Persistence will pay off, just not today

Hi all,
Just thought I'd share some more of my newbie learning curve for anyone who fancies a read.
Yesterday I headed down to ELMER FUDD's patch near Monmouth. Barry (Elmer) has been really good to me, determined to get me a deer after my first and second stalks with him didn't produce. This was a special day also, as my dog Poppy was coming out with me for the first time stalking.
The omens weren't good to start with. Meeting Barry at a gateway and sending my wife off shopping for the day we were immediately greeted by a tractor chugging its way into the woods we were planning to stalk. Barry said that the forestry commission had chosen that day to start some works they'd been talking about for months.
Quickly bundling my kit and the dog in Barry's truck, we drove down the track only to be told by one of the foresters to turn around. Not to worry, we'd stalk the opposite end of the wood and see if anything was moving where it was still quiet.
I was surprised at how little Poppy faffed. On a long lead clipped to my belt she happily padded out in front, although she did seem to be sniffing rabbits a lot and occasionally got over excited and started pulling on scents.
As we passed a block of Hemlock on the left she suddenly started smelling the air and turned to face into the woods. She was very reluctant to come away, but the plantation was far too dense for us to see what she might have been marking. I'd never really seen that behavior in her though, it was totally different to when she wants to hunt ground trails. Maybe it was deer, maybe a rabbit or a squirrel. Still, I was pleased she seemed to have indicated on something.
We stalked on, Poppy marking scents the same way a few more times but never where we could see anything. She also tried her best to drag me along chasing a squirrel, which didn't earn her any points. No deer seen, we headed back to the truck for a drive (via the chip shop) to a different farm.
Arriving at the farm, Barry drove us to a hilltop to eat the chips and I watched a group of six deer through my binoculars. Too far away for now, but they seemed to be moving towards us into a woodland area, the closest edge of which was overlooked by the high seat Barry planned for me to sit in for the last hours of light.
Chips finished and wrapped up against the breeze I left Barry in the truck overlooking the woods and the seat I'd be in, and walked carefully to the solitary oak tree that housed it. I left the dog with Barry and apparently she was soon fast asleep. The excitement must have been too much!
I settled down in the seat, which had a good view of a fair length of woodland margin. The breeze was getting gusty and sometimes bringing with it a thin drizzle, so I was glad of my neckwarmer which I pulled up Ninja style over my face.
Unfortunately despite my best hopes and staying right up til the light had definitely gone, and the cold was creeping in even more, no deer showed. No such thing as third time lucky for me when it comes to Barry's fallow, I'm beginning to wonder if I'm cursed. Maybe I just had it too easy on my first outings!
So, watch this space, maybe next time I'll have that freezer filler I've been after. In the meantime, my passion for stalking isn't losing its edge despite not taking any deer these last few times. I still love being out and about, even sat in a cold highseat there's a satisfaction to be had in the quietness and the ability to sit and watch undisturbed. I'm also learning each timeI go out, whether it's "what tree is this?" or what makes a good place to spot deer. Hopefully next time the lesson will be "How does a fallow look when you gralloch it?"
 
Welldone to you that your happy even if you don't get a shot I too enjoy just watching the world go by out in the sticks but when everything comes together and you get something it's a great feeling good luck with the next time bazil
 
Nice to have you out again and it will happen sooner or later, you will pull the trigger on a deer, and best thing is that it is only costing you a bit of fuel to get there and back home.


It was good to see your little dog having a go but you need to dissuade her from scenting rabbits as she was getting carried away from time to time. I would suggest a normal collar and lead to keep her head up as you can check her when she puts it down or pulls and only use the harness when she is in tracking mode and she will know from this that she is tracking and not just out for a walk. She is only young but this is the best time to iron out any bad habits. It was nice to see her point but at the same time on that occasion a rabbit ran from the same direction so it could just have been the rabbit but later she pointed up into the hemlocks which is a definite place for deer to lay up as its thick and dark.


You also learnt a little more about tree identification which would come in handy if you were told to go and stand by the Oak, Ash Cherry tree or whatever. And where the serial number for your rifle bolt is allowing you to identify which bolt to use on two identical rifles but with different calibres and also how to safely stalk with a round in the chamber but with the rifle not cocked but how to cock it quickly if a target presents itself.
Giving you the lead I noticed that you walked way too fast so next time we will slow things way down and using the bino's all the time and have an early start.
Barry
 
Nice write up SS
It wont be long and you will be doing one about taking your first deer. Keep enjoying it and good luck with the next outing.
 
Nice to have you out again and it will happen sooner or later, you will pull the trigger on a deer, and best thing is that it is only costing you a bit of fuel to get there and back home.


It was good to see your little dog having a go but you need to dissuade her from scenting rabbits as she was getting carried away from time to time. I would suggest a normal collar and lead to keep her head up as you can check her when she puts it down or pulls and only use the harness when she is in tracking mode and she will know from this that she is tracking and not just out for a walk. She is only young but this is the best time to iron out any bad habits. It was nice to see her point but at the same time on that occasion a rabbit ran from the same direction so it could just have been the rabbit but later she pointed up into the hemlocks which is a definite place for deer to lay up as its thick and dark.


You also learnt a little more about tree identification which would come in handy if you were told to go and stand by the Oak, Ash Cherry tree or whatever. And where the serial number for your rifle bolt is allowing you to identify which bolt to use on two identical rifles but with different calibres and also how to safely stalk with a round in the chamber but with the rifle not cocked but how to cock it quickly if a target presents itself.
Giving you the lead I noticed that you walked way too fast so next time we will slow things way down and using the bino's all the time and have an early start.
Barry

Barry, you're a top bloke for keeping letting me come back. Thank you. I have to correct you though, this time it was the cost of the fuel AND whatever the wife fancied buying from Hereford :rolleyes:
It's good of her to put up with my stalking obsession though so I'll let her off.

You're right about the dog, I've only recently had the harness as I wanted her to be able to get out in front a bit but she does do better on the slip lead as she's walked on that since she was tiny. Next time I'll have her on that as you suggest. I think the excitement of a new place and new smells got the better of her a few times.

I'll try and remember to slow it down next time!
 
You will know when you are going too fast as you feel the stick I normally carry for clients makes contact with your ankle, same as the dog, you wont forget
 
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