Worked Hard For This One !

[sussex 5,777]

No wind or rain this morning see me out at 1st light on a permission only 10 minutes from home , trying to get the doe cull back on track , which is woefully behind . As I pulled in to the farm their was about 50+ on the 1st field that took no notice of the headlights apart from lifting the heads for a quick glance , before deciding I posed no major threat & then carried on grazing . Soon as their was enough light I did my usual look behind the offices as my 1st port of call & blanked . Round to the valley for a quick look on my way back to the deer in the driveway field , hopefully they would have dropped down of the crown of the field & I would be the right side of the wind to pick one out ..they hadn't moved at all & although the wind was in my favour they were above me with no backstop .Twenty frustrating minutes later they were just getting farther away with no prospect of a safe shot .

This scenario repeated its self the rest of the morning , either no backstop or deer behind the one I wanted to shoot ..as nice a day as it was stalking wise I needed results ..this afternoon see the erection of a couple of portable seats , a couple of phone calls got me a second gun & out again we went . The wind had picked up some serious pace coupled with a spot of rain it wasn't going to be the best evening I've spent in a seat but needs must !

I had deer in view almost immediately just inside the tree line , seemingly quite content to stay there out of the wind & rain they were safe enough , at 200+m with a 30mph cross wind I didn't need any problems . Three deer appeared to my left cutting across a field & coming in to my field but were flat out , hardly slowing as they crossed the ditch they disappeared as quick as they came .The deer at the bottom of the field still never moved save a lone doe who pronged half way up , stopping for a few minutes stock still but at an angle that didn't lend itself to a sensible shot I watched her through the scope , she then started walking slowly towards me & when she put her head down to graze at 50m she fell to the shot ..the rest of them were still 200m inside the tree line , why she decided to leave them & come up hill I don't know & she's beyond caring ..in the chiller at 64lb ..out again tomorrow .

[sussexsteve 8]

Nice 1 . Thats a good number to see!

Atb steve

[Rob58 1,599]

well done rich

[hutchey 147]

As Steve said, a good number to see. Nice looking beast that too.

[glogin 87]

Nice doe

[seprim 32]

Well done Rich and nice read too

Andrew

[Boghossian 0]

Nice menil colour for a winter doe.

[sussexsteve 8]

Hi Gabriel I think Sussex may have shot this next door to pauls

Atb steve

[Philluk 181]

That's a shame, got to get up early to beat Rich

Edited January 22, 2014 by Philluk

[hutchey 147]

Insomniac lol

[Wullz 408]

Nice beast, I think everyone is behind on doe culls, I know we are!!!

[sussex 5,777]

Hi Gabriel I think Sussex may have shot this next door to pauls

Atb steve

 

..?....Shot at one of my permissions on Ashdown Forest ..

[beast 1,884]

yep, im a long way from where i wanted to be numbers-wise. nice work sussex. whats the average weight for does down your way?

[sussex 5,777]

Beast , they average about 68 lb in the chiller , the biggest doe I ever shot went 83 lb ...Still miles behind on the does though , cant really see me getting back on track at the moment but you never know !

[hutchey 147]

This weather is just a real pain, got my first permission for foxes yesterday and the weather is just shocking, fields too muddy for vehicles and the wind is just swirling