Hi everyone,
Little back story I was after this buck since I first saw him rutting hard on a public footpath around 4 years ago whilst on a run with my sister, my little parcel of land belonged to my late Granddad and is 24 acres of grass hay paddock it backs onto a new housing development. Sadly it too will soon-ish be houses and I shall loose my beloved view and of course my visual childhood memories. The financial gain caused by the sale will of course look after me for years to come and really help my stalking fund but take with it a special place where I can sit and reminisce about the big man.
Anyway to the story, last year in 2017 we decided not to renew the lady that kept horses in the fields lease as she did not repair the fencing as she was required and the horses often escaped, in doing so they of course did their business in the hay field which upset the hay-man. Whilst driving past to go to work about November 2016 last year I saw a lone doe in one of the fields she looked fairly mature, was nice to see and of course I thought it best to observe for a bit rather than just cull her and fill the freezer. I kept an eye on her for a while when I could and I always saw her alone believing she was barren or there was no buck due to the new bypass opening having seen one in velvet sadly laid by the road. I took the decision to cull her which after many periods of waiting before work never happened either no safe shot due to horse interference or lack of sighting. So to 2017 and buck season... driving to work on a Monday morning for my early sales meeting full of joy (NOT) with a coffee on the go which nearly went all over the windscreen when I saw two deer in the field one very mature buck for sure and a young ish doe. This of course got me excited so tried a few times to catch a glimpse of them both, I was never close enough to fully appreciate him but knew he was big.
One morning I woke up mega early and had that feeling of I should go see that buck so I got the Meoptas out and my Sako 85 6.5 x 55 I pulled in the gateway had a scan as I got the rifle ready and slipped into field. Slowly walking down the track and glassing into the long grass periodically I hoped to see the Buck laid up in a bare patch. Whilst waiting under a tree I saw the Doe start to walk towards me, rifle up on the viper flexes and wait hoping the buck was following sadly not. I waited for her to pass into another field and noted she was a middle aged doe in good condition. I stalked around the rest of the field edge and glassed the opposite field to my surprise seeing a white bum running away from me, he stopped and turned at 150 yards or so with a back full of sky. His antlers looked interesting for sure so I headed back the way I came. I wont bore everyone but this game went on for a fair few outings with no joy great to spend time in the fields though an a lot of near misses due to wind, nervousness(Buck Fever) or back stop. I decided to leave them alone over winter but did keep an eye on them to ensure they did not loose condition.
So to April 2018 I had a few times stalked into the Buck and being winded by him or I had no safe back stop, having chatted with my dear friend Johnny on the commutes to work we decided that when he came up to the Viking arms dealer day he should come and stay with us for some Gin, Steak and stalking. we should do a video for his shops Vlog which did sound a good plan try and get the buck on video and possibly the stalk itself. Johnny and Charlie arrived we exchanged pleasantries and they got moved in, Charlie got cracking with the steak, blue cheese sauce and sweet potato chips. She is an amazing chef for sure with huge portions of melt in mouth steak and after squeezing in to my pro hunters I really couldn't be bothered to go for the buck. Alas we did we packed the car with camera and kit and pulled up to find the buck crossing over to our field quickly we snook in and stalked down, video camera rolling. We where around 150 yards away from the buck with them both feeding I cut it down to 125 quickly. I was happy to take a shot but couldn't get the angle so had to move the doe who was fat as butter spotted us and legged it the buck stood a little longer but I didn't have chance to squeeze the trigger. We decided to do a video of me stalking rabbits with my HW100 KT .177 and using my spartan bipod we bagged one and one off sticks on film. Not a wasted evening at all so we flew home got changed and headed to the pub for Gin! A couple of nice arty pictures.
I went out a few more times for the Buck and again he was wiser than I but all the while I enjoyed the time on the land chasing him! One morning my shooting pal Tom range me and said your buck is 20 yards off the path and 50 yards in the field I will keep an eye come get him, loaded the gear in the yeti and met Tom. We slipped in the gate and stalked down slowly and quietly Tom leading with my viper flex acting as guide we stopped and glassed for a while and I was ready to move Tom stopped he had seen movement in the long grass, he spread the sticks and I slid the Sako on waiting for the buck to present. We ranged him at 140 yards he walked a few more paces and I slid the safety off waiting for a broadside shot that never happend as the buck saw us or sensed us and legged it! Another victory to Mr Buck...
A week later my mate whizzed round on his Honda and wanted some advice on detailing it so I duly obliged he said he had gone past the field and seen a brown thing in the hedge, with that we jumped int he car and went for a look. Saw the buck 50 yards from the road in the hedge wind perfect. I dropped Matt off and stuck the gear in the car, pulled into the second fields gateway and slipped into the field. I had just had the second cut of hay bailed so was open. I saw a yearling doe feeding in front of me 150 yards away, I moved round the field margin and crawled in slipping the spartan into place. By then the buck started to feed with the doe I started to get very excited, I told myself to wait until he was 120 yards away and exactly where to put the cross hairs as my 6.5 x 55 is one inch high at 100 yards with 120 grain Norma Nosler BT's I started to ready my breathing double triple checking the good back stop behind I was just waiting for him to turn a fraction which he did I squeezed the trigger the buck stuttered forward and dropped. Perfect! I waited a few moments and went to check him out an amazing huge buck with unusual head. I called Tom to come and see him and started the gralloch Tom helped me finish and we took him to the car I was sad to have taken my old foe but happy to fill the freezer. I reflected at home with a beer.
The buck was a massive 44LB Butcher weight when I dropped him of the next day, the head is in the freezer and I will be sending it to Keith Watson to prepare at a later date. Thank you for reading this excuse the poor quality photos I have smashed my Samsungs camera protector .
Little back story I was after this buck since I first saw him rutting hard on a public footpath around 4 years ago whilst on a run with my sister, my little parcel of land belonged to my late Granddad and is 24 acres of grass hay paddock it backs onto a new housing development. Sadly it too will soon-ish be houses and I shall loose my beloved view and of course my visual childhood memories. The financial gain caused by the sale will of course look after me for years to come and really help my stalking fund but take with it a special place where I can sit and reminisce about the big man.
Anyway to the story, last year in 2017 we decided not to renew the lady that kept horses in the fields lease as she did not repair the fencing as she was required and the horses often escaped, in doing so they of course did their business in the hay field which upset the hay-man. Whilst driving past to go to work about November 2016 last year I saw a lone doe in one of the fields she looked fairly mature, was nice to see and of course I thought it best to observe for a bit rather than just cull her and fill the freezer. I kept an eye on her for a while when I could and I always saw her alone believing she was barren or there was no buck due to the new bypass opening having seen one in velvet sadly laid by the road. I took the decision to cull her which after many periods of waiting before work never happened either no safe shot due to horse interference or lack of sighting. So to 2017 and buck season... driving to work on a Monday morning for my early sales meeting full of joy (NOT) with a coffee on the go which nearly went all over the windscreen when I saw two deer in the field one very mature buck for sure and a young ish doe. This of course got me excited so tried a few times to catch a glimpse of them both, I was never close enough to fully appreciate him but knew he was big.
One morning I woke up mega early and had that feeling of I should go see that buck so I got the Meoptas out and my Sako 85 6.5 x 55 I pulled in the gateway had a scan as I got the rifle ready and slipped into field. Slowly walking down the track and glassing into the long grass periodically I hoped to see the Buck laid up in a bare patch. Whilst waiting under a tree I saw the Doe start to walk towards me, rifle up on the viper flexes and wait hoping the buck was following sadly not. I waited for her to pass into another field and noted she was a middle aged doe in good condition. I stalked around the rest of the field edge and glassed the opposite field to my surprise seeing a white bum running away from me, he stopped and turned at 150 yards or so with a back full of sky. His antlers looked interesting for sure so I headed back the way I came. I wont bore everyone but this game went on for a fair few outings with no joy great to spend time in the fields though an a lot of near misses due to wind, nervousness(Buck Fever) or back stop. I decided to leave them alone over winter but did keep an eye on them to ensure they did not loose condition.
So to April 2018 I had a few times stalked into the Buck and being winded by him or I had no safe back stop, having chatted with my dear friend Johnny on the commutes to work we decided that when he came up to the Viking arms dealer day he should come and stay with us for some Gin, Steak and stalking. we should do a video for his shops Vlog which did sound a good plan try and get the buck on video and possibly the stalk itself. Johnny and Charlie arrived we exchanged pleasantries and they got moved in, Charlie got cracking with the steak, blue cheese sauce and sweet potato chips. She is an amazing chef for sure with huge portions of melt in mouth steak and after squeezing in to my pro hunters I really couldn't be bothered to go for the buck. Alas we did we packed the car with camera and kit and pulled up to find the buck crossing over to our field quickly we snook in and stalked down, video camera rolling. We where around 150 yards away from the buck with them both feeding I cut it down to 125 quickly. I was happy to take a shot but couldn't get the angle so had to move the doe who was fat as butter spotted us and legged it the buck stood a little longer but I didn't have chance to squeeze the trigger. We decided to do a video of me stalking rabbits with my HW100 KT .177 and using my spartan bipod we bagged one and one off sticks on film. Not a wasted evening at all so we flew home got changed and headed to the pub for Gin! A couple of nice arty pictures.
I went out a few more times for the Buck and again he was wiser than I but all the while I enjoyed the time on the land chasing him! One morning my shooting pal Tom range me and said your buck is 20 yards off the path and 50 yards in the field I will keep an eye come get him, loaded the gear in the yeti and met Tom. We slipped in the gate and stalked down slowly and quietly Tom leading with my viper flex acting as guide we stopped and glassed for a while and I was ready to move Tom stopped he had seen movement in the long grass, he spread the sticks and I slid the Sako on waiting for the buck to present. We ranged him at 140 yards he walked a few more paces and I slid the safety off waiting for a broadside shot that never happend as the buck saw us or sensed us and legged it! Another victory to Mr Buck...
A week later my mate whizzed round on his Honda and wanted some advice on detailing it so I duly obliged he said he had gone past the field and seen a brown thing in the hedge, with that we jumped int he car and went for a look. Saw the buck 50 yards from the road in the hedge wind perfect. I dropped Matt off and stuck the gear in the car, pulled into the second fields gateway and slipped into the field. I had just had the second cut of hay bailed so was open. I saw a yearling doe feeding in front of me 150 yards away, I moved round the field margin and crawled in slipping the spartan into place. By then the buck started to feed with the doe I started to get very excited, I told myself to wait until he was 120 yards away and exactly where to put the cross hairs as my 6.5 x 55 is one inch high at 100 yards with 120 grain Norma Nosler BT's I started to ready my breathing double triple checking the good back stop behind I was just waiting for him to turn a fraction which he did I squeezed the trigger the buck stuttered forward and dropped. Perfect! I waited a few moments and went to check him out an amazing huge buck with unusual head. I called Tom to come and see him and started the gralloch Tom helped me finish and we took him to the car I was sad to have taken my old foe but happy to fill the freezer. I reflected at home with a beer.
The buck was a massive 44LB Butcher weight when I dropped him of the next day, the head is in the freezer and I will be sending it to Keith Watson to prepare at a later date. Thank you for reading this excuse the poor quality photos I have smashed my Samsungs camera protector .
