Fri 02/07/2021
So the alarm went off at 1am this morning to get ready for the drive up to Birdslip with HMS Deer stalking. Having been 12 years since last going out after a Roe I was full of anticipation and excitement of what we might find on this beautiful Morning. 2 hour drive done and arrive at Hazel Manor set In Gloucester ready for the de-brief with Ross, quick wet and and chat about health and safety, cull plans and a ground overview and we are out on the ground for 4.30. This is where i regret not being much of a Photographer and didn't take one picture during the morning.
Over the style into the first field, suns just rising over the market town of Stroud in the distance at the end of the draw that we are about to stalk down, load up and off we trudge down the field scanning all the while, 10 mins in we spot a group of Fallow doe with Fawn at feet playing in the morning Dew; Backing off away from this group we continue across the fields roe doe and Fallow after fallow were spotted along the way. It is worth mentioning again just how beautiful this part of the world is and even without an end result it would of made a great morning out! Crossing a fence line and down a small Stone track into the field on the edge of the permission Ross informs me that a Roe Buck has been spotted on the bank on several occasions. We scan continuously up and down the field with grass being waste height still in some places we knew they would take some spotting. All of a sudden to our right just on the bank a Roe Doe appears mooching along the side has a look at us for a minute or two and sauntered off further into the woodland not bothered of our presence, Expecting a Buck to be close on her tail Rifle is up on sticks waiting....out he comes....then he goes again...in and out of the thick undercover he had found himself settled up in. Waiting another 5 minutes we decided that he had moved over the top of the bank and onto the trail, just before I demount the rifle one last scan and he's Jumped into our field approximately 150 yards away although buried in the long meadow grass. We knew at this moment this Buck was going to make us work and quick parliament was held on our POA and we decide to double back quick and try to outflank the Buck before he moved off the ground and got into too much cover, a high pace manoeuvre found us lightly treading down a rustly bed of dry leaves and sticks low branches making it hard to move with rifle and viper sticks to hand. Poking my head around the brush next to us he is stood 40 yards now away from the boundary and approximately 70 yards from ourselves, just as we get ready he lets out a bark and hops his way out. Now this is where Ross guiding skills, knowledge of his ground a deer came to hand. With a lot of noise about to be made on the neighbouring farm Ross Thinks he may come back through the hedge and into the cover crops away from the noise of the farm. Scanning and looking we see The fallow from earlier behind us still lay up basking in the morning sun, a few Munties push out from the woodland below us as we are scanning then looking in the dead ground to our 9 o clock Roe Buck Spotted! We stalk up through last years cover being carefull not to make a sound. We spot him 100 yards in front upon the sticks i went and waited for him to get into position, a wait of 10 mins for the Buck to move away from cover and thick grass in his foreground a shot was taken and the Buck Taken. A good 4 Pointer with nice large pearling. Suspended Field gralloch performed and into the Roe sack ready to make our way back to the vehicles. A brisk 15 minute walk finds us back at the vehicle kit loaded and off back to the beaters room for a wet and an offer of a bacon sandwhich was made. Declined the sandwich but a coffee and a chat and I will certainly be returning to Hazel Manor in the near future.
-Great place
-Great deer
-Great Guide
Could not fault in any way!
Many thanks Ross!
Anyway that's enough of my waffling!
So the alarm went off at 1am this morning to get ready for the drive up to Birdslip with HMS Deer stalking. Having been 12 years since last going out after a Roe I was full of anticipation and excitement of what we might find on this beautiful Morning. 2 hour drive done and arrive at Hazel Manor set In Gloucester ready for the de-brief with Ross, quick wet and and chat about health and safety, cull plans and a ground overview and we are out on the ground for 4.30. This is where i regret not being much of a Photographer and didn't take one picture during the morning.
Over the style into the first field, suns just rising over the market town of Stroud in the distance at the end of the draw that we are about to stalk down, load up and off we trudge down the field scanning all the while, 10 mins in we spot a group of Fallow doe with Fawn at feet playing in the morning Dew; Backing off away from this group we continue across the fields roe doe and Fallow after fallow were spotted along the way. It is worth mentioning again just how beautiful this part of the world is and even without an end result it would of made a great morning out! Crossing a fence line and down a small Stone track into the field on the edge of the permission Ross informs me that a Roe Buck has been spotted on the bank on several occasions. We scan continuously up and down the field with grass being waste height still in some places we knew they would take some spotting. All of a sudden to our right just on the bank a Roe Doe appears mooching along the side has a look at us for a minute or two and sauntered off further into the woodland not bothered of our presence, Expecting a Buck to be close on her tail Rifle is up on sticks waiting....out he comes....then he goes again...in and out of the thick undercover he had found himself settled up in. Waiting another 5 minutes we decided that he had moved over the top of the bank and onto the trail, just before I demount the rifle one last scan and he's Jumped into our field approximately 150 yards away although buried in the long meadow grass. We knew at this moment this Buck was going to make us work and quick parliament was held on our POA and we decide to double back quick and try to outflank the Buck before he moved off the ground and got into too much cover, a high pace manoeuvre found us lightly treading down a rustly bed of dry leaves and sticks low branches making it hard to move with rifle and viper sticks to hand. Poking my head around the brush next to us he is stood 40 yards now away from the boundary and approximately 70 yards from ourselves, just as we get ready he lets out a bark and hops his way out. Now this is where Ross guiding skills, knowledge of his ground a deer came to hand. With a lot of noise about to be made on the neighbouring farm Ross Thinks he may come back through the hedge and into the cover crops away from the noise of the farm. Scanning and looking we see The fallow from earlier behind us still lay up basking in the morning sun, a few Munties push out from the woodland below us as we are scanning then looking in the dead ground to our 9 o clock Roe Buck Spotted! We stalk up through last years cover being carefull not to make a sound. We spot him 100 yards in front upon the sticks i went and waited for him to get into position, a wait of 10 mins for the Buck to move away from cover and thick grass in his foreground a shot was taken and the Buck Taken. A good 4 Pointer with nice large pearling. Suspended Field gralloch performed and into the Roe sack ready to make our way back to the vehicles. A brisk 15 minute walk finds us back at the vehicle kit loaded and off back to the beaters room for a wet and an offer of a bacon sandwhich was made. Declined the sandwich but a coffee and a chat and I will certainly be returning to Hazel Manor in the near future.-Great place
-Great deer
-Great Guide
Could not fault in any way!
Many thanks Ross!
Anyway that's enough of my waffling!
