Dymented, The Auction Prize. And What A Prize It Turned Out.

[Rabid 1,936]

After winning the days stalking kindly donated by Rich (AKA sussex) we exchanged a few mails discussing what he shoots with, the why's and what fors and so I was really looking forward to the day, two weeks ago I got the email saying its on....

 

So I duly got my back side down to Rich, turned up to meet him, and what a guy, from the offset you just know when you are talking to a proper genuine person, who knows not only what they are doing and how to go about it, but don't need to shout it about, well this was rich from the off.

 

We arranged to set a target up and fire a few shots off, mainly so rich could assess what he was up against taking me out (he was kind enough not to actually say that though !) after the first shot and getting a feeling for the rifle, I dropped two through the same hole, albeit an inch high of bull, rifle was zeroed an inch high at 100mts. Everything felt good, rich seemed happy with what he saw and before I knew what was happening we were off to one of his perms, chatting away en route I started to get nervous, this guy clearly knew his onions, and here was me, not had a deer in the cross hairs for many years, a youngster no less last time I was on the deer, most of it I had forgotten, off to the high seat, settled in, dog laid down underneath, rich looking like he was so relaxed a sleep could well be in order, and my eyes were on stalks !

Rich pointed out the suspect spots where we would get a sighting, and sure enough, shortly after four came into view, two does and last years fawns, happily grazing not a care in the world about 50mts away, rich had given me the sp on what we were looking for, and I was keeping an eye on them through the scope, rich spotting with the bins, a nice doe had no idea she was the main focus, and after a few minutes presented herself just right, my mind was going crazy, clean kill...backstop right....inch high at 100mts....clear shot....broadside....everything going round and round, but mainly the feeling I had a pair of exceptionally experienced eyes on this, it had to be right, I even felt the dog looking at me, thinking you better not screw this up ! Anyway I was conscious I was thinking too much and reality was, it was a good shot, at no distance, it all felt right so I squeezed one off, the instant I did I heard Rich's voice, shit I thought, what's wrong, but he was confirming it was the shot to take thank god ! I knew it was a good hit but she still ran out of sight, been only 15 mts or so from the tree line I had thoughts of a track coming on, good job we had his dog, gave it a few minutes as you do and lead on the dog we set off, instantly the dog was nose down tail up, for a pup she knew what she was doing, long story short, the doe only made 20 mts or so and was easily found on the edge of the field, stone cold with one in the boiler room, I checked entry and exit....finally I could breathe a sigh of relief, rich went to work like a pro, and she was soon gralloched out and clean, loaded onto the quad and off we went.

Cleaned up and in the cold room it went in at 62lb.

 

Now I had fullfilled all my expectations for the stalk, and rich had banged me slap bang in the right place at the right time, I was a contented bunny that night, but Rich had other ideas.......we were to meet up before dawn the following morning for some more, well I wasn't going to say no was I !

I duly got up in pitch black to be greeted by thunder, lightening and the rain going past the door horizontally, now I am not a big girls blouse usually, but I was having one or two doubts about this so a quick call to see how it was with rich, he confirmed it was the same his end, and we should rain check for a couple hours and see what was going on, it stopped by 8am so I made my way to the farm and shortly we were on our way to another of his perms, he had been keeping this place quiet, we rocked up and I thought I was in a deer farm, everywhere, left, right, up yonder and down dale, there was fallow grazing in every direction, holy s**t I have never seen deer like it, a quick look at rich told me we were in for a good one.

 

After parking up, and readying the quad, we set about making our way through trees and fields, taking it all in I was asking myself where I went wrong, this surely was heaven, I was brought back to earth by the sudden halt of the quad, rich had a feeling we were on, sure enough, 150 mts ahead about 30 fallow were lazing and grazing, I scoped the field checking them, looking for a lame or damaged animal, nothing really jumped out, does, fawns, a picket caught my eye but moved out of shot, I kept scanning, rich suggested I pick a nice doe, so I kept looking, every time I found a nice shot something was wrong, other beasts moving in front or behind, my favourite was lying down and I didn't like the shot at all, kept scanning and eventually saw a doe that looked like she was going to move into a clearing amongst them, and she was almost broadside so I kept her beaded, ..now rich had said several times the pressure was off him as I had already dropped one yesterday, easy for him to say, I felt worse than ever, the tension was tying my nerves into knots here ! Eventually the shot presented and I took it, again I knew it was a strike, but something not quite right, she Ran few yards and dropped, we stayed put, watched and waited, she was down but looked like she wanted to get up, rich said best drop another into it as the last thing anyone wanted was an injured animal so another round was swiftly sent her way and a large jump followed by a quick circle round and down she went, we made way over to her, and it was job done, another one chalked up, upon investigation the first shot was slightly low, the second bang in the boiler.

 

We biked her down to the pulley and gralloched out, and went off for a look around again, we saw a few and stalked a small group through some cover but they were grazing away from us and as we just sat watching they were spooked by something and took flight, by now time was getting on and rich suggest we get packed up and eat, so I started doing the van while he went to fetch the earlier deer, when he returned I could see nothing on the quad, wtf, I thought you was fetching the deer, he gave me his slight grin...we got another one to do.....turns out, while he was fetching the first one, another presented itself, and rich kindly dropped it and came back to collect me ! So we cleaned that one, loaded up and off for a bite to eat.

 

An hour or so later he looked at his watch and suggested we needed to make a move, he hadn't been idle, he had formulated another plan, some bales spotted earlier were going to be made into a hide, excellent I thought, sounds good, lets do it, we arrived back to see the farmer finish clearing up the last few bales, crap....what now, lets park up and see, just as we were rounding a corner I spotted a small group at the far end of a field, a long way off, and they were watching us, rich looked at them, looked at me and said, lets stalk them........how the feck we going to get near them I wondered to myself, sure lets do it I replied...........

 

Stalk on, rich taking the lead we made our way slowly and carefully through some trees, down into a small ravine and we made good ground, stopping often to glass up the field and choose our path we had covered half the distance and they were hopefully none the wiser....we got to the point we lost the advantage of the ravine as it levelled out, we had sparse tree cover, and occasional ground cover, so down on our bellies and we took on the guise of newts ! Now Rich and his years of experience really came into play, he picked us the perfect path, keeping cover at all times we were soon inside 200 metres of them and they hadn't moved, happy days, we sat and watched them for a while, and it was suggested we needed a clearer shot, to many branches to shoot from the sticks, and too much bracken/grass to use the bipod, but we had worked hard for this and I got the feeling he would not let this go so easy, he summoned me forward the last few yards, only a small narrow clearing to shoot from, I bellied up the last bit, looked around a clump of bracken, and there they sat, a tad over 100mts, bipod unfolded and seconds later the shot was on, I squeezed the round away and it hit home perfect, without thinking I had re cocked and found myself looking at a second head, knowing the first was down and down well, the second felt absolutely perfect and in an instant the second shot was winging across the field and hit home, two down and I knew the other were on the toes and gone so I stood up, started walking back to ric, he asked if I was happy.....I could have cried, happy not the word mate, that was awesome, two down in seconds, both I felt were very good shots, and more enjoyable for the belly crawl we had to do, we walked over, the second one laid exactly where she had been stood, and the first was just a few yards away, I could not thank this bloke enough for what he had put me on.

 

 

We promptly had them gralloched out and loaded up, and were soon off home, what an end to my day, it was all going round in my head, and suddenly it seemed clear, I had been working myself up too much, worrying, thinking about everything, those two last shots happened quick, they felt right and it happened, prior to that I had really been taking my time on everything, and that was getting my nerves, silly really, I have been head shooting rabbits at 60-70 yards with air rifles and foxes at 100 plus yards for years with no hesitation and I knew I could do it, yet faced with a target four times the size I was worrying for nothing.

 

Anyhow, my time with Rich went far too quick, the bloke is an absolute star, top deer man, and bloody nice bloke to boot, I feel chuffed to have had this opportunity, and learnt a lot, so a big thank you for donating the auction in the first place, and not only making the time better than anyone could have expected, but for the warm and friendly way you made went about it.

 

The deer you promised me has now been skinned and butchered, and I shall be enjoying a meal fit for a king tomorrow, Thank you, and in those famous words, I will be back !

 

As an aside note, if anyone ever gets the opportunity to shoot with Rich, be it invited, paid stalking, auction or whatever, I suggest you jump at it, you will not get an offer like it.

[smithie 2,443]

nice read

[Tiercel 6,986]

That is one of the best write-up I have read in a long time.

 

TC

[RossM 8,119]

Cracking write up pal..... Great cause and a trip to match by the reads of it

[the apprentice 178]

Good read mate, well done, sounded like a top prize, still some good people in this world, atb

[sussex 5,777]

Glad you enjoyed your day , it was a pleasure . Your welcome back any time , you were great company .. ....& a good shot .

 

 

edited to confess the pictures were mine , wouldn't want the blurred photography mod to get the blame..

[baz 464]

That's a great write up, and you sound like a very happy man,well done

[Philluk 181]

That puts the pressure on me now

[Giro 2,648]

Cracking right up..

 

Looks like you had a blast

[The one 8,482]

Great read mate

[dytkos 17,800]

Great write up and well done to Sussex for giving the prize.

 

Cheers, D.

[Born Hunter 17,775]

Excellent write up. Sounds like a deerstalking-spark that has rekindled a roaring blaze to me.....

[Carraghs Gem 1,675]

Brilliant write up!

[paulus 26]

top write up and photo`s i would be proud of

[Rob58 1,600]

What a great write up superb and you couldn't have stalked with a nicer bloke rich is a top fella

Well done on your deer and nice shooting.