First Buck

Stringer

Well-Known Member
Finally managed to get a commitment from a guy who owed me a favour, so on Thursday night I met up with him at his house and drove a couple of miles to his stalking ground. I expected to have a guided stalk but was pleasantly surprised when he drove me round the boundries pointed out a couple of high seats and suggested a route for my stalk given the prevailing wind and his knowledge of the ground.

So after arranging where to meet later, I set off on my stalk. The ground is 2000 acres owned by a commercial forestry company but is well broken up by open farmland and patches where the logs have already been harvested. 5 minutes in and my heart sank as I came across a small flock of sheep. Thankfully,after I crossed the next fence I saw no more.

After a short uneventfull stalk I came across the first high seat and decided to give it a try. I sat for possibly an hour with nothing to report so decided to move on as time was getting on and my arse was numb.

Stalked on for a while without seeing anything. I soon found myself crossing an area which had been harvested and found it really difficult to make any progress without making what seemed to me a bloody racket. Hugging the boundry hedge and stopping every few yards to glass the area ahead I made slow progress and I was begining to think that this was going to be have to be put down as another uneventful evening stroll. However, as I spied the small rise half a mile ahead ,yet again expecting to see nothing, my heart missed a beat when I could definately make out the form of a roe deer.

Still unsure as to whether it was a buck or a doe I had to plan my stalk to get myself into a position to firstly determine the sex of the beast and then get myself on for a shot if possible. The ground ahead dipped into a valley before rising up to the hill where the deer stood. It was fairly open save for 4 or 5 trees in a line. I decided to try and put the thickests tree between me and the deer and make full use of the little cover available.

After what seemed like an age I reached the trees and heart in my mouth I raised the binos and my heart sank as I realised that I had been stalking a doe. Ah well I thought a least I've seen a deer and practised a bit of field craft.

I lay behind the small rise by the trees and watched the doe go about her business, hoping that a buck would appear but actually surprised myself by how much I enjoyed just observing. I tried to guess how far away she was with a view to pacing it out later. My guess was around 125m -150m.

After 20 minutes or so I thought I'd better head back as it would be getting dark soon. One last scan before I go - " hang on theres two of them now". Sure enough a buck had joined her. Binos down, rifle up, cross hairs on engine room, safety off BOOOM! Re - load, look through scope again, Christ he's still standing there looking at me. I had effing totally missed, crosshairs on engine room again BOOOOM! Same routine, reload and look again. This time no deer - I had either missed again and he had bugged out or I had dropped him where he stood into the cover as I couldnt see him. So after waiting a short while there was no movement so I made safe and headed down the hill pacing out the distance.

After about 50 paces it dawned on me that I hadn't marked where the beast had been standing and as the ground was so rough I had taken my eye off the area. I was furious with myself. Anyway headed over to the hill and sure enough couldnt find the deer. I must have walked back and forward a dozen times across the couple of hendred yards that I had narrowed it down to finding no sign of blood or hair to indicate that i had wounded the deer and I had resigned myself to the fact that I had missed again when there he was lying in the long grass.

Chuffed to bits I was, whole thing made even better by the fact that I had done it unaccompanied. Sure I had made some mistakes, not having a roe sack being among them. The extraction is a story on its own, suffice to say by the time I got back to the RV point I was soaked with sweat, soaked to the Bollocks from falling in several drainage ditches, covered in blood and absolutely knackered. But it was worth it.

Forgot the camera but if I can work out how to do it I'll stick on a crappy photo I took with th phone.
 
A good write up mate, enjoyed reading it.
Blood, sweat and tears, the stalk and recovery that you had to work at, those are the ones you remember.
basil.
 
Nice write up, and I am happy that you enjoyed the observation side. You do not have to pull the trigger every time to enjoy your day out. Excellent result as well getting a deer. I also think it is good to put in a bit of work when out stalking, sweat and tears never hurt most of us. :lol:
 
Well done stringer.

A very good honest write up and account of an eventful stalk.

You will have come away with more knowledge than you started and will only go from strength to strength. ;)

Someone else on this site got his first deer yesterday and i am waiting for his account. :rolleyes:

wadas
 
snowstorm said:
I can identify with it all! How long did it take you get back to the car?

Thanks for the comments every one. I never had a watch on & had left the phone in the car (another 2 mistakes) but I'm guessing probably a good hour or so to get back to the car.
 
Stringer said:
snowstorm said:
I can identify with it all! How long did it take you get back to the car?

Thanks for the comments every one. I never had a watch on & had left the phone in the car (another 2 mistakes) but I'm guessing probably a good hour or so to get back to the car.

An hour!! Now that`s dedication.
basil.
 
Basil,

Thanks for the help posting photos, hope this works.

Roe.jpg
 
A lovely head on him, those roe are heavier to lug back to the car than they appear!!! Sometimes I just walk the woods with my binos, and am amazed what I pickup and learn. Having a gun to shoot is the easiest part of it all. Well done.
 
Well done Stringer,
Great write up enjoyed the read,
Good head, looks a good solid lad, like what as been said before they can start to get heavier and heavier the further you have to go and with out a roesack.

Well done :D

Smithy
 
Well done mate :D

I know all about dragging those things Stone took me out a while ago and I got my first buck, jesus my arms ached after that adventure .. :lol:
 
legaleagle69 said:
Well done mate :D

I know all about dragging those things Stone took me out a while ago and I got my first buck, jesus my arms ached after that adventure .. :lol:

I've run marathons that were easier than than dragging/carrying that buck back. :p :lol:
 
legaleagle69 said:
Well done mate :D

I know all about dragging those things Stone took me out a while ago and I got my first buck, jesus my arms ached after that adventure .. :lol:
and so did my jaw , laughing that much as you started to flounder, but fair play it was a long drag and you never complained once
teach you to shoot it, that far from the road :lol:
nice account stringer and hope you enjoy the meat as much as leagle has enjoyed his
well worth the effort no matter how far the drag
 
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