First let me set the scene…
If I fell in a pit of roses I’d come out smelling of s**t im that unlucky.
Anyhow, after some conversation with Conor of here about stalking we initially agreed a date and time, and I head south to Ludlow. The weather to say the least was less than an ideal, blowing a gale and it had started to throw it down. Conor had made a plan to sit in a high seat and hopefully catch one nipping across the ride. One did not cross the ride but crossed to our left, there two mooching about in the undergrowth, however one decided to pop out and muxh to my frustration and conor unbelievable eye sight I for the life of me could not see it, it lived safely for at least another 45 minutes. We then stalked along where it had crossed and the blasted thing was sky lined and just as I saw it, it’s arse entered the undergrowth and Mr Muntjac lived happily ever after to go and breed some more. A drive round scouring the fields but alas it was not to be. We arranged for the weekend after. Off I headed north cursing myself at missing the chance.
We fast forward a week, and with much anticipation Sunday soon arrived and I couldn’t get back to Ludlow quick enough! However at times I thought I was not going to make it because every Tom dick and harry was out driving like tools on the motorway and a and b roads, however much to my annoyance I arrived 15 minutes late! The plan this time was to stalk the little buggers, and stalk we did!
We arrived at an opposite wood and on our way to said location Mr muntjac crossed the road and into said wood, so naturally I was like like a child at Christmas, but no such luck! However we continued to stalk, the weather and light was in our favour and the muntjac were responding to the call, barking away constantly! Conor gets me up on the sticks and says there’s a buck and a doe, just above us and they’ll probably come down, they barked some more and then all was quiet, we waited but nothing. A little doe fawn was to our right though which of course naturally I couldn’t see but conor could!
We ventured further in with some more barking, this would was crawling with muntjac and I thought I’ve got to pop my cherry in here, but they just would not play ball and conor spotted last years roe doe and buck, and as ny luck would have it, where we wanted to go, thankfully they weren’t the sharpest tool and let us watch them for a brief period and walk around with no noise from them! We bumped a muntjac and whilst we were calling the silly little thing came round the back of us within 40 yards but as we were getting up on the sticks she learnt the error of her ways and off she went! At this point I’m starting to think have these anti cults taken me as one of their own because all I seem to do is see deer and scare them off.
Conor turns to me and says right enough, we’re getting out on the fields, keep up we’ll smash through this cover. Keep up…. He was off, and I consider myself a fit enough chap who beats in the Lake District, I’ve never had to run so fast through bush before. Anyway I eventually catch up and sound like I smoke 40 a day and on the fields we go. Two muntjac in a distance wheat stubble, two for later if we see nothing Conor says! So I start smiling like a Cheshire Cat thinking at least I should get into something. We stalk more and more still nothing. We work our way back up the field and bang two, a buck and a doe, of course they were not for coming down in the wood, so we decided to crack on and get to the wheat stubble.
We jump in the truck and off we go to the stubble field, when I say Conor works his hardest to get you into deer I do not say it lightly, we check every field on the way and Conor is constantly thinking of a b plan if a doesn’t go to plan, you cannot fault the bloke his work ethic is absolutely faultless and his knowledge of muntjac blew me away!
We arrive at the track to the stubble field, and a die and follower Conor says, I’ll call get up on the sticks and take the left one first! Christ, I thought, not one but two at once, breathe Nathan, just breathe. So Conor starts calling, they didn’t want to know and I thought here we go again, some more deer scaring, however the doe came running bless her, and so did the follower! And running she did! Conor stopped her and shortly after I sent a round straight into her shoulders as Conor asked and explained why they’re shot there! Reload and get ready to shoot the follower, I thought Jesus Christ I’m shaking like the proverbial here, and I fumbled, and fumbled and then chambered the round, and the follower then stood broadside and straight through the shoulders again! They both dropped on the spot.
“Perfect shots, well done”, I’ve shot rabbits, driven game etc before, but never experienced a feeling like it! We go through a gralloch, get set up for a picture and off we go back to the truck, by the time we’d got back to the truck we’d lost the time so it was just on very last light!
We head back to my car, Conor asked if I wanted them skinning, I learnt the error of my ways when I got home and did it myself, lessons had been learnt.
Anyway, after years and years of watching Scott rea, I got to tackling breaking them down, bought myself a boning knife and off I went to work! Christ it’s messy in the kitchen and thankfully no one was home to witness! I made burgers, sausages, dice and steaks out of them!
To say I’ve been bitten by the stalking bug, is an understatement and once again, thank you to Conor who I cannot thank enough for creating a memory of a lifetime for my first deer, and his work ethic!
If I fell in a pit of roses I’d come out smelling of s**t im that unlucky.
Anyhow, after some conversation with Conor of here about stalking we initially agreed a date and time, and I head south to Ludlow. The weather to say the least was less than an ideal, blowing a gale and it had started to throw it down. Conor had made a plan to sit in a high seat and hopefully catch one nipping across the ride. One did not cross the ride but crossed to our left, there two mooching about in the undergrowth, however one decided to pop out and muxh to my frustration and conor unbelievable eye sight I for the life of me could not see it, it lived safely for at least another 45 minutes. We then stalked along where it had crossed and the blasted thing was sky lined and just as I saw it, it’s arse entered the undergrowth and Mr Muntjac lived happily ever after to go and breed some more. A drive round scouring the fields but alas it was not to be. We arranged for the weekend after. Off I headed north cursing myself at missing the chance.
We fast forward a week, and with much anticipation Sunday soon arrived and I couldn’t get back to Ludlow quick enough! However at times I thought I was not going to make it because every Tom dick and harry was out driving like tools on the motorway and a and b roads, however much to my annoyance I arrived 15 minutes late! The plan this time was to stalk the little buggers, and stalk we did!
We arrived at an opposite wood and on our way to said location Mr muntjac crossed the road and into said wood, so naturally I was like like a child at Christmas, but no such luck! However we continued to stalk, the weather and light was in our favour and the muntjac were responding to the call, barking away constantly! Conor gets me up on the sticks and says there’s a buck and a doe, just above us and they’ll probably come down, they barked some more and then all was quiet, we waited but nothing. A little doe fawn was to our right though which of course naturally I couldn’t see but conor could!
We ventured further in with some more barking, this would was crawling with muntjac and I thought I’ve got to pop my cherry in here, but they just would not play ball and conor spotted last years roe doe and buck, and as ny luck would have it, where we wanted to go, thankfully they weren’t the sharpest tool and let us watch them for a brief period and walk around with no noise from them! We bumped a muntjac and whilst we were calling the silly little thing came round the back of us within 40 yards but as we were getting up on the sticks she learnt the error of her ways and off she went! At this point I’m starting to think have these anti cults taken me as one of their own because all I seem to do is see deer and scare them off.
Conor turns to me and says right enough, we’re getting out on the fields, keep up we’ll smash through this cover. Keep up…. He was off, and I consider myself a fit enough chap who beats in the Lake District, I’ve never had to run so fast through bush before. Anyway I eventually catch up and sound like I smoke 40 a day and on the fields we go. Two muntjac in a distance wheat stubble, two for later if we see nothing Conor says! So I start smiling like a Cheshire Cat thinking at least I should get into something. We stalk more and more still nothing. We work our way back up the field and bang two, a buck and a doe, of course they were not for coming down in the wood, so we decided to crack on and get to the wheat stubble.
We jump in the truck and off we go to the stubble field, when I say Conor works his hardest to get you into deer I do not say it lightly, we check every field on the way and Conor is constantly thinking of a b plan if a doesn’t go to plan, you cannot fault the bloke his work ethic is absolutely faultless and his knowledge of muntjac blew me away!
We arrive at the track to the stubble field, and a die and follower Conor says, I’ll call get up on the sticks and take the left one first! Christ, I thought, not one but two at once, breathe Nathan, just breathe. So Conor starts calling, they didn’t want to know and I thought here we go again, some more deer scaring, however the doe came running bless her, and so did the follower! And running she did! Conor stopped her and shortly after I sent a round straight into her shoulders as Conor asked and explained why they’re shot there! Reload and get ready to shoot the follower, I thought Jesus Christ I’m shaking like the proverbial here, and I fumbled, and fumbled and then chambered the round, and the follower then stood broadside and straight through the shoulders again! They both dropped on the spot.
“Perfect shots, well done”, I’ve shot rabbits, driven game etc before, but never experienced a feeling like it! We go through a gralloch, get set up for a picture and off we go back to the truck, by the time we’d got back to the truck we’d lost the time so it was just on very last light!
We head back to my car, Conor asked if I wanted them skinning, I learnt the error of my ways when I got home and did it myself, lessons had been learnt.
Anyway, after years and years of watching Scott rea, I got to tackling breaking them down, bought myself a boning knife and off I went to work! Christ it’s messy in the kitchen and thankfully no one was home to witness! I made burgers, sausages, dice and steaks out of them!
To say I’ve been bitten by the stalking bug, is an understatement and once again, thank you to Conor who I cannot thank enough for creating a memory of a lifetime for my first deer, and his work ethic!
