One In Three

[sussex 5,777]

Had a three day cull planed for this week to start Monday so was up and out by 6.30 for a ten minute drive to the estate .Just driving there I had that its going to be a tough day feeling , I wasn't wrong .It was blowing a gale ,cold & wet .I didn't need daylight to see the rain crossing the valley in sheets.I pushed on regardless in the hope the deer were to stupid to be out grazing , they weren't .As daylight took hold a drive through the estate said it all ..nothing .On a normal day I would expect to see 50 + on a drive through ,not that it would guarantee you a shot but you would see them if only briefly .Today not one ,they had dropped down into the woods out of the driving rain , leaving only the stupid stalker getting wet (very) & cold .Several sorties into the woodland produced just the odd glimpse of deer moving away , after a hundred eyes had me spotted long before my two see them , the chance to get a clear shot through the trees & know where the round would end up were nil . Back home plan two was a high seat in the lee of the wind for the afternoon ,rested against a big tree , a quick prune of a few branches & the wait was on ...Still heavy showers , the light fading a solitary doe cut across the field ,one down ...

Tuesday ..........as above but stopped raining at 3pm , same seat , same result .

Wednesday ..no rain , no wind , deer every where.No1 came ten minutes from kick off , I had dropped down to the wood line after spotting deer in the scrub, making my way along so the deer were above me to my right I got to a point with a clear view & waited till they arrived in the picture , selecting the animal I squeezed the trigger & watched her drop .Up & checked I pulled her the few yards down to the track for pick up later.No2 &3 came forty minutes later as I was getting to the end of the valley a small group came down from the horizon , picking there way through the scrub I watched them as they got within range .I was leaning against a tree on the triple sticks , rock solid I dropped the last deer in the group , a yearling doe , the others bolted 40 odd metres then stopped to look at the doe kicking , 40 metres closer ,I selected another & by the time they had made up there minds to get out of there no3 was also down .Although seeing quite a few as I bumped them nothing stood long enough to get a sensible shot , deciding to get the quad & pick up the three already in the bag I headed back .After loading the first as I drove along the track a small group were above me , they pushed a little further up the valley but weren't that bothered by the quad as I drove by , picking up the other two & roping them on I drove around the estate , dropping the deer off at the vehicle I went round back to the valley & sat at the top looking down to see if the small group were any where to be seen .Now half an hour from the first sighting they were 90 m below me as I sat on the quad , resting the rifle on the new rack No 4 fell ...Then followed the hard work , to arrive back home at 12 to wash & tag the deer for a short stay in the chiller ...

The afternoon session in a high seat added 2 more ,by know the wind was blowing a hooley & raining .I was glad to be finished ,

 

 

 

 

 

[beast 1,884]

a busy but productive day by the sound of it. funny isnt it how they will sometimes just stand and watch their fallen comrades...i remember once dropping a pricket from a herd of 30 odd in a valley bottm, and the rest of the herd wheeled off, ran a full circle of about 100m diameter and stopped right by the twitching body, all just staring at it, so i dropped a doe and the herd circled again, and once more stopped while another doe fell before they finally disappeared!

[hutchey 147]

Great going Rich

[glogin 87]

Nice one. It's been really bad weather over the last couple of weeks...

[Boghossian 0]

Nice story. Fallow can be so unpredictable, one minute dissapearing like ghosts through the trees and the next, the same group will let you shoot a few of them before decamping. Is your tripod a camera tripod? After many years of avoiding all supports, I've started stalking with bipod sticks (B&Q version) again.

[sussex 5,777]

Nice story. Fallow can be so unpredictable, one minute dissapearing like ghosts through the trees and the next, the same group will let you shoot a few of them before decamping. Is your tripod a camera tripod? After many years of avoiding all supports, I've started stalking with bipod sticks (B&Q version) again.

 

Its a Swarovski tripod that's been adapted to take a rest ,it is the best set of "sticks" I've used , so much so that I've taken the bipod of the rifle .It looks bulky but its carbon fibre & very light .It is also very stable standing , kneeling or prone ..made by a pal of mine

[sussexsteve 8]

Very nice . Like those sticks had a look at those myself . Good looking sussex (or kent) woodland

Atb steve