Thought I would post a little write up of a day I had last year during the Roe rut as I am sitting offshore (doing very little due to issues) and Roe bucks are only a month away (if you are anywhere but Scotland anyway!)
It was the 11th August and with the rut still pretty much in full swing up with me, I had managed to organise a day out, away from house things, dog things and any 4 year old daughter things as it was a nursery day. Amazingly, the weather looked good as well! Got to where I needed to be at about 04:30am, just as I was able to see through the gloom and having a little look with the thermal, could see that there was a little bit of heat at the bottom of a valley beside some trees. After a good walk, it turned out to be a doe but just up on the opposite side of the burn, there was a buck about 350 yds up the newly cut barley. Light still wasn't great and by the time I had managed to stalk up an open field to about 180 yds, I could see that he was just a young 4 point buck. I watched him for about 5 minutes until he finally wasn't too sure of this thing that was now standing in the middle of the field and headed in to the hedge row. With nothing else showing in the vicinity, and plenty of places to look, I headed back to the car to try and get around the farms.
At the next farm, one buck was walking up the farm track as I was driving up it. A good six points but looked too young to take at the moment so I left him with the 2 does he was going to join in the barley. As I made my way to the other side of the farm, another buck was walking up the far side of a barley field. It is amazing just how often there seems to be nothing there and then a day later you can't walk around the next corner without spotting something. I drove to the end of the road, out of sight of the buck, got my gear out and stalked into the side of the field. I had a good look and could not see anything from where he had been not 3 minutes ago. Nothing. I set up the rifle on the sticks, got the call out in the hope that he had laid down and was about to start calling when I could see some movement. Not at the other side of the field though, he had moved all the way across the field, beside the track I had just driven down, which I was now standing on and heading towards me about 150 yds out. Having a quick look he looked ok, wasn't old but wasn't as good as the buck over the hill that I'd passed earlier. I waited for him to get to about 60 yards, made a wee noise to put his head up and took a neck shot. He dropped on the spot. It was now 7am and the farmer was heading down the track in his tractor - glad I fired when I did! Had a wee muse with him and went to gralloch the roe. A bonny one but with plenty of ground to try and get around, I got that sorted (need to bring water to clean myself up next time!) and was on to the next bit.
![IMG_6377[1].webp](https://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/data/attachments/416/416065-1760dab1dfcff4770b2ccd30346760ef.jpg?hash=zyO6wcJrmR "IMG_6377[1].webp")
The next bit was good also, managed to bring an older buck with 2 fair sized spikes into the call but unfortunately, he just hung around the wood on the other side of a burn - not on my ground I'm afraid, before heading back in. I headed back to the car, off to my friends farm (always good for a coffee) and then back out again. By this time it was about 11:30am and I felt surprisingly awake! I headed over to a tree lined ditch that last year I had spotted a decent buck in but due to there being so much cover, he never emerged enough for a shot. I had seen him in about March the year before and he was certainly coming on, definitely of the quality I like to see around here anyway. I got in position and it doesn't matter how good I think I am with the call, nothing showed for over half an hour. That is about as long as I give the calling in any one place to be honest. 45 minutes is the longest I will try regardless of how many videos I've seen with the guys waiting in the same spot for a couple of hours! With time getting on, I made my way a few fields over to the last place I was going to try and got positioned beside a wall, overlooking a plantation of hard woods. I had seen a nice buck in here during the winter so was hopeful that it might be there. The cover is really thick at ground level and about 4 - 5 ft high in there so was really hoping that something would make its way out. Again, I gave it half an hour of squeaking and didn't see a thing. Never mind I thought. One buck isn't bad and I had seen a few others that should be good in the next few years.
I started to make my way back across the field and as I got to the ditch I could see something about 800 yards away in a barley field that was only cut that week. I could see that it was a buck with the binoculars and he was chasing a doe so that was good. The only issue was that it was a very gradual uphill to the roe with grass fields and not a bit of cover / hedgerow within 500 yards. I walked up the nearest fence line for about 300 yds and then crouched / on my hands and knees for another 300 yds, trying to keep the fence line between me and the roe as they were chasing back and forth. I forgot how knackering it was to walk crouched as low as I could go, especially over that distance! Got to the edge of the field they were in first and they had moved into the next barley field about 250 yds away. The field just ahead of me was 1/2 silage grass and 1/2 cut barley so I made my way to the only 'cover' in the area, took off the roe sack and started my belly crawl towards them. I think if it wasn't the rut I would have been found out in a heartbeat. The doe was looking my way every now and again but the buck was hot on to her and chasing every few minutes. I got about 50 yds into the field when the two of them decided to make their way towards me, then moving into the cut barley. I could see by this point that the buck looked like the one from the other side of the farm. I got the sticks and rifle ready, stood up and as he was having a breather, put a shot into his chest from 150 yds. The doe didn't know what was going on as the buck ran through the barley swathes to finally fall not too far from the shot site. The doe saw me standing there as plain as anything and she was away not long after. I gathered my equipment and made my way to it. To say I was pleased is an understatement. I have been stalking these farms for fair while now, trying to take out the animals that are not as good as, poorer, older than the others and have seen the quality increase over the years. It was sad to see it go but hopefully, there is a bit of space for the next one to take his place.
![IMG_6381[1].webp](https://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/data/attachments/416/416070-8faf5b1e4fb5387419925f6375f7cfcb.jpg?hash=Pth3Sd7rAj "IMG_6381[1].webp")
![IMG_6394[1].webp](https://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/data/attachments/416/416071-100d02185b87031f3f9fcbdb914afb94.jpg?hash=qBjNgvIFjh "IMG_6394[1].webp")
![IMG_6395[1].webp](https://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/data/attachments/416/416072-262a1ea1513c904b1679a7310f8a9ad3.jpg?hash=9kmWTq5yWE "IMG_6395[1].webp")
And It scored a gold, 133 CIC.
It was the 11th August and with the rut still pretty much in full swing up with me, I had managed to organise a day out, away from house things, dog things and any 4 year old daughter things as it was a nursery day. Amazingly, the weather looked good as well! Got to where I needed to be at about 04:30am, just as I was able to see through the gloom and having a little look with the thermal, could see that there was a little bit of heat at the bottom of a valley beside some trees. After a good walk, it turned out to be a doe but just up on the opposite side of the burn, there was a buck about 350 yds up the newly cut barley. Light still wasn't great and by the time I had managed to stalk up an open field to about 180 yds, I could see that he was just a young 4 point buck. I watched him for about 5 minutes until he finally wasn't too sure of this thing that was now standing in the middle of the field and headed in to the hedge row. With nothing else showing in the vicinity, and plenty of places to look, I headed back to the car to try and get around the farms.
At the next farm, one buck was walking up the farm track as I was driving up it. A good six points but looked too young to take at the moment so I left him with the 2 does he was going to join in the barley. As I made my way to the other side of the farm, another buck was walking up the far side of a barley field. It is amazing just how often there seems to be nothing there and then a day later you can't walk around the next corner without spotting something. I drove to the end of the road, out of sight of the buck, got my gear out and stalked into the side of the field. I had a good look and could not see anything from where he had been not 3 minutes ago. Nothing. I set up the rifle on the sticks, got the call out in the hope that he had laid down and was about to start calling when I could see some movement. Not at the other side of the field though, he had moved all the way across the field, beside the track I had just driven down, which I was now standing on and heading towards me about 150 yds out. Having a quick look he looked ok, wasn't old but wasn't as good as the buck over the hill that I'd passed earlier. I waited for him to get to about 60 yards, made a wee noise to put his head up and took a neck shot. He dropped on the spot. It was now 7am and the farmer was heading down the track in his tractor - glad I fired when I did! Had a wee muse with him and went to gralloch the roe. A bonny one but with plenty of ground to try and get around, I got that sorted (need to bring water to clean myself up next time!) and was on to the next bit.
The next bit was good also, managed to bring an older buck with 2 fair sized spikes into the call but unfortunately, he just hung around the wood on the other side of a burn - not on my ground I'm afraid, before heading back in. I headed back to the car, off to my friends farm (always good for a coffee) and then back out again. By this time it was about 11:30am and I felt surprisingly awake! I headed over to a tree lined ditch that last year I had spotted a decent buck in but due to there being so much cover, he never emerged enough for a shot. I had seen him in about March the year before and he was certainly coming on, definitely of the quality I like to see around here anyway. I got in position and it doesn't matter how good I think I am with the call, nothing showed for over half an hour. That is about as long as I give the calling in any one place to be honest. 45 minutes is the longest I will try regardless of how many videos I've seen with the guys waiting in the same spot for a couple of hours! With time getting on, I made my way a few fields over to the last place I was going to try and got positioned beside a wall, overlooking a plantation of hard woods. I had seen a nice buck in here during the winter so was hopeful that it might be there. The cover is really thick at ground level and about 4 - 5 ft high in there so was really hoping that something would make its way out. Again, I gave it half an hour of squeaking and didn't see a thing. Never mind I thought. One buck isn't bad and I had seen a few others that should be good in the next few years.
I started to make my way back across the field and as I got to the ditch I could see something about 800 yards away in a barley field that was only cut that week. I could see that it was a buck with the binoculars and he was chasing a doe so that was good. The only issue was that it was a very gradual uphill to the roe with grass fields and not a bit of cover / hedgerow within 500 yards. I walked up the nearest fence line for about 300 yds and then crouched / on my hands and knees for another 300 yds, trying to keep the fence line between me and the roe as they were chasing back and forth. I forgot how knackering it was to walk crouched as low as I could go, especially over that distance! Got to the edge of the field they were in first and they had moved into the next barley field about 250 yds away. The field just ahead of me was 1/2 silage grass and 1/2 cut barley so I made my way to the only 'cover' in the area, took off the roe sack and started my belly crawl towards them. I think if it wasn't the rut I would have been found out in a heartbeat. The doe was looking my way every now and again but the buck was hot on to her and chasing every few minutes. I got about 50 yds into the field when the two of them decided to make their way towards me, then moving into the cut barley. I could see by this point that the buck looked like the one from the other side of the farm. I got the sticks and rifle ready, stood up and as he was having a breather, put a shot into his chest from 150 yds. The doe didn't know what was going on as the buck ran through the barley swathes to finally fall not too far from the shot site. The doe saw me standing there as plain as anything and she was away not long after. I gathered my equipment and made my way to it. To say I was pleased is an understatement. I have been stalking these farms for fair while now, trying to take out the animals that are not as good as, poorer, older than the others and have seen the quality increase over the years. It was sad to see it go but hopefully, there is a bit of space for the next one to take his place.
And It scored a gold, 133 CIC.
