Pre Rut Boundary Patrol …

With the Roe Rut looming, and most of my recce done/know what i want to keep and take on the majority of my ground… i like every year to concentrate around my boundaries pre rut, just to see if theres anything thats started to venture and i may not get chance to see it again/have missed through the spring ! 🦌🦌

Possibly the wettest evening ive spent out in July, but clothes are dry and skins waterproof…

I got settled under a tree over watching a big grass banking which has a row of trees along it and it forms my boundary with a dry stone wall.

Spotted a buck with some age to him, around 300 yards off through the thermal, was spying on him for a while through the binos and despite him not obviously being with a Doe, he was very much stomping around like he had something to prove ! But he did not want to drop down towards where i was sat up…

The rut hasnt started for me yet…. But thought id give a little go on the call and guage his reaction….

HEAD UP, stopped dead in his tracks… and began to slowly trot down the hill towards the tree line where i lost sight of him for a good half hour…

Around 2130hrs a Doe appeared in the next field over to me, around 120 yards away and she was very interested to what was behind her/following her out of the cover…. 👀🦌

She stayed alone for longer than expected and then at around 2200hrs…. The Doe went out of sight but here we go….. its the buck !!!!!

He comes slowly and very gingerly walking out into the centre of the field, the rains still drizzling, my scope is clouded up with a mix of steam and rain drops…. But my Schmidt glass still giving me plenty of light to see him clearly through my scope….

Got myself steady in the sitting position, using an old fallen gate post as a rock steady rest…. Safety off and psssshhhttttt THWACK….

LEAPS in the air, great reaction to a heart shot, runs around in a small 50 yard cirlce and drops in the centre of it….

Just enough light to get to him safely without a torch, and was a perfect heart shot, nice ending to a very wet evening and even BETTER…. one extra for the larder that i may not have even seen in the next couple of weeks !

Roll on the Rut ! 🦌🇬🇧
 

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With the Roe Rut looming, and most of my recce done/know what i want to keep and take on the majority of my ground… i like every year to concentrate around my boundaries pre rut, just to see if theres anything thats started to venture and i may not get chance to see it again/have missed through the spring ! 🦌🦌

Possibly the wettest evening ive spent out in July, but clothes are dry and skins waterproof…

I got settled under a tree over watching a big grass banking which has a row of trees along it and it forms my boundary with a dry stone wall.

Spotted a buck with some age to him, around 300 yards off through the thermal, was spying on him for a while through the binos and despite him not obviously being with a Doe, he was very much stomping around like he had something to prove ! But he did not want to drop down towards where i was sat up…

The rut hasnt started for me yet…. But thought id give a little go on the call and guage his reaction….

HEAD UP, stopped dead in his tracks… and began to slowly trot down the hill towards the tree line where i lost sight of him for a good half hour…

Around 2130hrs a Doe appeared in the next field over to me, around 120 yards away and she was very interested to what was behind her/following her out of the cover…. 👀🦌

She stayed alone for longer than expected and then at around 2200hrs…. The Doe went out of sight but here we go….. its the buck !!!!!

He comes slowly and very gingerly walking out into the centre of the field, the rains still drizzling, my scope is clouded up with a mix of steam and rain drops…. But my Schmidt glass still giving me plenty of light to see him clearly through my scope….

Got myself steady in the sitting position, using an old fallen gate post as a rock steady rest…. Safety off and psssshhhttttt THWACK….

LEAPS in the air, great reaction to a heart shot, runs around in a small 50 yard cirlce and drops in the centre of it….

Just enough light to get to him safely without a torch, and was a perfect heart shot, nice ending to a very wet evening and even BETTER…. one extra for the larder that i may not have even seen in the next couple of weeks !

Roll on the Rut ! 🦌🇬🇧
Nice account, more people should make the time to post outings.
 
Great write up, boss pictures 😎👍🏻
Saw the Fieldsports channel video about the Bergara’s a few days ago. They look well put together, so nice to see them getting the job done and looking good in the process.
 
What I find very disappointing is quite often you see a good account of a trip fall way behind the posts of advice which socks/gloves/hat to buy :rofl:
Totally agreed...much more interest in Texas heart shots and copper then the important stuff...like getting out and writing about it. Frankly I look at the number of comments sometimes and wonder why I bothered to post it :)
 
Nice write up, I'm still cautious of staying out late, any tips on gralloching in the dark? Going to add a head torch to my pack already.
 
Nice write up, I'm still cautious of staying out late, any tips on gralloching in the dark? Going to add a head torch to my pack already.
Mind your fingers..... The key is good working light and take your time. If you can do a gralloch suspended its much easier but obviously depends on the species. Muntjac is a little easier to handle then a big fallow but a fallow is much bigger so to my mind almost easier to gralloch as there is space to work
 
Mind your fingers..... The key is good working light and take your time. If you can do a gralloch suspended its much easier but obviously depends on the species. Muntjac is a little easier to handle then a big fallow but a fallow is much bigger so to my mind almost easier to gralloch as there is space to work
Yeah, i'll add even more bandages to the kit bag too! Only have red and roe up here to work with, just need to have a go I guess and break the fear of it.
 
Nice write up, I'm still cautious of staying out late, any tips on gralloching in the dark? Going to add a head torch to my pack already.

Not wishing to hi-jack the good write up.
I have 2 types from Screwfix
The second one I took the base off and added a S type hook
I will hang in a tree or often over the leg of a suspended deer facing down to help with a gralloch as over the years in the summer months everything that flies wants to buzz around the head torch light.
Both invaluable to how I do my stuff as most is late deer o'clock
 
Not wishing to hi-jack the good write up.
I have 2 types from Screwfix
The second one I took the base off and added a S type hook
I will hang in a tree or often over the leg of a suspended deer facing down to help with a gralloch as over the years in the summer months everything that flies wants to buzz around the head torch light.
Both invaluable to how I do my stuff as most is late deer o'clock
Hanging one is a good shout, I've got a lantern type one that we take camping but think i'd go for that work light. Thanks for the suggestions!
 
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