The recent relentless rain has kept me off one of the grounds over which I have permission to stalk. And I have been starting to feel guilty again about the time that has lapsed since I last delivered a carcass to the larder of the chap who grants me authority to shoot. Friday was forecast to be a decent day so I made sure I arrived on site with plenty of time before first light.
This particular permission is divided by a road which divides the land unevenly into one third / two thirds. Weighing up which side to start, I scanned what I could see of the land with my thermal – a brilliant bit of kit which these days I would not be without. I picked up a two hares together on the smaller side - always a joy to see - but it was the distinctive heat signature of a roe grazing alongside the boundary on the other side of the road that caught my eye. It was about 800 yards away so I cautiously began my approach. Cautiously …and very noisily.
The ground was terribly squelchy and I quickly realised I wasn't going to get close enough unless I could reduce the noise coming from my boots so I made for drier ground. As I approached, I realised there were in fact three roe ahead of me: a family group comprising a buck, a doe and a now well-developed independent fawn. The doe remained on my side of the boundary hedge but by the time I had closed the gap between us to 250 yards the other two were in the field on the other side - and as the land rose slightly I gained a good perspective on all three. But I was still too far out for a shot and I didn't like the angle.
Instead of continuing to stalk in towards the doe, I began walking around a small copse, the other side of which would offer better vantage point over the field in which the two other deer were now browsing. I figured that this was - quite literally - the direction of travel and that she would soon move through the boundary to join the other two. I thought it would be one of those times when you can actually get closer to your target by walking slightly away from it then allowing it to walk to you. And it might even have worked if I hadn't been for the wind.
I hadn't even noticed the slight breeze until I was undone by it. I got into a great position - just in time to see all three deer get wind of me and bugger off. The fawn was briefly, beautifully silhouetted as it paused on the skyline. And then they were gone... as was my best chance of the morning.
I went in search of them and saw the trio briefly again but, now they were alert to my presence, I felt the game was up. They were too wary and their stomachs too full to be distracted by hunger. I knew that even if I found them I was very unlikely to get into a shootable position again.
Bugger.
So I went off to work …and returned at 3pm. Having scouted the fields where I had seen them earlier in the day I headed across the land to an area that has proved productive on previous afternoons. I peered cautiously through a gap in the hedge and nearly blew it for a second time. 180 yards away, hard against the hedge line, a head shot up - alert. I held my breath and slowwwwwwly eased back into cover.
It was a lucky break. I felt I could easily have given the game away. But the head went back down to the grass and, now I knew where to look, I could see all three deer browsing away. I set up my sticks and fixed my sights on the doe. Getting my first good look at her I realised that, although fully grown, she wasn’t quite as mature as I had expected.
I was hard against the hedge and worried that the bullet might clip a stray branch. Very (very) cautiously I inched out a little further into the field.
All heads went up again. They had a sense of something. I knew I wouldn’t have very long… However, this time I was happy I had a clear line between rifle and target. I usually neck shoot most of my deer but, given the distance and my sense that time was running out, I wanted to play safe and so decided to go for a hilar shot.
My aimpoint for a hilar has always been a bit behind (as in to the left of) the POA recommended by others on SD. I have read with interest their perspective on this and so resolved to try bringing my shot forward a fraction. Placing the bullet in line with the front leg, I squeezed off the shot.
Loud bang - as expected. I felt I had hit my mark. But then three deer run out from the hedgerow into the field. My doe appeared to be among them – she appeared to trip then came to a stop. I expected her to run on again, stagger and then drop. But she didn’t. She looked alert. All three deer had stopped and were looking back – trying to locate the danger.
Cursing myself I thought I must have put the bullet too far forward. I was worried I might have clipped her. Making contact but not enough to put her down.
Quickly I lined up a neck a neck shot. No more experiments. No more mistakes. Back to basics. She is 160 yards away but she is positioned perfectly for a neck shot and I have a clear view of her.
Another loud bang. Second shot taken. Doe goes down. Much to my relief.
I reload, just in case, and catch my breath. All looks good so I start walking in. I’m 50 yards away when I spot the body of the younger doe in a fold in the ground where I dropped her with my first shot.
I have done almost exactly the same thing on another occasion. I’ve dropped my deer on the spot but been unable to see where it has fallen and then seen other animals run on – assuming, in that moment, that I have missed my mark.
I think I need to learn to place more faith in my gun – that it will put the bullet where I place it. And in my bullet – that it will do its job.
Pushing the hilar shot slightly forward (in line with the front of the leg rather than the back of the leg) had the effect that those who recommend this approach claim for it. My deer dropped on the spot. It was just unfortunate that the spot it dropped into meant I couldn’t see it. Certainly unfortunate for the other doe.
I had come across a group of four: not the family group of three I had seen earlier but a completely different group. My second kill (neck shot - bottom of the picture) was about the same age as the doe I had seen earlier in the day. The deer killed by my first shot (hilar - top of the picture) was, perhaps, a little younger but definitely older than the fawn I had seen within the family group.
I had made a mistake. But not all mistakes are disasters… and as a result I was able to place not one but two very presentable carcasses into the larder of the chap who kindly grants me permission to shoot. I returned home a happy man – with two clean kills having initially thought I’d made a mess of one.
This particular permission is divided by a road which divides the land unevenly into one third / two thirds. Weighing up which side to start, I scanned what I could see of the land with my thermal – a brilliant bit of kit which these days I would not be without. I picked up a two hares together on the smaller side - always a joy to see - but it was the distinctive heat signature of a roe grazing alongside the boundary on the other side of the road that caught my eye. It was about 800 yards away so I cautiously began my approach. Cautiously …and very noisily.
The ground was terribly squelchy and I quickly realised I wasn't going to get close enough unless I could reduce the noise coming from my boots so I made for drier ground. As I approached, I realised there were in fact three roe ahead of me: a family group comprising a buck, a doe and a now well-developed independent fawn. The doe remained on my side of the boundary hedge but by the time I had closed the gap between us to 250 yards the other two were in the field on the other side - and as the land rose slightly I gained a good perspective on all three. But I was still too far out for a shot and I didn't like the angle.
Instead of continuing to stalk in towards the doe, I began walking around a small copse, the other side of which would offer better vantage point over the field in which the two other deer were now browsing. I figured that this was - quite literally - the direction of travel and that she would soon move through the boundary to join the other two. I thought it would be one of those times when you can actually get closer to your target by walking slightly away from it then allowing it to walk to you. And it might even have worked if I hadn't been for the wind.
I hadn't even noticed the slight breeze until I was undone by it. I got into a great position - just in time to see all three deer get wind of me and bugger off. The fawn was briefly, beautifully silhouetted as it paused on the skyline. And then they were gone... as was my best chance of the morning.
I went in search of them and saw the trio briefly again but, now they were alert to my presence, I felt the game was up. They were too wary and their stomachs too full to be distracted by hunger. I knew that even if I found them I was very unlikely to get into a shootable position again.
Bugger.
So I went off to work …and returned at 3pm. Having scouted the fields where I had seen them earlier in the day I headed across the land to an area that has proved productive on previous afternoons. I peered cautiously through a gap in the hedge and nearly blew it for a second time. 180 yards away, hard against the hedge line, a head shot up - alert. I held my breath and slowwwwwwly eased back into cover.
It was a lucky break. I felt I could easily have given the game away. But the head went back down to the grass and, now I knew where to look, I could see all three deer browsing away. I set up my sticks and fixed my sights on the doe. Getting my first good look at her I realised that, although fully grown, she wasn’t quite as mature as I had expected.
I was hard against the hedge and worried that the bullet might clip a stray branch. Very (very) cautiously I inched out a little further into the field.
All heads went up again. They had a sense of something. I knew I wouldn’t have very long… However, this time I was happy I had a clear line between rifle and target. I usually neck shoot most of my deer but, given the distance and my sense that time was running out, I wanted to play safe and so decided to go for a hilar shot.
My aimpoint for a hilar has always been a bit behind (as in to the left of) the POA recommended by others on SD. I have read with interest their perspective on this and so resolved to try bringing my shot forward a fraction. Placing the bullet in line with the front leg, I squeezed off the shot.
Loud bang - as expected. I felt I had hit my mark. But then three deer run out from the hedgerow into the field. My doe appeared to be among them – she appeared to trip then came to a stop. I expected her to run on again, stagger and then drop. But she didn’t. She looked alert. All three deer had stopped and were looking back – trying to locate the danger.
Cursing myself I thought I must have put the bullet too far forward. I was worried I might have clipped her. Making contact but not enough to put her down.
Quickly I lined up a neck a neck shot. No more experiments. No more mistakes. Back to basics. She is 160 yards away but she is positioned perfectly for a neck shot and I have a clear view of her.
Another loud bang. Second shot taken. Doe goes down. Much to my relief.
I reload, just in case, and catch my breath. All looks good so I start walking in. I’m 50 yards away when I spot the body of the younger doe in a fold in the ground where I dropped her with my first shot.
I have done almost exactly the same thing on another occasion. I’ve dropped my deer on the spot but been unable to see where it has fallen and then seen other animals run on – assuming, in that moment, that I have missed my mark.
I think I need to learn to place more faith in my gun – that it will put the bullet where I place it. And in my bullet – that it will do its job.
Pushing the hilar shot slightly forward (in line with the front of the leg rather than the back of the leg) had the effect that those who recommend this approach claim for it. My deer dropped on the spot. It was just unfortunate that the spot it dropped into meant I couldn’t see it. Certainly unfortunate for the other doe.
I had come across a group of four: not the family group of three I had seen earlier but a completely different group. My second kill (neck shot - bottom of the picture) was about the same age as the doe I had seen earlier in the day. The deer killed by my first shot (hilar - top of the picture) was, perhaps, a little younger but definitely older than the fawn I had seen within the family group.
I had made a mistake. But not all mistakes are disasters… and as a result I was able to place not one but two very presentable carcasses into the larder of the chap who kindly grants me permission to shoot. I returned home a happy man – with two clean kills having initially thought I’d made a mess of one.
Last edited:
