Headed to the farm with the trail cam this morning to see if I could manage to get one of the muntjac that keep walking through.
Got there about 06:00 and proceeded to head round the too of the farm to check a spiney before working the edge back down to where the muntjac were seen.
The wind wasn't great but luckily the topend of the farm is a fair bit higher than the rest, so my thought was, its just like a highseat and hopefully any scent would be blown right over the top of anything until I get to the edge where it will be blown off the farm.
Nothing in the spinney, not surprising its only small and its on a footpath that is frequented by dog walkers. If I was a muntjac I wouldn't hang about it there either.
Working thr edge Major starts to go into "tracking mode" it involves nose done and very dainty steps where his body remains central as opposed to bouncing up and down, hard to describe unmistakable when you see it. Thos continues down the edge and as the sun lights up the the farm I can see tracks......good boy I tell him.
I let off a few squeaks on the buttalo and wait a little bit, nothing shows and the journey continues. I get to where the camera is and tuck myself in behind some tall grass and fallen trees, call again and wait. I can hear a muntjac barking in the distance and hope the calls may entice him in with the "promise of romance" he doesn't fall for it so I wait and wait some more.
While waiting the swans start to get up off the nature reserve which sounds like horses running as their feet tap the water, I think to myself, hopefully they miss the powerlines this time and all of a sudden bang....flop one hits the deck with the powerline bouncing up and down. Major stares intensely as do I though I imagine for differing reasons. The Swan gets up and gives itself a shake, flaps its wings and then against all sense waddles towards me..."please go a different way mate" I think to myself. It heads into the ditch behind and through the fence where it rests on a field routinely spreading and flapping its wings. Looks alright i think so good luck to you.
A young fox wanders along and the stops and looks at us before running off and the doubling back, "nice little fox that ay boy".
Nothing else shows so I make my way along the back edge hoping something does. No luck again. I grab my camera so I can take it home and then head off to one of the other farms to put a new camera up to start getting an idea of the roe's movements and numbers ready for the season to start on them. Plenty of sign and also the odd fallow track. I don't hold out much hope of getting a fallow off there as they aren't there often but nice to see.
Still a nice morning and good to get the dog out for his second time.
Got there about 06:00 and proceeded to head round the too of the farm to check a spiney before working the edge back down to where the muntjac were seen.
The wind wasn't great but luckily the topend of the farm is a fair bit higher than the rest, so my thought was, its just like a highseat and hopefully any scent would be blown right over the top of anything until I get to the edge where it will be blown off the farm.
Nothing in the spinney, not surprising its only small and its on a footpath that is frequented by dog walkers. If I was a muntjac I wouldn't hang about it there either.
Working thr edge Major starts to go into "tracking mode" it involves nose done and very dainty steps where his body remains central as opposed to bouncing up and down, hard to describe unmistakable when you see it. Thos continues down the edge and as the sun lights up the the farm I can see tracks......good boy I tell him.
I let off a few squeaks on the buttalo and wait a little bit, nothing shows and the journey continues. I get to where the camera is and tuck myself in behind some tall grass and fallen trees, call again and wait. I can hear a muntjac barking in the distance and hope the calls may entice him in with the "promise of romance" he doesn't fall for it so I wait and wait some more.
While waiting the swans start to get up off the nature reserve which sounds like horses running as their feet tap the water, I think to myself, hopefully they miss the powerlines this time and all of a sudden bang....flop one hits the deck with the powerline bouncing up and down. Major stares intensely as do I though I imagine for differing reasons. The Swan gets up and gives itself a shake, flaps its wings and then against all sense waddles towards me..."please go a different way mate" I think to myself. It heads into the ditch behind and through the fence where it rests on a field routinely spreading and flapping its wings. Looks alright i think so good luck to you.
A young fox wanders along and the stops and looks at us before running off and the doubling back, "nice little fox that ay boy".
Nothing else shows so I make my way along the back edge hoping something does. No luck again. I grab my camera so I can take it home and then head off to one of the other farms to put a new camera up to start getting an idea of the roe's movements and numbers ready for the season to start on them. Plenty of sign and also the odd fallow track. I don't hold out much hope of getting a fallow off there as they aren't there often but nice to see.
Still a nice morning and good to get the dog out for his second time.
