Evening all,
After skinning out my last buck from last Friday and discovering it was no good to eat, i took it to a local permission and tied the carcass to a tree near a well used fox earth. I went last night with the .223 to wait for an offending charlie. He didnt turn up due to an old woman pondering around in the field (no footpaths!). I decided to have a drive down onto a field which is being hammered by rabbits and shoot a few with the .223.
As i was driving back along the woodside on my way home, i looked down a ride and onto a wheat field, here i could see a deer on the flood bank. I stopped and glassed the deer, a small and thin buck. I watched him for a while, he was about 240yds away and noticed that he hobbled as opposed to walk. I remembered then that i had seen a deer while lamping earlier this year that i though had a limp. I watched him til it got dark.
Tonight, i decided to have a wander down with the .308 and see if i could get a better look at him and take him out if he was injured. I went down through the wood and spotted a doe and youngster at the other end of the field, around 500yds away. I watched them for a while and then saw a deer shape in the nettles next to them, i couldnt tell if it were a buck or not until it started to fray a sapling. I set off and stalked from 500yds to 200yds fairly easily, just crounching along in the long grass. When i got to 200yds, i could no longer see the buck, so sat and waited for 10 mins. still no sign. I stalked closer but as i was in direct line of sight with the doe, i had to crawl. I got from 200yds to 100yds and the doe and kid were still there, larking around which was great to see. Still no buck. I waited for 20 minutes with no joy. I thought he may have hopped into the wood to have a lay down. I got up onto my knees and thats when i saw another two heads poking up through the grass. One was the buck, the other was a doe. The buck got up and was not putting any weight on his front left leg, hobbled three steps then sat down again. I decided it was best to take him out if possible. Another 10 minutes and he still looked settled. I got to around 60yds from him using the long grass and found a tussock on which i could get the rifle high enough on the long bipod to sit and shoot over the top. 10 mins before complete dark, i thought its now or never, so i whistled once, he stood up labouiously and went down like a sack of spuds with a 150gn SST through the lungs and heart.
On inspection he had a multiple fractured left front leg which was still broken but looks like an old wound. I gralloched him and rushed home, hes hanging up now and will take some better pics in the light tomorrow. Definitely a good animal to take out. I found it rewarding to target a specific animal and stalk on flat ground from 500yds to 60yds.
I shall post pics tomorrow eve.
Night all..
After skinning out my last buck from last Friday and discovering it was no good to eat, i took it to a local permission and tied the carcass to a tree near a well used fox earth. I went last night with the .223 to wait for an offending charlie. He didnt turn up due to an old woman pondering around in the field (no footpaths!). I decided to have a drive down onto a field which is being hammered by rabbits and shoot a few with the .223.
As i was driving back along the woodside on my way home, i looked down a ride and onto a wheat field, here i could see a deer on the flood bank. I stopped and glassed the deer, a small and thin buck. I watched him for a while, he was about 240yds away and noticed that he hobbled as opposed to walk. I remembered then that i had seen a deer while lamping earlier this year that i though had a limp. I watched him til it got dark.
Tonight, i decided to have a wander down with the .308 and see if i could get a better look at him and take him out if he was injured. I went down through the wood and spotted a doe and youngster at the other end of the field, around 500yds away. I watched them for a while and then saw a deer shape in the nettles next to them, i couldnt tell if it were a buck or not until it started to fray a sapling. I set off and stalked from 500yds to 200yds fairly easily, just crounching along in the long grass. When i got to 200yds, i could no longer see the buck, so sat and waited for 10 mins. still no sign. I stalked closer but as i was in direct line of sight with the doe, i had to crawl. I got from 200yds to 100yds and the doe and kid were still there, larking around which was great to see. Still no buck. I waited for 20 minutes with no joy. I thought he may have hopped into the wood to have a lay down. I got up onto my knees and thats when i saw another two heads poking up through the grass. One was the buck, the other was a doe. The buck got up and was not putting any weight on his front left leg, hobbled three steps then sat down again. I decided it was best to take him out if possible. Another 10 minutes and he still looked settled. I got to around 60yds from him using the long grass and found a tussock on which i could get the rifle high enough on the long bipod to sit and shoot over the top. 10 mins before complete dark, i thought its now or never, so i whistled once, he stood up labouiously and went down like a sack of spuds with a 150gn SST through the lungs and heart.
On inspection he had a multiple fractured left front leg which was still broken but looks like an old wound. I gralloched him and rushed home, hes hanging up now and will take some better pics in the light tomorrow. Definitely a good animal to take out. I found it rewarding to target a specific animal and stalk on flat ground from 500yds to 60yds.
I shall post pics tomorrow eve.
Night all..