It's been an odd start to the year. They said on the news this morning that we have yet to have had a day without rain and this appears to have had a dramatic effect on the Fallow.
The various forum entries and WhatsApp groups are all bemoaning the lack of fallow so far this year. Whereas I could guarantee a sighting most outings, the last 4 or 5 outings I haven't seen a single Fallow on my grounds.
We'd put high seats up just before Christmas, and so far all I've seen from them is Roe Bucks. Today I popped over to throw up a camera and see what was happening at night. No rush, I just grabbed the rifle (just in case) and leisurely made my way there way after the golden hour.
I popped myself up for a little sit down, mostly just to enjoy the feeling of being in nature. It's very therapeutic and deer or no deer, it's my happy place.
My phone is going constantly. It's work this, work that. I send a few quick replies and the next thing I know, I look up from my phone and there's a fallow buck standing about 10ft away to my left. He doesn't notice me but quick as a flash he's darted off behind me.
I turn in my seat and scan the thermal, only he's directly behind the tree that the seat is strapped to. I wait and slowly see him making his way right to left. There's a small break in the foliage about the size of a car door, so I quickly reach for my rifle just as he gets there. I'm too late however. He passes the opening quicker than I can get a sight picture on him.
He then proceeds to go behind some thick cover and have a little sit down.
It's a waiting game now. I know he'll eventually move left and there's plenty of gaps in the trees. The only danger is an opening in the boundary, which leads immediately to an area I don't have permission. It's their usual escape route. One sniff of me and I know that's where he will run, and likely stand just over the boundary doing a little dance and sticking his tongue out at me.
I wait around 15 minutes, switching between thermal and my eyes. Watching for movement.
It's during a change from eyes to thermal that I suddenly see he's gone. A brief moment of panic before I see he's walked right past the boundary opening, and is walking along just inside my wood. Perfect.
I find a gap and wait.
He pauses, just in the gap. His head is turned back so I can't get a nice shot until he finishes fannying about and gives me a good profile. Eventually he obliges and he's down in a flash.
Well this is great news as having recently got my trained hunter, I've been itching to use this communal chiller near me that has the game dealer collect regularly.
This feels like the next step in my stalking.
It's also my first suspended gralloch. How much easier is this! Even if my branch choice struggled with what I estimated to be around 35kg.
I put into practice the suspended gralloch I had performed in the large game meat. It went really well. Inspection done and then the hard part. The drag. I'm thinking I really need a Sika sack, or a Roe sack that will take a decent fallow. The ground is so wet though, that every step under load means I'm just sinking in. No wonder the fallow haven't wanted to be here.
I eventually make it back to the truck and get the deer in a tray and then it's off to the chiller.
First time here and it's a couple of containers on a farm. Opening the containers it's a proper professional outfit. Makes my home garage setup look like exactly what it is... A shop yazoo fridge and some scales on a ceiling joist.
I need to get me an electric winch, as I press the button to effortlessly raise the fallow up out of my tray.
The system is brilliant. It weighs the fallow as it trundles along the rail. 41kg. I definitely should have picked a bigger branch.
Filling out the tag feels like a real moment. I'm sure it's a mundane task for many on here, but there's a definite sense of achievement tagging my first, and I'm left thinking of my dear departed uncle that got me into all of this. Cheers Tel
The various forum entries and WhatsApp groups are all bemoaning the lack of fallow so far this year. Whereas I could guarantee a sighting most outings, the last 4 or 5 outings I haven't seen a single Fallow on my grounds.
We'd put high seats up just before Christmas, and so far all I've seen from them is Roe Bucks. Today I popped over to throw up a camera and see what was happening at night. No rush, I just grabbed the rifle (just in case) and leisurely made my way there way after the golden hour.
I popped myself up for a little sit down, mostly just to enjoy the feeling of being in nature. It's very therapeutic and deer or no deer, it's my happy place.
My phone is going constantly. It's work this, work that. I send a few quick replies and the next thing I know, I look up from my phone and there's a fallow buck standing about 10ft away to my left. He doesn't notice me but quick as a flash he's darted off behind me.
I turn in my seat and scan the thermal, only he's directly behind the tree that the seat is strapped to. I wait and slowly see him making his way right to left. There's a small break in the foliage about the size of a car door, so I quickly reach for my rifle just as he gets there. I'm too late however. He passes the opening quicker than I can get a sight picture on him.
He then proceeds to go behind some thick cover and have a little sit down.
It's a waiting game now. I know he'll eventually move left and there's plenty of gaps in the trees. The only danger is an opening in the boundary, which leads immediately to an area I don't have permission. It's their usual escape route. One sniff of me and I know that's where he will run, and likely stand just over the boundary doing a little dance and sticking his tongue out at me.
I wait around 15 minutes, switching between thermal and my eyes. Watching for movement.
It's during a change from eyes to thermal that I suddenly see he's gone. A brief moment of panic before I see he's walked right past the boundary opening, and is walking along just inside my wood. Perfect.
I find a gap and wait.
He pauses, just in the gap. His head is turned back so I can't get a nice shot until he finishes fannying about and gives me a good profile. Eventually he obliges and he's down in a flash.
Well this is great news as having recently got my trained hunter, I've been itching to use this communal chiller near me that has the game dealer collect regularly.
This feels like the next step in my stalking.
It's also my first suspended gralloch. How much easier is this! Even if my branch choice struggled with what I estimated to be around 35kg.
I put into practice the suspended gralloch I had performed in the large game meat. It went really well. Inspection done and then the hard part. The drag. I'm thinking I really need a Sika sack, or a Roe sack that will take a decent fallow. The ground is so wet though, that every step under load means I'm just sinking in. No wonder the fallow haven't wanted to be here.
I eventually make it back to the truck and get the deer in a tray and then it's off to the chiller.
First time here and it's a couple of containers on a farm. Opening the containers it's a proper professional outfit. Makes my home garage setup look like exactly what it is... A shop yazoo fridge and some scales on a ceiling joist.
I need to get me an electric winch, as I press the button to effortlessly raise the fallow up out of my tray.
The system is brilliant. It weighs the fallow as it trundles along the rail. 41kg. I definitely should have picked a bigger branch.
Filling out the tag feels like a real moment. I'm sure it's a mundane task for many on here, but there's a definite sense of achievement tagging my first, and I'm left thinking of my dear departed uncle that got me into all of this. Cheers Tel
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