tuesday I spied an old roe buck resting up in a small hazel coppice. Spent about an hour just watching from less than 30 yards and think it reasonable to say he carried a cracking medal head of at least silver even if "going back" as you would expect in a beast of this considerable age. Decided to try for him the following morning as I don't do head shots with a 22 rimfire as I'm that kind of chap!

A long detour to get into the wood with the wind on my side was the least of the problems as Monday's storm had left a fresh carpet of crisp leaf and twig that even with my Cabela's "Turkey Hunter" boots made progress difficult and very slow.

Eventually I was forced to adopt a hands & knees approach due to a newly uprooted beach. Just as I appeared on the other side a squirrel jumped up no more than 5 yards away and commenced a lecture of epic proportions. A jay screeched just to prove he was on-message and then my buck barked wearily 20 yards away! He then took one look in my direction and was gone. Game over!

I just sat there dejected for a few seconds and then burst into uncontrollable laughter as the buck had reason to be a little grumpy as during the night he had completely lost his head!!

I spent a good 2 hours searching for the cast antlers but no luck. I'm going to have another look today.

Cheers

K
 
While out squirrel shooting on Tuesday I spied an old roe buck resting up in a small hazel coppice. Spent about an hour just watching from less than 30 yards and think it reasonable to say he carried a cracking medal head of at least silver even if "going back" as you would expect in a beast of this considerable age. Decided to try for him the following morning as I don't do head shots with a 22 rimfire as I'm that kind of chap!

A long detour to get into the wood with the wind on my side was the least of the problems as Monday's storm had left a fresh carpet of crisp leaf and twig that even with my Cabela's "Turkey Hunter" boots made progress difficult and very slow.

Eventually I was forced to adopt a hands & knees approach due to a newly uprooted beach. Just as I appeared on the other side a squirrel jumped up no more than 5 yards away and commenced a lecture of epic proportions. A jay screeched just to prove he was on-message and then my buck barked wearily 20 yards away! He then took one look in my direction and was gone. Game over!

I just sat there dejected for a few seconds and then burst into uncontrollable laughter as the buck had reason to be a little grumpy as during the night he had completely lost his head!!

I spent a good 2 hours searching for the cast antlers but no luck. I'm going to have another look today.

Cheers

K

I shot a buck on Friday 18th October, he was a good 6 pointer but had managed to snap off half of his back point on his right antler, unassumingly did it in the rut. He also had a scab on his head which when I picked it off with the knife (after gralloching, before anyone jumps on me!!!) and squeezed it some horrible smelly puss came out!!!! May have also been from the same scrap he lost his back tine to.

I did not intend to keep the whole head as I more often than not just saw off the antlers these days, i was intrigued how much force would need to be given to pull the antler off at the coronet given how close he may have been to casting. I ended up giving up!!! No matter how much force I gave those antlers were not budging!!!

I heard from another stalker that he shot a buck in October in the half light, when he got up to it's carcass it had no antlers!! He started panicking thinking he had accidentally shot a doe, he looked on the floor and low and behold as the buck fell and hit its head on a pheasant feeder and knocked both antlers clean off!!!

So I wonder how much force a roe buck needs to knock their own antlers off or do they just drop off?
 
I've searched for years hoping to find some cast antlers but have never yet managed to find any.

I guess we don't have the right environment here in Notts, or maybe I simply don't go to the right places.....:)
 
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