Dilema

[dama 0]

Ok, It's a foggy February morning and I arrived at the Highseat as the light was seeping thru'

 

A herd of fallow come over the hill - 20 strong but no safe shot could be taken.

 

As the herd graze closer I spot a prickett away from his companions looking a touch dickie.

(he is seriously limping and not even able to keep up with a grazing herd)

 

Then I see something else coming over the brow - is it a .... fu*K me it's the biggest set of palmated antlers I've ever seen on my beat.

 

Sick deer? OR Deer of a lifetime?

 

I ended up taking the sick deer at 230mtrs, I decided that any contact would speed the end of his suffering. As it happend it was a good heart lung shot.

 

I sat it out for 15 minutes to let it's life leak away and was rewarded with a second oppurtunity, a last years doe. who had lost the herd and wandered back towards my position. blam*&% - a fridge filler

 

Upon inspection, the injured pricket had been in a v. bad way. It had a broken fore leg,

puss ousing from a rear haunch, a historic groin injury (half heal'd) dodgey liver and a huge absess in it's neck.

Put it this way, this carcase didn't end up in the human foodchain!!

 

I believe I am involved in stalking for a few reasons. My pleasure, sport and deer management.

Deer management and welfare won that day and I am pleased with my decision.

However the big bugger gets it next time!

Edited June 20, 2008 by dama

[dustyfox 0]

As they say good things comes to those who wait.

[dicehorn 38]

In my book you are a true stalker

[AJWH 0]

good one mate

 

always like storys like that

Alex

[v-max 2]

You did the right thing but it depends on the situation of safty & ccommand you have on the deer & how unwell your pricket is & how good you are at shooting. If you had a great command & can shoot & you read that the beast was bad to a point you could have taken the big lad then the pricket but it could go all wrong & pricket never had.

[Guest little_lloyd]

Im not even in to stalking or shooting deer but you did the correcect thing there matey.

[alimac 882]

In my book you are a true stalker

 

got to agree there

[SNAP SHOT 194]

Agreed, better to end the suffering of a poor animal and try to get lucky the next time..................welfare comes first in my book

[Ricky-N.p.p 0]

well donr that man !

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

A bit of the same thing the other evening myself .Stalking along a hedgerow between 2 fields of corn and i heard a deer run off on the other side .Got to a gap in the hedge and saw a buck out in the corn with direct eyeball on me .A doe was to his right and a third caght my eye as an ear flickered just yards away under a tree .It was a kid and as id not studied one this close i decided to do just that .It got up as the doe stamped her feet and i could see it was on 3 legs with a lifted front .A real cose look with the bins revealed a normal sized leg with no swelling and no breaks so i decided to give it the chance to recuparate .The buck could wait as i didnt want to startle this young 'un into running off and doing more damage to it .Time will tell and i will cull it if its no better within a few weeks .I watched as the trio settled down to go about their business and finally i slunk backwards to leave them to it .

Its not all about the killing as those of you that spend time in the country a lot ,will no doubt already know .Cheers Foxdropper .

[champion 0]

.

Answer like all the other replies is yes and well done but as a stalker you new that but wanted to here it from other people and so you should so once again well done and you have shown its not all about killing deer to the people who are learning about stalking you have a responsability to the animals you are looking after and I am sure you will get a chance at the big one again , and by the way 200+ yard shot good shot for an experienced stalker like yourself but to any beginners if posible try and keep to under 100 till you get experience under your belt.

Edited September 1, 2008 by champion

[Cernunnos 0]

Hi dama,

You made t right choice, no doubt about it. Well done

[Gimli 0]

Good man, excellent decision for all the right reasons. As dusty fox said, good things will come. You deserve it. more importantly, you've won the respect of true stalkers and hunters.

[Roz31573 0]

well done mate, right choice!

 

When the big bugger comes out next time... you've earned him!

[dwighet 1]

That gets the thumbs up in my book.