Last year on TSD, I asked for some mentoring in the stalking world. A very kind member reached out to me & offered to give me some guidance.
This afternoon we went out to a very nice but very muddy woodland with plenty of tracks, fallen Birch & tangles underfoot.
Making our way through, we see a flash of a Muntjac ahead, it was gone as quickly as it appeared.
We move on through and make our way up the bank, stopping half way up and looking back down. This is where I now see why thermals are so valuable.
My mentor spots a signature back down the bank where we had just been, I struggle multiple times to spot it in the tangle and fallen tree cover, minutes go by as I scan with my binoculars.
Finally I see it (some of it), I only managed to see it by kind of not looking for a deer shape. Amongst the cover I did manage to notice the texture difference. It was very well camouflaged.
I was left to make my way around and get a shot. Trying to make a mental note of it's position I move along the bank then make my way down.
I stop multiple times to make sure I have my markers, a tree, a fallen tree with moss on it.
Could I see it again....no.
Some puzzled looks back up the bank and a few hand signals later, my mentor takes the shot.
We move down, approach, and then I see a downed Muntjac about the size of a terrier, nestled under two downed trees, not surprised we didn't see it the first time around.
I think if I walked a few more meters along the bank I may have been able to see it.
We move on up the very slippy bank, have a few breathers as I was absolutely baking. Stuck between not being cold when the day draws in but not wearing so much that hiking boils you.
I ended up with the latter. My bino harness didnt help with opening my jacket either!!
The woodland opened up at the top of the bank, so after a breather, we move along kicking up a few pheasants.
I was told the Fallow frequent that area and within tens of metres there are Fallow staring at us around 60m or 70m away.
Sticks are out and as they're looking right at us I bring up the scope, the crosshairs sway down the body, on the sway back up I take the shot. It was quicker than I have shot deer before but it makes a good thump so felt ok about it.
We give it some time and approach. It hadn't gone far.
The shot was lower than I thought I had taken. It did the job though, so pleased about that.
Not long after these pictures, the light dropped and the extraction started, we wont talk about that as I'm just recovering from the muddy sled pull.
Throughout this stalk, my friend was explaining the topography, pointing out the holly cover where the deer have been etc.
I am very grateful for the opportunities that I have been given, but this woodland stalk has been the most educational so far, not to say my other guides haven't been good, just that this terrain & environment was more difficult to spot and stalk compred to the open fields of Norfolk and the forrested areas in Scotland. The narration was also very helpful.
The drive home consisted of binbags on seats, a porl pie for the drive and a few eipsodes of Dad's Army on BBC Sounds.....also a chicken and asparagus pie just came out of the oven as I walked in. Winner.
Going to rest my aching legs now.
This afternoon we went out to a very nice but very muddy woodland with plenty of tracks, fallen Birch & tangles underfoot.
Making our way through, we see a flash of a Muntjac ahead, it was gone as quickly as it appeared.
We move on through and make our way up the bank, stopping half way up and looking back down. This is where I now see why thermals are so valuable.
My mentor spots a signature back down the bank where we had just been, I struggle multiple times to spot it in the tangle and fallen tree cover, minutes go by as I scan with my binoculars.
Finally I see it (some of it), I only managed to see it by kind of not looking for a deer shape. Amongst the cover I did manage to notice the texture difference. It was very well camouflaged.
I was left to make my way around and get a shot. Trying to make a mental note of it's position I move along the bank then make my way down.
I stop multiple times to make sure I have my markers, a tree, a fallen tree with moss on it.
Could I see it again....no.
Some puzzled looks back up the bank and a few hand signals later, my mentor takes the shot.
We move down, approach, and then I see a downed Muntjac about the size of a terrier, nestled under two downed trees, not surprised we didn't see it the first time around.
I think if I walked a few more meters along the bank I may have been able to see it.
We move on up the very slippy bank, have a few breathers as I was absolutely baking. Stuck between not being cold when the day draws in but not wearing so much that hiking boils you.
I ended up with the latter. My bino harness didnt help with opening my jacket either!!
The woodland opened up at the top of the bank, so after a breather, we move along kicking up a few pheasants.
I was told the Fallow frequent that area and within tens of metres there are Fallow staring at us around 60m or 70m away.
Sticks are out and as they're looking right at us I bring up the scope, the crosshairs sway down the body, on the sway back up I take the shot. It was quicker than I have shot deer before but it makes a good thump so felt ok about it.
We give it some time and approach. It hadn't gone far.
The shot was lower than I thought I had taken. It did the job though, so pleased about that.
Not long after these pictures, the light dropped and the extraction started, we wont talk about that as I'm just recovering from the muddy sled pull.
Throughout this stalk, my friend was explaining the topography, pointing out the holly cover where the deer have been etc.
I am very grateful for the opportunities that I have been given, but this woodland stalk has been the most educational so far, not to say my other guides haven't been good, just that this terrain & environment was more difficult to spot and stalk compred to the open fields of Norfolk and the forrested areas in Scotland. The narration was also very helpful.
The drive home consisted of binbags on seats, a porl pie for the drive and a few eipsodes of Dad's Army on BBC Sounds.....also a chicken and asparagus pie just came out of the oven as I walked in. Winner.
Going to rest my aching legs now.
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