After wating for some while deciding when everything was right, yesterday was the day for my 1st lone stalk (Ive only been on one before!) and then assuming i managed to bag something, my 1st gralloch.
I wanted to shoot early in the day so that i would have sufficient time to gralloch/skin the deer before it got too dark and cold.
Assembled my rifle, various bits of kit, knives, gloves, ear plugs, new bins, etc, etc. Sent the perm owner a shot polite message to confirm I was planning on stalking along with time and location.
Im fortunate my back field of c.8.5acres borders my perm so i can walkout of the house and start stalking from there straight away. As i left the back door saw two largeish bucks wandering from northeast towards the southwest crossing my field. I half suspected they were heading for one of the edges of our fields where they like to lay up so moved cautiously forward, scanning through my bins for any sight of a head, ear, antler over the rough bramble patches that dot our field.
As i walked in the direction i had seen the bucks, i can see through gaps in the hedge onto a part of the perm, only to see a herd of circa 50 head fallow does, young bucks and 4 or 5 more mature bucks with impressive heads on them to my left. They were circa 200m away through an old patchy hedge, they could see me, and i could see that they could see me. So i dropped to my knees and sat quietly, watching through the bins.
I knew form the lie of the land that a show wasnt on, the ground here is flat, slightly falling away and a safe shot was never going to be on. But still i wanted to see how close I could get before they spooked, so crawling on hands and knees managed to close the distance by about 50-60m over a period of about 20-30 minutes. Although they saw me they were already moving towards the north and if i continued assuming they didn't spook, I was only going to be pushing them ahead of me as once in the filed there was no cover and there was every good chance i would have spent a lot of time traying to get into a position for a safe shot.
I changed my plan and retraced my steps, heading east out of the other side of my field, walking northwards quietly along the outside of my hedge to the outer corner of my field where I would have a better view of the field where the herd was heading, and also the land changes presenting a much better backstop as the ground falls away from where i was standing.
On my way to the intended spot, i spooked two adult fallow who went bounding off back towards the herd, i thought that i had spoilt my chances, but waited patiently, edging forward slowing towards the corner where I had intended to end up.
As i reached the corner there was the herd, as i watched i set up my sticks and watched to see whether there was an animal in a position for a safe shot. It was clear they had seen me, and were watching but did not run, mostly they were bunched tightly together but a young buck, was standing broadside on, out to one side. I estimated that they were around 125-150m from where i stood, but i was in a comfortable position, steady on the sticks so took careful aim and hit the buck in the target zone.
It leaped, and moved about 5m before falling to the ground, as a very inexperienced stalker my biggest fear was wounding the animal and so i made sure i was ready with a second rounded loaded if needed (during the gralloch inspecting the heart found about 30-40% was missing from the bottom half).
As i watched it was clear it wasn't going anywhere, so i waited a bit longer before approaching, and doing the eye test with the ends of my sticks.
I looked over the animal, and then opened its throat. There was nothing of particular note to my novice eye, the animal looked in good condition, clean now evidence of ticks or keds, clean back end.
Because i am lucky to be able to walk out o my garden onto the perm my plan was to use a barrow to collect the deer, and wheel it back to the barn for the gralloch, in total it was about 10mins brisk walk both ways before i was back in the barn, suspending the der from the rafters.
Id bought some Mora knives, one the roe bleeding knife which i use to open the animal without nicking anything. As my 1st gralloch it took me quite a while to empty the carcass, before moving onto skinning it (i don't have a fridge large enough for a carcass so wanted to kill, gralloch, skin and butcher in the same day).
Made plenty of mistakes though, took me ages to get the bladder out, was concerned of leaks. I wore gloves and didn't find them a problem beyond needing more as my method of work was not systematic so was working inside, and then touching the outside needing me to change gloves more often than i should have done. Getting the skin off was not sop much hard work (or at least no harder than i had imagined) but keeping the bloody fur on the outside was.
I guess it took me in total around 2 - 2.5 hours to down to the carcass minus body contents, skin and head. Then i moved on to remove as much meat as i could, and have just had our first fallow burger!! The dog will have bone broth shortly made from the marrow leg bones, and no doubt more meals to come in the not too distant.
All in all am happy with my first efforts, have lots more to learn and practice.
I wanted to shoot early in the day so that i would have sufficient time to gralloch/skin the deer before it got too dark and cold.
Assembled my rifle, various bits of kit, knives, gloves, ear plugs, new bins, etc, etc. Sent the perm owner a shot polite message to confirm I was planning on stalking along with time and location.
Im fortunate my back field of c.8.5acres borders my perm so i can walkout of the house and start stalking from there straight away. As i left the back door saw two largeish bucks wandering from northeast towards the southwest crossing my field. I half suspected they were heading for one of the edges of our fields where they like to lay up so moved cautiously forward, scanning through my bins for any sight of a head, ear, antler over the rough bramble patches that dot our field.
As i walked in the direction i had seen the bucks, i can see through gaps in the hedge onto a part of the perm, only to see a herd of circa 50 head fallow does, young bucks and 4 or 5 more mature bucks with impressive heads on them to my left. They were circa 200m away through an old patchy hedge, they could see me, and i could see that they could see me. So i dropped to my knees and sat quietly, watching through the bins.
I knew form the lie of the land that a show wasnt on, the ground here is flat, slightly falling away and a safe shot was never going to be on. But still i wanted to see how close I could get before they spooked, so crawling on hands and knees managed to close the distance by about 50-60m over a period of about 20-30 minutes. Although they saw me they were already moving towards the north and if i continued assuming they didn't spook, I was only going to be pushing them ahead of me as once in the filed there was no cover and there was every good chance i would have spent a lot of time traying to get into a position for a safe shot.
I changed my plan and retraced my steps, heading east out of the other side of my field, walking northwards quietly along the outside of my hedge to the outer corner of my field where I would have a better view of the field where the herd was heading, and also the land changes presenting a much better backstop as the ground falls away from where i was standing.
On my way to the intended spot, i spooked two adult fallow who went bounding off back towards the herd, i thought that i had spoilt my chances, but waited patiently, edging forward slowing towards the corner where I had intended to end up.
As i reached the corner there was the herd, as i watched i set up my sticks and watched to see whether there was an animal in a position for a safe shot. It was clear they had seen me, and were watching but did not run, mostly they were bunched tightly together but a young buck, was standing broadside on, out to one side. I estimated that they were around 125-150m from where i stood, but i was in a comfortable position, steady on the sticks so took careful aim and hit the buck in the target zone.
It leaped, and moved about 5m before falling to the ground, as a very inexperienced stalker my biggest fear was wounding the animal and so i made sure i was ready with a second rounded loaded if needed (during the gralloch inspecting the heart found about 30-40% was missing from the bottom half).
As i watched it was clear it wasn't going anywhere, so i waited a bit longer before approaching, and doing the eye test with the ends of my sticks.
I looked over the animal, and then opened its throat. There was nothing of particular note to my novice eye, the animal looked in good condition, clean now evidence of ticks or keds, clean back end.
Because i am lucky to be able to walk out o my garden onto the perm my plan was to use a barrow to collect the deer, and wheel it back to the barn for the gralloch, in total it was about 10mins brisk walk both ways before i was back in the barn, suspending the der from the rafters.
Id bought some Mora knives, one the roe bleeding knife which i use to open the animal without nicking anything. As my 1st gralloch it took me quite a while to empty the carcass, before moving onto skinning it (i don't have a fridge large enough for a carcass so wanted to kill, gralloch, skin and butcher in the same day).
Made plenty of mistakes though, took me ages to get the bladder out, was concerned of leaks. I wore gloves and didn't find them a problem beyond needing more as my method of work was not systematic so was working inside, and then touching the outside needing me to change gloves more often than i should have done. Getting the skin off was not sop much hard work (or at least no harder than i had imagined) but keeping the bloody fur on the outside was.
I guess it took me in total around 2 - 2.5 hours to down to the carcass minus body contents, skin and head. Then i moved on to remove as much meat as i could, and have just had our first fallow burger!! The dog will have bone broth shortly made from the marrow leg bones, and no doubt more meals to come in the not too distant.
All in all am happy with my first efforts, have lots more to learn and practice.
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