Well after a complete season without any stalking due to lockdowns and new additions to the family, I finally had good reason to make some time, albeit 2 afternoons a few days apart. One of the lease farmers was getting a bit uneasy about the amount of Sika that was dining on some new leys so needing a few animals both myself and customers, I set off for the first stalk.
I took the quad to the far side of a lease to work my way back through some woodland into the North Easterly. Not the best idea to leave the quad and walk in the opposite direction and one I will ultimately regret. I headed down through a conifer block to where 20 or so Sika had been seen regularly and as I approached the last 100m, made out animals both outside the block and just inside. A calf or two would have been ideal but failing that, a pricket or maiden hind. I worked my way ever so slowly towards and animal that was laid up and when within 50m, could make it out as a pricket. A stag, and several other prickets were just behind the animal and thought I'd have to wait a while but fortunately the pricket stood and started to make it's way to the woodland edge. I missed one opportunity of a clear shot, but as I sat back to get comfortable for the next opportunity, I broke a branch which had his attention. Again fortunately, he stepped back into the opening to assess the noise giving me the chance to send the 130 Accubond from the 6,5 Carbon Wolf on it's way for a quartering chest shot.
I was impressed by the noise attenuation from the 20" and LP Titan mod from the reasonably enclosed position and with the shot I could see a bunch of animals head out onto the field that is surrounded on 3 sides by woodland. I moved forward and quickly made out that the pricket had only made 15m and fallen just inside the wood which was lucky as the rest of the animals had milled into a group some 60m out in the field. Unfortunately, it is an awkward place to get a shot due to topography, from most angles it means that it is difficult to get a safe shot. Anyhow, I made my way to the woodland edge and could only watch the group on the brow of the field. I did climb into the crown of an ash to give me some height but after a while it was obvious the only hind in the group was not going to let the others settle so that I could make an approach so I decided to sort the pricket first. In the process I'm not sure if the hind had approached whilst I was busy but she stated making noise. I finished up and waited and watched as she kept approaching slowly before bouncing away in the opposite direction and repeating the process to the bewilderment of the stag and remaining prickets.
It became obvious that if I were to get anymore from this group I had to leave an approach from another angle which I did. In doing so, I crossed the short part of the field to approach on a dodgy wind but safe backstop. The hind was still interested in where I had been so I thought I had a chance. Whilst crossing I glanced to the opposite side of the field and out in front of the high seat I intended finishing up in, were another group of 10 or so prickets and hinds. Now this is where I got greedy and cocked up. This group I could have approached to within around 170m with bit of a final crawl, ideal for my set up, but I decided to leave these and approach the original group on the dodgy wind. So off I set but when within 60m, here was that dam hind again, making here way adjacent to me which meant that I had to back track quickly to keep the wind from getting to her. Mistake again, I should have just stood my ground and set up as she was quick to spot me and to make things go from unfortunate to worse, she decided to make a run with the other dozen animals, straight past me and in the direction of the group I left. Typical..... this group arrived at the other, they stood around for a minute or two before heading into woodland.
So that was it, I had to head back for the quad which I regretted parking so far away, return and pick up the pricket. On the field I had just cocked up on, a third group of hinds and calves stood in the quads lights. I always like to see animals standing in the lights without much fear as it tells me they have not been chased after dark. So back to the larder and with the pricket in the fridge I headed home.
6 days later I returned for another afternoon and was so confident, I even towed the carcass trailer with me. Down through the woodland track, I stopped at the entrance to the field I had so much "fun" on previously. A quick scan along the woodland edge revealed a Fallow buck kid, grazing some 5m out in the field. So I've shot Sika and Roe with the Carbon Wolf, turned down a couple pf Muntjac but not shot a Fallow. There were a few does with kids about in Aug/Sept but they had disappeared by Oct', so this was going to be the first. Having shot many Fallow over the years, I appreciate their fantastic eyesight and there was no way I could make enough of the 300m to get a neck shot at the now laid up beast so it had to be a stalk just inside the edge of the wood following deer paths and negotiating the odd thick patch of bramble and blackthorn,
I must had mad it to within 80m of where the buck had laid and with limited places to get back onto the field, I has to slowly make my way though a small hole in the bramble, moving a stem at a time as i crawled. I had just started to inch my way out when between me and the fallow, a mature Roe buck stepped out in the field. Typical, Roe 40m, laid up Fallow 75m. Every time the Buck put his head down I would make a few more inches until I had moved around to my right enough to line up on the Fallow, who by now was watching my every movement. Luckily I thought that although I had been spotted, the Roe buck would also have had his attention, giving me just enough time to set up prone from my short sticks and place the 130g bullet just under the bucks chin. So a first for the Carbon Wolf after a long and memorable stalk.
I stalked along the edge of the down land but could only find Roe so returned to the patch I shot the previous pricket. I stopped the bike at the woodland and promptly yomped 30m into the wood as time was getting short before I decided to stalk. but as soon as I switched into stalking mode, there some 40m in front of me stood a pricket , full broadside. Unfortunately, he had heard my clumsy approach and bounced off. A quick 150m turned up nothing so I headed back to the quad to make for a high seat at the front of the wood with a new ley. I was a bit late arriving but early enough to see 3 mature Roe bucks along with some does move out into the field but after another 30 mins wait, no Sika appeared so it was back to the larder to hang the Fallow.
I'll leave both there till next week and will try and get another afternoon in before the end of this belated season.
I took the quad to the far side of a lease to work my way back through some woodland into the North Easterly. Not the best idea to leave the quad and walk in the opposite direction and one I will ultimately regret. I headed down through a conifer block to where 20 or so Sika had been seen regularly and as I approached the last 100m, made out animals both outside the block and just inside. A calf or two would have been ideal but failing that, a pricket or maiden hind. I worked my way ever so slowly towards and animal that was laid up and when within 50m, could make it out as a pricket. A stag, and several other prickets were just behind the animal and thought I'd have to wait a while but fortunately the pricket stood and started to make it's way to the woodland edge. I missed one opportunity of a clear shot, but as I sat back to get comfortable for the next opportunity, I broke a branch which had his attention. Again fortunately, he stepped back into the opening to assess the noise giving me the chance to send the 130 Accubond from the 6,5 Carbon Wolf on it's way for a quartering chest shot.
I was impressed by the noise attenuation from the 20" and LP Titan mod from the reasonably enclosed position and with the shot I could see a bunch of animals head out onto the field that is surrounded on 3 sides by woodland. I moved forward and quickly made out that the pricket had only made 15m and fallen just inside the wood which was lucky as the rest of the animals had milled into a group some 60m out in the field. Unfortunately, it is an awkward place to get a shot due to topography, from most angles it means that it is difficult to get a safe shot. Anyhow, I made my way to the woodland edge and could only watch the group on the brow of the field. I did climb into the crown of an ash to give me some height but after a while it was obvious the only hind in the group was not going to let the others settle so that I could make an approach so I decided to sort the pricket first. In the process I'm not sure if the hind had approached whilst I was busy but she stated making noise. I finished up and waited and watched as she kept approaching slowly before bouncing away in the opposite direction and repeating the process to the bewilderment of the stag and remaining prickets.
It became obvious that if I were to get anymore from this group I had to leave an approach from another angle which I did. In doing so, I crossed the short part of the field to approach on a dodgy wind but safe backstop. The hind was still interested in where I had been so I thought I had a chance. Whilst crossing I glanced to the opposite side of the field and out in front of the high seat I intended finishing up in, were another group of 10 or so prickets and hinds. Now this is where I got greedy and cocked up. This group I could have approached to within around 170m with bit of a final crawl, ideal for my set up, but I decided to leave these and approach the original group on the dodgy wind. So off I set but when within 60m, here was that dam hind again, making here way adjacent to me which meant that I had to back track quickly to keep the wind from getting to her. Mistake again, I should have just stood my ground and set up as she was quick to spot me and to make things go from unfortunate to worse, she decided to make a run with the other dozen animals, straight past me and in the direction of the group I left. Typical..... this group arrived at the other, they stood around for a minute or two before heading into woodland.
So that was it, I had to head back for the quad which I regretted parking so far away, return and pick up the pricket. On the field I had just cocked up on, a third group of hinds and calves stood in the quads lights. I always like to see animals standing in the lights without much fear as it tells me they have not been chased after dark. So back to the larder and with the pricket in the fridge I headed home.
6 days later I returned for another afternoon and was so confident, I even towed the carcass trailer with me. Down through the woodland track, I stopped at the entrance to the field I had so much "fun" on previously. A quick scan along the woodland edge revealed a Fallow buck kid, grazing some 5m out in the field. So I've shot Sika and Roe with the Carbon Wolf, turned down a couple pf Muntjac but not shot a Fallow. There were a few does with kids about in Aug/Sept but they had disappeared by Oct', so this was going to be the first. Having shot many Fallow over the years, I appreciate their fantastic eyesight and there was no way I could make enough of the 300m to get a neck shot at the now laid up beast so it had to be a stalk just inside the edge of the wood following deer paths and negotiating the odd thick patch of bramble and blackthorn,
I must had mad it to within 80m of where the buck had laid and with limited places to get back onto the field, I has to slowly make my way though a small hole in the bramble, moving a stem at a time as i crawled. I had just started to inch my way out when between me and the fallow, a mature Roe buck stepped out in the field. Typical, Roe 40m, laid up Fallow 75m. Every time the Buck put his head down I would make a few more inches until I had moved around to my right enough to line up on the Fallow, who by now was watching my every movement. Luckily I thought that although I had been spotted, the Roe buck would also have had his attention, giving me just enough time to set up prone from my short sticks and place the 130g bullet just under the bucks chin. So a first for the Carbon Wolf after a long and memorable stalk.
I stalked along the edge of the down land but could only find Roe so returned to the patch I shot the previous pricket. I stopped the bike at the woodland and promptly yomped 30m into the wood as time was getting short before I decided to stalk. but as soon as I switched into stalking mode, there some 40m in front of me stood a pricket , full broadside. Unfortunately, he had heard my clumsy approach and bounced off. A quick 150m turned up nothing so I headed back to the quad to make for a high seat at the front of the wood with a new ley. I was a bit late arriving but early enough to see 3 mature Roe bucks along with some does move out into the field but after another 30 mins wait, no Sika appeared so it was back to the larder to hang the Fallow.
I'll leave both there till next week and will try and get another afternoon in before the end of this belated season.
