Tuesday /Friday evenings stalking

[foxdropper 17,092]

Tuesday evening saw me at a place that is surrounded by some of the best roe habitat ive seen.The farm i have is pure grassland but they do come in to feed to make a change from nearby crops .The stalking is very much dictated by the movement of cattle here and this time of year can be a total waste of time with cattle allowed the full run of the 180 acres.Tuesday however saw the milking herd in the first two fields and only young heifers in one more ,leaving the far grounds to recover from the recent hay cutting .The grass is now lush again and i hoped to call a buck that id seen before the cut .Made the first stand near the boundary due to the wind and had a good call with the buttalo.What happened next was created by the call but nature soon took over .A buck came into the field very cautiously but too near the boundary hedge for a shot .He was very skittish and appeared to be looking over his shoulder more than at me and the soft call .The reason for his skittish ness arrived in the form of a mature buck from the far corner .The young buck was off around the headland with the other in very hot pursuit.I got the feeling theyd been at it a while as both were blowing hard as they came around past me .I stepped out from my hole in the hedge and tried to stop them but testosterone was fueling this run ,pure and simple .The young 'un made for a hole in the hedge and the big fellow ploughed through to resume the chase.Well i thought ,that was that ,no point hanging about here so moved on to another spot for another call on the edge of some rushy ground by a hunt jump .Only gave two sqeeks with the call in my pocket when a fox ran out the rushes and stood 4 yds away.I had rifle on sticks but too high so i lifted off slowly and accounted for him free hand .Its become a lot clearer to me this year that foxes take a fair amount of roe kids and this one was banking on a kid being nearby im sure .

 

Nothing else showed here so a wander before dark was in order.Made my way back to where the two bucks had been chasing and got over a barbed wire fence only to see the bigger of the two bucks just to my left about 30 yds away and staring at me intently .He was well wired it seems as he charged straight towards me allowing no time to set up sticks .I shot him in the neck free hand at about 12 yds and killed him on the spot.He was anticipating the return of the other it seems and the noise of me getting over the wire made by me was enough to spark this off.

 

 

Friday evening i took out a mate on a patch i love to be at .Tree plantings provide a magnet for deer as even though its fenced on three sides they can still get in on the railway side as the authorities wont allow deer fencing to that side ,weird but thats how it is.We stalked down to this area and i called from a gateway expecting a buck to come along the fence line .A buck jumped a far fence but never got to us so we pressed on slowly along the fence .A doe was spotted looking at the far corner where the deer enter this area over the low stock fence .She was soon joined by a buck that chased her around abit before deciding she was having none of it.I gave a few peeps to which he seemed interested but not fully.Another doe appeared which had the same treatment before he decided she was having none of it .A second go with the call got an immediate response and he ran to us up a shallow slope.I barked at him at 20 yds but on he came and i had to wave an arm before he stopped at 15.Mate necked him but not fatal and a lengthy tracking session was needed to account for him .The bullet had struck meat only and a second shot was needed over on the fence line . Not ideal but it happens to the best.An unusual head ,tiny antlers,malformed id say .

[martin 332]

That is a weird head 'FD' I do like the malforms.

 

Martin

[brno17 5]

Another good account mate, written how it happened heading out with the buttolo tonight myself

 

ATB

Alan

[gav243 1]

well done mate a good write up

[Moorsman 17]

Yet another quality read fd keep it up well done

[nastybilly 55]

nice FD

[Hywel 53]

A good detailed account mate No doubt others would have posted an "edited version."