Red Stag On My Ground!!!

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

So, I've Just put the Dogs bowls out and, as they're tucking in, I've wandered out the open door, distracted by thoughts of something or other I'd been doing out there earlier. I'm quite at peace with myself and ..... and then this Noise! I barely registered it at first, because my mind simply couldn't handle it. It was like " Just ignore that, what ever the hell it was. It'll go away and ye can wipe it from ye conciousness and remain at peace.

 

BROOOOOOOOKKK!!!!! What The ..... My donkey's come Galloping up the acre. Skidded to a halt nearest he could get to me and spun round, ears pointing back to where THAT had come from. My mind almost reeled for a moment there. But then I spotted it!

 

Maybe 200 yards away, something big and red and not a cow was galloping across a field. Moving left to right. I knew at once what it must be. Without hesitation, I rushed in here, grabbed my cammo jacket and rifle and set out. I have my camera always on my hip, but I wasn't expecting to get close enough for photo's!

 

Ye know what? I don't even quite remember what route I took. But I must've went straight up the track because the gate was open when I came back. Anyway, this Big Boy appears to have been drawn in by the shedded cattle ~ or Something? How in hell would I know? I've never even Seen a damn Red Deer before! But I was soon seeing this kiddie! Now 125 yards away, down the other end of a field I was sneaking glimpses of through the top of a hedge! And, Mother of God! He was turning back and coming my way!

 

So, as he's steaming up that field, wind blowing quite a breeze across his back and down past my own line, I'm running like hell, in a crouch, up the length of 'my' field, behind that hedge. We're on a right angled collision course! Could I bag me a Red Stag?

 

Well, I guess he had 100 yards to go. I had nearer 40. I got there first. 'There' being the far corner of my own little field. And, from there, I had a good view of the top corner of His field. I crouched low. Readied my rifle and waited.

 

Know what? He damn well came too! Pretty much Walked right into that corner where I'd planned to ambush him. He couldn't get through the hedge there, so he stood a while to think about it. Totally unaware of the madman raising a .22 Hornet at him, barely fifty yards away! I dared to reckon I could take him!

 

But, as I got my eye to the 'scope, I was looking at tiny bits of vegetation. A bramble sucker here. Some bit of dead stuff there. I'd be shooting through the slightest bit of who knows what. Any of which might have deflected or even disfigured the round before it ever had a chance to smash through his ribs behind that big ol' shoulder and blow his heart assunder. I couldn't risk the shot And then he decided to try back down the field a bit again and bounded away, back the way he'd come.

 

But What a f*cking Rush it had been! Pure addrenallin from start to finish! I've just seen my first ever truly wild Red Stag. I've gone after him. Stalked him and ..... But for a few wisps of stray vegetation? But I could have taken that shot!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well; I " Could have ", if I'd ever actually Loaded my gun! Like; .22 Hornet on a Red Stag?! What do ye think I am?! I just did it for the Challenge, FFS! It's called " Sport "

[Guest Frank]

Good job you did not shoot him with the .22 Hornet Ditch. As its way under powerd for such a big deer.

The minimum caliber for all deer here in southern Ireland is a .22-250, soon to be .243.

 

Becarefull.

Edited October 21, 2007 by Frank

[SNAP SHOT 194]

you had me going there for a minute ditch, great rush eh. only during the rutt be carefull as they will charge you..........!!!!! you mad SOB.......

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

There is a lot of crap spoken about calibres and what can and cant take a bullet and whilst im not advocating anyone breaking the law i know from experience that a close head shot would have put that stag down dead .Its not the size of your weapon ,but how you use it !

[Guest Frank]

There is a lot of crap spoken about calibres and what can and cant take a bullet and whilst im not advocating anyone breaking the law i know from experience that a close head shot would have put that stag down dead .Its not the size of your weapon ,but how you use it !

 

Agree, brain shots are best, if you have the confidence and not feck it up.

[bullet 125]

i dont care how close you can get with a bloody air rifle,only a fool would try to drop a deer with one, thats just greed in my eyes

editted to add

have respect for you quarry

Edited October 23, 2007 by bullet

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Anyone else spotted the idiot?

 

 

Anyway, funny little epilogue to this one; Last night, Noel turned up at my gate. I went out there, expecting he'd just brought me some post or something, but no. He had a certain glint in his eye. He was, he explained, 'Just wondering if I'd seen a deer, out on the land on sunday' !

 

Turns out he'd seen it himself, albeit somewhat more breifly and further away than I. But, as he said; " I figured if anyone around here was likely to have been watching the land and prone to noticing such things, it'd be you! "

 

Then, as I explained my own little adventure, the glint in his eye got brighter! " Now, that would do wel in a freezer! " He said, visibly starting to drool at the prospect! I reitterated that no way was I in the business of opening up on - what we both concurred Was indeed - a fully mature and really quite splendid Red Stag. I'm not equipped for it. Not lisenced for it. Good god, I wouldn't even know the Seasons for it! But I Do believe they put ye in f*ckin prison if they catch ye at it illegally, over here?

 

Anyway, I suggested he tip Padraig the wink. Padraig lives across the basin from me, is 'Heavily Armed', and the stag was heading his way when, I believe, the appearence of Pat spooked him. Thus, I explained to Noel, I reckoned he'd have headed into the vast reed bed I last sighted him beside. Just as Pat would've wandered unwittingly into view.

 

At this, Noels eyes glinted like diamonds! " And he would get bogged down in there, Ditch. " He suggested .....

 

Now, at this point I'd better explain something; Ditch Shitter has had a life long phobia: Marshy ground! I have this deep seated terror of any place where a foot wrong may see me stumbling into a pit of sinking ooze. I don't mind a bit of wet under foot. But places like wet Reed Beds? F*ck Right Off! Then figure in that there'd be visibility down to four feet in there. It is expansive. I'd soon be carrying on like a member of the Fukawee tribe! Oh; And on top of all that, Noel envisaged me doing all that whilst carrying a rifle and 'Hoping' to walk smack into a beleagured f*cking Red Stag?!

 

Err; Did I just say, F*CK RIGHT OFF!!!!! I'm the S.A.S.. I'd likely have a heart attack just from entering that place! All very well for Noel to sit there in his van, going " " and offering to fetch his tractor to drag the body out with. I went into those reeds and I think the only body getting brought out would be an old and skinny one!

 

So there it is, I guess. That stag may well have charged off deep into the reed beds. Or deep into the goo they stand on? Could be no more than thirty foot behind that inpenetrable wall of beige?

 

Well, if he has and is? I'm sorry. But there he'll just have to f*cking well stay! I am NOT going in there!

[Guest Frank]

Ditch, a few years ago, not far from you, some local lads, gun club members, released, a herd of reds, that they got from a deer farm, in order to have a herd in the future.

I reckon, this stag, is one of them, or was bred by them. If you see a tag in its ear, its one of the ones that were let go. This particular stag, in the laws eyes has become wild. I know of a fully licenced indavidual, with the right caliber, (.308), that will take this beast out. If you would like a peace of it after, your welcome.

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

I'd sort of forgotten about that stag, Frank. Granted, my ears prick up at the odd cattle bellow and I tend to scan the bog. But I'd rather dismissed him. And you've reminded me; He could well be in those reeds!

 

That's interesting, about the gun club boys. Only Noel was telling me a bloke kept some, not far from here. Seems his fence got damaged () and they self released. I'm also given to believe Loch Rhyn (or however it's spelled) historically maintaned a Deer Park of Reds. And I've seen a few somewhere or other in passing too. Maybe towards Carrick? Those being fenced in.

 

Amazing just how many reds there must be around here then, really? I can only imagine they live up in the fir plantations or else simply don't make a habit of coming onto my land? I mean, as this one found out; I bloody soon notice them, if they do!

[Guest Frank]

That's interesting, about the gun club boys. Only Noel was telling me a bloke kept some, not far from here. Seems his fence got damaged ( ) and they self released. I'm also given to believe Loch Rhyn

 

That could be a possibility too Ditch . If its cousing problems, then send me a PM, if its not doing any harm no worries, but id say, their is plenty of boys where you are, that will share the feast.

[rogern 0]

Head shots on a rutting red with a hornet, yea right

 

Four 125 grain bullets from a 25-05 into a red stags head at 40 yards last year and still he was'nt dead.

 

You know for a fact do you frank? hows that work then?

Edited October 26, 2007 by rogern

[Guest Frank]

Head shots on a rutting red with a hornet, yea right

 

Four 125 grain bullets from a 25-05 into a red stags head at 40 yards last year and still he was'nt dead.

 

You know for a fact do you frank? hows that work then?

 

Easy, the bullet that you were using, went straight threw, doing little damage, you most likely used a soft point!!. The hornet bullet will fragment, causing massive damage inside the brain, killing instantly.

Please dont tell me whats what, when i have shot more deer most likely then you have had hot dinners sir.

By the way, not with a Hornet, taken with mainly using a .243 and Nosler 70gr, ballstic tip bullets.

I have only used the hornet twice in reds and that was in New Zealand a long time ago.!!!

Now go and get some proper experince, instead of hiding behind your computer, accusing folk of nowt you know about!!!!!!

Edited October 26, 2007 by Frank

[rogern 0]

Please dont tell me whats what, when i have shot more deer most likely then you have had hot dinners sir.

Now go and get some proper experince, instead of hiding behind your computer, accusing folk of nowt you know about!!!!!!

There you go again, how do you know all these things

you havnt a clue how many deer i've shot

 

how do you reply to posts without "hiding behind your computor"?

 

whats up frank, cant handle someone questioning your methods.

 

Ta Ta

Edited October 27, 2007 by rogern

[Guest Frank]

whats up frank, cant handle someone questioning your methods.

 

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

i dont care how close you can get with a bloody air rifle,only a fool would try to drop a deer with one, thats just greed in my eyes

editted to add

have respect for you quarry

 

Air gun ? A .22 hornet is not much but its no air gun and yes it will put down big stuff .