Thats No Chicken ...!

[sussex 5,777]

This after noon ii went back to the chicken farm a smallish property (150acres) were I do the fox & deer control ,needless to say whenever I go out Charlie is the number 1 quarry ,with 60 k free range chicken he is as welcome as crabs on a nudist beech .But there is also a healthy head of fallow which need keeping in check ,Thursday I went over to have a look round , my initial plan was to sit up in the track seat ,a shed like hide atop a 10ft high mound on a scrambling track the guy built for his moto bike mad sons .It looks down to the wood ( about 50 acres ) exactly 100m away , the grass around the track is cut regularly so there is fresh grazing a lot of the time .As I peered over the hill down onto the track several deer were already out but walking back to the wood ,they must have been out & spent the warm afternoon grazing in the sun .I watched them disappear into the wood ,plan b , go back the way I came ,drop down the left hand side of the property ,around the farm buildings , along a hedge to the Hilton on stilts , a new seat (last year) that we built ,enough space for a small party ,seats ,rubber on the rifle rests , plank to lean on ,and a roof.Just about as good as it gets !

Once up there , dog below , we waited , not that long went by when a small bunch of does appeared in the field , the same bunch that I see earlier , noticeable by the two very light does but also with them an exceptional pricket , very dark almost black he had two straight spikes that were no less than 10 inches long if not longer ,they were about 180m away but all on the brow of the field which , while still below me left me with only trees as a backstop , which is no backstop .They were very wary , never really settling to feed & after several minutes they continued across the field to disappear into the cover ,which quite pleased me because it took the decision away from me as to whether or not the pricket had a life changing day !

Twenty or so minutes later 3 more does came out of the wood opposite the seat , 60 m ,no more ,they moved towards the seat all the time looking across the small pond to the dam , I mean while was watching where they came out & could see a dark buck milling around in the wood ,beating up on the odd overhanging tree generally acting the big'en but not coming out ,I then looked at what the does were interested in ,there on the dam a huge buck , menile , to big palmated antlers , this was the daddy ,although down slightly on the far side of the dam his head & back was clearly visible , this was not a shooter , to good by far my sights returned to the dark buck but he stayed put ,& stayed alive

Tonight I was back , mate in the track seat ,it was round two .....Weather wise much cooler, stiff easterly wind ,over cast with the odd spit of rain , 30 min after climbing the ladder out walked half a dozen does .....& the black buck ...along with a light coloured accomplice who started trashing a nearby bush he had a slightly better head than the black buck who as he turned to face me at no more than 50m buckled as the 6.5 hit him .The rest took of , out the corner of my eye I could see the other buck stop 90 m away , broadside , I remained fixed on the black buck just in case the shot wasn't as good as I thought .................it was job done , the other one will be there for another day ....gralloched , the buck in the chiller was 111lb .......venison lasagne for dinner & a cold beer ......

 

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[the scudd 82]

nice write up. thanks

[hutchey 147]

Great stuff Rich

[Its_grim_up_norf 577]

Great stuff, enjoyed that write up mate thanks

[Rob58 1,594]

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Nice write up mate but the title left me thinking there was more ...................................

[Yokel Matt 918]

The temptation to make it a brace is often hard to resist.. Very common with roe that regularly stop for a look back. Better to make sure of the first one than take a hurried shot at the second and have two to find. If your 100% you've planted the first one.. had 3 weetabix that morning and fancy carrying a second then eject, feed... Bang.

 

I'm up north after the reds on Monday... Reading your posts isn't helping my patience!

[seprim 32]

Well done Rich - nice buck and nice read

Andrew