I stalked a restocked plot on a steep bank yesterday morning, the third and final stalk of a trip to get an old friend who's recently returned to stalking after a break of almost 20 years a Roe. Content he was occupied with a look for a lovely buck we'd seen the previous evening, I set out alone.
The thermal revealed a buck on a field above the restock, who settled as I made an approach. So settled, in fact, that he helpfully closed his eyes with a primrose hanging from his mouth as he soaked the early morning sun up. At 165 yards I got my Neil Mckillop built Borden Alpine 243 onto the quad sticks and a 105 grain Geco SP did its deadly work as soon as the buck got to his feet.
Catching my breath after making my way to him, I made a cut to gralloch him and was interrupted by the dominant buck barking loudly from the plantation below.
The dominant buck made his way across the restock before pushing uphill, emerging to bark a challenge from 40 yards away before moving back into cover, barking as he went.
I picked up my sticks and not daring to get to my feet or open them, rested the rifle against them as I knelt.
The angry buck emerged again some 60 yards away, barking another challenge before turning broadside, about to get back into cover. I threaded a bullet through the sheep fencing and that was an incredible first for me, a two buck outing. Truth be told, until this past month I don't think I had shot a Roebuck for 10 years or more, being generally content with a couple of does a year for the freezer these days.
The dominant buck must have really been feeling the pressure from the first buck of the morning. He was a shadow of his former self, thinner than when I saw him a month ago, with a poor coat and incredibly heavy tick burden. The young interloper I shot first must have been making his life a misery.
Oh, and the icing on the cake was three fold:
1. The @Danum knife kindly stropped back to health by Alan at the Stalking Show was a pleasure to use
2. My mate got his buck
3. He arrived to collect me earlier than agreed and hiked up to drag one of my bucks back for me.
What a morning! Even the two ticks I've found attached to myself so far haven't diminished my enjoyment...
The thermal revealed a buck on a field above the restock, who settled as I made an approach. So settled, in fact, that he helpfully closed his eyes with a primrose hanging from his mouth as he soaked the early morning sun up. At 165 yards I got my Neil Mckillop built Borden Alpine 243 onto the quad sticks and a 105 grain Geco SP did its deadly work as soon as the buck got to his feet.
Catching my breath after making my way to him, I made a cut to gralloch him and was interrupted by the dominant buck barking loudly from the plantation below.
The dominant buck made his way across the restock before pushing uphill, emerging to bark a challenge from 40 yards away before moving back into cover, barking as he went.
I picked up my sticks and not daring to get to my feet or open them, rested the rifle against them as I knelt.
The angry buck emerged again some 60 yards away, barking another challenge before turning broadside, about to get back into cover. I threaded a bullet through the sheep fencing and that was an incredible first for me, a two buck outing. Truth be told, until this past month I don't think I had shot a Roebuck for 10 years or more, being generally content with a couple of does a year for the freezer these days.
The dominant buck must have really been feeling the pressure from the first buck of the morning. He was a shadow of his former self, thinner than when I saw him a month ago, with a poor coat and incredibly heavy tick burden. The young interloper I shot first must have been making his life a misery.
Oh, and the icing on the cake was three fold:
1. The @Danum knife kindly stropped back to health by Alan at the Stalking Show was a pleasure to use
2. My mate got his buck
3. He arrived to collect me earlier than agreed and hiked up to drag one of my bucks back for me.
What a morning! Even the two ticks I've found attached to myself so far haven't diminished my enjoyment...
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like the Danum knife, Have ordered one as a treat to myself, after seeing them at stalking show
