Van Helsing
New Member
You seem like a friendly bunch so here we go. I live near Telford and work in Kidderminster, Bromsgrove and Redditch. I shoot mostly deer, foxes and rabbits but will shoot anything else where I can get permission. I've been stalking for a couple of years so I'm not massively experienced. I've done the DSC 1 and I'm working towards DSC 2.
When I started out I was very lucky to be taken under the wing of a very experienced professional stalker. That's unfortunately come to an end now so I'm working hard to get some stalking ground of my own.
I use a .243 and .308 (plus a .17 and .22 for the small stuff).
I have a 7 year old rescue dog, Zoom, that I use for deer. He marks well and does a decent track for heart and lung runners but probably isn't up to wounded deer with little blood trail. I've just got a new pup - he's half whippet, quarter terrier, quarter lab and for the shooting I do he's about perfect. I'd appreciate any advice from experienced dog handlers as to how best bring him on. He's called Max.
My best stalking moment. There are two. I was stalking through a plantation and came across a fallow doe and fawn. She knew I was there but couldn't work out if I was a threat. I watched her for about 20 minutes and she came to within 10 yards of me. It was the buck season but I didn't care - my day was complete. The second was when I was asked to go looking for an injured fallow doe. Zoom suddenly zigged off the main ride. I followed him and within 30 yards we were on fresh slot marks. Another 50 and we bumped the doe. She'd been hit by a car. Her left hind leg was badly smashed and she was in poor shape. I shot her as she stood, too sick to run. That was a very emotional moment for me - man, dog, rifle and deer, it all made sense.
My worst stalking moment was listening to an experienced stalker explain why he'd gut-shot a muntjack. His cross hairs had swung from nose to tail and back again. He pulled the trigger somewhere in the middle because he'd "...not shot one for a while and wanted to get one under his belt."
It seems that I've met the minimum requirement for more than two lines of introduction and then some.
Regards,
VH.
When I started out I was very lucky to be taken under the wing of a very experienced professional stalker. That's unfortunately come to an end now so I'm working hard to get some stalking ground of my own.
I use a .243 and .308 (plus a .17 and .22 for the small stuff).
I have a 7 year old rescue dog, Zoom, that I use for deer. He marks well and does a decent track for heart and lung runners but probably isn't up to wounded deer with little blood trail. I've just got a new pup - he's half whippet, quarter terrier, quarter lab and for the shooting I do he's about perfect. I'd appreciate any advice from experienced dog handlers as to how best bring him on. He's called Max.
My best stalking moment. There are two. I was stalking through a plantation and came across a fallow doe and fawn. She knew I was there but couldn't work out if I was a threat. I watched her for about 20 minutes and she came to within 10 yards of me. It was the buck season but I didn't care - my day was complete. The second was when I was asked to go looking for an injured fallow doe. Zoom suddenly zigged off the main ride. I followed him and within 30 yards we were on fresh slot marks. Another 50 and we bumped the doe. She'd been hit by a car. Her left hind leg was badly smashed and she was in poor shape. I shot her as she stood, too sick to run. That was a very emotional moment for me - man, dog, rifle and deer, it all made sense.
My worst stalking moment was listening to an experienced stalker explain why he'd gut-shot a muntjack. His cross hairs had swung from nose to tail and back again. He pulled the trigger somewhere in the middle because he'd "...not shot one for a while and wanted to get one under his belt."
It seems that I've met the minimum requirement for more than two lines of introduction and then some.
Regards,
VH.