Saturday morning 3.45AM the alarm went off.
Get dressed, get a coffee, load the vehicule and start driving.
As I am a jungjäger without own grounds I can only hunt on invitation for the moment. Luckily I have some very good friends.
This was the fifth outing: the first two were in the high seat but I didn't see any buck. The third was a stalking outing: I saw five bucks on one morning but since we had to watch out for houses/barns/ etc in the background I never had a chance (but I saw 5 bucks on one outing and within shooting distance).
Two days later I was back, this time on the high seat again. A nice buck comes out with his head only. He's nervous - in and out the hedge surrounding the field. Suddenly he jumps out to cross the field - I whistle - but according to my mentor not loud enough... The buck disappears on the other side.
So as I am drinking my coffee this fifth day my mate/mentor tells me: I feel it, today is the day!
With healthy nerves we start our drive to the first pasture at 5 AM: He tells me to get out and watch the treeline. But they were closer: with thermal I could see the doe and buck at only 50 meters, but it was foggy and the binoculars only showed white. The doe didn't mind, but I could see the buck trying to see me in the thermal, but the fog veiled him to much for any serious attempt to ready the rifle.
On to the next: the entrance to the gate covered with dry leaves, carefully getting closer.... only to discover an empty field. Same story in the next field.
He tells me to get back in the car to drive to another part a few kilometers further.
We arrive and both get out: it is a long passageway to a large field surrounded by water and houses, but he confides he always has luck here.
He tells me to stop halfway to the field and ready me on the quadstick. A few calls on his lure and in the woods to our left there is cracking. Heart rate goes through the roof. One more squeak and a bit off guard I see a doe and buck appear on our right side through the branches of some small trees; They're close together. Pulse even higher.
The doe jumps across the passageway in half a second.... The buck not to be seen for what seems like ages. I try to look past the scope into the neighbouring field, but he's not there either - he didn't turn around.
Suddenly he jumps out in the open about 80m from us (and a good 30m further away as the doe) and stops immediately. I swing my rifle a bit to the right (as I expected the buck to jump further out), settle the crosshairs behind his shoulder blade and squeeze the trigger.
He ever so slightly raises his shoulders and falls down on the spot. The 170gr Sako blade did his job, no more movement from the buck. I on the other hand am out of breath, according to my mate as pale as a ghost and trembling out of control.
We approach the buck, the shot went a bit high (sighted in 4cm high at 100m and I forgot to take this into consideration). We gave him his last meal and then I carried him all the way alone. My first roebuck.
Did the gralloch by myself and got my baptism for St. Hubertus.
7 AM and the day couldn't have begon better.
PS I tried to add pictures, but when I click the icon I only get to enter an web address? Too little posts?
Get dressed, get a coffee, load the vehicule and start driving.
As I am a jungjäger without own grounds I can only hunt on invitation for the moment. Luckily I have some very good friends.
This was the fifth outing: the first two were in the high seat but I didn't see any buck. The third was a stalking outing: I saw five bucks on one morning but since we had to watch out for houses/barns/ etc in the background I never had a chance (but I saw 5 bucks on one outing and within shooting distance).
Two days later I was back, this time on the high seat again. A nice buck comes out with his head only. He's nervous - in and out the hedge surrounding the field. Suddenly he jumps out to cross the field - I whistle - but according to my mentor not loud enough... The buck disappears on the other side.
So as I am drinking my coffee this fifth day my mate/mentor tells me: I feel it, today is the day!
With healthy nerves we start our drive to the first pasture at 5 AM: He tells me to get out and watch the treeline. But they were closer: with thermal I could see the doe and buck at only 50 meters, but it was foggy and the binoculars only showed white. The doe didn't mind, but I could see the buck trying to see me in the thermal, but the fog veiled him to much for any serious attempt to ready the rifle.
On to the next: the entrance to the gate covered with dry leaves, carefully getting closer.... only to discover an empty field. Same story in the next field.
He tells me to get back in the car to drive to another part a few kilometers further.
We arrive and both get out: it is a long passageway to a large field surrounded by water and houses, but he confides he always has luck here.
He tells me to stop halfway to the field and ready me on the quadstick. A few calls on his lure and in the woods to our left there is cracking. Heart rate goes through the roof. One more squeak and a bit off guard I see a doe and buck appear on our right side through the branches of some small trees; They're close together. Pulse even higher.
The doe jumps across the passageway in half a second.... The buck not to be seen for what seems like ages. I try to look past the scope into the neighbouring field, but he's not there either - he didn't turn around.
Suddenly he jumps out in the open about 80m from us (and a good 30m further away as the doe) and stops immediately. I swing my rifle a bit to the right (as I expected the buck to jump further out), settle the crosshairs behind his shoulder blade and squeeze the trigger.
He ever so slightly raises his shoulders and falls down on the spot. The 170gr Sako blade did his job, no more movement from the buck. I on the other hand am out of breath, according to my mate as pale as a ghost and trembling out of control.
We approach the buck, the shot went a bit high (sighted in 4cm high at 100m and I forgot to take this into consideration). We gave him his last meal and then I carried him all the way alone. My first roebuck.
Did the gralloch by myself and got my baptism for St. Hubertus.
7 AM and the day couldn't have begon better.
PS I tried to add pictures, but when I click the icon I only get to enter an web address? Too little posts?
