Well another Autumn is upon us. The Roe rut has almost but finished and now many of us are looking forward to what I regard as one of the most exciting times in the deer stalking calendar.
The Fallow rut, along with the Red stag and Sika Stag rut.
This coming Red and Sika rut will be my 35th in the highlands, or rather the 34th due to Covid stopping everything last year. After all these years I thought it would be a break and not be missed, but I was wrong. I missed it badly. Apart from missing seeing good friends up there, I missed the sharp early frosty mornings, the smell of the pines and the last few flowers of the heather. The early mornings, and the expectation of what a new day will bring.
The late afternoon stalks along a planted forestry edge, with the sudden hair raising squeal of a Sika stag deep within the darkness of the trees. And the roar of the Reds as they gradually come lower for the evening, with their hinds in front.
All of this I missed last year. But on the other side of the coin, I enjoyed one of the best Fallow ruts for a long time, and gained a new area with probably one of the best stands I have seen in the wild for many years. Having shared this new area with 2 of the guides that work for me and a young man who started stalking some years back as a client and now has access to this area on his own. We have made some inroads on the Fallow population already.
Why am I writing this post? Well I have reached a certain age now, still going fairly strong, but more years behind me now, than in front. I still have that excitment within me for deer stalking, which I hope I will never loose. Will I manage to stalk Scotland this year without issues with joints and especially knees? I think many of us on here have similar issues as the years go by. Certainly it makes the extraction work of larger species harder, especially in the highlands.
So for all the younger stalkers on this site, make sure you enjoy and remember everyday your out, good days and bad days with friends and family out stalking, these are some of the best gifts you can have in life.
I hope all of you have a great Autumn and winter season, be safe, be careful, enjoy the weather, whatever it throws at you. My diary is full right through to February and Scotland 2022 is also already half full with clients. Its going to be a busy winter again. I wish you all great success.
The Fallow rut, along with the Red stag and Sika Stag rut.
This coming Red and Sika rut will be my 35th in the highlands, or rather the 34th due to Covid stopping everything last year. After all these years I thought it would be a break and not be missed, but I was wrong. I missed it badly. Apart from missing seeing good friends up there, I missed the sharp early frosty mornings, the smell of the pines and the last few flowers of the heather. The early mornings, and the expectation of what a new day will bring.
The late afternoon stalks along a planted forestry edge, with the sudden hair raising squeal of a Sika stag deep within the darkness of the trees. And the roar of the Reds as they gradually come lower for the evening, with their hinds in front.
All of this I missed last year. But on the other side of the coin, I enjoyed one of the best Fallow ruts for a long time, and gained a new area with probably one of the best stands I have seen in the wild for many years. Having shared this new area with 2 of the guides that work for me and a young man who started stalking some years back as a client and now has access to this area on his own. We have made some inroads on the Fallow population already.
Why am I writing this post? Well I have reached a certain age now, still going fairly strong, but more years behind me now, than in front. I still have that excitment within me for deer stalking, which I hope I will never loose. Will I manage to stalk Scotland this year without issues with joints and especially knees? I think many of us on here have similar issues as the years go by. Certainly it makes the extraction work of larger species harder, especially in the highlands.
So for all the younger stalkers on this site, make sure you enjoy and remember everyday your out, good days and bad days with friends and family out stalking, these are some of the best gifts you can have in life.
I hope all of you have a great Autumn and winter season, be safe, be careful, enjoy the weather, whatever it throws at you. My diary is full right through to February and Scotland 2022 is also already half full with clients. Its going to be a busy winter again. I wish you all great success.
