The sun shone for hour or two

[Squirrel_Basher 17,102]

All day ive been itching to get out but its been cold and rainy here in Wiltshire .At 5pm the sun came out but it was still chilly in the wind .Had some tea then headed out to a spot i rarely go as its a very small farm of about 100 acres but holds a few deer if left alone for a while .The farmer said on the phone that hed seen a few so off i went .Got there at 7pm dead and glassed the top fields from the farm yard .Nothing there or in the fields in the foreground but there is a field tucked away out the wind on the boundary to my left .Wind was perfect for a stalk up to the gateway .As i approached it i heard something tug at the hedge foliage and wondered if it was a deer .The only thing to do was to slowly peer round the gateway to which i smiled to myself seeing a hare on its back legs browsing the hedge bottem .She wasnt unduly alarmed and meerly skipped though the hedge to my left .A glass at low level from here revealed a doe at the far end of the hedge in the corner and two more does and a buck about 350 yards down from that ,all sat. I retreated and stalked down the hedge for a better glass of him a bit closer .Came to a gateway previously unknown to me as id no reason to come this far before .Glassed again and could see a tall set of antlers but no tines set on an old face .No further doubting ,i was having him and that was that .The field they were in was replanted last year as a new ley and is the farmers haylage field ,a type of silage where the grass isnt cut up before baling .A propper old English grass mix of vetches ,sorrel ,chickweed and several grasses ,the perfct deer fodder really.

I slid through the bottem rungs of the gate like a grassnake and started my crawl towards the far off heads .I had about 200 yards to cover to a patch of open ground which i had in mind i would take him from .Half way there i stopped for a breather and realised the call of nature wasnt going to wait any longer so tested the grass for dampness about a foot away .Got there without the group having any idea i was there ,perfect ,just what i like and set the bipod up to watch the deer through bins .The buck was exactly as i thought and just as i lined up a neck shot ,the split second actually that i had the slack on the trigger taken up ,he decided to get up .Range was about a hundred i guess and i followed him up the hedge a bit as he stretched first then browsed in front the old doe .Another second or two and he moved on again still broad side and i sent a winchester into his chest .He ran about 20 yards stumbled ,got up, walked a couple of paces then fell on his side ,dead .very pleased with the stalk as i love a good crawl and unsuspecting deer .

The view back from the shot

Just coming into summer pilage but well past his best ,a spiked 4 pointer .

Edited May 4, 2010 by foxdropper

[Yokel Matt 918]

Like a grassnake Nearly pissed myself. Sounds like a great stalk and the pics are great showing a side of stalking often overlooked (by me anyway). They look to be bloody tall antlers even with the photo-shopping what length? Edited May 3, 2010 by Local

[martin 332]

Great little story 'Snake Hips',and that is a weird head alright,very tall too by the looks of it,will you boil it out,cos it is a bit unusual........see you tomorrow mate.......Martin

[mj robson 8]

That buck looks like it would do a bit of damage in a fight!

[john robbo 30]

A real wierdo that one mate.

better dead me thinks.

[wireviz 8]

Nice one FD looks like a defo cull animal.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,102]

Agreed .Dont know if theres any official records kept on the height of antler but this one is 12 1/2 inches high ,317 mm from top of skull to a line across both antlers .There were two sub adult bucks waiting in the wings from where he came from last rut and i guess their time has come this rut to step up to the mark .

[mj robson 8]

FD,

 

They usually measure the antler lengths when the skull is boiled off. They start from the base of the coronet and measure along the main beam to the tip, using a cloth tape to follow the contours. They then do the other side and take an average.

 

The biggest I have had was 28.3cm and was the 2nd longest gold recorded that year, not many go above 29cm in the annual review.

 

I think I read that the big buck shot by Marco P-W was 32cm long?

 

Your buck looks pretty long and straight, I bet the cavemen would have strapped it to a hazel stick and gone hunting Dinosaurs with it!!!

 

Cheers,

Mark.

Edited May 4, 2010 by mj robson

[FOXHUNTER 5,021]

Very unusual buck mate . Stalking is far too easy down there I suggest you take up something more challenging ...

[Squirrel_Basher 17,102]

Its only easy because i make it look that way mate .As you know you still have to get in position for the shot no matter how many deer you have and with more deer thats more eyes .Your just jealous anyway

[john robbo 30]

Its only easy because i make it look that way mate .As you know you still have to get in position for the shot no matter how many deer you have and with more deer thats more eyes .Your just jealous anyway

[J Darcy 5,871]

FD thats actually quite an unusual looking head. I would have that boiled out and on the wall.....thanks for sharing...

[Yokel Matt 918]

FD thats actually quite an unusual looking head. I would have that boiled out and on the wall.....thanks for sharing...

 

It would come in quite handy if you have to you have to confront a burglar as well