Out last night.
- Thread starter finnbear270
- Start date
Moring all, as a new stalker i have been out on my perm over the last 4-6 weeks several times and drew blanks. Its largely open farmland, with hedgerows and thickets. Mostly the herds of fallow roam across the filed grazing on whatever the farmer has planted or the young trees in my field.
Ive found it hard to get close enough to get a shot in and have blanked.
Saturday morning was no different, I knew where the fallow were, small herd of about 20 animals, mix of does and prickets, but n a piece of land that i cannot get a safe shot as no backstop form where im standing/would be able to get closer to them. I tried to see if there was a way through a thick hedge which would have put me in a place where i would have a back stop. You probably wont be surprised to know that working ones way through thick blackthorn/bramble incurs a noise 'penalty' and sure enough when i worked out it wasn't on the buggers had gone.
Sitting having lunch, my wife said there's loads of deer over by the lake, which is c.100m from the back of the house, and i can shoot safely from an elevated position. Having retrieved the rifle from the cabinet, I spent about an hour watching the herd. There were about 40-50 mixture of does/prickets but all in a tight group, some laying down, many milling about, but nothing standing alone in a shoutable position.
Using the reticles in the scope/the deer I estimate that the range was c.125m.
Eventually on the right hand edge of the group a doe stood alone, no other deer behind her, and she was still enough for me to take aim and squeeze.
The report was enough to get all 50 or so deer up and to leg it across my field, along with the doe, she got about 30 or some metres before collapsing.
I made my way out after watching for around 5-10 mins, on approach i could see she was dead. Plenty of blood spatter around her, and a big hole in her side, about midway along her left flank but in front of the 'green' area. Fortunately this was the exit wound, but I was surprised at how much deflection there had been, the entry was in the kill zone and had taken out both lungs, but until i opened her up i wasn't sure whether the internal damage would have rendered the carcass unfit.
This was my second gralloch and had learnt from my previous efforts, bled her via a deep cut in through her chest, which let out a good stream of blood. Checked her feet/mouth/back end nothing of note there. Used a trolley to move her back to the barn where she was suspended, and then the fun began.
My first gralloch was pretty slow, I think it took me about 2.5 hours form suspending the deer to completing the skinning process. I must have used loads of pairs of gloves
This time i think the process took me less about an hour and a half. Everything went ok, cant really say i had any problems, so whilst i am sure with more experience I can be quicker. Using cable ties to tie of the intestines, gullet made life much easier and quicker. All in all pretty pleased, oh and far less har on the carcasse when i fisnihed.
With my wifes help got much more meat off the carcass too, butchering is not my fort'e, its what a mincer is for!
Anyway apologies for not having a picture
Ive found it hard to get close enough to get a shot in and have blanked.
Saturday morning was no different, I knew where the fallow were, small herd of about 20 animals, mix of does and prickets, but n a piece of land that i cannot get a safe shot as no backstop form where im standing/would be able to get closer to them. I tried to see if there was a way through a thick hedge which would have put me in a place where i would have a back stop. You probably wont be surprised to know that working ones way through thick blackthorn/bramble incurs a noise 'penalty' and sure enough when i worked out it wasn't on the buggers had gone.
Sitting having lunch, my wife said there's loads of deer over by the lake, which is c.100m from the back of the house, and i can shoot safely from an elevated position. Having retrieved the rifle from the cabinet, I spent about an hour watching the herd. There were about 40-50 mixture of does/prickets but all in a tight group, some laying down, many milling about, but nothing standing alone in a shoutable position.
Using the reticles in the scope/the deer I estimate that the range was c.125m.
Eventually on the right hand edge of the group a doe stood alone, no other deer behind her, and she was still enough for me to take aim and squeeze.
The report was enough to get all 50 or so deer up and to leg it across my field, along with the doe, she got about 30 or some metres before collapsing.
I made my way out after watching for around 5-10 mins, on approach i could see she was dead. Plenty of blood spatter around her, and a big hole in her side, about midway along her left flank but in front of the 'green' area. Fortunately this was the exit wound, but I was surprised at how much deflection there had been, the entry was in the kill zone and had taken out both lungs, but until i opened her up i wasn't sure whether the internal damage would have rendered the carcass unfit.
This was my second gralloch and had learnt from my previous efforts, bled her via a deep cut in through her chest, which let out a good stream of blood. Checked her feet/mouth/back end nothing of note there. Used a trolley to move her back to the barn where she was suspended, and then the fun began.
My first gralloch was pretty slow, I think it took me about 2.5 hours form suspending the deer to completing the skinning process. I must have used loads of pairs of gloves
This time i think the process took me less about an hour and a half. Everything went ok, cant really say i had any problems, so whilst i am sure with more experience I can be quicker. Using cable ties to tie of the intestines, gullet made life much easier and quicker. All in all pretty pleased, oh and far less har on the carcasse when i fisnihed.
With my wifes help got much more meat off the carcass too, butchering is not my fort'e, its what a mincer is for!
Anyway apologies for not having a picture
I have never had a 
Welsh fox come to the call properly in 2 1/2 years.
Welsh fox come to the call properly in 2 1/2 years.
BenBhoy
Well-Known Member
I have never had a
You need Y iaith
You need the correct accentI have never had a
Ive had a few come in like absolute fools in the last 6 months, a couple to the Foxpro and one a couple of weeks ago to the hand squeak (it works a treat when I can actually get it right).
Nickb
Well-Known Member
That's unreal. I shoot 90 % of my foxes using the Foxpro.I have never had a
Very rare to spot and stalk.
Foxpro is essentail for me.
I managed to send one through the chest going away.
Quite any hint of Brookside and they are off...You need the correct accent
Ive had a few come in like absolute fools in the last 6 months, a couple to the Foxpro and one a couple of weeks ago to the hand squeak (it works a treat when I can actually get it right).
However..
Wonder how I'm going to get a MP3 Fox bark in Welsh?
You have to record a Welsh fox.Wonder how I'm going to get a MP3 Fox bark in Welsh?
I used to have really good results with the "mating" calls...not so much in the last couple of years. Distress calls are a little bit better but sometimes they run the wrong way.
I tend to use the caller as a second option if I dont see anything but not as a first call (pardon the pun).
Foxyboy43
Well-Known Member
Not widely known but they do exist.Wonder how I'm going to get a MP3 Fox bark in Welsh?
There’s lovely…
Twofaryonderoverthere?
Yes but you are taking from a Native Welsh speakers not the tourist type...
You have to record a Welsh fox.
I used to have really good results with the "mating" calls...not so much in the last couple of years. Distress calls are a little bit better but sometimes they run the wrong way.
I tend to use the caller as a second option if I dont see anything but not as a first call (pardon the pun).
Nickb
Well-Known Member
opposite round here, caller is always 1st option.
To be fair I was born in Cumbria so shouldnt really be making such comments...I can barley speak English and my Welsh is shocking considering Ive spent 41 or my 46 years in WalesYes but you are taking from a Native Welsh speakers not the tourist type...
To be fair Im really impatient so prefer to walk and stalk my ground...then put the caller out when I want a rest for 10 minutes. Just find the calling results a bit more mixed of late.
kenbro
Well-Known Member
That looks like it would fit in my 99.
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
You'll have to give me more than that Ken!
kenbro
Well-Known Member
How’s 303?
#11 about 45 minutes ago, about 2 yards over the boundary under some brambles. That's two foxes and a squirrel on a bridge over a lake where 500 Tench were delivered a fortnight ago. Just want some mild weather for them to get fly-blown so the maggots will start to fall in the water. Feeding my fish on foxes, waste not, want not!
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