What I call a successful Stalk

Went out for a potter around my ground yesterday evening - did leave the house till 9pm - first time for a few weeks. I have a number of bits that frequently hold deer. First bit I looked into was gorgous looking buck - really nice head on him and his coat was in really good condition. Really nice to see, as a few weeks ago everything was looking very scruffy and thin. He was emminantly shootable, but too good to shoot so watched him for ten minutes quietly feeding and then backed away.

Saw another couple of nice beasts at the bottom of the next door field with a couple of does. Then went up to the hay field. One buck was on the other side, but not in a safe position. So went round the other side and sat quietly under a tree and just waited. Had a fox almost run over me, and then had a good buck pop out of the woods. He fed quietly for a few minutes, but not in a clear safe position so just waited. He then moved out of sight, but popped back into sight about ten minutes later in a clearly shootable position. Then just thought that had a client meeting first thing, it was a warm muggy night and did I really want to be up till 1am chopping him up to get him into the fridge - so just let him be.

Drove home thoroughly satisfied.
 
Sounds like a great evening out. Always nice to see a true stalker that is as happy to observe his stock as to blaze away at anything that moves. True spirt of the stalker.
 
Sometimes it is better just to watch Patrick! and you demonstrated the clear thinking of a wise stalker sharing the gralloch with a swarm of midges is not one of life's great pleasures:), good for you mate.

John
 
Been doing the same with my lad,Taken some time for it to sink in that you dont shot everything you come across, there as to be a reason.
If he can give me a good reason and he puts the time in looking and watch then if safe and suitable he can stalk and he may get to shot.
 
sometimes its a better feeling to spy the deer and leave for a better occasion.
i did that last year on a real nice buck and been back three times and no sign. i am leaving the ground now till 2nd week in august and with luck will call him in.
real nice beast with some good genes for the next generation.

well done mate. they say reap what you sow.

atb frank
 
Have been out again a couple of times since I worte the above and of course havn't seen a thing - admittadely last Friday my seven and half year old daughter requested that could she come along as well. Had another good potter and saw the two good bucks again, but in the next door field. One was just lying out in the middle minding his own business and knowing that he was perfectly safe - he had a very smug look on his face. We then saw a big old fox trotting along the bottom boundry. Lets see if we can call him up - used the back of my hand as squeeker. Saw it turn and come trotting towards me - we crouched down behind a patch of docks - a couple of minutes later, little voice next to me - "Daddy there's the fox" - turned my head towards him and we both stared at each other from about five yards distance - I started to lift the gun up to give him the good news from the shotgun barrel, but he was away in a flash - no chance.

Later on when we were walking back spied down into the field again and there under the big oak tree on hedge line were three young fox cubs just playing, with big old buck just lieing 20 yds away. On next doors land, so we just sat a watched them. After ten minutes the big old fox came up to them with a rabbit and all hell broke loose as three cubs start tearing it apart. We just sat and watched till it got dark.

I know that Foxes are vermin, but what a privaledge to see that sort of thing, and to share it with my daughter - she will remember that for the rest of her life - and overheard her chatting to here friends yesterday recounting this and friends just wide with amazement and envy. I can still vividly remember as 4 year old boy in Africa coming back from days shooting ducks, guinea fowl and doves with my father on friends farm south of Harare - the feel of sore knees (from the long grass) falling asleep on front bench seat of the Renault 4 with black lab sitting leaning out of the window.

Went out again last night - saw no bucks but saw three does each with a fawn. Could hear the bucks barking away in the glen - but it was quite a cold night. The rut should be starting soon. Saw a big badger as well. Can't help feeling I will be more successful with a good camera, as I should have learnt by now that on this bit of ground you must take what you are presented with and don't leave it for later.
 
There are no game shoots close by - most of the surrounding areas are woodland nature reserves, parkland or urban fringes. Running a game shoot would be a nightmare.

To be honest the foxes actually do quite a useful job in keeping the rabbit population under control.
 
keep the tales coming patrick, very enjoyable well done. and im sure when the time is right you will be putting a beast in the freezer.
 
Last night had an even better stalk. Weather was hot, sultry and pregnant with rain - would be like the African spring just before the rains, but up here in Scotland only 20 degrees rather than 30+. A good evening me-thinks. As am driving out big heavy rain drops hit the windscreen, but with a bright patch of sky to the west not too concerned.

Had a good chat with friend who owns the farm. A buck has been doing good damage to his young fruit trees around the house. He's put plastic tubes around them, peed on them but does reckon the best solution is the barbeque. Had a look around the woods near the farm, but not much moving other than a couple of horse riders. Spy a doe running through a wheat field across the valley, but no buck after her. Tried the buttalo a few times but nothing moving so decide to go up the other end of the farm where I had seent he bucks I recounted above.


Park the car and immediatly see the cracking good buck at the top of the next field. He is 500 yds away, but would be visable the whole way if did the direct approach and where he is is not a safe shot any way. So will trot off the other way and see what happens. It is spitting with rain on and off, but given the rain over the last ten days, every thing is much greener and lusher - not like down in Wiltshire last week, where it looked like southern France it was so dry.

Creeping up to the field where the buck was - saw that he had moved down the field - will just creep along the wall to the end, poke my nose round and see what happens. And a fox appears in front of me - should I, should n't I - still a few hundred yards from the buck - crouch down, and buttalo in pocket squeeks. Fox pricks his ears up comes running towards me. Ten yards, a dose of number fives from the shot barrel, and he is off to the happy hunting grounds.

Give it five minutes and carry on towards the buck. Get to the end of the wall - where is he - there he is under the Oak tree on the edge of the wood - a wee bit spooked by the shot, but feeding. Too far though for a shot, and too close to the boundry. Will give him a squeek and see what happens - pricks his ears up, give him another and he starts trotting towards me. I close the gun, but like a fool forget to hold the top leaver across, and the metallic rattle amkes him prick his ears up - three bounds he is over the fence. B............. Now 10 pm and getting dark. Will walk back the long way round and may see something. So walk back quietly arund the field and into the next.

In the next field there is a good amount of nettly, dock leafy type scrub. Look carefully with the bins - nothing much. Take two more steps and one of the docks moves - docks don't move - that's a beast. Freeze - he is 250 yds away. He puts his head down again - have a good look at him, he is big bodied beast, can't see his head - tis now pretty dark, but given the size, and body thickness definatley a good buck, the one I had seen earlier? Don know.

Back up till I have dead ground between us - move sideways and forwards, lets get 100 yds closer following that dead ground and then will have a good downhill shot into dead ground. Crouch and crawl forwards - move quite quickly as am loosing the light and also the wind is from me to him. He sticks his head up and stares at me, freeze again - he turns and takes a few steps to his right - excellent - now away from all the cover with a nice green backdrop. Get seated, sticks ready, slip a round into the breech, close the rifle very quietly - nice seated position, slip the safety off, he takes a step so he is now quartering towards me - come straight up the nearside foreleg, cross hair steadies a third of the way up - relax and squeeze and think the bullet into the beest (see Lawrence Van Der Post, Story like the Wind where the foresight becomes at one with an elephant) - boom, but didn't feel the recoil and he he drops on the spot.

Give him five minutes - pace out to him - 150 paces - and there he is - a cracking good buck. Say thanks - and am then joined by the midges!!!

Got to bed at 1.30am, having skinned out the cape and jointed him into the fridge - its in the freezer and may go off to the taxidermist. Carcass weighed over 15kg, skin off, with plenty of fat around the kidneys and under the skin - really good condition and will make excellent eating. And really happy as first proper buck with the Heinrich Munch combination gun - 16 bore over 7x65R. Worked up my own load of 139 gr Hornady soft point over 51.5g IMR4831. Have had a couple of scruffy wee bucks with it, but at close range - this was the first "proper" shot and bullet hit exactly the point of aim. Really confidence building, even though I know it is a good accurate rifle on paper, it is always a different matter in the field.
 
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Well Done Patrick, nicely done and a fox as well, one for each barrel what more could you ask for?

John
 
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