I had a morning before Christmas and a morning before New Year on Fallow, just above the Galtee Mountains in South Tipperary. First day started with a walk in towards group of about 10 we had spotted on the thermal, but straight out of the farmyard and starting up the hill there were 3 deer at the bottom of the first field, waited for the light to come up and shot a yearling doe at 215m, second longest shot I've taken but was happy enough with stability off sticks with the "fifth leg" which I am really happy with. Engine room and ran about 25m and lay down. First blood to the Bergara HMR Pro in 6.5CM. Then along walk around a fairly circular conifer wood and stalked in through the middle, spotted a pricket that saw us but didn't move despite a bit of faffing to get a view without brambles and a shot without branches in the way! Looked about 50m through the trees but when we paced it was 80m, Neck shot head on and "bang flop", curious antlers, not sure whether a pricket or more but in very good condition.
The next day was quite similar, a short walk up a track towards a group we'd seen and saw another small group off across the field at about 160m, a nice dark round doe ran about 10 yards from an engine room shot.
We did the same stalk through the same wood which normally holds a group of bucks but saw nothing at all. Moved to another wood, and spotted a group in front of us down a ride they seemed to split as we were trying to get in on a pair to our right and up when we spotted a group of three down and left at about 60 or 70m. A slightly dodgy shot as very dense trees and possible twigs In the way but a slightly low lung shot (maybe deflected) and another bang flop on either and an advanced fawn or a poor yearling buck. Nothing epic about either morning but good fun, farmers happy and good craic with the man whose ground it is. Off now to see a neighbour who is complaining about the deer eating his hay! Using Sako Gamehead Pro 140gr, very happy with the accuracy and the damage internally, not getting huge exit wounds which would worry me a bit if having to track one.
The next day was quite similar, a short walk up a track towards a group we'd seen and saw another small group off across the field at about 160m, a nice dark round doe ran about 10 yards from an engine room shot.
We did the same stalk through the same wood which normally holds a group of bucks but saw nothing at all. Moved to another wood, and spotted a group in front of us down a ride they seemed to split as we were trying to get in on a pair to our right and up when we spotted a group of three down and left at about 60 or 70m. A slightly dodgy shot as very dense trees and possible twigs In the way but a slightly low lung shot (maybe deflected) and another bang flop on either and an advanced fawn or a poor yearling buck. Nothing epic about either morning but good fun, farmers happy and good craic with the man whose ground it is. Off now to see a neighbour who is complaining about the deer eating his hay! Using Sako Gamehead Pro 140gr, very happy with the accuracy and the damage internally, not getting huge exit wounds which would worry me a bit if having to track one.
