I have been stalking a few years now, mainly going out with guides and a few kind local mentors. Learning lots, making mistakes and falling in love with being out there stalking, and also with deer themselves - I got into it purely for high quality, nutrient dense meat that I had killed myself. Wasn't expecting so many other fantastic aspects to be so interesting. Learning the habits and behaviours of these animals, learning how to move slowly and cleverly in nature, also just spending more time in nature actually being a part of it. Rather than just hurrying through it if that makes sense?
Anyhow. This last year I have been lucky to pick up two very small permissions locally. Both with small populations of Roe who are at the new tree plantings. I have not been out as much as I would like due to work and family. When I have I often see nothing, often see them a few metres over the boundary and also have had a few 'nearly successful' outings. Have to say, it has been hard graft and a steep learning curve being on my own.
Yet, the other day I finally bagged my very first solo deer. A lovely healthy roe doe. I actually had been driving through one of my permissions having picked up my wife and saw a white rear end out the corner of my eye in one of the fields. I live just up the road and when we got home very nearly left it but I had an hour of daylight and no plans so quickly grabbed my rifle and binoculars and headed back.
No sign of any deer. Damn.
I parked up anyway and headed into a field that overlooks where I had seen her and slowly moved along a banking. Just as I was about to call it a day I saw a dark shape in some scraggly grass/bushes about 120m away. A bit of staring through the binoculars and I could see some ears moving about. We were on!!
I was in a position to shoot, but honestly, I felt it was a little out of my comfort zone - adrenaline was flowing, it was off sticks and I also wasn't 100% on the backdrop. I had a tricky approach to make as the only other safe place to get a shot was about 30-40m from her, on another banking but to get there I would actually have to go past her. Sounds weird, but basically there aren't many safe shots on this plot due to a road, railway and nearby houses.
So I slithered down into a small beck that gave me some cover. As I climbed over the fence I heard an almighty crash a few metres away and saw the dissapointing sight of another roe, bouncing away towards 'my' deer! Oh hell. I had blown it. So focused on the one I was moving towards I hadn't even scanned the ground right in front of me. My heart sank. Surely this one would spook and they'd both be off. Another hard lesson learned!!
There had been no barking though so I just paused and waited in the beck, I couldn't see to where I was headed so just had to wait, and then keep moving slowly. With very wet feet, I eventually got to a point I could get out, at the far end of the banking that I needed to move along. I slowly crawled/crouched along the bottom of a hedge towards the small paddock they were in. The dip they were in mercifully hid me (and them) from view. Just a few weeks before I had blown a stalk by moving to quickly in a similar situation and had to force myself to go painfully slowly.
Eventually I got to a point where I could see into the slight dip. With fingers crossed I peered over a hummock and lo and behold two deer were feeding, about 40m from me. A doe and a younger one, I think maybe a young buck from this year. They were both fairly aware and moving about. I wanted to take a shot lying down, just because I find it so much easier but the grass and hummocks of rushes made it impossible to get a clear shot. So I decided to crawl closer to a nearby hedge and to stand up slowly in the shadow of this, hoping it might hide me a little better.
Another painfully slow five minutes later and I had got into a good position, and slowly in about ten different movements with long pauses stood up and got my rifle on the sticks. Heart in mouth. She had stopped and looked directly at me at least twice, about 40m away. On dry, frosty leaf and twig covered ground, with little wind it was impossible to not make noise but staying very still between movements in the shadows had worked.
Once on the sticks I had to take a few seconds to get some feeling back in my fingers, completely numb to the point I couldn't feel anything - not ideal for pulling a trigger! Eventually I felt ready to take a shot, luckily she was pretty relaxed by this point and happily feeding in a small area with the odd look up. I waited until a perfect broadside presented itself, resisting the urge to snatch a shot at her quartered a few times. They would have been safe/legitimate shots but I just wanted to be absolutely sure and she seemed relaxed.
Shot taken and she took it pretty well, a few steps forward and on the deck. A good shot through both lungs.
Got her gralloched (still find these a faff, but getting there) and back home to hang in our very chilly garage. Butchered her myself a week later and we have been enjoying delicious venison ever since.
It felt like the culmination of a solid few years of hard graft and learning, from the stalking all the way to learning the butchery side slowly from a mate over the last few years. I loved every second. I have shot a few deer over the last few years, but this was a real special feeling putting everything I have learned together myself with no one more experienced to lean on.
Here is to many more in the future.
I would love to hear from some of you more experienced folks on here about your first deer? Do you still remember?
Anyhow. This last year I have been lucky to pick up two very small permissions locally. Both with small populations of Roe who are at the new tree plantings. I have not been out as much as I would like due to work and family. When I have I often see nothing, often see them a few metres over the boundary and also have had a few 'nearly successful' outings. Have to say, it has been hard graft and a steep learning curve being on my own.
Yet, the other day I finally bagged my very first solo deer. A lovely healthy roe doe. I actually had been driving through one of my permissions having picked up my wife and saw a white rear end out the corner of my eye in one of the fields. I live just up the road and when we got home very nearly left it but I had an hour of daylight and no plans so quickly grabbed my rifle and binoculars and headed back.
No sign of any deer. Damn.
I parked up anyway and headed into a field that overlooks where I had seen her and slowly moved along a banking. Just as I was about to call it a day I saw a dark shape in some scraggly grass/bushes about 120m away. A bit of staring through the binoculars and I could see some ears moving about. We were on!!
I was in a position to shoot, but honestly, I felt it was a little out of my comfort zone - adrenaline was flowing, it was off sticks and I also wasn't 100% on the backdrop. I had a tricky approach to make as the only other safe place to get a shot was about 30-40m from her, on another banking but to get there I would actually have to go past her. Sounds weird, but basically there aren't many safe shots on this plot due to a road, railway and nearby houses.
So I slithered down into a small beck that gave me some cover. As I climbed over the fence I heard an almighty crash a few metres away and saw the dissapointing sight of another roe, bouncing away towards 'my' deer! Oh hell. I had blown it. So focused on the one I was moving towards I hadn't even scanned the ground right in front of me. My heart sank. Surely this one would spook and they'd both be off. Another hard lesson learned!!
There had been no barking though so I just paused and waited in the beck, I couldn't see to where I was headed so just had to wait, and then keep moving slowly. With very wet feet, I eventually got to a point I could get out, at the far end of the banking that I needed to move along. I slowly crawled/crouched along the bottom of a hedge towards the small paddock they were in. The dip they were in mercifully hid me (and them) from view. Just a few weeks before I had blown a stalk by moving to quickly in a similar situation and had to force myself to go painfully slowly.
Eventually I got to a point where I could see into the slight dip. With fingers crossed I peered over a hummock and lo and behold two deer were feeding, about 40m from me. A doe and a younger one, I think maybe a young buck from this year. They were both fairly aware and moving about. I wanted to take a shot lying down, just because I find it so much easier but the grass and hummocks of rushes made it impossible to get a clear shot. So I decided to crawl closer to a nearby hedge and to stand up slowly in the shadow of this, hoping it might hide me a little better.
Another painfully slow five minutes later and I had got into a good position, and slowly in about ten different movements with long pauses stood up and got my rifle on the sticks. Heart in mouth. She had stopped and looked directly at me at least twice, about 40m away. On dry, frosty leaf and twig covered ground, with little wind it was impossible to not make noise but staying very still between movements in the shadows had worked.
Once on the sticks I had to take a few seconds to get some feeling back in my fingers, completely numb to the point I couldn't feel anything - not ideal for pulling a trigger! Eventually I felt ready to take a shot, luckily she was pretty relaxed by this point and happily feeding in a small area with the odd look up. I waited until a perfect broadside presented itself, resisting the urge to snatch a shot at her quartered a few times. They would have been safe/legitimate shots but I just wanted to be absolutely sure and she seemed relaxed.
Shot taken and she took it pretty well, a few steps forward and on the deck. A good shot through both lungs.
Got her gralloched (still find these a faff, but getting there) and back home to hang in our very chilly garage. Butchered her myself a week later and we have been enjoying delicious venison ever since.
It felt like the culmination of a solid few years of hard graft and learning, from the stalking all the way to learning the butchery side slowly from a mate over the last few years. I loved every second. I have shot a few deer over the last few years, but this was a real special feeling putting everything I have learned together myself with no one more experienced to lean on.
Here is to many more in the future.
I would love to hear from some of you more experienced folks on here about your first deer? Do you still remember?
