Hard Going

[sussex 5,777]

Started out nice dry but overcast morning ,stiffish easterly wind but good stalking weather. I'd got to stalking ground about 800 acers devided in two fairly equal blocks joinedby a fairly narrow strip of land,.Whilst you could walk the whole lot its better to get to the other side by hoping back in the truck & driving round.I was out with a good stalking mate of mine who spotted deer with in two minutes of stepping out of the truck , abeit not shootable.

We started slowly down through the wood to get to a fairly deep gully where the deer get some protection from the north & easterly winds,i have often seen 50 or 60+ taking shelter there.As we neared our destination the 1st few snow flakes fell ,no bother,,we spied along the gully , nothing, not one .We glassed that gully for 15 minutes .nothing.Plan B .....walk along gully out the other end do a big left turn back to the truck .We had'nt gone 100 m two prickets appear from behind a tree that was,nt big enough to hide a rabbit behind..how do they do that ? AS much as we had'nt seen them ,they had'nt seen us ,the snow was now starting to fall .! no bother.Bill eased his sticks up ,slid the rifle on & took the 1st of the two.It staggered ,spun round & fliped on to its back kicking .The other was gone in a flash.

Watched it for a few minutes , walked over the m , dead.Gralloched we left the back legs on to pull it back down the gully & out the other end deciding its quicker to pull it out than walk back ,get the quad ,given its proper snowing now.MISTAKE , fell over ,slipped over , tripped over.to old for all this.Left it at end of gully ,got quad 15 min later on the way back to mine.Finished cleaning, washed out taged & in chiller 74lb ( i've got old scales )

 

We are sitting here with the woodburner blazing away drinking.........coffee.Nice morning

[bell 3,606]

Started out nice dry but overcast morning ,stiffish easterly wind but good stalking weather. I'd got to stalking ground about 800 acers devided in two fairly equal blocks joinedby a fairly narrow strip of land,.Whilst you could walk the whole lot its better to get to the other side by hoping back in the truck & driving round.I was out with a good stalking mate of mine who spotted deer with in two minutes of stepping out of the truck , abeit not shootable.

We started slowly down through the wood to get to a fairly deep gully where the deer get some protection from the north & easterly winds,i have often seen 50 or 60+ taking shelter there.As we neared our destination the 1st few snow flakes fell ,no bother,,we spied along the gully , nothing, not one .We glassed that gully for 15 minutes .nothing.Plan B .....walk along gully out the other end do a big left turn back to the truck .We had'nt gone 100 m two prickets appear from behind a tree that was,nt big enough to hide a rabbit behind..how do they do that ? AS much as we had'nt seen them ,they had'nt seen us ,the snow was now starting to fall .! no bother.Bill eased his sticks up ,slid the rifle on & took the 1st of the two.It staggered ,spun round & fliped on to its back kicking .The other was gone in a flash.

Watched it for a few minutes , walked over the m , dead.Gralloched we left the back legs on to pull it back down the gully & out the other end deciding its quicker to pull it out than walk back ,get the quad ,given its proper snowing now.MISTAKE , fell over ,slipped over , tripped over.to old for all this.Left it at end of gully ,got quad 15 min later on the way back to mine.Finished cleaning, washed out taged & in chiller 74lb ( i've got old scales )

 

We are sitting here with the woodburner blazing away drinking.........coffee.Nice morning

 

My kind of write up.......nice.

[Philluk 181]

So that must have been around 8 am, at that time I was laying between 2 fallen trees in dry conditions from 7 am in a popular spot of mine, a few flakes of snow dropped as I lay there. The south east wind was nipping and my eyes watering, the gun was loaded and resting next to me on it's bipod and I was facing the snow that was now quite hard now blowing at me, no sign of deer and I was getting cold as I spotted a fox at 150 yards. Thinking ok no deer will take the fox I moved the rifle across me. Needless to say I didn't shoot.

 

Moral of this story when you buy an expensive scope, in my case the Z6i it comes with a lens protector, that protector keeps out dirt, dust, stops it getting scratched and yes you guessed it , would stop my scope filling up with snow. I did think about using my dirty gloves and clean it but I didn't. Lesson learnt

[sussex 5,777]

been there phill.....ps i've got a client out monday & loading tue but will be out a couple of times later in week depending on weather, i'l post a message (if my wife shows me how) if you fancy an afternoon in a seat , there are a few moving about .

[Philluk 181]

Pm

Edited January 19, 2013 by Philluk

[seprim 32]

nice write-up sussex

thanks for posting

 

Andrew

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Been concentrating on the foxes here though havnt seen a single deer since the snow started.Its a big shock to lowland deer i think and they stay put for a while.Well done on your pricket mate.