having booked with colin a few months ago and reading reports of the rut underway i headed up a full day on the stags.after a comfortable night in the mabie hotel ,i met up with colin at 6am and set off to the estate.after checking my equipment we set off onto the estate,the ground is breathtaking by the way.as we moved along a forest track with high ground covered in clearfell colin spotted a stag ,we had passed him without seeing him so we retraced our path and scanned the clearfell,we then spotted 3 hinds at this point moving left to right colin told me the stag would follow them and get on my sticks.by now i was shaking like a sh*tting dog and as the stag came into veiw fumbled the sticks colin roared at the moving stag which stopped for a second for a look just as i centred the crosshairs it moved away,chance gone!!Anyway we continued to move along the track through a forestry block and onto another area of clearfell ,moving along the track with clearfell to the left and forestry to the right ,we spotted another hind and calf,we watched them for a while and then moved up the track after noting there was no stag near them.After about 200m 3 hinds ran across in front of us onto the clearfell below us ,just as colin told me to get ready a stag followed as they where below us,with my ar*e twitching like a puppys nose,i dropped onto the bipod ,i lot quicker than i got onto the sticks by the way,colin called the stag and told me to wait until he turned broadside,colin roared at him and he turned,about 140m away,i put the shot from my 30-06 through the engine room .He just trotted after the hinds about 15 paces later dropping,then a couple of kicks then he lay still.I unloaded my rifle and we walked down the clearfell towards him, when we where about 20m away from him ,i went to reload -no magazine -it must have dropped when i unloaded the gun.after a quick retrace i picked my magazine up luckily sat up on a clump of moss!!! Colin checked the stag over,shot placement was fine,he was in good condition with 8 points ,not massive in the antler dept but my first stag.After gralloch we dragged him back to the track between us,colin brought the vehicle up and it was back the larder .
We stalked upto several groups /single hinds in the afternoon ,but never got into another stag.A cracking day that i will remember a long time .Many thanks to colin for all his help and advice
We stalked upto several groups /single hinds in the afternoon ,but never got into another stag.A cracking day that i will remember a long time .Many thanks to colin for all his help and advice
! My neighbour breeds Gloucester old spot pig, when lay in bed I hear them grunting every night bloody torture it is.
