Moor Roe

[Gazza]

Although I have a good deal of experience in stalking woodland roe I have never really encoutered roe that mainly are resident on moorland. I have taken on some ground which extends to approx 1700 acres. Roughly 600 acres are woodland blocks with good stalking rides but the remaining ground is almost flat moorland. There is a good population of roe and it would appear that they are a mixture of woodland resident and moor resident with the moor deer venturing into the woodland for shelter when required. What I have noticed is that the moor resident deer would appear to be far more wary of their surroundings and will feed where they have advantage of being able to see greater distance. Slightest movement detected and they are off. Yesterday morning I glassed two groups of three moor deer and with the wind very much in my favour I tried to stalk them out onto the moor but they magically disappeared. They are doing no harm out on the moor but it certainly is a new challenge to me.
I would suspect that stalking them would be very much like stalking hill reds but as the ground is basically flat there just is not much cover.
Anybody have experience of these elusive deer.

 

[6pointer]

Gazza you are correct and open ground roe do tent to use there eyes more than woodland roe and they are hard to take out. If there is woodland and it is full to capacity then they will live quite happy on the open ground but should you remove a big percentage of the woodland roe and the outsiders will not be long before they are taking up residence in the woodland.

 

[mudman]

We are lucky to have all the moor/white grass around the various woodland lots on our lease. The roe are just transient between the woods until the sheep come off down the hill then within a week or so the open ground is covered in feeding Roe. As soon as the sheep are moved back again the deer move into the woods again (and become 'invisible').

 

[Outback]

I had stalking the same as you in Caithness the way I approached it was to walk the moor in all directions , with as you say no ground cover and seemingly flat ground you will find that there are small ridges and water courses that you can use to stalk in to reasonable shooting distance .
Also be prepared to walk along and step into nothing up to your waist which is most rewarding .
Keep very low and glass alot because the deer will lay behind the smallest cover and you do have to see them before they see you . There is a article in this weeks Shooting Times on the same subject .
Very lucky man good luck .


Cheers

 

[monynut]

We have plenty of roe about us a lot on fenland but with cover about small spinny's, big hedges etc but there is a patch of ground on the fen owned by the NT it probably amounts to say 400 acres with no cover what so ever on it not a tree a hedge only ditches water and open scrub/grass and it is covered in deer.

 

[moose]

Have stalked hill roe quite a few times mainly in Perthshire, they do tend to be able to see better or should I say use the sense of sight more on the hill, usually rules of hill stalking apply by keeping below the skyine and using channels and ditches.
Calling during the rut was very productive though, if you spotted a buck at distance they responded well usually on the first peep, the difference being that I think obviously you can see them coming to the call as in woodland I reckon a lot of bucks come to the call but are just not seen, and I think the sound travels better on the hill.
I remember one particular buck that we could only see a set of antlers sticking above the heather, ever now and then they would droop to side and then come back up, dozing off, sat for about half an hour waiting on him to stand, then remembered I had my call, on the first peep he was on his feet and the second peep had him bounding right from about 200 m to about 30m, needless to say he left the hill in my roesack.

Good luck with your challenging stalking puts a different slant on roe.

Moose