Thank God For Iphones

[Yokel Matt 918]

Managed to snatch an hour the other day to visit a new patch of ground, lovely still & mild evening (not like at the moment) and full of promise. My optimism as soon faded as I arrived and I saw the farmer spraying a wheat field; I jogged over and after exchanging pleasantries asked him where else he'd sprayed.... everywhere. This left few options as most of his other fields would now be more than likely occupied with cattle except one massive field which he had set aside for silage. After driving round the lanes and seeing that all the other fields were indeed full of beef I scooted over to the silage field which must be over 40 acres.

 

In many respects this did me a favour as I only had 45 minutes of light left so wasn't afflicted with decision paralysis on where was best to try. With whatever faint breeze there was in my face I stalked up the side of a wood which represented the boundary and had gone 150m or so to a bend which I rounded carefully. What looked like two hares with the naked eye, dwindling light and tall grass turned out to be a doe with a small 4pt buck in tow. The lay of the land only afforded a safe shot if they continued to move towards the wood from the field, which they seemed to be doing, so I selected a shooting spot and crept over on my hands and knees feeling every stone and contour on the rock hard ground.

 

As hoped they got to the safe shooting area but moving at an oblique angle away from me had increased the range to around 140m. Not wanting him to make cover and not happy with a neck shot I went for high lung, a shot I seem to be using more and more as there is still minimum meat damage and the hydrostatic shock more often than not knocks them out being so close to the spine. Theory aside it didn't bloody work and at the shot the doe turned back and raced across the open field but the buck went determinedly into the wood. Not wanting to pursue him too quickly afterwards and risk getting his adrenaline pumping I waited 10 minutes before moving to the strike spot in what was now last knockings of light.

 

 

Without a dog (I know, I know...) I had to trail by sight which was fastly becoming impossible but the torch on my iPhone came to the rescue. I expected to see it dead a few meters in but after a good 50 was still following a large amount of claret which stood out quite well in the light.

 

 

At 80m I found him and was scratching my head how he'd made it so far.

 

 

Edited April 28, 2015 by Yokel Matt

[bell 3,598]

Bet you breathed a sigh of relief when you came upon him lol......well done.

[sussex 5,777]

That is such a relief when you find them ! It is amazing how far than can travel after taking such a hit .. Thank Apple Matt not God ....well done anyway .

[bumpy22 414]

good work well done. I shot one a few years back in long grass. only seemed to run a short distance but with the grass at knee height I could not find any blood or pins. I must of walked within feet of it half a dozen times before I found it lol

[Yokel Matt 918]

It is a sinking feeling when the follow up is more than you expect, ironically had he followed the doe into the open it may have been harder to track in the long grass.

 

I extend my thanks to other mobile devices as well, android included. You were right about that lamb as well Sussex, I left him 10 days in the chiller in the end and had my first taste today... Amazing.

[The one 8,477]

See the placement makes you wonder how he went so far , at least you found him by the next morning the crows and foxes would of found him and had a feed

[hutchey 147]

Here come all the "must have a Deer Dog comments"

[Yokel Matt 918]

A dog is on the wish list but I'll have to wait until the kids are bigger in a couple of years. In the meantime I'll have to rely on my African Bushman like tracking ability... and my phone.

[sussex 5,777]

Here come all the "must have a Deer Dog comments"

Yep must have a dog ...

[hutchey 147]

No,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, It's started already

[Yokel Matt 918]

No doubt some 8 year old Chinese kid with an IQ of 1,000,000 is designing a dog app for my trusty iPhone at this very minute... or maybe BASC are putting together a special course in conjunction with Ray Mears and his San Bushman mates for pretenders like me. I can only hope. In the meantime I'll have to put up with the shame and stigma attached to a stalker who doesn't own a dog.

[sussex 5,777]

Can't beat a good dog lol

Your spot on , no good beating a good dog , your better of beating a bad one

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Matt has access to the best deer dog in Wiltshire should he need it

[sussex 5,777]

Matt has access to the best deer dog in Wiltshire should he need it

He kept that quite FD ..... He had us feeling sorry for him ...

[Yokel Matt 918]

It's a Bull-X called Turbo. Finds em' dead quick...