Bit of an odd morning yesterday - the end result was a very long and unnecessary carry for me - so a lesson learned. I am probably being hugely long winded in the telling of this but it does display how a very simple error in communication can cause a potential issue
I share one of my permissions with another friend and fellow stalker - one with a lot more experience than me. As this is the first time either of us has been able to get on the ground for a few weeks we opted to split the farm down the middle and have a side each for some early morning roe stalking - it's big enough and the possibility of getting a few more deer off the land would be welcomed by the owner and his neighbours.
I spotted a group of 4 on a slope at the far end of my side of the farm but since the hedges have all been cut back hard this winter I needed to go into the other half of the farm to get a covered approach so texted my fellow stalker to see where he was and whether that would be OK - he said yes and off I went. About 20 minute later I was in position, lined up on a yearling doe, double checked surroundings and backstop as usual and took the shot off a set of homemade quad sticks . The boggyness of the ground meant that when I took the shot I completely lost my sight picture for a few seconds as the sticks sank in a bit and for a moment I was looking much further up the slope.
When I looked up from the scope, to my dismay and disbelief all four animals were haring off down the slope unscathed and didn't stop long enough for a second go - plus to have missed at that range - about 75m told me that something was up with my eyes, the zero or something else - didn't want to risk it again even if they had stopped and even though my instincts told me that the shot was good.
Throughout all of this my mate was looking up through his binos and had helpfully taken a few snaps through them with his smartphone. I texted him the bad news of a clean miss and he confirmed four animals, all completely unharmed had been past him and then scattered out. I was really crestfallen - it's been ages since we have been able to get out, the freezer is almost empty and it was the perfect morning to be out.
Friend and I walked back to the vehicles - his 110 defender and my crappy skoda estate and he headed off home - I stayed behind to walk back up to the far end of the farm with a piece of A4 paper but no other kit other than rifle and bullets to check zero where I wouldn't be interrupted and to have a final cast around the whole area for any signs of blood, hair or an injured roe.
I approached the site of the shot (stupidly it was the first time I had gone right up there) and there was a bit of foamy blood and some hair on the ground, so now I'm really worried that we have an injured deer that will almost certainly die up close to the owners house. Then I looked along the trail of blood and lying in the brambles stone dead is the doe I had shot at - drilled about 2" back from my point of aim and therefore a lung shot but most likely dead within a couple of seconds.
I have now pieced this together with the other chap and what we have identified from the photos and discussion is that there were 5 deer in the field but only 4 visible to me and because of the topography and vegetation only 4 visible to him from further away and a different angle. We both witness four running away unharmed - conclusion therefore is a clean miss.
I had to gralloch as best I could with my leatherman on the fence without my usual kit as that was in the car and then a very awkward and very long carry without my roe sack back to the car.
Conclusions:
1. No matter what always check the site of the shot before making any other conclusions (I know this so well and just forgot in the heat of it and the disappointment)
2. Always have the the right kit with you and don't leave things in the car
3. You can't always see every animal - obvious really
4. Trust your instincts - I was pretty damn sure the shot was good, everything felt right and I know the zero to be OK.
5. Take a bit more time to get the full picture of what is there - I had plenty of time to check everything more but rushed it in my excitement to break the 2021 duck
6. Don't ever, and I mean ever, let your friend take is 4x4 home until you are 100% certain that you don't have a beast to collect from the far end of the farm. (The real lesson is to ditch the crappy skoda and get my own 4x4)
Happy to have a doe in the fridge ready for butchering but very embarrassed that I allowed best practice to be overcome by disappointment and despondency. It also strikes me that my main error was to continue using the scope - I should have got away from it and used my eyes much faster, I think I would have spotted it all much better that way.
I share one of my permissions with another friend and fellow stalker - one with a lot more experience than me. As this is the first time either of us has been able to get on the ground for a few weeks we opted to split the farm down the middle and have a side each for some early morning roe stalking - it's big enough and the possibility of getting a few more deer off the land would be welcomed by the owner and his neighbours.
I spotted a group of 4 on a slope at the far end of my side of the farm but since the hedges have all been cut back hard this winter I needed to go into the other half of the farm to get a covered approach so texted my fellow stalker to see where he was and whether that would be OK - he said yes and off I went. About 20 minute later I was in position, lined up on a yearling doe, double checked surroundings and backstop as usual and took the shot off a set of homemade quad sticks . The boggyness of the ground meant that when I took the shot I completely lost my sight picture for a few seconds as the sticks sank in a bit and for a moment I was looking much further up the slope.
When I looked up from the scope, to my dismay and disbelief all four animals were haring off down the slope unscathed and didn't stop long enough for a second go - plus to have missed at that range - about 75m told me that something was up with my eyes, the zero or something else - didn't want to risk it again even if they had stopped and even though my instincts told me that the shot was good.
Throughout all of this my mate was looking up through his binos and had helpfully taken a few snaps through them with his smartphone. I texted him the bad news of a clean miss and he confirmed four animals, all completely unharmed had been past him and then scattered out. I was really crestfallen - it's been ages since we have been able to get out, the freezer is almost empty and it was the perfect morning to be out.
Friend and I walked back to the vehicles - his 110 defender and my crappy skoda estate and he headed off home - I stayed behind to walk back up to the far end of the farm with a piece of A4 paper but no other kit other than rifle and bullets to check zero where I wouldn't be interrupted and to have a final cast around the whole area for any signs of blood, hair or an injured roe.
I approached the site of the shot (stupidly it was the first time I had gone right up there) and there was a bit of foamy blood and some hair on the ground, so now I'm really worried that we have an injured deer that will almost certainly die up close to the owners house. Then I looked along the trail of blood and lying in the brambles stone dead is the doe I had shot at - drilled about 2" back from my point of aim and therefore a lung shot but most likely dead within a couple of seconds.
I have now pieced this together with the other chap and what we have identified from the photos and discussion is that there were 5 deer in the field but only 4 visible to me and because of the topography and vegetation only 4 visible to him from further away and a different angle. We both witness four running away unharmed - conclusion therefore is a clean miss.
I had to gralloch as best I could with my leatherman on the fence without my usual kit as that was in the car and then a very awkward and very long carry without my roe sack back to the car.
Conclusions:
1. No matter what always check the site of the shot before making any other conclusions (I know this so well and just forgot in the heat of it and the disappointment)
2. Always have the the right kit with you and don't leave things in the car
3. You can't always see every animal - obvious really
4. Trust your instincts - I was pretty damn sure the shot was good, everything felt right and I know the zero to be OK.
5. Take a bit more time to get the full picture of what is there - I had plenty of time to check everything more but rushed it in my excitement to break the 2021 duck
6. Don't ever, and I mean ever, let your friend take is 4x4 home until you are 100% certain that you don't have a beast to collect from the far end of the farm. (The real lesson is to ditch the crappy skoda and get my own 4x4)
Happy to have a doe in the fridge ready for butchering but very embarrassed that I allowed best practice to be overcome by disappointment and despondency. It also strikes me that my main error was to continue using the scope - I should have got away from it and used my eyes much faster, I think I would have spotted it all much better that way.
