kip270
Well-Known Member
Guided Stalking in Gloucestershire
Well this Roe buck is certainly a special one to me. It’s not a medal buck by any standards but what it means to me is priceless.
My uncle who was my stalking mentor and head stalker of a deer park in Herefordshire taught me everything I know.
When he fell ill a few years ago I took charge to sort out his firearms/shotguns, at which point my Aunty asked if I would like to choose a rifle to keep for myself.
The FEO was really good and if I had taken my FAC with me he said I could of had them transferred right there. But I didn’t so had to wait for a temporary ticket so I could take possession and then sell them.
I had a choice of a Mannlicher Luxus in .308, a Mannlicher stutzen luxus in .243 a Browning A-bolt in .270 (but already got one) or a Sako 75 in 25-06, so I decided on the Sako (it was on the only one I would be able to fit a mod on)
Now I’ve shot a few foxes with it but never had the chance to grass a deer with it.
A list of events stopped me doing so, whilst out pheasant beating I climbed over a fence jumped down landed awkwardly and snapped my cruciate ligament, so was out of action for a while, the same year I slipped on icy decking and had a compound fracture of my spine, then the next year I had my knee surgery reconstruction......
While all this is happening we had moved house and the MONEY PIT took hold, so stalking had to be put on the back burner due to money going into the house.
Then when I was back and able to go my stalking contact retired.
Fast forward to now and with getting back on the SD site I now have numerous stalking contacts and contacted Nick Spoors the head Forester on an estate in Gloucestershire.
I’ve been out once before but no shot was taken as no backstop, so another date booked.
We had arranged a morning and evening stalk, with a mid morning break in between.
The morning was lovely and we headed off to some ground where some fallow have been spotted, so we got into position and waited and waited but only spotted a roe. Slowly walking down into a valley we bumped a roe doe, but alas nothing on the list that we were after.
Off to another bit of ground and we spotted a Cracking 6 pointer Roe buck couched, we watched him for while and it was great to hone some spotting skills, looking for the small details to spot him.
It was mid morning so time for a break, it had been an early start so chance to get our batteries recharged was a great welcome.
I set up a tarp at the back of Nicks property and chilled out, no looking at my phone just enjoying the peace and quiet and watching the bees & butterflies go about their business.
The weather was good and the temperature was rising so off to a thick pine forest where the deer should be, cooler for all and exciting to stalk.
We spotted two muntjac, a buck following a doe, but they vanished as muntjac do.
Another couple of roe does were spotted, so back for a tea break and then off to another spot.
As soon as we parked up I spotted a roe doe with kid in tow, again lovely to watch but we were heading up along a woodland, hoping to spot either a cull roe buck or muntjac.
Yet again wrong sex roe was spotted and then a muntjac in the distance so the stalk was on.
Slowly edging closer I spotted another roe, but this time it’s the right sex and a cull buck, just what we were after.
Getting in to about 70 yards, up with the knobloch tripod sticks and rifle placed in readiness. There were now two muntjac Buck and Doe, the buck was behind our roe buck, so had to wait for the muntjac to move from behind my buck, I placed the crosshairs and it’s chest and waited for it to turn for a broadside shot.
A few seconds later the shot was on, I settled the crosshairs and squeezed off my shot, the buck flinched up I heard the bullet impact and he ran into the wood only yards away.
We waited a few minutes and slowly made our way to where the buck was stood. After a few agonising minutes we found it literally two feet into the wood expired.
Not only I have inherited the rifle but also a knife that my uncle made, which has been used on more deer than I will ever deal with, so a very memorable day, and one that I am still smiling about.
Well this Roe buck is certainly a special one to me. It’s not a medal buck by any standards but what it means to me is priceless.
My uncle who was my stalking mentor and head stalker of a deer park in Herefordshire taught me everything I know.
When he fell ill a few years ago I took charge to sort out his firearms/shotguns, at which point my Aunty asked if I would like to choose a rifle to keep for myself.
The FEO was really good and if I had taken my FAC with me he said I could of had them transferred right there. But I didn’t so had to wait for a temporary ticket so I could take possession and then sell them.
I had a choice of a Mannlicher Luxus in .308, a Mannlicher stutzen luxus in .243 a Browning A-bolt in .270 (but already got one) or a Sako 75 in 25-06, so I decided on the Sako (it was on the only one I would be able to fit a mod on)
Now I’ve shot a few foxes with it but never had the chance to grass a deer with it.
A list of events stopped me doing so, whilst out pheasant beating I climbed over a fence jumped down landed awkwardly and snapped my cruciate ligament, so was out of action for a while, the same year I slipped on icy decking and had a compound fracture of my spine, then the next year I had my knee surgery reconstruction......
While all this is happening we had moved house and the MONEY PIT took hold, so stalking had to be put on the back burner due to money going into the house.
Then when I was back and able to go my stalking contact retired.
Fast forward to now and with getting back on the SD site I now have numerous stalking contacts and contacted Nick Spoors the head Forester on an estate in Gloucestershire.
I’ve been out once before but no shot was taken as no backstop, so another date booked.
We had arranged a morning and evening stalk, with a mid morning break in between.
The morning was lovely and we headed off to some ground where some fallow have been spotted, so we got into position and waited and waited but only spotted a roe. Slowly walking down into a valley we bumped a roe doe, but alas nothing on the list that we were after.
Off to another bit of ground and we spotted a Cracking 6 pointer Roe buck couched, we watched him for while and it was great to hone some spotting skills, looking for the small details to spot him.
It was mid morning so time for a break, it had been an early start so chance to get our batteries recharged was a great welcome.
I set up a tarp at the back of Nicks property and chilled out, no looking at my phone just enjoying the peace and quiet and watching the bees & butterflies go about their business.
The weather was good and the temperature was rising so off to a thick pine forest where the deer should be, cooler for all and exciting to stalk.
We spotted two muntjac, a buck following a doe, but they vanished as muntjac do.
Another couple of roe does were spotted, so back for a tea break and then off to another spot.
As soon as we parked up I spotted a roe doe with kid in tow, again lovely to watch but we were heading up along a woodland, hoping to spot either a cull roe buck or muntjac.
Yet again wrong sex roe was spotted and then a muntjac in the distance so the stalk was on.
Slowly edging closer I spotted another roe, but this time it’s the right sex and a cull buck, just what we were after.
Getting in to about 70 yards, up with the knobloch tripod sticks and rifle placed in readiness. There were now two muntjac Buck and Doe, the buck was behind our roe buck, so had to wait for the muntjac to move from behind my buck, I placed the crosshairs and it’s chest and waited for it to turn for a broadside shot.
A few seconds later the shot was on, I settled the crosshairs and squeezed off my shot, the buck flinched up I heard the bullet impact and he ran into the wood only yards away.
We waited a few minutes and slowly made our way to where the buck was stood. After a few agonising minutes we found it literally two feet into the wood expired.
Not only I have inherited the rifle but also a knife that my uncle made, which has been used on more deer than I will ever deal with, so a very memorable day, and one that I am still smiling about.
