Sika Migration

With the season coming to an end, I managed to get out this last week. It was the first week of February I was last out, when Sika numbers will still high, plenty of animals with some cracking stags amongst them. As usual though, the Sika migration has taken place when the game shooting in the surrounding countryside had finished. This usually happens mid-Feb, when you'll see animals in groups of 50 or more heading for the surrounding hills. Luckily, a number of these seem to filter back during spring to add to the numbers that decided to stay. If previous years are anything to go by, our resident animals will be joined by the transient over-wintering groups around mid-November. Hopefully some of those big stags will return

The Roe have kept a low profile over winter, yes you could find them but not as obvious as the Sika. So earlier in the week I spent a couple of days, a couple more Sika, a stag calf and maiden hind along with 5 Roe, went to the game dealer and friends. I had to return on Sunday evening as I had the stag calf butchered for the owner of a woodland block I lease, who I was meeting on Monday morning. So Sunday evening I took up residence in a seat overlooking 2 fields after a quick quad bike drive to view a couple of others. In the time I had, it was obvious the Roe had "returned" (but never left), as I saw 4 mature bucks from just over 40 animals. The last one to emerge from woodland was the most interesting as it hugged the woodland edge on last light and only emerged out into a field some 45 mins after the rest of the Roe had moved well out to feed. This one looked a particularly grand buck, one I hope to get sight of during the coming months for a better look.

Sunday morning was a pretty awful morning, drizzle, mist and wind, making my first visit to an area a waste if time. Being quite open, I was hoping to spot some Sika at first light but the plan had to change due to conditions. So off I set for a high seat overlooking a wide ride between 2 blocks of woodland where I hoped I could see a little more. Thankfully, on this side of the hills, it was clear so off I set. Now I didn't expect bad weather and was carrying the 6.5 Carbon Wolf..... my fine weather rifle, one with which I have only shot Sika and Roe. As I approached the gateway to the woodland, I could see movement near the high seat and on viewing, a Muntjac buck was foraging. I have only been seeing Muntjac in this woodland for a few years and are now seeing them on a regular basis. I like my Muntjac, so have left them in peace on many occasion when they could have been added to the records, in the hope that I would get a shootable population. I'm sure some will be saying they should be shot on sight as once established will be too difficult to control, but I disagree with that synopsis, as I have had no issues finding and shooting enough of them to keep numbers in check elsewhere.

So only a few weeks ago I had decided to shoot small bucks as and when opportunities arise in this area, and after watching the buck for a short while, seeing it was a "shootable" animal, I became the first to shoot a Muntjac from this woodland with a first for the Carbon Wolf to boot. I left the buck where it fell and climbed the high seat where I would spend 30 mins or so. A movement out to my left turned out to be a Sika calf on its own, which I added to this years records. I did consider a walk to get a Roe but knew that a Fallow on the same stalk would have been highly unlikely and hence 4 species for one stalk unrealistic, so left the Roe for another day. Hopefully I'll get another day before the end of this season as another 4 or so Roe kids would be an aim before the buck's turn.

 

[Deermanagement]

This year's migration has taken place a couple of weeks earlier than usual by the look of it. Out last Saturday and it seemed that way and yesterday confirmed it. Seeing a decent sized group in a valley away from the larger woodland block was the sign. I've concentrated efforts on this block this winter and maybe my stalking deeper into the woodland than the previous stalker did, has encouraged their early movement. I always think "will they return in good number next game shooting season", or will something happen to upset this local migration?

Anyway, I've probably taken enough for this season, finishing the last 2 days with 3 stag calves, a hind calf, 2 hinds and a pricket. The pricket was unlucky as I don't usually shoot them at this time of year but with the early movement, I though it wouldn't hurt to take a couple of rubbish prickets should they remain.

With plenty of talk ref wild venison and it's quality, I've always maintained that there should be a differential between animals that can be proven treated properly and the rest. I get the quad or gator to within yards of of fallen animals, hardly anything is dragged and then they get to an on-site chiller before they see a gamedealer. I was at a gamedealer today and it looked like a few of the roe were opened up with a chainsaw and I was surprised the dealer took them in after insisting microsurgery for any I take in, but having seen these animals I agree that opening up a large cavity in less than ideal circumstances is a recipe for contamination. I did do something yesterday evening I'll not do again and that was to shoot a calf and hind in thick bramble cover, some 25 yards from an accessible ride, but no matter how hard I looked, there was no way through so went the long way around in the dark with the quad to get near them but failed. So I ended up having to drag them back only a hundred yards or so but did not open them up to avoid any contamination after they had been high neck shot. I'll not be shooting any there again

 

[James_T]

Enjoyable read

 

[webley22]

Interesting to hear about the local migration.

 

[HJG]

Good post

 

[Deermanagement]

After spending a few weekends throughout October chasing some stags and prickets around, now we've moved into November, attention is turning to hinds of course. I usually spend some time on the ground through October and for one reason or another seem to miss out on November and by the time I'm back early December, numbers have jumped with animals obvioulsy moving in from the surrounding area, likely as a result of the on-going game shooting. Deer tend to hold then until mid-Feb when they once more return to their spring/summer preference.

I've witnessed them leaving, sometimes en-mass, but not arriving, and assume they may arrive in small or large groups. Anyway, having seen them leave via surrounding downland, I assume many arrive from the same direction and maybe I've started to see it both last weekend and this morning. Last week it was a lone stag spotted wandering off the hill just before sunrise. On this occassion, I did have someone who wanted a stag carcass, the bigger the better, so I located myself on the corner of a hedgerow I thought the stag would pass. I started watching it at around 250 and by the time I stopped it at 30yds, I had taken a good look at the old warrior. 4 points on the one side but a stunted antler on the other made my decision. If it had been snapped, I may have let it go, but I was pleased I didn't, blind in the left eye, a stab wound near the left pedicle showed that this old guy (a beast as a colleague put it) had seen many a battle. It was a heavy stag with a head the size of a good pumpkin, and heavy to boot. I didn't weigh it but it likely went around 130lb, likely 140 pre-rut.

So this morning, from the same hill at the same time came a group of hinds and I again managed to get on an intercept, taking the stag calf at 40yds on this occasion. It added to another stag calf from yesterday evening, although this one was on it's own, likely orphaned in the last month or so, going by it's weight. the hind may have been shot or been involved in an accident. I always try to leave hinds with followers until after new year to give the young animals a decent chance as there's nothing nice about finding small calves in the middle of winter, obviously struggling afer loosing the hind in early life.

So, I'm out in the next week or so and will hopefully see a difference in numbers once again. I'm still seeing the odd stag wandering around looking for any late hinds. I had one, a nice 8 pointer wander into me this morning. He stopped at 20yds trying to make me out and it was nice to see one or two nice stags about after taking a couple this year. Two of those were old stags, the one from last week and another early October. You can see the older guys on the attached photos along with a couple of other stags taken by colleagues.

 

[Deermanagement]

The migration this winter was possibly going to be different. The sale of adjacent land to the Wildlife Trust as it happens, and not as initially thought to the National Trust, was likely to have an impact on the normal Sika migration onto my patch. And so it seemed, numbers that usually turn up mid-November, when the game shooting is in full swing, didn’t materialise, with something like a third of the usual numbers arriving. My earlier assumptions that it was the National Trust that bought the area, led me to believe that I’d either see less because the Trust would have had the notion that 1 animal per 100 acres was ideal and hence hammered them at every opportunity, or that I would see more by virtue of the fact they wouldn’t take the disturbance.

So with less animals turning up, I started to assume this had happened, but then, out of the normal, numbers started to rise mid-January and got to a point where there was maybe two thirds the usual number. Move onto late March and there are maybe four times the usual number for this time of year. After discussion with someone who enlightened me ref the Wildlife Trust and not the National Trust, and also explain that no deer management or shooting was taking place on the area at all, maybe explained the reason they were happy to stay in the area after being pushed out previously by a shoot that was run there. Now it seems that for the last couple of months, work has been going on, fencing etc., which may explain the rise in numbers from mid-January onwards.

Good news and bad news for me, it looks as if we may be seeing more Sika throughout the year with trust visitors disturbing the area adjacent. I quite liked having the influx in autumn, higher numbers meant more to shoot, but now I have to be seen to ensure there are not too many seen on my patch throughout the rest of the year. Of course, seeing groups of fifty to one hundred plus at any one time shocks some people whilst the same number split into small groups outside of winter, they are not as noticeable. I look after a managed block of woodland that I need to concentrate on, but for this winter at least, the vast majority have been sheltering in an adjacent conifer block where they can do no damage. Cull numbers have been higher than traditional but not as high as last year, but all in all, things are looking quite good at this moment in time. In the last couple of winters one or two white Sika had turned up during winter, but not this year until I stalked into a group with one earlier in the week.

 

[Zephyrjim]

I do enjoy your notes, observations and comparisons to previous years. Have you seen more muntjac of late, you mentioned them in your earlier post.

 

[Mike1979]

Nicely done and a very interesting read

 

[Deermanagement]

I do enjoy your notes, observations and comparisons to previous years. Have you seen more muntjac of late, you mentioned them in your earlier post.

Maybe not more, but seeing enough that I know that I could likely find one should I really want to. Eralier in the week, I headed down to a seat on a wide ride between the junction of 2 woodland blocks and a young muntjac doe stood in my way for a while before I got to the seat. A group of Sika were milling about at the very end of the ride, well drove in actual fact, being around 40yds wide. From the seat I nearly took a shoot at a stag calf but a single strand fence and a bit of bramble some 20yds in front of the animal stopped me from doing so. When they had gone out of site and obviously moved into the conifer block I went around a little way to ensure the wind was ok, and stalked through, going around, under and over wind fallen conifers. En-route I bumped a muntjac that ran off to a safe distance, which was more than 50yds (my visibility range), and then stood and barked. It was joined by another, obviously younger animal, most likely the doe I had passed earlier.

Anyway, after maybe 45 mins, I found the group and got within 35yds before I could pick a younger animal, one that had spotted a little movement i the thick plantation, but knowing the blanket background, I was able to keep it's attention by deliberately moving to a tree that provided the extra right elbow support whilst using twin sticks. A neck shot dropped it and the remainder ran around in circle and ended up maybe 20yds from me. I could have taken a larger animal and a stag calf, likely the one I saw earlier stood with the top half of it''s head showing above the trunk of a fallen tree. I could not move and had I have been 3" taller I could have put the bullet over the trunk but knew that the bullet passing under the line of sight at 20yds, I could have only contacted the tree. I waited to see if it would move slightly but the chance did not come and the group eventually moved back out into the field and down to a lower block of woodland where I was to catch up with them later in the morning

Photos show a view from where the Sika were found

 

[Deermanagement]

I was just referring to this post which I'll add too a little later and spotted Zeph's question ref Muntjac. Nearly at the point where I'd be confident to find one should I specifically want one now. I did see five different animals the other morning as per my "Good day - bad day" post, last weekend. It's surprising after seeing none before 2020, they've increased to a shootable level. Mind you, the woodland is particularly suited although saying that, I don't think muntjac would have an issue with anywhere

 

[Deermanagement]

Thought I'd add to this thread after finishing with another for 3 weeks Did post on "Good day, bad day", some outings that turned out interesting but the last one I thought I 'd put here as it's likely a more suitable thread. Out for a couple of outings just over a week ago and after seeingSika numbers increasing similar to last winter for the same period. Previous to having an area taken over by a wildlife trust a couple of years ago, Sika numbers used to expand around mid-November due towhat I believed game shooting pressure. But now, with no shooting taking place on this area, Ihave been joined by extra numbers around mid-January, reason unknown.

So out last time, had a colleague cover a woodland block and although he came across Sika, couldn't get a shot so shot a couple of Roe kids instead. I headed a different direction first morning after missing the evening stalk, taking too long to fit a new carburettor to the quad bike. Anyway, did not have to be out long before finding some Sika, hinds and calves, crossing a field heading back to a conifer plantation. Moved to a fence post and set up, checked range with the LRF on the thermal, but had some issues with it powering down on use. By the time a tried a couple more times, I then considered them too far anyway. So headed a little futher along the edge of the downland and could see a few Sika in a small depression just in front of a boggy bit of woodland. Had a couple of Roe to move on that were only 40 yds or so in front of me but managed to get them going without spooking the Sika. After getting to a proper sniper's spot, overlooking this depression, I could make out another 30 or so Sika some 350 yds down the field and after maybe a 3/4 hour wait, 2 of the group of 4, luckily decided to leave the edge of the boggy woodland and head up adjacent to my position. The first was a hind, followed by a stag calf, and at around 80 yds, I took the oppotunity to stop it with a shout, and deliver a shot just under it's chin. The hind returned to where it came from, joining 2 more whilst the shot got the attention of the 30 or so out in the field.

I stayed in position for some time, the large group were joined by another dozen or so with most laying down once they'd settled. Ref the migration, there was a white calf with the group, last time seen (assuming the same one) last October. There was no way I wanted to even attempt to shoot one from the group even if I didn't have the 3 closer animals to concentrate on. Whilst watching these from the rest of a convienient horizontal tree trunk, I was able to make out a muntjac buck in the same area of the 3 sika, so thought that if he presented himself, I didn't mind it or the Sika. After likely another 1/2 hour, the Sika had laid up, and although I could see them, there were a couple of branches close to them and too distant from my rest at around 160 yds. So having not seen the Muntjac for a while, I headed slowly along a path to the next tree, from which there was no shot, then the next, also no shot. Another 6 or 7 yds further on, there looked like a comfortable prone spot, a mossy covered tree root. So I inched my way to this position and found that only one of the Sika had a clear shot available. It was a large hind laid with head on most occassions, facing directly away from me. I would have preferred a younger animal but decided it was this or none or a very long wait, so at what I consider pretty extreme range for a neck shot at 145 yds, luckily the shot went spot on with instant death and not a flicker. The other 2 ran and the muntjac never showed itself. The group were at attention but still held their ground.

I waited a while, just in case the Muntjac moved but after 10 mins I left my position, observed by maybe 30 sets of eyes, having seen some return to the conifers. I walked past the stag calf and I carefully entered the copse just in case I moved the buck and it presented a shot. I spotted him in bramble some 20 yds away, but didn't get chance of a shot before he skipped away.

After dealing with the 2 deer, the large hind being likely the largest I've shot there, weighing in at 79lbs at the dealer, I headed back whilst still being observed by the group. On collecting the quad, I drove around to pick them up and found that at least part of the group had doubled around my position and were just going into hanging woodland on the side of the downland as I drove past them. My colleague was already back at the chiller with the Roe kid he had shot earlier so we quickly heded off fro breakfast.

The afternoon session, we headed in the same directions as the morning, me ending up in same sniper's position as the morning, in the hope of seeing the Muntjac buck again. After sitting for an hour observing a smaller group of Sika just below where the large group was in the morning, I decided to move on. In that group was another white hind, not the calf I had seen in the morning. Just as I was approaching the last place I saw the buck, an animal crossed the small gap between downland and copse, but just the other side of a hump in the field, so that I only saw it's head in the thermal. Going by the movement, I knew it could have only been the Muntjac or possibly a fox, but whatever it was, it had made the copse and out of sight. The next field over, there was a couple of stags ou and a pricket, so a quick call to my game dealer to find out if they'd take the pricket, and with confirmation, I managed to get to a comfortable dhooting position at around 150yds. The pricket ran for about 70 yds downhill but the shot had been good, but unfortunately ended up in a slightly boggy part of the field.

On returning to the quad, parked some 300 yds away, the white calf was shootable but I chose to leave it for another day. Then the fun started After replacing the carburettor, the quad was running better than ever, but when I went to start it..... nothing. Had ignition and fortunately started on the pull start (something that wouldn't have happened before the carburettor change). Got the the pricket and positioned the quadso that I could load up and gralloch on the purpose build lift rack on the front. Found that my headlight wouldn't work despite having charged it, so lowered the pricket back to the ground, pull started thequad again, and used the lights of the quad to sort the animal. Back at the chiller, my colleague had shot another Roe kid and seen a few Sika without chance of a shot.

Back out next morning, again from the sniper's spot, I couldn't believe my luck when a hind and calf left a small group and headed up to my position. It was like deja vu, with the hind stepping out from the copse to seemingly head my way again. I set up exactly as the previous morning and waited for the calf to follow, but surprisingly, the hind turned and headed back to the calf, then slowly made thier way along the edge of the copse, not really offering a tidy opportunity. I knew that they would be heading for the wooded downland and despite moving pretty quickly once I realised I would not get a shot from where I was, they crossed the smll gap and got into the downland woodland and started to climb slowly but surely to their intended destination. After a long way around climb for me, I worked my way through he woodland at the top of the downland, hoping that thay had found a place to lay up. I did not come across them, but toward the end of my permission, again in a very steep wood on the downland, I could see a small group. After a slow stalk and crawl I managed to get within maybe 40 yds of a dozen hinds and calves, but no matter how much I tried, the only shot I could facilitate was a large hind. So after moving a little too much, I was noticed, and although not spooked very much, I retired from the spot not wishing to shoot a big hind at the last moment before having to return for the journey home.

So interesting..... once again this year, extra animals have turned up around mid December and after 10 from the last 11 Sika being neck shot at an average range o 35 yds, I pushed the envelope with these Out again end of the week, still have to spend time on the quad bike, this time an earth, connector or ignition switch I believe. Intermittent no lights/no electric start whilst still having ignition? Pull starts ok, lights come on and will subsequently start ok, so I believe it's one of these items. Anyone suggest anything else, feel free to do so

 

[HJG]

A good read, thanks for sharing

 

[CAVHUNT]

Deermanageme nt said..."and after 10 from the last 11 Sika being neck shot at an average range o 35 yds, I pushed the envelope with these."
Sounds like you'd be a handy sambar hunter.

 

[Deermanagement]

Well that was a good start to tomorrow’s stalking . Last time out after loading up my enclosed ABS covered carcass trailer, I had a close call when the beam holding the suspension units, cracked on the one side. I could see that something was amiss looking at the angle of the wheel but drove carefully to the dealer, and then the 2 hour drive to drop a colleague of in an underground car park when he works. Looked underneath and could see the damage but still had to gingerly make my way back another 25 mins, which I managed to do.
So, ordered some new suspension units and mounting plates, bought some 50x50 to replace the axle beam and yesterday welded it back up, me setting up, brother welding.
All looked good, extended the wheelbase 2” to fill the arches and lifted the height around an inch.

Set off this evening late to stalk in the morning and a road was closed some 6 miles from home so had to divert on a road with lots of speed humps. Anyway, found that the welding on the mounting plate does not have enough penetration as on the last hump before I hit normal roads again, I had a wheel fall off

Very lucky, could have been anywhere, motorway, deepest darkest Dorset . As it was, rang brother, grab my other car and bigger trailer, 30 mins later we were loading it up
More welding tomorrow, and I’ll be making sure we’ve more amps and more penetration and I’ll try and have another go

 

[HonestJohn]

Time for a new trailer

I’m curious, due to risk of accidents on main rounds etc, is there not some form of regulation over trailers, like MOT standards etc, or can we just jimmy rig anything together, and if it goes wrong and someone dies, insurance covers and it’s not anyone’s fault?