What would you have taken??

Heym SR20

Well-Known Member
Went out for a look around my bit of ground this evening - just took binoculars and no rifle - to be honest haven't space in the freezer and too much on to butcher a beast at the moment. I am only going to take a couple out over the next few months.

My ground is mixed farmland next to heavily wooded valleys which are a local nature reserve. Over the winter had n't seen anything out - just presume everything stayed in the woods.

Was getting a bit dispondent as nothing was showing - I covered quite quickly all the best places, and then in my favourite spot in the last five minutes of day light saw a big Roe Buck thrashing a tree on the edge of the wood - good head out of velvet and obviously quite an old beast - walkng head low like an old man, plus followed by two quite small bucks still in velvet - assume they are yearlings.

Then big dog fox - size of a small labrador comes trotting out past the bucks - now twenty yards in the field and potters towards me along the tramline feeding on worms and gets to within twenty yards before he sees me and saunters back off to the wood.

It would have been a real dilemma which to take - the fox, one of the yearling bucks or the old boy. I think I will leave the old boy to do his job this year and put his head on the wall later on, but then he may well be blocking younger beasts coming in, but then one of the wee beasties would make good venison now but it could grow inot a good beast, but then I would earn good browny points taking out the fox, particularly as there are lambs in the next door field?

Thank heavens it was just an academic dilemma!

Answers on a post card please.
 
Sounds like the perfect case for an uzi 9mm!!!!!!
My thoughts are that the bucks will be there again (hopefully) so I would be tempted to take the fox and keep the farmer happy. A happy farmer is the best way to securing more land from his farming mates!
 
handgrenade

....i am with andy. It might also be that you could have got a second shot and nailed one of the lads.

steve
 
Fox, no doubt about it, I take the buggers every time. You will never shoot them out, been trying for years :D

John
 
Hi
Same as everyone else fox first you never know moderated rifle and the yearling might have moved just a little or just looked where the fox was, you then could have had a very good evening by taking 1 fox & 1 yearling.

Dickie.
 
same here
fox first , then if a buck or yearling stood long enough for a shot then you could start your dilema all over again :lol:
 
Got to be the old boy if he's as ancient as you say he is - they don't get to be old by being seen to often, and chances are you might not pick him up again. Yearlings you can take just about any time. As for the fox - depends on you feel about him. With a decent moderator chances are you'd take both as long as you go for charlie first (they don't hang around).
 
Hi 300wsm

You must be a very skilled hunter to shoot a fox at 200-300 yds whilst running,does that include a couple of forward rolls and a dive into a ditch :eek: I thought only Bruce Willis could do that :lol: :lol: :lol:

I have enough problems lying down using a bipod.

Mark
 
what would you have taken

Had the same problem myself once I took out the fox who was on my left and when I looked backto my right the young buck was still there with his head up wondering what all the noise was So he followed the fox to heaven so always the fox . Hi to every one ( my first time )
 
Thanks for all your thoughts and differences of opinion. Obviously if you have a rifle and wearing camoflage this would never happen.

I was just wearing a blue jumper and jeans and no hat - just stood still witht he wind in my face.
 
And to continue the story - went and had a potter around last night with the rifle. Went to the big wheat field just to check the sights. Did n't bother with setting up a target - one big crow won't have a problem with its pension fund having crashed through the floor! Rifle shoots OK and now cobwebs down the barrel.

Went to the other end of the farm where I had seen the Fox and the three beasts last week. About half an hour before dark and three Roe feeding in the field. Sit in the car and watch them for ten minutes. No ways are they stalkable nor in any thing like a safe place. And the are down wind. Formed a plan. Wind is coming from the east. Fields is flat but on its Northern edge is a deep wooded glen with a 30 yard wide steeply sloping bit of rough grazing.

Made a normal amount of noise getting out of the car, open the boot, putting wellies on - just a walker out for a walk. The beasts take the hint and move quietly and slowly down over the fence inot the grassy bit and out of sight - perfect.

Take the rifle out of the slip and load up, curse that my shooting sticks are still my the front door, but pull a long stick out the hedge - it'll have to do.

Quickly walk across the field down wind with the grassy strip 200yds on my right. Plan is to creep slowly into the bottom corner of the grassy strip by the gate and I can then look down across the grass into the Glen. If I sit quietly perhaps they or the fox will come out.

Creep along the hedge, stopping ever couple of yards to scan with binoculars. I am about 30 yds fromt he gate and just catch sigth of the tip of antler. Crawling time, and bloody hell do young nettles sting. Crawl forwards another five yards and rasie up for a look - its the big buck lying down facing quietly chewing the cud. No shot as I would be shooting through a fence and whispy grass. Kepp going and have to get to the gate 20 yds ahead before I could get a clear shot.

10 yds to go and in trots the doe. I am now in clear vision of both the doe and the buck - he has a very good head on him and probably to good to take. But lets see what happens. The doe looks t me straight and barks - bugger.

I freeze and just stay still- go away you b... I mumble under my breath. After a few minutes she relaxes and continues grazing. I slide the last few yards into the gate where I have a clear shot.

And then out trots a yearling buck still in velvet. You'll do - click my tongue a couple of times - he stops looks towards me - he is not quite in a safe shot, but then walks towrds me trying to see what is lurkng in the bushes. 20 yards - head on - neck shot and he is now on my kitchen table.

And of course as I was gralloching him hands covered in blood, rifel unloaded the dog fox trots past.

A good evening!
 
That's what you get when you take your best girl, Patience, stalking with you :D

Well done, now go get that Fox.

John
 
Thanks Beowolf and JayB. Must admit its the stalk thats the best bit - the actual squeezing the trigger and taking an animals life is sad. If I ever stop feeling that sadness I will stop shooting.

But I now have a fridge full of venison maturing before I chop into steaks and joints - and young roe steak is really the best bit!!
 
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