Had a very interesting experience yesterday afternoon. I'd stalked into a seat I've got set up on a pinch point between two bits of woodland separated by a back road, as I went in I'd seen the heads of fallow over a brow about 200 yards from the ladder & after I'd settled in a found them again generally mooching about nibbling & looking very chilled. So chilled they then all lied down for about half an hour before getting up & with a purpose heading down through the wood towards me head on. At about 100 yards the lead doe stopped & turned broadside but alas a tree was in the way with arse only showing, but a step forward & her head was the other side so it was a 'bang flop' job. The rest of the group turned & ran back to where I'd first seen them before stopping to regroup - a good broadside & hilar shot resulted in a second 'bang flop" & they all took off again away & into the thicker woodland. That was the last I though I'd see of them...
However, 15-20 minutes later guess what - exactly where they'd been when I first saw them, they were back. I'm 100% sure it was the same group as they were on edge but didn't seem to have a purpose about them. After milling around for 5 mins or so they started to head along the same line they'd taken towards me before but then turned & went back the way they'd come - if it hadn't been for trees blocking the line of sight I'd probably have taken another but that's by the by. Anyway, they then went out onto the edge of the wood into the field and milled about for another 5 mins or so before heading away up the side of the field. Another 5 minutes later & they're all back again where they started. Just as I was contemplating getting out of the ladder & trying to stalk into them they decided they'd cross the field to a wood on the other side so I left them to it.
Now I've shot a lot of fallow over the years & have seen the confusion shooting the lead doe in a group does to them in open ground, especially when they're in larger herds, & have even managed to mop up the whole group during the confusion on the odd occasion. But, I've never had an experience like this when they've come back to where they were before the shooting started, not once but twice!
Just wondering whether any of the other regular fallow cullers on here have had this happen before??
However, 15-20 minutes later guess what - exactly where they'd been when I first saw them, they were back. I'm 100% sure it was the same group as they were on edge but didn't seem to have a purpose about them. After milling around for 5 mins or so they started to head along the same line they'd taken towards me before but then turned & went back the way they'd come - if it hadn't been for trees blocking the line of sight I'd probably have taken another but that's by the by. Anyway, they then went out onto the edge of the wood into the field and milled about for another 5 mins or so before heading away up the side of the field. Another 5 minutes later & they're all back again where they started. Just as I was contemplating getting out of the ladder & trying to stalk into them they decided they'd cross the field to a wood on the other side so I left them to it.
Now I've shot a lot of fallow over the years & have seen the confusion shooting the lead doe in a group does to them in open ground, especially when they're in larger herds, & have even managed to mop up the whole group during the confusion on the odd occasion. But, I've never had an experience like this when they've come back to where they were before the shooting started, not once but twice!
Just wondering whether any of the other regular fallow cullers on here have had this happen before??
