Today was a first for me. Up till now all my stalking is minimum 40 minutes away, usually over an hour. All muntjac and roe. Now recently my missus who works for a couple of people looking after their horses, went to work and the owner apologised for being late as she had to 'chase the damn deer off the lawn'. Ears pricked up. Oh, I know someone who can help you with that.
Long story short. Picked up the ground, about 45 acres and alongside couple of Roe and Muntjac I spotted 2 separate groups of Fallow on the ground and one group in the field opposite the house not on their land. Each group holds about 10. It really is prime stalking ground and 15 minutes from home.
Couple of walks on the ground at different times trying to sort out where they hangout, where to put a highseat. (They decided to bed up directly under the highseat. Doh. May need to move that.
They come out of the woods at night and in the morning they make their back into the woods. Of course I don’t have permission in the woods so that is a no no.
So this weekend I was ready for business. Saturday morning up at 5 am, cup of tea and a slice of toast and I’m on the road. OMG, 15 minutes and I’m loading up to walk in the fields to see if anything is about. Heaven. I don’t have to get up before I go to bed.
Out to the field with the highseat and no fallow to be seen. That didn’t really surprise me as the weather has changed so much over the last few days that I think they probably stayed in the woods or went back earlier than normal.
I spotted a couple of hares and one fallow. Too early to see with the riflescope so safe for another 20 minutes and of course it didn’t hang around that long. I decided to go sit in the highseat and just see what moved, get a bit more learning in. Lesson 1. Highseat in completely in the wrong place facing a public pathway and whilst I would have no issue spotting anyone walking on it, I am just not comfortable with it there, so will come back during the week and move it to somewhere much more suitable.
Interesting to watch the munties wandering along the inside of a copse up top end of the field so maybe placing the highseat inside the copse would not be a bad idea.
Anyway, spotted a muntie, wandering along the copse and slowly it moved down towards me. Once level and with a tree as a nice backstop, I had a doe in the bag. That was enough for the day, plenty to think of and bound to be walkers starting to come up soon. Texted the missus who is house sitting up there and told her to put the kettle on. Pet the dog, (that is not a euphuism) cup of tea and said, laters taters, off to the pub for breakfast. 8.30 and I’m stuffing my face, 9.30, I’m back in bed for a couple of hours. I LOVE HAVING GROUND NEAR ME.
Sunday's forecast, morning dry, evening, poop. So, another 5am alarm call. Just for information, I am not a morning person. I guessed that the fallow may be about as it was warmer and the wind whilst not ideal wasn’t bad.
15 minutes later, Parked same spot, (did I mention it is near home) started my walk in, keeping the copse to my right and trying to avoid the twigs on the ground. Came to the gate and HOT DIGGITY, fallow, about 150 yards. They politely moved so that they were blocked by a tree to let me sneak up to 115 yards.
This is where it all became interesting and new to me. Group of 10 or so, milling around, looking for a suitable animal. Line up on one and it turns to show me it’s ass, choose another and then it is surrounded by others. Back and forward and they are also slowly making their way back towards the woods which is in the opposite direction. Try not to move as there are far too many eyes to see me.
Finally, a buck presents, poor head, line up and squeeze. Shot is a bit back and lower than I would like, but job done, took out the heart and he ran about 20 yards. The herd all ran but stopped for about 10 seconds, then decided to take off again. I stood there for 10 minutes but it was pretty clear the buck wasn’t going anywhere.
The buck had one poor antler that was tightly bound with rope and one even poorer that stuck out about 3 inches so I am hoping that that was a good one to take out. Gralloch done and started pulling the deer back towards the car. 40 yards and one heart attack I decide that is a stupid idea. Carry the rifle and sticks back with me to the car and decide to drive in and collect. Hoping that the mpv doesn’t get stuck, (fxxx it, I can always call the missus to rescue me). Managed to get everything in and loaded, I would guess the buck weighted 30 to 40 kilos. I can now see why everyone is fascinated with, how do you get it in the car? Oh, please can my suv get fixed this week? Driving me mad.
Back home and I think it took me longer to get the buck in the double chiller than it took to gralloch him. He is now taking up both sides of the double chiller. I think I need a bigger one, so will be measuring up as that will give me sufficient room to hang him. But that will be later in the year.
All good, all happy, now have some venison in the fridge. Only one downside. I think I left my knife and and saw up there. So tomorrow after a quick check if I can’t find them at home, it will be a wander back up to look see if I did leave them there. Grrrrr.
But at least it is only 15 minutes away from me. Just in case I haven’t mentioned that.
Happy days
Long story short. Picked up the ground, about 45 acres and alongside couple of Roe and Muntjac I spotted 2 separate groups of Fallow on the ground and one group in the field opposite the house not on their land. Each group holds about 10. It really is prime stalking ground and 15 minutes from home.
Couple of walks on the ground at different times trying to sort out where they hangout, where to put a highseat. (They decided to bed up directly under the highseat. Doh. May need to move that.
They come out of the woods at night and in the morning they make their back into the woods. Of course I don’t have permission in the woods so that is a no no.
So this weekend I was ready for business. Saturday morning up at 5 am, cup of tea and a slice of toast and I’m on the road. OMG, 15 minutes and I’m loading up to walk in the fields to see if anything is about. Heaven. I don’t have to get up before I go to bed.
Out to the field with the highseat and no fallow to be seen. That didn’t really surprise me as the weather has changed so much over the last few days that I think they probably stayed in the woods or went back earlier than normal.
I spotted a couple of hares and one fallow. Too early to see with the riflescope so safe for another 20 minutes and of course it didn’t hang around that long. I decided to go sit in the highseat and just see what moved, get a bit more learning in. Lesson 1. Highseat in completely in the wrong place facing a public pathway and whilst I would have no issue spotting anyone walking on it, I am just not comfortable with it there, so will come back during the week and move it to somewhere much more suitable.
Interesting to watch the munties wandering along the inside of a copse up top end of the field so maybe placing the highseat inside the copse would not be a bad idea.
Anyway, spotted a muntie, wandering along the copse and slowly it moved down towards me. Once level and with a tree as a nice backstop, I had a doe in the bag. That was enough for the day, plenty to think of and bound to be walkers starting to come up soon. Texted the missus who is house sitting up there and told her to put the kettle on. Pet the dog, (that is not a euphuism) cup of tea and said, laters taters, off to the pub for breakfast. 8.30 and I’m stuffing my face, 9.30, I’m back in bed for a couple of hours. I LOVE HAVING GROUND NEAR ME.
Sunday's forecast, morning dry, evening, poop. So, another 5am alarm call. Just for information, I am not a morning person. I guessed that the fallow may be about as it was warmer and the wind whilst not ideal wasn’t bad.
15 minutes later, Parked same spot, (did I mention it is near home) started my walk in, keeping the copse to my right and trying to avoid the twigs on the ground. Came to the gate and HOT DIGGITY, fallow, about 150 yards. They politely moved so that they were blocked by a tree to let me sneak up to 115 yards.
This is where it all became interesting and new to me. Group of 10 or so, milling around, looking for a suitable animal. Line up on one and it turns to show me it’s ass, choose another and then it is surrounded by others. Back and forward and they are also slowly making their way back towards the woods which is in the opposite direction. Try not to move as there are far too many eyes to see me.
Finally, a buck presents, poor head, line up and squeeze. Shot is a bit back and lower than I would like, but job done, took out the heart and he ran about 20 yards. The herd all ran but stopped for about 10 seconds, then decided to take off again. I stood there for 10 minutes but it was pretty clear the buck wasn’t going anywhere.
The buck had one poor antler that was tightly bound with rope and one even poorer that stuck out about 3 inches so I am hoping that that was a good one to take out. Gralloch done and started pulling the deer back towards the car. 40 yards and one heart attack I decide that is a stupid idea. Carry the rifle and sticks back with me to the car and decide to drive in and collect. Hoping that the mpv doesn’t get stuck, (fxxx it, I can always call the missus to rescue me). Managed to get everything in and loaded, I would guess the buck weighted 30 to 40 kilos. I can now see why everyone is fascinated with, how do you get it in the car? Oh, please can my suv get fixed this week? Driving me mad.
Back home and I think it took me longer to get the buck in the double chiller than it took to gralloch him. He is now taking up both sides of the double chiller. I think I need a bigger one, so will be measuring up as that will give me sufficient room to hang him. But that will be later in the year.
All good, all happy, now have some venison in the fridge. Only one downside. I think I left my knife and and saw up there. So tomorrow after a quick check if I can’t find them at home, it will be a wander back up to look see if I did leave them there. Grrrrr.
But at least it is only 15 minutes away from me. Just in case I haven’t mentioned that.
Happy days
if you don’t 
) I do not enjoy the return journey. I'm always hoping that I might pick up a couple of permissions closer but no success yet. Enjoy your thoroughly decadent new lifestyle!
