BIG DEER AND FOX

[griffshrek]

hi all
i hav'nt posted much on the site just done the voyeur thing of watched and reading whats going on , decided thats got to change and get stuck in to the forum so here goes

over the past few months or so i have been watching a small group of fallow doe's on the very lmited stalking ground i have. over theses few months they have been like clock work roughly same time and same entry points to enter the field every now and then a buck will appear with them. its been great sat there with bino's just watching and learning ( i am still a novice in the deer stalking game )

anyway decided i am going to put one in the chiller as meat stocks are running down in the house hold and the "good wife " has promised venison to some friends and family

planned the stalk of where i will be and where to i will see the deer, best shooting place etc.

i got to my location and got ready , i sat there blended in with the back round i had made a little niche in the hedgeway to overlook the deer area invisible to the world and not making a noise, perfect .

except no show on the deer, i'm sat there running through my head what have i done wrong whats diffrent etc etc etc. i still new to stalking so i'm questioning myself

i decide to call it a day light is falling but there is still 20mins or so left , i give the field i'm in a quick check before i leave my hidding place.

low and behold 70 meters from me in an area where i have never ever seen deer is the biggest fallow buck i have ever seen. majestic is the only word i can use .

i have a few seconds of contemplation over the shot as he looks so magnificent. i tell myself he is coming home with me, i have to leave the hide area to get the shot. very slow extraction from the hide and i get in a cracking position for a the shot.

i have to wait a little while for him to turn then i take classic heart lung shot . BANG i hear the report i feel the slight recoil and hear the bullet inpact on the buck . off he goes away from me towards a small wooded area 60 meters away.

he is running like the wind full pace he is showing no signs of being shot when running. in thoes split seconds i am questioning myself and now my rifle and ammo ( 243 win 90 gr bonded bullet) stuff like -why didn't i get a bigger caliber ,should i have gone for a neck shot ,did i pull the shot, etc etc over and over for thoes few seconds.

i am watching all the time as he gets closer to the wood , next i see a slight stumble from the buck and i know in my mind i've hit im where i planned. the buck enters the wood and next i hear is an almighty crash.

i leave it a short time then check , i find my trophy buck no more than a few meters into the wood.

i quicky check the area where buck was shot i find "paint and pins " and i can see a blood trail examination of the buck revieled a good exit wound .

i happy now one for the chiller rifle ammo combo worked on a big deer (200 lbs plus) confidence coming back . later exam showed lungs and top of heart shot and a perfect specimen of a deer inc great antlers.

anyway week later went back to same spot and watched the deer for a while (nice to get out on my own as i have a house full of women) and shot a nice doe.

before i recoverd the doe i scaned the field and saw a fox trotting towards where i shot the buck earlier that week . great i thought a fox and deer, the fox stopped and sniffed excactly where the large buck was shot . again BANG slight recoil , hear the bullet impact same gun and ammo, and the fox is off running full speed for the small wood. i found the fox in exactly the same spot the large buck was recovered and same shot placment . both deer and fox shot in exactly same place by same ammo and rifle at same distance and recovered within 12" of each other.

i thought i would share this story with the site as i still find it strange.... i will post more soon ..neil

 

[Andy L]

Well done. Neil. Sounds like you had a good week! You could expect the buck to run but the fox was definitely a surprise. A reincarnation maybe!!
Enjoy the venison and welcome back from your voyeurism!

 

[Beowulf]

Excellent job Neil! A well wriitten account too. I've got some competition I see. I'm glad you have come in from the cold, I often wonder why we have so many people watching the site and only a few posting. Look if I can make a complete 'TIT' of myself anyone can!
In the words of Swiss Tony:- This website is like making love to a beautiful woman. The more time you spend with her and attention you give her the more rewarding it is for the both of you! Much better than watching someone else have all the fun! The thing is, if you have a beautiful woman at home she will soon get p'd off because you are spending more time with the soddin site than her!
Welcome abroad!

 

[Duncs]

Hi, and welcome! I always thought big rifles knocked down smaller targets. Esp. munjack. But I am fat believing that if the llet passes through, hitting only soft tissue/meat, then the smaller targets have the cance of running. As I keep being told, it is only dead when the blood loss to the brain is to severe/cut off. So in my mind, if no bone is hit on the way through, then there is every cahnce of the creature running. A great story, and don't you just love being able to give away venison!! After all, it only takes a second to shoot!!!

 

[Kent]

Yep, don't be supprised the fox ran hit with a .243" . Deer bullets are meant to penetrate through bone etc. a fox only has a ribcage of a small roe kid and the bullet will normally drill straight through with little or no expantion - unless it hits the shoulder blade or the likes. they will always bleed out if you get them in the lungs though, consider head shots if it bothers you. Personally i find it best to take the easiest clean shot as you might not get another chance, either way equalls a dead fox and you cannot kill them double dead!
More supprising was the bullet you mention passing through the big buck, i find this the exeption rather than the rule with larger deer and the .243"

Blooming good post and good stalking. I know how you feel with a house full of females by the way!

 

[JAYB]

That is a nice post Neil. It encompasses all that is right with stalking, it demonstrates that it is not just about killing deer. It shows that a gun is not just a gun, the calibre of the rifle, the weight and velocity of the bullet combined with it's design and intended purpose is an important issue in stalking circles. Just watching the deer and appreciating nature is probably the biggest joy of stalking, I think you have got it just about right.

Mind you, that piece of land will have to be avoided in the future. It is obviously haunted by that big buck, he is refusing to leave. His last reincarnation was as a fox, if he comes back as something big and nasty (an ex Navy gunner for instance) you could be in trouble

John

 

[devilishdave]

Fox

Good post GF.

I have never shot any deer bigger than roe but had quite a few of them run on when they have been well shot the worst being one that had what was left of its heart hanging out of the exit wound and it still ran 70-90m

Thats the little fellow that ran on with the disintigrated heart hanging outside his body shot at 15m

I have never had a fox take a step when shot with the .243 though

Terminal effects of 95 grain Nosler Balistic tip.

Dave

 

[Kent]

well i have, as have many i know. I use sierra 100 grn pro-hunter most commonly as they hold together well and penetrate deeply. I also use nosley b/tips 95 grns, these i have shot less deer with and also less foxes however the foxes i have shot have gone down good exept one were the bullet stuck a twig or something on it's way to target. The devestation it created on stiking the fox was imence though required a follow up shot as it was hit by the destablelised bullet in a non-vital area.
Proper varmint type bullets from a .243" are devastating on foxes though deer bullets WILL let well even well placed shots on foxes run. i have even have chest shot foxes get up following being knocked down run on before dropping.
I respect your own experiance with the .243" and foxes but if any newcommer is reading this i have done heaps of fox with the .243" using deer bullets and if they run please assume you hit them just like you should with a deer then follow it up correctly and make sure it is not left to suffer

 

[Beowulf]

Surely JayB it is impossible for a Buck to come back as an ex Navy Gunner if the gentleman of the sea already exsists? I've just brought three bottles of very nice whiskey! I've started on one already because I'm worried that you might not like whiskey and it will get wasted!
I have shot a big dog fox three times with a 243 with 100 grain soft points. The last bullet was to speed the process up a bit. The bugger would not die. Upset me somewhat. If I still had my 6.5 I would have chopped him in half no problem!
Cheers JayB 12 year old 'Jamesons Special Reserve' Yum Yum!

 

[Beowulf]

Hi again JayB,
Can you help me old bean! I don't know what gear to bring with me to Scotland. The list so far is as follows:-
2 and a 1/2 bottles of whiskey
four bottles of red wine
some bullets things
bang stick
2 packets of cheese and onion crisps.

How am I doing so far? More booze do you think?

 

[JAYB]

Mr B you are good to go as you are, just remember a bag to take the emties away in! No need to bring any water, at the moment the big man upstairs has the tap going full pelt, sometimes it comes sort of white and flaky, funny water!

I'll phone Malc a little later on, make sure he made it through the night OK and has managed some kip. I'll give you a bell later for an update.

John

 

[MarkH]

Hi Beowulf

Just looking at your kit list and I would highly recommend taking some clothes as well. The sight of a buck naked hunter waving two bottles of fine whiskey and his bang stick on the open hill side might alert the deer to your presence.

Mark

 

[JAYB]

No Mark he will be OK, the midges have gone!!!

John

 

[Beowulf]

Oh you chaps make me laugh! At least its all good friendly banter unlike some of the comments posted on other threads of late! I think we may need a troll cull again.
JayB I will see you soon, a matter of hours in fact! You can't miss me I will be drunk as a skunk, naked and singing 'Donald where's your trousers' As I stride or tumble down hill and glen!

MarkH, It was very nice to finally talk to you yesterday and I look forward to meeting up soon.

I'm off to pack my bags for the journey up north. See you all soon!

 

[monynut]

I'm off to pack my bags for the journey up north. See you all soon!

Hope you have a good time, look forward to hearing all about it.

 

[griffshrek]

thanks for all the encouragment guy's

you will hear some more from me , what i forgot to mention was dragging the huge beast 3/4 mile to the car nearly killed me .

it was worth it as it's given me the best venison i have tasted especialy from the leg steaks...neil