Roe Does on Saturday

I was out Saturday morning. Took a young buck in the morning and went for an explore with the rifle in an area I'd not walked through previously (still getting to know the ground). It was an area of mature plantation with good breaks and a landy track.

Sun shining and only the faintest breeze.

I ended up in a wide patch of tall grass, about 100m by 400m, surrounded by mature pine forest and spotted a doe on the far side feeding. The breeze was very light but perceptibly from behind me, so I figured she'd wind me. Anyway I watched her for a bit, feeding away. It was great to watch and see her react to picking up my scent. Immediately alert, almost coiled like a spring ready to act, head twitched 90 degrees left, then straight ahead, then 90 degrees right and off like a train.

As I headed back to where I'd left the car I passed a stream that borders the landy track and there are low new growth trees about 4 or 5 feet tall along the edge of the landy track. I spotted an ear flick out the corner of my eye and froze. In to view came another nice doe feeding away in the stream bank just below me. The breeze was back in my favour now. I had the cover of the trees and kept her in view as she moved closer and closer, feeding away. Just for fun I moved slowly so we were both in full view of each other, still she wasnt bothered. When she was just over 5 metres away I gave her a low whistle, she looked me straight in the eye and then bolted.

Not the first lassie to do that, and she'll not be the last either.

Fabulous to get so close to watch these great animals.
 
In to view came another nice doe feeding away in the stream bank just below me. The breeze was back in my favour now. I had the cover of the trees and kept her in view as she moved closer and closer, feeding away. Just for fun I moved slowly so we were both in full view of each other, still she wasnt bothered. When she was just over 5 metres away I gave her a low whistle, she looked me straight in the eye and then bolted.

I had a similar encounter last night, a doe appeared and started working along the hedge I was stalking along towards me. We were both on the left side of the hedge, with the wind going left to right, so my scent was safe. I closed the distance to about 30m and then let her come to me. At about 10m she thought something was wrong but still came on another couple of metres, with her heading bobbing about as she tried to focus.
She then arc'd round behind me no more that 5-6m away still sniffing and looking, but not able to get my scent. It was only when I stood up that she started barking at me and even then she only ran back about 30m. After a lot of waving she eventually got the message and bolted barking all the way, she kept on barking for a couple of minutes as well.

It really is very cool to get in that close to them, of course if she had been a buck, then he wouldn't have got any closer than about 50m.
 
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