I posted a while ago about getting my first permission and the joy of taking my first buck on my own ground. I have not visited as often as pehaps I should but work/committments intervened. At short notice late yesterday afternoon I went over for a last light sit-out as next Saturday, I'll be lucky enough to be back on Arran and fingers crossed, the rut will still be on
As usual, having parked up quietly, I quickly stalked up to where I normally place my low-box to get a good view of the majority of the ground. Nothing! A quick scan with thermal did confirmed a cat stalking field mice in the long grass at the bottom of the field and half a dozen rabbits spread across the ground but no deer. I wasn't hopeful of roe but I have been surprised by a complete absence of muntjac.
I slowly moved up to the top of the field and, after checking out a small hollow, moved cautiously along the top hedge line, half expecting to pick up a deer the other side of the hedge off my ground. However, casually glancing back down the field I froze when I saw what looked to be a young buck looking back up the field towards me roughly 5m from where the cat had been. Thankfully, I was tucked in against the hedge and whilst he obviously had seen something, he couldn't quite make it out - his mistake! Straight up on sticks - bang (113m). A solid thud and he pitched forward but instead of falling to the ground, he ran forward and away from me out of my sight around an empty large pond (long story). I reloaded quickly but he did not appear. What did happen though was that Wiggy (my Teckel) could not contain himself and shot off down the field in good voice - bugger! Sod it - better to move forward with him and be ready.
On reaching the edge of the empty (and deep) pond, he started giving voice again and ran around the side of the empty pond, disappearing down a steep bank into dense undergrowth, flushing out an unseen young roe doe which thankfully he did not chase. The shouting stopped and all I could hear was the sound of the undergowth rustling. He returned and retraced the scent trail around the pond - I now believe this to have been the doe's initial trail he was following in reverse. I started searching for the strike site only for Wiggy to once again shoot off in full voice down the far side of the bank, disappearing into dense undergrowth 20m distant. I rapidly caught him up to see the buck at the bottom of the bank of a bank in a small flowing stream (don't they always) with Wiggy standing on the carcass
A short drag out and back to terra-firma, confirmed a young buck with good shot placement. 
Gralloching, showed the top of the heart completely severed with the bullet passing through both lungs. 
That it had run as far as it did surprised me with the catastrophic bleeding that had occurred (.308 130gr TTSX). The entry was straight through between 2 ribs and it only struck solid when it hit a rib on the way out. Disappointed as I was that Wiggy had run in to the shot, it was another good demonstration of the Teckel nose, rapidly speeding up the finding of a runner as last light was drawing in.
A quick journey home and the missus gave him his kitchen-sink bath - I'd say he was quite happy (video)! I was..........................
Postscript: On entering the deer in my records, it was my 100th roe, not too bad given I only took my first in 2017
As usual, having parked up quietly, I quickly stalked up to where I normally place my low-box to get a good view of the majority of the ground. Nothing! A quick scan with thermal did confirmed a cat stalking field mice in the long grass at the bottom of the field and half a dozen rabbits spread across the ground but no deer. I wasn't hopeful of roe but I have been surprised by a complete absence of muntjac.
I slowly moved up to the top of the field and, after checking out a small hollow, moved cautiously along the top hedge line, half expecting to pick up a deer the other side of the hedge off my ground. However, casually glancing back down the field I froze when I saw what looked to be a young buck looking back up the field towards me roughly 5m from where the cat had been. Thankfully, I was tucked in against the hedge and whilst he obviously had seen something, he couldn't quite make it out - his mistake! Straight up on sticks - bang (113m). A solid thud and he pitched forward but instead of falling to the ground, he ran forward and away from me out of my sight around an empty large pond (long story). I reloaded quickly but he did not appear. What did happen though was that Wiggy (my Teckel) could not contain himself and shot off down the field in good voice - bugger! Sod it - better to move forward with him and be ready.
On reaching the edge of the empty (and deep) pond, he started giving voice again and ran around the side of the empty pond, disappearing down a steep bank into dense undergrowth, flushing out an unseen young roe doe which thankfully he did not chase. The shouting stopped and all I could hear was the sound of the undergowth rustling. He returned and retraced the scent trail around the pond - I now believe this to have been the doe's initial trail he was following in reverse. I started searching for the strike site only for Wiggy to once again shoot off in full voice down the far side of the bank, disappearing into dense undergrowth 20m distant. I rapidly caught him up to see the buck at the bottom of the bank of a bank in a small flowing stream (don't they always) with Wiggy standing on the carcass
A short drag out and back to terra-firma, confirmed a young buck with good shot placement. Gralloching, showed the top of the heart completely severed with the bullet passing through both lungs. That it had run as far as it did surprised me with the catastrophic bleeding that had occurred (.308 130gr TTSX). The entry was straight through between 2 ribs and it only struck solid when it hit a rib on the way out. Disappointed as I was that Wiggy had run in to the shot, it was another good demonstration of the Teckel nose, rapidly speeding up the finding of a runner as last light was drawing in.
A quick journey home and the missus gave him his kitchen-sink bath - I'd say he was quite happy (video)! I was..........................
Postscript: On entering the deer in my records, it was my 100th roe, not too bad given I only took my first in 2017
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