A couple of outings over the last few days..........

[martin 332]

Day 1)

I have just put a new stock and a new scope on my stalking rifle,so,I had to spend a bit of time zeroing it,but,unlike a few others I have zeroed I was lucky with this one it was within a couple of inches from the start,and,to say I am happy with the scope(Zeiss 6-24x56mm and the stock Bell & Carlson)is an understatement.Here is a 5 shot group at 100 yds..............

and,that is good enough for me.After putting some holes in paper,and,with the light starting to fade,I saw a bunny sat out from the hedge at about 130yds,so..........

Right through the eye..........

The light gave way to the dark of night,and,I made my way home very happy with myself indeed.

Day 2)

I decided to go and have a look to see if there was anything about on a bit of permission I have,a lovely valley that has a small head of Roe on,and,a few foxes as well.I drove into the field and skirted down along a hedgeline and parked up.I glassed the far hedgeline,and,just as i was about to get out of the truck out popped a pair of Roe twins and there mother,I did try to get a pic,but,I only had the phone,and,they were a bit too far away,so,I had a wander,and saw another lone fawn,so the future looks rosy.On the way back to the truck,I saw a large dog fox slinking it's way across the field,and,totally unaware of me,I tried to get into a position to take it off the bipod,but,he just kept moving,so,as I got to the edge of a drop in the field I rose up to see him run off to the left towards a hedge and certain escape......but,I brought up the rifle and followed him in the new Zeiss,put the crosshairs just in front of his shoulder and squeezed off a 100 grainer,he went down like a rhino skidding into the cut grass without even a twitch.........

He was a real oldie,and,he didn't have hardly any teeth left.......

That was that,another result,and,back home for cocoa.

Day 3)

I wasn't going to be going out,but,what the hell.....I have only just been allowed to drive again,so,off to a place that I haven't been to for a bit where I know there should be a Buck or two.I got there around 2000hrs,and made my way down to the highseat,on the way I bumped a Doe,and,she went off barking her head off.I got settled into the seat,and waited,and,waited and waited,it just wasn't going to be tonight I thought,so,I got down from the seat and made my way along the bottom of the plantation,and,up around a field of wheat,back across the top and towards the truck.I turned round to have a last look across the field,and,crossing the wheat field was a head,and,right on top of that head was......yes you guessed it a pair of antlers,so,I stalked along the bottom side of the field,and,came up the other end,and,he still hadn't seen me.I now had the sun behind me,and,as I raised up and set the sticks he turned to look,but,I don't think he saw me,he was about 130-140yds,and,I put the croshairs on him,and pop,he went straight down.Now I thought I knew where he was,but,the best laid plans of mice and men,an all that,I searched for about 40 minutes,but,had to give up as the light was fading fast.I did however get straight over there in the morning with my two dogs,and,the 'Mike Brown' working whippet now has another string to her bow..........Deer tracker extraordinaire,she found him in 5 minutes,unfortunately she wasn't the first to find him,he had been got at by a few badgers by the look of all the flattened wheat,and,the two missing haunches and the rumen was completely gone as was the liver and kidneys,so,I done a bit of field butchery on him,and,took the backstraps off and the fores,and,I fed the heart to the dogs for there part in finding him.I was over the moon with the whippet,she will be with me from now on when out stalking,and,here he is,not a young Buck,and,certainly not the best one on the land.........

Day 4)

Now,a lot of people might not put this day up,but,I am nothing if not honest,and,I went out this evening to the place I shot the fox,and,glassed a young Buck feeding in the hedgerow,he was going away from me,and,I couldn't get a shot on,but,as he got to the end of the field he turned to the left and presented a perfect side on shot...........now,in my defence he was in a steep valley and was 253yds(rangefinder),and,I was on the tailgate of my truck resting the rifle on a roll of hand towels,but,I was confident,I composed myself(no rush)set my breathing,and squeezed the trigger(it felt perfect),but,I totally missed...........a complete miss,and,off he went at a rate of knots,not to be seen again.

Well,it just goes to show,sometimes they win...............ATB..........Martin

[riflehunter 1]

Thats some fine shooting nice set up you got there, nice write up to.

[N E poacher 4]

nice one mate, good shooting

[dogs-n-natives 1,182]

Aye looks like you did that fox a favour, it wouldnt have lasted a whole lot longer with its mouth in such a bad state...good shooting anyway mate, you and that rifle make a good team!

Edited June 26, 2009 by dogs-n-natives

[The one 8,487]

Nice read and picts mate that fox was better being shot

[Yokel Matt 918]

A quality few days sport there Martin That new set up certainly seems to be working for you with groups like that, very tidy

 

Must have been a tough decision to stop searching for the buck - like you said he went straight down and finding anything in stanging wheat, even in broad daylight let alone dusk is a mission. Good on you for going back at the first opportunity with the dogs to finish the job and making the best of the carcass - good respect for the animal

[Mr_Logic 5]

Good going