Deer Management Practical Question ..No. 1

cervus

Well-Known Member
Training is always useful..here is 1 of 10 questions that I will pose FOR NOVICES, ALL BASED ON REAL TIME STALKS..no debates, no cr.p- 19 FALLOW at 150 yds range,downhill,18 does, 1 pricket..which is couched down and watching..one doe has rear hind leg limp,quite a bad mover, now also couched down..what is the priority animal to shoot , (it is August) and why?
 
None they are too far away, there is no backstop and a village in the valley below directly behind the deer. :lol:
 
does not the gable end wall equate as a good backstop :evil: :lol:
sorry cervus i know only sensible answers are applicable :lol:
shall get my coat :p
 
I'm thinking that there are 2 possible answers, but my limited knowkedge of fallow may show me up, so here goes...

1) shoot the doe with the limp, mercy killing, justified out of season?
2) shoot the pricket, something tells me that a pricket should not be with the does at this time of year. not sure of why. perhap she should be outed before the rut starts so he doesnt get a head start on the shaggin', before the better bucks turn up??

another thought - should either deer be shot couched down, and is a head shot ethical at that range??


look forward to the answer.
 
Deer management Practical Question 1

Hi, Guys,thanks for your input....The answer is as follows...the pricket is presenting a non-shot,even though in season and a cull deer,he is with the does because he has been excluded from a buck batchelor group, the injured doe is suffering to some degree,but she was capable of jumping a stock fence of some 3ft, in and out of the field,so a muscle or similar injury is most likely and she should recover albeit over a couple of weeks. In addition she was the lead doe and had a dependent fawn, a point often missed by novice stalkers, and the fawn was still suckling occasionally...everything else was out of contention..so we had a non shot on a possible cull pricket, and an injured doe which will recover who was both a lead doe and had a fawn, so no shot taken..the pricket stood up later but did not present another shot as it stayed in the middle of the herd. Next QUESTION 2 .....Roe yearling showing ill health signs,walking slowly, and couching down eventually,salivating and discharge from the nose is evident,also some scouring noted, range 75 yds, safe backstop is present ...action ?
 
cervus you never stated buck or doe
if this was on my ground
from the info given scouring should not realy occur at this time of year and they can't get a decongestion from the chemist so now is the next problem
what is wrong if i cull this animal ,can't go into the food chain, but why is it so ill
call out vetinary or defra and a seclusion zone is put up and no more stalking , if no call is made everthing is fine and dandy till you fall ill
decisions decisions
 
And you know it is a yearling how?

Even as a yearling it may have a kid very uncommon but not unheard of.
 
Deer management Practical Question 2

The roe is a yearling buck...these questions are based on actual occurrences that is why I wish to share them with my colleagues no trip-ups or pontificating intended....so what action?
 
Hi Tony,

Ok I'll have a go!

I guess the two options are:

1) It is seriously ill, if it is safe to do so take the shot. Based on the symptoms prepare for the worst and suspect/inspect for what? possible FMD? Bluetongue?

2) There are other reasons for the symptoms, don't take shot. This is where I'm stuck... I can't think of what those reasons might be! Oil seed rape poisoning?

Alex M
 
Deer Management Practical Question 2

Hi, Alex..first option correct on humane grounds alone..also by removing the deer from the area you can without opening the carcasse get an over view on the external visual signs of disease, FMD- tongue, hooves,Bluetongue-tongue, salivation,lesions on the joints...now the thorney bit! Tag and bag the deer, contact the divisional vet ..act on their advice...they may as happened in this case not attend, but ask if you can arrange incineration of the carcasse..I did. The vet decided that on the information given the likely cause was purging by corn from adjacent pheasant feeders,but he felt that given the presenting signs pre-shot, that the deer needed to be assessed to offset the risk of a Bluetongue or FMD outbreak. Question3...you are walking on a path through a known sika wood, a ..sika stag in the rut pops a boundary fence to inspect you and your colleague, he is 25m away and not stopping, you have .32 pistol,holstered, and a rifle to hand....waving your arms has no affect....what next?( He is one of the best stags on the ground,)
 
This roe must be licking its ar** to see it both salivating and scouring at the same time... :lol:
So now your going to tell us that you have just paid £5000 for your prime bit of stalking only to discover that one of its inhabitants "may" have a notifiable disease.
So do I inform the relevant authorities, and close down my stalking and all neighbouring farms within a 5Km radius or do I S.S.S.
Shoot
Shovel
Shut-up..
Tough decision!

WHATS YOUR CHOICE?

regards
griff
 
Deer Management Question 1

The choice is between being a responsible trained hunter and carrying out due diligence on all deer to check for problems or turning a blind eye to it and hoping for the best..no one wants hassle,but these things can come back to haunt you ! Money against continuation of stalking? An infected animal may spread a disease just over your boundary and the next stalker may invoke the DEFRA syndrome and it hits the fan anyway...you decide
 
Re: Deer Management Practical Question 2

cervus said:
Question3...you are walking on a path through a known sika wood, a ..sika stag in the rut pops a boundary fence to inspect you and your colleague, he is 25m away and not stopping, you have .32 pistol,holstered, and a rifle to hand....waving your arms has no affect....what next?( He is one of the best stags on the ground,)

Sika stags have a reputation for being aggressive so would it be a fair assumption that if you stand still and do nothing you have a good chance of getting charged? If so then the only choices are to shoot him or try and scare him off some other way.

As he is the best stag you don't want to shoot him so maybe put a shot into soft ground to try and scare him off?
 
Deer management Practical Question 1

Hi Alex..spot on a .32 round to his right into the ground made him stop and backtrack, he however shadowed us on our return to the vehicle keeping a reasonable distance.. ( Tartinjock was there and experienced it with me !)
 
Deer Management Practical Question 1

No. 4.... Fallow pricket,stalked and heartshot with .243 ran for50m into a small river,depth about 3ft ,animal upside down spikes anchor him on some roots, failing light..correct safety action,?Stalker is alone, but his vehicle is close-by...What next?
 
Cervus,
You must be getting bored at home nursing your injuries, but why the all the trick questions? (Get better soon by the way and not just because I want to get out stalking along with you).
Incomplete info in the first one (no mention of the following fawn or the jumping of a stock fence til you posted your answer).
Second response shows you ready to criticise any answer but not apparently not very positively,
Third situation, stag 25m away and running gives you about 2 seconds or less before he reaches you, human reactions (at their fastest) take 0.25 seconds so already down to 1.75 secs to think and do before potential impact of deer on human.
So (1)the stag stops or turns away (2) you sidestep (3) you snap off a shot at him or into soft ground to scare him off. Any of which are out of your control (1) or instinctive (2 & 3), and little or no time for thinking, ie unlike this situation on the forum.

They are all good for getting a bit of thinking and debating going but then you had said "no debate no cr*p"
I'm sorry to say this mate but you're reminding me of all those old Police and/or Army instructors to whom no answer was ever adequate and who always responded negatively, which isn't like you at all.

First situation, sit and watch (the pricket is watching so I will try not to move) see what happens, try to take the pricket if he ever presents a safe shot, ie gets up, preferably moves closer AND separates from the herd so I don't endanger the does.
Second, the way you describe it, take the buck and check it very carefully and contact regional office of Veterinary Service (whose number is carried on me somewhere - i'm a responsible stalker).
Third, if I really thought the Sika had me in his sights I would try to get him in mine never mind how good he is, preservation of my bloodline comes first.

I await your answer and correction like the humble pupil I am.
Geoshot
 
Has anyone ever been attacked by a wild stag? By that I mean actual physical contact made? I know people have been attacked and killed by tame anaimals but would a genuine wild stag pose any danger?
 
Re: Deer management Practical Question 1

cervus said:
Hi Alex..spot on a .32 round to his right into the ground made him stop and backtrack,

I'd be interested to know what variation on your FAC covers you for using your .32 for scaring deer??? ;) ;)
 
Back
Top