I don't usually take to posting stories on here but as most of my friends either don't understand (or don't care!) about most of my deerstalking forays I felt I should share this one.
Last year we picked up a new bit of ground and I hadn't really had a good look around except for with my dad and the shotgun for a few pheasants. Come April I still hadn't had a good look so decided to go down with the rifle with the emphasis on scanning the place rather than shooting anything. Its mostly good hilly pasture bordering some big woodland blocks and just a little arable. I knew there were reds and roe down there but no idea of the quality/numbers just yet. Anyway, had a few walks around, spotted some nice young bucks and bumped into a couple of decent aged bucks while I was blowing out my a*se trudging up a steep bank! No shots taken but plenty seen so went home a happy and rather tired boy.
The next trip I had was a real pea souper. Got there for around 4am in mid May and visibility past 50yds was almost impossible. I had spotted a buck from the road side couched up in some grass but, as is quite often the case, by the time I had parked, quickly gathered my stuff and got to the area, he was gone. A walk up the hill revealed a tell tale roe backside behind a gorse bush in the valley just below me, a steep bank running down to a river with patchy gorse strewn across the face. I waited for it to move to the other side of the bush and identify what it was, hearing him step into the shallow river to move around the bush. I had to move to get a better picture and in doing so alerted his sixth sense! He turned and looked directly up the bank at me, a nice 6 point buck with a large body and one I had seen on the previous outing. The chance was ruined as he ran barking off into the mist without even a split second last look back as roe often do. Nevermind.
I carried on up the hill to a block of pine trees, still unable to see 50yds and with absolutely no wind, every step was amplified even in the wet grass. I continued along a fence line to the point of the wood and tried to peer down the edge. Something caught my attention to my right and coming down the other face of the wood was a large buck with narrow antlers. At about 40yds he stopped and we looked at each other for a moment, trying to gauge what each of us were looking at. He knew fine where not to be at that moment and again another buck went barking off into the mist. Not to worry. On fairly unfamiliar ground and with such low visibility the chance of a shot was going to be low anyway so, content, I mooched off into the wood. Plenty of signs of deer were made and with a large open bit in the middle covered in birch trees it would be the ideal siting place for an early season high seat before the cover and the leaves ruined the view. A young buck that I had seen on the previous outing made an appearance near a couched up doe, thrashing his antlers at any thistle manly enough to stand up to him before carrying on his way. The mist was beginning to lift finally at 7am so I began to make my way back the way I came. As I made the crest of the hillside I could see a head in the tall grass at the base of the long sloping scrub ground below me. The same buck with the narrow antlers. My stalk was obscured by some handy gorse bushes and the hill side but I still needed to crawl the last 40yds or so, now in full view of 3 does that I could see. I managed to get in position with the buck now browsing behind the gorse about 120yds away. The wait was short and with all obstacles between him and I cleared, he dropped on the spot. 5 does were now standing and having a look to see what had caused the noise but continued browsing after a short time. I waited for them to clear before going down. A lovely heavy buck, getting on a little judging by his teeth and the way he carried his head though I am no expert on ageing roe.
Now where did I put the roe sack that my brother bought me for my birthday? Damn! Its in the car! Now for the walk back a half mile on hilly terrain with a roe on my back after turning his front legs into 'toggles' and threading through the back legs to make a couple of handles. Never tried it before but worked really well for all 22kgs of him! He's no stag that's for sure so can't really complain over the extraction but could have made life far easier for myself.
Cleaned him up and he may scrape bronze though its a big heavy skull for the size of antlers. Sitting at 482g for the last couple of weeks now so will wait and see come 90 days.
A great morning out but I am only just getting to know this bit of ground......................
Last year we picked up a new bit of ground and I hadn't really had a good look around except for with my dad and the shotgun for a few pheasants. Come April I still hadn't had a good look so decided to go down with the rifle with the emphasis on scanning the place rather than shooting anything. Its mostly good hilly pasture bordering some big woodland blocks and just a little arable. I knew there were reds and roe down there but no idea of the quality/numbers just yet. Anyway, had a few walks around, spotted some nice young bucks and bumped into a couple of decent aged bucks while I was blowing out my a*se trudging up a steep bank! No shots taken but plenty seen so went home a happy and rather tired boy.
The next trip I had was a real pea souper. Got there for around 4am in mid May and visibility past 50yds was almost impossible. I had spotted a buck from the road side couched up in some grass but, as is quite often the case, by the time I had parked, quickly gathered my stuff and got to the area, he was gone. A walk up the hill revealed a tell tale roe backside behind a gorse bush in the valley just below me, a steep bank running down to a river with patchy gorse strewn across the face. I waited for it to move to the other side of the bush and identify what it was, hearing him step into the shallow river to move around the bush. I had to move to get a better picture and in doing so alerted his sixth sense! He turned and looked directly up the bank at me, a nice 6 point buck with a large body and one I had seen on the previous outing. The chance was ruined as he ran barking off into the mist without even a split second last look back as roe often do. Nevermind.
I carried on up the hill to a block of pine trees, still unable to see 50yds and with absolutely no wind, every step was amplified even in the wet grass. I continued along a fence line to the point of the wood and tried to peer down the edge. Something caught my attention to my right and coming down the other face of the wood was a large buck with narrow antlers. At about 40yds he stopped and we looked at each other for a moment, trying to gauge what each of us were looking at. He knew fine where not to be at that moment and again another buck went barking off into the mist. Not to worry. On fairly unfamiliar ground and with such low visibility the chance of a shot was going to be low anyway so, content, I mooched off into the wood. Plenty of signs of deer were made and with a large open bit in the middle covered in birch trees it would be the ideal siting place for an early season high seat before the cover and the leaves ruined the view. A young buck that I had seen on the previous outing made an appearance near a couched up doe, thrashing his antlers at any thistle manly enough to stand up to him before carrying on his way. The mist was beginning to lift finally at 7am so I began to make my way back the way I came. As I made the crest of the hillside I could see a head in the tall grass at the base of the long sloping scrub ground below me. The same buck with the narrow antlers. My stalk was obscured by some handy gorse bushes and the hill side but I still needed to crawl the last 40yds or so, now in full view of 3 does that I could see. I managed to get in position with the buck now browsing behind the gorse about 120yds away. The wait was short and with all obstacles between him and I cleared, he dropped on the spot. 5 does were now standing and having a look to see what had caused the noise but continued browsing after a short time. I waited for them to clear before going down. A lovely heavy buck, getting on a little judging by his teeth and the way he carried his head though I am no expert on ageing roe.
Now where did I put the roe sack that my brother bought me for my birthday? Damn! Its in the car! Now for the walk back a half mile on hilly terrain with a roe on my back after turning his front legs into 'toggles' and threading through the back legs to make a couple of handles. Never tried it before but worked really well for all 22kgs of him! He's no stag that's for sure so can't really complain over the extraction but could have made life far easier for myself.
Cleaned him up and he may scrape bronze though its a big heavy skull for the size of antlers. Sitting at 482g for the last couple of weeks now so will wait and see come 90 days.
A great morning out but I am only just getting to know this bit of ground......................
