Duck Broken This Weekend

Just though I’d share my weekend exploits with two ducks broken.
I and two other SD friends travelled to our ground in Scotland in some heavy traffic from sunny North Wales, into blistering sunshine, hoping to catch some sort of action on the roe bucks.
Friday evening saw me eaten alive with midges, and sadly nothing seen.
However my stalking companion, was to be lucky (his write up to follow I’m sure)and his first roe buck shot.

Saturday morning saw the heavens open and saw me do a forest gump and I walked and walked and walked, and I didn’t see a thing.

Saturday evening was much cooler, and having walked along the forest track I finally got a glimpse of a roe doe in some brush, totally ginger from nose to tail, and I was happy to have seen a deer.
I started to walk back towards the car, again along the same track when I stopped to glass and I nearly creamed my pants, I saw silhouetted perfectly on the sky line a stag, then another then a hind, GREAT.
I made my way trying not to make much noise on the gravel towards them to try and get another look, and I could clearly make out a nobber, and a hind and clearly another slightly older animal.
My plan was to shoot the nobber stag if the chance came up, before the other.
I sent a cheeky text to my mate “2 staggs,I’m going inn, wish me luck”

I finally made my way up a small bank and could see the three grazing, but in all honesty I couldn’t quite make out the nobber and hind and waited what seemed and age, then the older stag presented a shot, I set my 270 stuzen up on the sticks, and had the cross hairs right behind his shoulder,I reckoned around 160-170yrds ish then Mr Mannering gave off a very pronounced BOOOM,I saw him run with his left shoulder twitching then he was on the deck, kicking,I was ecstatic,the other stag was somewhat oblivious and started to show his displeasure of me shooting his mate.

I made my way to where I marked him and just couldn't find him.I felt horrible, the other lads along with the dog came to my aid and we were still unable to find the beast, by now it was dark, It was a cold,so the plan was to go back the next morning first light and get him out a quickly as possible.

We made our way to the spot where I had marked him and the dog wasn't 5 minutes in when we found the beast, more or less exactly where I marked him but slightly up hill some 25 yards,adrenaline doe's weird thing when your in the moment.

Then came the part I was dreading, we dragged the animal back to the truck, which seemed like an age, and thank god it was down hill, otherwise we’d be fkucked,only 160 yards or so but we were sweating buckets.

Got him in the larder and the shot was through and through, straight in behind the shoulder, and I was amazed as to the fact there was no damage whatsoever to the meat with the 130gr 270 bullet.
We had red fillets for supper, which I can only describe as 1 of the finest steaks I've ever eaten,cut with only a plastic knife,cooked in butter superb.

I owe a big thank you to the lads for their help in moving the beast, and of course the dog, hopefully not the last stag, but definitely for the time being I won’t be shooting another in a hurry.

All in all a great weekend in great company which makes things like this even more precious and even more that little bit special.
It's taken me 6 years to get a stag,from when I saw my first a few years ago,so a very special occasion for me anyway,pics below.
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​Thanks for reading if you've made it this far.
 
Nice write up, I can imagine the frustration and suspense of not finding it that night, bet you replayed that shot thousands of times before the morning and got very little sleep! Well done on a first!
 
well done its an awfull feeling ,one i hope i don't have again with the hound in tow. those stutzens do bark out abit don't they. and finally you big jessy thats only a tiddler get used to dragging them as you will have more.
I find the worse thing is the moment you open one up those midges turn into a crazed mass trying to eat you alive.
atb wayne
 
Good write up, with a great result. well done Gelert.
Time to get yourself a deer dog me thinks LOL
Paul
 
2 stags im going in . how cool are you i said to myself . good luck was the text back . the boom across the hill was a fantastic sound.i know how bad you felt mate when we couldnt find him but you were bang on with your mark and strike area which made it easy for the buzz . a fantastic weekend thanks for your company lads.
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A good read, Just a comment on the lack of meat damage with your .270 / 130 combo, I have had the same results on Roe , Fallow, & Red, seems the ideal package with a soft point for me.
 
Congratulations. I enjoyed reading your account. You sampled many of the facets of deer stalking in less than 24 hours!
 
Hope that dog got a bit of something for a good find!

Nice beast mate, well done......

Dont like draggin them.....
 
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