Aargh forgot my sticks!

Bregalad

Well-Known Member
Out this morning in the New Forest with Charly from Shavesgreen - like a muppet left my sticks at home:doh:

Needless to say he got me on to a small group of feeding roe does, too far for an off hand shot and too much scrub around the nearest tree I could use as a rest, by the time I got into a shooting position they were in the next county!

Can't be sure even with sticks I would have had a clear shot but I am thinking to get some collapsible sticks that will stay in the motor!
 
sorry to hear of your misfortune but didnt he have a set he could have lent you or even cut two hazel sticks and found a bit of string for you?
 
Thanks Sir-lamp-alot, sadly his had been nicked from the back of his truck, and by the time I realised my oversight we were at the permission and any noise cutting hazel would have carried too far - still they'll be there for next time!
 
Hmm don that too but also shot off a sholder and had a stalker shoot of my sholder in the past.
 
Very surprised at a professional stalker taking you out without sorting something out for you, can't be too bothered about you getting a beast. Several times I have cut something from the woods when I've forgotten my sticks, I would go as far as to say that it's almost pointless stalking in lowland woodlands without some sort of stick.
 
Took a guy out Sunday am he forgot his sticks I leant him mine on which he promptly shot a pricket from them !!
Norma
 
Very surprised at a professional stalker taking you out without sorting something out for you, can't be too bothered about you getting a beast. Several times I have cut something from the woods when I've forgotten my sticks, I would go as far as to say that it's almost pointless stalking in lowland woodlands without some sort of stick.
++1
 
Thanks for the replies chaps - to give some context, I was invited out on a new permission where Charly is planning to put up some seats, he was wanting to select the best trees and start to clear brush for good fields of fire - I took my rifle in case we got lucky, and he agreed to go early so that I could still get to work.

We did get onto some deer, but in truth a shot was always marginal - my sticks are the long B&Q variety, and i am 6'3" so there could have been a clean shot over the brush with them but not at all sure - I do take your points about professional guides, but want to be clear that this was a different situation - I only mentioned him because he went out of his way to help me out when it would have been easier not to bother, which was good because I don't get out much :D
 
What car do you drive? My sticks stay in mine permanently. I lay them on the floor between the passenger foot well and the rear seat. They can be a minor inconvenience to a rear seat passenger when getting in and out, but they certainly don't block the doorway. I've been able to do this on Astras, a Ford Focus and a Mitsi L200.
I too use the B&Q canes and find they still fit in left at full length.
 
Treat yourself to a set of sticks from Limulus,............ mine can be stored permanently in a JIMNY!, just sling a couple of cable ties from the grab handles.SEEMPLES!:)
 
I shot my first two roe deer with John(moray outfitters ) off his shoulder with Neil Rowe s left handed rifle , he put his finger in his ear , as we didn't have any sticks between us but a result , then I had to drag them downhill back to the truck in huntly ,
 
Treat yourself to a set of sticks from Limulus,............ mine can be stored permanently in a JIMNY!, just sling a couple of cable ties from the grab handles.SEEMPLES!:)

No need for that in my car, you can fit a roof rack inside the car, no joking it's a Citroen Berlingo. Actually the rack is for skis or surf boards.
 
Don't like sticks and never have. Same as the scope that zooms in and makes the deer seem like it's stood next to you. All that's required is practice and trust in yourself.

Stalking is all about getting as close as you can to your quarry and placing your shot in the kill zone, not zooming in from 200 yds + using sticks to steady your hand, granted open hill stalking may require greater magnification and bi-pods for the greater ranges but the majority of woodland stalking is done at very close range, even down to 20 foot or so. Don't forget, the higher the magnification the more it highlights the shake. I personally use a scope that is only 4x40 and cost me about £40 years ago and has never let me down. I have shot many a deer and hundreds of fox comfortably out to about 150 yds. I also have a schmitt and bender 6x40 on my .308 but in all honesty I prefer my .243 with the 4x40 scope.

I have seen so many clients who faff about putting their sticks up for a deer that was so close you could have probably poked it with the stick and the magnification was so great you could have seen the flees on it. Result, the deer have blended back into the woods.

An old friend of mine, Edgar James from Longleat safari park (who some may remember as sadly passed now) introduced me to deer stalking many years ago and he used to always say, you only need a cheap rifle that shoots straight with ammo suited to it, a cheap low magnification scope mounted as low as possible and spend as much as you can afford on quality binoculars to assist you locating your quarry at range, then the rest was up to you to stalk into a close shooting position. Words I took to heart and still practice today.
 
Sticks are not just a big bipod, I use mine to find the depth of that freezing cold water in the burns, testing that patch of sphagnum for weight bearing, some stalking ground isn't just a walk in the woods.
 
Next to leaving my binoculars at home, this is the next biggest crime!! Haha my hazel sticks cost me nothing, work a treat and don't make that metallic sounding noise deer always hear if your setting up for the shot!

Can't say I think its cheating or anything like that, aids me in spotting too as something to lean your binoculars on for a steady view!!

Very surprised the outfitter couldn't help, but off the shoulder can work well if your confident enough
 
Very surprised at a professional stalker taking you out without sorting something out for you, can't be too bothered about you getting a beast. Several times I have cut something from the woods when I've forgotten my sticks, I would go as far as to say that it's almost pointless stalking in lowland woodlands without some sort of stick.[/QUOTE

Its not upto the stalker to supply anything..the 7 Ps springs to my mind...Pre Planing and Preperation Prevents Pish Poor Performance.....
 
Sorry Elmer, as well as using a pair of sticks and a one o' them new fangled zoomy scope things, I discarded my Hessian under garments as well:p. Seasons greetings to you.
 
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