7 Point malform to christen the highseat

Evening All,

I haven't been around for a while as I've been working in Scotland for the past year and haven't had the chance to get out much.

Anyway, I got home from Holiday last week and had missed the rut but fancied getting out and thought it was about time I picked up a high seat. After reading a few threads on here I decided to go for the Seeland Hecules folding sort (I have to say I'm very happy with it). So having actually taken one home I had to choose where to put it and I narrowed it down to 3 potential spots and chosen one. 3 downs and their fawns showed but no bucks.

Just before last light I thought i'd get down and have a look and see what was showing at the other places I'd chosen. This was when I saw, just 45 yards from where I was going to but the seat, a buck that didn't look quite right. When he turned his head he showed his 7th point and I decided I was going to target this buck but the only issue was the wheat was still standing so I'd have to wait until the combine had gone over it.

The seat in the first location:



Up at 5:30 the next and back to the seat in its original location. This time a buck did show but he was at about 250-300 yards and I wasn't able to stalk into him so had to leave it. Whilst out on the farm that afternoon the combine was rolling and I knew that my chance was coming.

The rain last night and this morning meant they weren't going to have the combine rolling today to finish the field so I shifted the highseat ready for the evening. I heading down just before 7 and snuck up to the seat and got climbed in. After a couple of mins I spotted movement on the edge of the wood about 200 yards away. His head was down but he lifted it showing he was a buck before heading straight back into the woods.

After about half and hour he showed again about 200-250 yards away but was stood in the crops and I couldn't tell if it was the buck I had seen 2 nights ago or not. Now it was a waiting game and i and I had about an hour of light left. It was around 8 o'clock when a doe showed with 2 fawns. Having seen him with these the last time I was hopeful he would follow. 5 mins later he did. The sun had set and I knew I had about half and hour to get a shot or it'd be another early morning. The appears to be slowly moving my way so I though I'd wait it out from the seat.

by 8:15 they had hardly moved and the light was just starting to go and I was starting to think I may not get the shot before it was dark. Then, the doe started to make her way towards me (or the woods behind me). One of the fawns followed and the buck made his way towards where the one fawn remained. By now the doe was less than 100 yards from me and the second fawn ran to catch up.

Finally the buck started to play ball and started to make his way straight towards me. I still wasn't sure if it was the same buck as he hadn't been close enough to make his antlers out well. He just came closer and closer straight at me not stopping broadside to present a shot. By now I was hoping he wasn't going to go straight by me suddenly he stopped, turned broadside and their it was, his antlers in clear show, 7th point in clear view at around 80 yards.

I slipped off the safety, squeezed the trigger and he leapt forward ran around 30 yards, stopped and fell. The doe and fawns where stood there not sure what had happened and I let the buck take his last breath.

I got down from the seat, walked up the buck, tapped his eye and found him stone dead. By now it was late and nearly all the light was gone so I took a few pics, bled him out and dragged him to the car to perform the gralloch.

Anyway here he is, he's got a very prominent 7th point coming from the base of his antlers, I hope this pics do it justice but will get some more tomorrow when the head is cleaned up.

The flash makes it look later than it was.







Cheers,

George
 
Nice write up and nice looking buck. Always nice in sense to have a run around makes it more satisfying when you connect!
 
Cheers guys I'm very happy with him, just cleaning the head up now. TH I've got another year at uni , having been working on Scotland for a year, before I'll be back so just going to have to get out as and when I can.

G
 
Got the head all cleaned up and its strange. It looks like the 7th point is actually a 3rd antler as it has its own coronet









George
 
Lovely trophy George really unusual, and you made a top job of cleaning and prepping the trophy. well done.
 
Thanks guys I'm very happy with him and how its cleaned up

Lovely cleaning job, well done.
Are you going to get it measured?
Alan

Not this one no he was at 430g full skull after just 1 day drying so decided the weight wasn't there and have cut the skull to get on a shield now.

Cheers,

G
 
Back
Top