Best stalk, Best shot, Best Buck

[Yokel Matt 918]

Recently Sundays have been a rather predictable DIY marathon for me so when Foxdropper phoned to ask if I was free for a late afternoon stalk I nearly ripped his arm off We arrived at the ground around 5.30pm with the weather looking a little threatening with a cool breeze and a damp smell in the air. The ground is a beef cattle farm similar to my own permission with lush rich pasture which the deer love when the cattle arn't about. The first three fields were occupied by big old units of lowing bullocks, some of which seemed intent on breaking through a damaged wire fence. We managed to fix it in a crude way and the farmer appreciated the call and the effort - thats' how permissions are won, lost and held

 

Away from the beef the deer sign picked up straight away and we had to be very careful not to disturb two does, each with twins at foot as we entered a field as we didn't want them bouncing in the direction we wanted to stalk (which they did anyway... eventually ) Passing through another gate the FD held for me I froze and saw a doe with TRIPLETS (two button bucks and a doe) at foot only 60 yards away I've never seen triplets before and we spent quite a while trying to get some pics but both our cameras were too basic for the job. We left them be and moved to a position where we waited, one either side of a hedge at the top of a large field. FD had a call for a fox and a rabbit responded almost straight away and ran 100 yards towards me stopping as no more that 5 foot away. I turned to FD who laughed and carried on calling only for another rabbit on his side of the hedge to do EXACTLY the same thing, a tawney owl then came to the call and nearly landed on FD's head - you couldn't make it up

 

My vigilance on the hedgerow at the bottom of the field paid off and, although it was starting to get dusky and my distance vision was playing tricks on me I could make out a roe and with the tell tell light tine tips betraying him. I Leica'd him (new gadget) at 375 meters and with little light to hang around motioned to FD that a stalk was on. With the buck at the bottom left of the field and me top right it was a lot of open ground to cover to get anywhere near my comfort zone so a long awkward stalk was in prospect with not much time to do it in. I set the bipod and ranged a spot on the ground that would bring me at max range and made carefully towards it... little spurt, stop... little spurt, stop. All this time the buck was ambling towards a hole in the hedge. I passed the thistle that was my marker and kept going with any extra yards being a bonus. Something suddenly spooked him and he took a couple of strides. I dropped down I was relieved to see he was far brighter through the scope than he was through the binos. Ranged him... 195 meters... Plus 2"... breeth.. bang. Straight down

 

As I could see him quite still in the open I waited to FD to get to me before making towards him... mentioning that he looked a little bit special through the scope.... f**k me if I'm not still smiling

 

 

 

From the look of things he had taken a nasty tine in the eye on his left side which probably accounts for how I was able to cover so much open ground.

 

 

 

I tried to take some pics this evening in better light but its dark and drizzley.

 

 

He sports 8 points which will stand out a lot better when he's boiled out - totally stoked with him FD mate... thanks a million

Edited September 27, 2010 by Local

[Guest Bronson-2007]

Nice Buck and stalk, and a bonus seeing triplets.

 

Well done Matey

[brno17 5]

well done local, thats a cracking malform and well done T for giving local the invite

 

atb

alan.

[martin 332]

Well done Bud,but,as for a tawny landing on FD's head,well it couldn't of mistook it for a nest could it....lol,maybe it thought it was a big egg and tried to hatch it.....only joking FD.... :friends:

 

Martin

[J Darcy 5,871]

Very nice. I am very very jealous!!

[wireviz 8]

wHAT A NICE TROPHY THAT WILL TAKE PRIDE OF PLACE I AM SURE WELL DONE MATE NICE WRITEUP

[Yokel Matt 918]

a bonus seeing triplets.

 

cheers mate - too right about the triplets.

 

well done local, thats a cracking malform and well done T for giving local the invite

 

Cheers mate - Its the measure of the bloke that FD was just as happy as I was - a true gent

 

Very nice. I am very very jealous!!

 

Cheers bud FD says he was a stranger to the area so him being there was just blind good luck :blush:

 

wHAT A NICE TROPHY THAT WILL TAKE PRIDE OF PLACE I AM SURE WELL DONE MATE

 

He surely will mate

 

maybe it thought it was a big egg and tried to hatch it

 

Thats FD all over - the typical metrosexual 'modern man'... hard on the outside soft on the inside and fragile

Edited September 28, 2010 by Local

[wboulter 3]

cracking buck well done

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Glad you got him mate ,a very good stalk with the perfect outcome .The stats will be good i feel .

[FOXHUNTER 5,021]

I thought that was the one you were saving for me

 

Seriously though well done mate its a cracker !

[Yokel Matt 918]

Cheers fellas - he's boiled out and just bleaching at the moment. He does have weight and girth through the coronets and main antler stem looks great straight out the pot and can only get better

 

Edited to say the eye was perforated and in a pretty bad way... made your stomach turn - hadn't effected his body weight too much though as he weighed in at 43 lbs.

Edited September 29, 2010 by Local

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

My money is on him getting antlered this last rut as it was pretty fresh .Good cull as well as a wall hanger

That tawny-

[Yokel Matt 918]

That tawny looks as suprised as I was

 

Here is the beast boiled out - very difficult to do it justice with my camera skills. Its currently 675 grams with one of the points pointing out the rear of the coronet.

 

 

 

 

[wint 3]

Well done Local & FD,cracking buck

Andy

[Roonstar 0]

Sounds like one of those amazing evening that happen evey now and again. Well done mate