This is an actually a few weeks old now but as I’ve been more of a lurker on the forum it’s taken me a while to get enough posts to be able to add photos. This place is an absolute goldmine of info and has been incredibly useful, so thank you. I hope to add some decent content of my own as I get more into deer stalking (with some foxing and bunny bashing for good measure).
Anyway….As per the title, I am so pleased to finally be writing these words, I shot my first Roe Buck. This was from back at the end of July on a Sunday where I had the opportunity to go out stalking that morning with a good friend of my mentor. I was still waiting on my FAC to come through the post, so this was a welcome opportunity to make the waiting process a little less painful (the FAC arrived on the last Friday in August. Since then I’ve picked up a Ruger M77 MkII in .243, the trigger has had some work done on it so it’s crisp and with no creep)
So, the stalk…
Meeting up at at 04:30 we drove down to the farm that he has been managing the deer for the past 40 years. Just prior to turning down the farm lane we clocked a Roe Doe crossing the road in the car headlights and heading into one of the fields, noting this to check once we were on foot. Once in the yard and after a quick familiarisation with his Sauer 6.5x55 S202 (lovely bit of kit) we heading out from the farm on a beautifully clear and still morning. Firstly we entered the field that the Doe had gone into and made our way over to the margin & hedgerow. Straight away we clocked the Doe and a Buck running rings through the crop about 80-100 yards away. Having never seen the activities of the rut before, it was fantastic to witness. The Doe sensed something was up and bounded off fairly rapidly. The Buck, however, stood still looking about but with his body facing broadside which gave me ample time to line up the shot, sort my breathing and with a gentle squeeze of the trigger….down on the spot. I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
So I’d managed to bag my first Roe Buck. What a privilege. My companion then carried out the gralloch and we left the Buck by the hedge, to be collected later. He said I could do the next gralloch. In terms of shot placement it went straight through the heart, so unfortunately that was not salvageable the table but the dog was happy with it for her tea that night. However, I was still very pleased to have been able to dispatch the Buck cleanly and humanely.
The remainder of the stalk was spent covering some of the adjacent fields and my companion using his calls, but no joy. After a 30 minute stint in the high-seat (which did give us a lovely view of a Roe Fawn walking down a tramline in the wheat field) we called it a day and headed back to the farm collecting the Buck en route. My first gralloch will have to wait!
Back to my mentor’s house for a congratulatory cup of coffee, before skinning the Buck and an attempt at butchery. I still have lots to learn! With plenty of assistance I have some beautiful wild & lean meat bagged up and in the freezer. I’m so glad to be entering the world of deer stalking. The entire morning was superb, pulling the trigger was just the tip of the iceberg. I’ll use the word privileged again, but it definitely is a privilege to experience it with the result. Seeing a small portion of Dorset come alive with the rising sun and being able to appreciate the countryside will never get old. Absolutely chuffed.
Cheers.
Anyway….As per the title, I am so pleased to finally be writing these words, I shot my first Roe Buck. This was from back at the end of July on a Sunday where I had the opportunity to go out stalking that morning with a good friend of my mentor. I was still waiting on my FAC to come through the post, so this was a welcome opportunity to make the waiting process a little less painful (the FAC arrived on the last Friday in August. Since then I’ve picked up a Ruger M77 MkII in .243, the trigger has had some work done on it so it’s crisp and with no creep)
So, the stalk…
Meeting up at at 04:30 we drove down to the farm that he has been managing the deer for the past 40 years. Just prior to turning down the farm lane we clocked a Roe Doe crossing the road in the car headlights and heading into one of the fields, noting this to check once we were on foot. Once in the yard and after a quick familiarisation with his Sauer 6.5x55 S202 (lovely bit of kit) we heading out from the farm on a beautifully clear and still morning. Firstly we entered the field that the Doe had gone into and made our way over to the margin & hedgerow. Straight away we clocked the Doe and a Buck running rings through the crop about 80-100 yards away. Having never seen the activities of the rut before, it was fantastic to witness. The Doe sensed something was up and bounded off fairly rapidly. The Buck, however, stood still looking about but with his body facing broadside which gave me ample time to line up the shot, sort my breathing and with a gentle squeeze of the trigger….down on the spot. I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
So I’d managed to bag my first Roe Buck. What a privilege. My companion then carried out the gralloch and we left the Buck by the hedge, to be collected later. He said I could do the next gralloch. In terms of shot placement it went straight through the heart, so unfortunately that was not salvageable the table but the dog was happy with it for her tea that night. However, I was still very pleased to have been able to dispatch the Buck cleanly and humanely.
The remainder of the stalk was spent covering some of the adjacent fields and my companion using his calls, but no joy. After a 30 minute stint in the high-seat (which did give us a lovely view of a Roe Fawn walking down a tramline in the wheat field) we called it a day and headed back to the farm collecting the Buck en route. My first gralloch will have to wait!
Back to my mentor’s house for a congratulatory cup of coffee, before skinning the Buck and an attempt at butchery. I still have lots to learn! With plenty of assistance I have some beautiful wild & lean meat bagged up and in the freezer. I’m so glad to be entering the world of deer stalking. The entire morning was superb, pulling the trigger was just the tip of the iceberg. I’ll use the word privileged again, but it definitely is a privilege to experience it with the result. Seeing a small portion of Dorset come alive with the rising sun and being able to appreciate the countryside will never get old. Absolutely chuffed.
Cheers.
I enjoyed reading your story.
