What is Fallow holding ground?

[weblyish]

I've been several places stalking where people have said they don't have 'Holding ground' for fallow the deer just cross through first and last light and I've seen the phrase on here recently

I get the principle - unlike the solitary types a herd of fallow need a decent amount of space to hole up and feel safe

But what does holding ground for fallow look like - I've been in fairly large thick woods that hold plenty of muntjac but are definitely not fallow holding they only pass through.
versus a fairly small field corner copse where the fallow must have couched down on bunk beds there were so many coming out of it at first light

What are they, and hence I, looking for as places to return to?
It is habit or features of the wood?

 

[Milk no sugar please]

Anywhere they are not shot at constantly. They will have their favourite places to lay up but that may vary day by day with the weather and other factors like proximity to abundant feeding. Here today gone tomorrow; just when you think you have them figured out they will change routine and baffle you. It’s almost like they don’t want to be converted into sandwiches

 

[Mike1979]

On a couple of places I shoot you are looking for dense cover (often laurel) that they can lie up in without any fear of being spotted ...even with thermal. Any attempt to stalk into this results in a lot of noise and the deer exiting stage left very quickly. They are flighty old animals. A lot will depend on the area though so appreciate my comment about laurel is only applicable in some areas..in other areas it may be willow thickets etc.

 

[Tim.243]

I've been several places stalking where people have said they don't have 'Holding ground' for fallow the deer just cross through first and last light and I've seen the phrase on here recently

I get the principle - unlike the solitary types a herd of fallow need a decent amount of space to hole up and feel safe

But what does holding ground for fallow look like - I've been in fairly large thick woods that hold plenty of muntjac but are definitely not fallow holding they only pass through.
versus a fairly small field corner copse where the fallow must have couched down on bunk beds there were so many coming out of it at first light

What are they, and hence I, looking for as places to return to?
It is habit or features of the wood?

A decent cell cam is key to timings, they come out to feed following the lead deer, if there is good food a few fields away then they will head for that take their fill and lay up, in nice weather in the field, wet windy it will be in the lee of a hedge.
If constantly shot at from seats by a wood then they will come out later, does will have young in tow then they learn the routes.
With big shoots and combining then they will be pushed out and find a quieter spot.
My way the key is when they make a move and not keep bashing that spot so I will then trundle up the other end of the farm.
All standing up as they clock me, the big boys are last to get up.

 

[wytonpjs]

As above. They don’t like pressure and will couch only where safe to do so. Currently in separate groups, this group of males live in a sanctuary wood emerging from that into the field only when they feel safe. Straight to the tramlines, follow them around to the low spot where they cannot be seen from most aspects, couch in the crop and then leg it straight into the wood at the first sign of hassle. I’ll probably only get one chance in this field, then they will frequent another field further up the wooded valley using that sanctuary conduit to move around the area. Thankfully, having shot this area for the last 3 years, I have a good idea where they will move to so able to nibble away at the group.

 

[VSS]

Fallow holding ground is the ground you stalked yesterday, or are planning to stalk tomorrow, but never the ground you're stalking today.

 

[paulbshooting]

As above, its their 'safe' place where they prefer to couch up. It does vary with crop rotation, farming and forestry operations. Especially if lots of oilseed rape is about as they will happily stay in that until its cut. Trail cams and high seats to sit and watch until dark are useful, as they prefer to use the same routes so can be ambushed

 

[nun_hunter]

Fallow are smart enough to know which open fields aren't shot at all or at least very infrequently. Around my part of East Sussex I can think of numerous fields that are wide open and would be easy to shoot multiple deer in during the middle of the day but clearly no one has permission to shoot them so they are undisturbed there. There are often herds ranging between 20-80 deer in these fields. Once it's dark they cross into other fields or woods to feed knowing they're also safe in the dark.

 

[Essexsussex]

Fallow holding ground is the ground you stalked yesterday, or are planning to stalk tomorrow, but never the ground you're stalking today.

A bit like the perfect river conditions for salmon fishing

 

[Klenchblaize]

K

 

[wytonpjs]

What are they, and hence I, looking for as places to return to?
It is habit or features of the wood?

It's ground where they do not feel threatened and have readily available food at wood margins.

 

[Donkey Basher]

Also depends on wind & weather - I often catch up with a few on the edge of a wood that’s literally a few hundred yards from the farm yard. It’s got nice heavy cover & when the wind is northerly or north easterly it’s at the far south west end of the wood so gets plenty of shelter & catches any sunshine. It’s a ‘go to’ place when the wind is N or NE, last time I went there I shot 3

At the opposite end of the scale we have a large open field that has a bowl in the middle of it that’s a good 300 yards from any hedge or cover & which the fallow love to lie up in during the day. The depression in the ground keeps them out of the wind & they can catch any sunshine without needing to move. They also know they won’t be shot at!

To shoot fallow deer you need to learn to think like fallow deer & understand what they’re doing & why.

If they’re lying up in cover then find out when they come out & where they go - I tend not to bother them when they’re heading into an area to rest up but when they leave as it maintains that safe haven for them & doesn't push them out of it, especially if you let them get some way away from it before you shoot them (see below about routes).

If they’re crossing through your ground then work out where they enter & leave & how they travel between these points - do they lie up anywhere in between (see above)?, which direction are they going when you find a trail? are there any points where they bunch up along the route like going through a gap in a hedge where you might get a shot? Then either sit up & watch to see whether they are using the trail morning or evening or put up a camera.

 

[Donkey Basher]

View attachment 449229
K

Gotta be c.200 deer in that little lot, not to mention the ones out of shot to the left.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Gotta be c.200 deer in that little lot, not to mention the ones out of shot to the left.

Came across it on this Gov web page:

A coordinated effort: how we’re tackling the dual threat of deer and grey squirrels – Forestry Commission

As part of National Tree Week, Anna Brown, Director of Forest Services at the Forestry Commission, and Alan Law, Chief Officer for Strategy and Reform at Natural England, reflect on the work happening across the sector to reduce the impacts

forestrycommission.blog.gov.uk

K

 

[wytonpjs]

Came across it on this Gov web page:

A coordinated effort: how we’re tackling the dual threat of deer and grey squirrels – Forestry Commission

As part of National Tree Week, Anna Brown, Director of Forest Services at the Forestry Commission, and Alan Law, Chief Officer for Strategy and Reform at Natural England, reflect on the work happening across the sector to reduce the impacts

forestrycommission.blog.gov.uk

K

I think its one of BH Wildlife Consultancy shots

Wildlife Thermal Drone Surveys | BH Wildlife Consultancy

BH Wildlife Consultancy provides expert thermal drone surveys across the UK, delivering fast, accurate, and non-invasive wildlife monitoring for deer, boar, goats, and more.

www.bhwildlifeconsultancy.com

 

[JG87]

From what I’ve seen, fallow like bigger, quieter blocks of cover where they can bed without being disturbed. Smaller copses will hold muntjac fine but fallow usually just travel through them. Look for thicker areas with good visibility inside, light browsing, and regular slots going in and out, that’s the sort of ground they tend to return to..

 

[Leec6.5]

I've been several places stalking where people have said they don't have 'Holding ground' for fallow the deer just cross through first and last light and I've seen the phrase on here recently

I get the principle - unlike the solitary types a herd of fallow need a decent amount of space to hole up and feel safe

But what does holding ground for fallow look like - I've been in fairly large thick woods that hold plenty of muntjac but are definitely not fallow holding they only pass through.
versus a fairly small field corner copse where the fallow must have couched down on bunk beds there were so many coming out of it at first light

What are they, and hence I, looking for as places to return to?
It is habit or features of the wood?

Fallow holding ground in my opinion and area where their safe and not shot, they venture out, raid and head back to rest and repeat!

I’ve got a 100 acres that surrounds what I call a holding wood, their safe in there and they know it, only had the ground a year and I’ve had 6 trips and 6 fallow.

It’s the most mismanaged, thick, brambles etc, their is about 20-30 ish resident but can be 150-200 if it all kicks off in the surrounding woodland and there is plenty of it!

Combined with Fanny Craddocks huge back garden (the woman who owns the wood too!), the buggers live the life of Riley.

Me I just nibble at them really, do what I can when I can, you’ll NEVER solve the fallow problem in that area for as long as you have a hole in your arse!

 

[LarryLightFoot]

I think I might be guilty of putting to much pressure on my ground in my first year, that said the farmer is well happy now .
There is a field directly across a road from my ground and regularly they plot up there in the middle of the open field flicking the proverbial V’s at me, can’t get on that ground due to some buffer who shoots there once in a blue moon having the sporting rights .
My ground I would class as pass through rather than holding ( putting aside my theory about putting to much pressure on there ) as they always come in from other ground and leave to other ground following the same routes which means positioning for possible ambush points etc. it doesn’t help there’s a small Pheasant shoot on the ground and during the season the Woods are off limits

 

[Leec6.5]

I think I might be guilty of putting to much pressure on my ground in my first year, that said the farmer is well happy now .
There is a field directly across a road from my ground and regularly they plot up there in the middle of the open field flicking the proverbial V’s at me, can’t get on that ground due to some buffer who shoots there once in a blue moon having the sporting rights .
My ground I would class as pass through rather than holding ( putting aside my theory about putting to much pressure on there ) as they always come in from other ground and leave to other ground following the same routes which means positioning for possible ambush points etc. it doesn’t help there’s a small Pheasant shoot on the ground and during the season the Woods are off limits

Pressure is a killer!

On reds we go once a fortnight and kill deer, you go every week you’ll **** it up!

On the fallow I work it around my job, but still maximum once a fortnight

 

[Leec6.5]

View attachment 449229
K

What a crock of shite, i’m not being funny but you’ve got to be a blind , death and dumb **** wit not to notice that much follow near your ground, therefore in my personal opinion all this thermal drone business is just another money making load of bollocks!

Hilarious