Some recent success

[Yokel Matt 918]

I reckon I have more time to go stalking during term time than when the kids are off on holiday! Managed to nab a few hrs here and there, the change in weather has made things far less predictable, unfortunately coinciding with the time I could of get out on the roe rut. Managed to trim a couple more cull bucks from the local area, both of which came to the call.

The second one here was actually a half decent weight which sucked as I’d left the roe sack behind and had to drag it nearly 2k to the truck. The stubbles made the drag hard work - it half bald by the time I arrived and the legs were a little stiff in the morning!

The following week we were back to sunshine again and so I was i a highseat with the buttolo. Could hear a buck and a doe crashing through the undergrowth but couldn’t see them and this seemed to carry on for half an hour. Despite being alert for them when they finally arrived they burst through rhododendrons with such force it made me jump. He was a good buck as well, literally on his toes waiting for her next move. My rifle was pointing the wrong way and the clock was ticking before the crashed off again.. risking it I moved the rifle towards him as deliberately and positively as I could, he noticed the movement but a split second too late as the moment he glanced up at me the round hit him in the chest.

The next day driving back from work on the neighbouring ground (also my perm) I saw this beauty rutting hard. Life got in the way and I never caught up with him to get a closer look but a great one to leave in the area.

 

[Yokel Matt 918]

This weekend I was down in Dorset visiting a relative who been unwell and also checking out a new bit of woodland I’ve taken the deer management on. Parking up at the house I was just unloading my gear and this massive hedgehog strolled past me right in the middle of the street! Not wanting to see the poor bugger squashed I grabbed a bucked and got him into it... quickly remembering how prickly they are! The sight of him cheered my relative up no end (although he flinched when I said it was for Sunday lunch!) and minutes he was released into their large garden.

A 4:50am start the next day and I was at the new ground doing some armed recon and cock-sure I was going to bag a nice Sika stag. What I did get was the sorriest looking roe buck I’ve ever shot. I did a gralloch only to satisfy myself that he didn’t have anything notifible wrong with his and then found a hole under a fallen tree stump and burying him in it.

The rest of the morning was uneventful but very rewarding as I had a good look about. Some nice woodland with plenty of sign and wallows. Had it been November I could have shot half a dozen hinds... 

 

 

[Yokel Matt 918]

Following morning and another 5am start. I spotted a nice 6 point stag in the tall bracken and was making progress towards him when a roe buck spotted me and barked from 50m away. He was presented a good shot shot figuring a buck in the hand is worth a stag in the bush I put the bead on him and dropped him with a head shot. By the time I got to him, which was no more than a couple of minutes his head was plastered in flies. Gralloching him with all them about and he’d be fly blown it ten minutes so I covered the head with dry leaves and left him in the shade.

Moving on and another buck, just a spiker this time. Bang in the head making it two and the same leaf treatment for him. I decided to go get the truck so I could suspend gralloch and then whip them straight in the back when the flies couldn’t get them. As my conscience was poking me about passing up the stag for the buck I caught a flicker of movement up ahead, a hind with a young follower. I was in the sticks trying to identify its sex and could have shot the hind a dozen times over in the meantime. The hind eventually spotted me a gave the alarm. Unfortunately for her this made the follower both reveal himself as a male and keep his head still enough for me to shoot him in it. 

After I’d finished the gralloch my relative arrived and we had a campfire breakfast of venison burgers and hot tea... not a bad way to end the morning and 4 in the cull book on the first visit.

 

 

[bell 3,600]

Great write up and pics mate, keep them coming.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

That's the way to kick off a bit of stress mate .Can't wait for October and the chance for a mean looking stag. Well done on  your culling mate .Not sure if deer get mange but looks he'll of a lit like it .

[Terry Ermann 994]

Good post Yokel, making me want to get back out on them 

[Yokel Matt 918]

Cheers fellas. Yes it a quality spot and lots to be done on the cull front, extraction is going to involve some graft as the tracks are too far gone and need grading. 

That manky buck was heaving with ticks, keds and lice / fleas Tim. A real state?

[The one 8,479]

Fairly getting your tally 

[j j m 6,539]

very good

[firthy 54]

you have been busy mate top job. that buck you had looks decent send me some pics over on whatsapp. You done that other poor fu#ker a favour for sure. 

[sussex 5,777]

Great reports as usual Matt ..good work 

[Yokel Matt 918]

Cheers all. Apart from the stinker the others were nice clean carcasses although the larger buck had a case of pleurisy.

[Rob58 1,599]

would have been some nice capes there would have made some nice mounts, great write up 

[Yokel Matt 918]

You’ll be getting a closer look at the third buck down Rob.