A couple of personal stalking firsts...

[Born Hunter 17,798]

My main quarry has always been roe, with regular opportunities at fallow and the very occasional muntjac. The Sika have always alluded me. Well, until lockdown lifted and I was able to get away for a few days stalking, which I was f***ing gagging for tbh.

I was doing alright on the roe bucks at this point and wasn't feeling much pressure, evening was setting in and the deer were starting to move again. I parked up on the top of the chalky downlands to fire up the jetboil and glass about where about a mile and half away I spotted 'something' motionless in the grass... Couldn't really tell what it was but it looked promising. It was by a bit of deadfall so I wasn't 100% it wasn't just a lump of wood too, or for that matter that it wasn't a fox as just up the bank I'd seen a pair cubing the evening before. Anyway, it looked like it's head moved so I went for a closer look.

Parked the truck couple of valleys away, unclipped the rifle as I dropped into the valley where I thought it was ready for a snap shot but nothing... Stalked the treeline in the valley bottom and still nothing, but hadn't found the deadfall yet either so I was still hopeful. I continue round and still haven't found shit and I let the doubt turn to carelessness in the way it does where 'stalking' turns to 'walking' and as so often happens BUMP and there's the f***ing deer!

A young spike stares back at me with those famous teddy bear ears at iirc about 60 yards with his mates moving up hill concealed partially by cover. Snap shot and he's down and I have popped my sika cherry finally. His mob move to the shot but now another presents a clear shot and I take another quick shot at a stag dropping him on the spot too. At this point the other five members of this bachelor group have had enough of me and set sail for a hunt jump and across into the next valley.

I set about bleeding and gralloching my first sika and, even better, my first stag, which pretty much finished the evening off by the time I had a fruitless look into the next valley and got those two in the chiller.

It was weird but I felt very conscious that this was 'a stag' laying in front of me. I've shot big fallow bucks but there was something a bit special about this being 'a stag'. It's difficult to explain and was just a fleeting feeling. I don't think it was novelty. Anyway, you can see he was on the verge of casting, the fall breaking one of his antlers off but with a bit of threaded bar and araldite it's come up nice.

 

Edited April 28, 2021 by Born Hunter

[Born Hunter 17,798]

[C.green 3,231]

The very best venison there well done

[Born Hunter 17,798]

2 minutes ago, C.green said:

The very best venison there well done

Yep, so far I'm particularly impressed with the burgers it makes. Nothing but minced trimming and they really are top notch.

[FOXHUNTER 5,021]

On 28/04/2021 at 09:30, C.green said:

The very best venison there well done

No .....CWD the best

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Muntjac mate .Food of the gods and in every hedge here .

[FOXHUNTER 5,021]

1 hour ago, foxdropper said:

Muntjac mate .Food of the gods and in every hedge here .

Wish they were up here..

 

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

They will be mate ,just hang in there .

[FOXHUNTER 5,021]

Not in my lifetime sadly

[jigsaw 11,875]

can i ask what that back pack is called ? great topic,envious as hell

[Born Hunter 17,798]

1 hour ago, jigsaw said:

can i ask what that back pack is called ? great topic,envious as hell

Vorn Lynx mate. When you were asking about rifle slings a while back I think I suggested one to you. One of my most highly rated bits of kit. Rifle securely held on my back and when I need it a quick release has it loose and in my hands in about two seconds flat. I'll shoot prone or seated with it as a rest too as the frame built into it is rigid enough.

[jigsaw 11,875]

2 hours ago, Born Hunter said:

Vorn Lynx mate. When you were asking about rifle slings a while back I think I suggested one to you. One of my most highly rated bits of kit. Rifle securely held on my back and when I need it a quick release has it loose and in my hands in about two seconds flat. I'll shoot prone or seated with it as a rest too as the frame built into it is rigid enough.

thanks BH,i will have a look again,things have improved here lol...iit looks a great bit of kit

 

[Born Hunter 17,798]

12 hours ago, jigsaw said:

thanks BH,i will have a look again,things have improved here lol...iit looks a great bit of kit

 

Glad to hear it mate.

It’d have been perfect for the goat hunting you used to do. 

[jigsaw 11,875]

Its still a lot of money ...after import tax etc....i will have to think on this one ....

Vorn Equipment Lynx Backpack

WWW.CLUNYCOUNTRYSTORE.CO.UK

---

Buy Vorn backpacks online here! Genius new quick release hunting rucksacks. FREE UK mainland next working day delivery & 2 year warranty! Full range of...

 

[Born Hunter 17,798]

1 hour ago, jigsaw said:

Its still a lot of money ...after import tax etc....i will have to think on this one ....

Vorn Equipment Lynx Backpack

WWW.CLUNYCOUNTRYSTORE.CO.UK

---

Buy Vorn backpacks online here! Genius new quick release hunting rucksacks. FREE UK mainland next working day delivery & 2 year warranty! Full range of...

 

They are. But I'd buy one from an EU country given you're in one. Buying from the UK you're paying two lots of duty effectively.