Good Start To Sika Stag Season

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Was out last night with a friend to try for some cull stags however, the only ones that presented themselves were a small group of 3, this one, a good 6 pointer and a small spiker. I had hoped to get a shot at the smaller ones but they only came to within about 200yds feeding straight towards me offering no shot at the time, when another good stag came out the wood and started towards them. This caused the group to start walking away towards him increasing the distance between us. This one was the only one to present a shot before they would have been out of range. Very nice stag but there are plenty more like this and a lot better to leave for guests over the next few weeks, and as I have already said on another post one the SD, a cull has to be met and this was an opportunity for numbers.

The scales have disappeared from the larder (hope they show up!) but at a guess my mate who you can seen next to it and I both agreed it has to be pushing the 10st mark, and full of fat.

It was the first stag I have shot with a new load, 150grn SST over Varget in Lapua brass. I had been using 150grn Gamekings but felt they were not doing a lot of damage, especially on neck shots. This bullet missed the ribs on the way in and exploded in the lungs, leaving basically nothing. It dropped onto its chest, then got up and ran about 100yds out of sight. The bullet did not even reach the other side of the chest.

Thought some might like to see what is on the go...
 
I hope you leave those big medals that have been seen frequently for a paying guest and don 't get too trigger happy;)
Good start my man,you'll have shot quite a few now.All prickets apart from this one,you deserve one now and again that has a half decent head:stir:
Remember and leave the big boy;)He's mine!Why didn't you shoot the other 3?
Too :old: and slow:D
 
I hope you leave those big medals that have been seen frequently for a paying guest and don 't get too trigger happy;)
Good start my man,you'll have shot quite a few now.All prickets apart from this one,you deserve one now and again that has a half decent head:stir:
Remember and leave the big boy;)He's mine!Why didn't you shoot the other 3?
Too :old: and slow:D

Old and slow!!! Ill tell Jo that you said she is married to an old man, with her 40th coming up she is upset enough!

I would think most places round this year will have good quality beasts on them, the winter I don't think will have taken anything out of them, so mild.

Now just have to worry that the rut this year actually comes to something, unlike last year.
 
Old and slow!!! Ill tell Jo that you said she is married to an old man, with her 40th coming up she is upset enough!

I would think most places round this year will have good quality beasts on them, the winter I don't think will have taken anything out of them, so mild.

Now just have to worry that the rut this year actually comes to something, unlike last year.
Hehehe,Jo knows she's married to an old man:rofl:

Remember that eternity ring mannie:stir: for her 40th,she'll have been dropping hints no doubt,Ill take Kate's one down to make sure you get stung by a decent amount,hehe
Well done min,first of many me thinks this season along with a good few medals thrown in for good measure:tiphat:
 
Brian i am with George get em on the ground lol. Only joking get the guests on to some good beast and your sorted.Just give me a txt and i will be down mate you know i am easy.
 
Hehehe,Jo knows she's married to an old man:rofl:

Remember that eternity ring mannie:stir: for her 40th,she'll have been dropping hints no doubt,Ill take Kate's one down to make sure you get stung by a decent amount,hehe
Well done min,first of many me thinks this season along with a good few medals thrown in for good measure:tiphat:

George, Brian doesn't need to buy an eternity so his mrs will let him over for a lads weekend, sorry I meant a trip to pick up a couple of hounds from Belgium:stir:
Good going Brian cracking beast, maybe there might be a half decent one left to get your moneys worth from that special license:D
:D:D


Regards, Jez.
 
He is well on Brian, nice and clean and not a spot in sight, mine are still half and half at the moment, front end gone dark rear end still spotted, pretty boys :-D

John
 
George, Brian doesn't need to buy an eternity so his mrs will let him over for a lads weekend, sorry I meant a trip to pick up a couple of hounds from Belgium:stir:
Good going Brian cracking beast, maybe there might be a half decent one left to get your moneys worth from that special license:D
:D:D


Regards, Jez.
Hehehe,I'll say nothing;):stir:
 
He is well on Brian, nice and clean and not a spot in sight, mine are still half and half at the moment, front end gone dark rear end still spotted, pretty boys :-D

John

All the stags, even the spikers over last 2 weeks now seem clean John. Seemed to happen all of a sudden and very quickly this year.
 
Well that was a culture shock!! All that I have seen here are still in full summer coats (except one very odd calf that I caught on the trail camera) and full velvet as well so it was amazing to see one in winter coat and clean.

I've had two in the scope and not shot either just because they were in velvet and also I might try for an 8 pointer this year for the wall as I never shoot anything but spikers as a rule, so am going to wait and see if I can spot a good one.

The stags here usually start moving about in a serious way about the first week in September though the first chance I will have at them will be the end of September. By then they will look like your one, with winter coats and clean. As you say let's hope there is a rut this year unlike last year.
 
Well that was a culture shock!! All that I have seen here are still in full summer coats (except one very odd calf that I caught on the trail camera) and full velvet as well so it was amazing to see one in winter coat and clean.

I've had two in the scope and not shot either just because they were in velvet and also I might try for an 8 pointer this year for the wall as I never shoot anything but spikers as a rule, so am going to wait and see if I can spot a good one.

The stags here usually start moving about in a serious way about the first week in September though the first chance I will have at them will be the end of September. By then they will look like your one, with winter coats and clean. As you say let's hope there is a rut this year unlike last year.

Believe it or not, there was a slight discolouration to his belly and the slightest smell starting to come from him. I don't want to use the word 'rutty' smell because it is only middle of August but the start of that stink was faintly there...

Every stag I am seeing now is clean.
 
Believe it or not, there was a slight discolouration to his belly and the slightest smell starting to come from him. I don't want to use the word 'rutty' smell because it is only middle of August but the start of that stink was faintly there...

Every stag I am seeing now is clean.

Well I was told last evening, by a man who knows what he is doing, that he had heard a Sika whistling! Does this mean that not only will we get a rut, but an early one, don't you just love stalking so predictable.

John
 
Does this mean that not only will we get a rut, but an early one, don't you just love stalking so predictable.

I hope not - I'm in the Hebrides until the end of September and want my rut action this year after the weirdness of last year.
 
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