kip270

If you sold your .22 and then sent your ticket off to apply for the .17, that's a variation and no charge, but if you apply for the .17 as well it's an addition and will cost you.

I thought i was the only one who would do a thing like that As you say a cracker

Well with all the lovely weather we have had recently I arranged with mate to try for a Roe Buck, and I have another mate (Jason) who wants to start stalking so he came along to see what it was all about. We decided to try for an evening stalk, so we arrived at 6pm, loaded up the landy and were off to the first bit of ground. As we drove down the track we spotted three roe, two does and a buck, so we stopped and just watched through our bins, this was jasons first look at deer through his bins, the buck was only about 2-3 years old (very slight frame and thin neck), we managed to get a bit closer and they were not bothered about us at all. Then we tried to get a little closer and that was it they were off… We carried on and got to a small wood, a good spot to look from afar to see if any deer were out and about, after about 30 mins we didn’t see anything so off to our next spot, we came around a corner and an old buck was stood along the edge of the wood, he still had a lot of winter coat left on him, and not such a good head (so maybe a possible buck later in the year) but in no time he was gone. The next spot was a stalk through a small wood, and as we got to the gateway we saw a roe doe just inside the wood, she spotted us and was off, but no barking as she made off which was good. As we made our way along the path a vixen came out of the undergrowth and walked along in front of us, this was the first time Jason had seen a fox in the daytime, and the fact that it was free to go about it’s business without being shot. A roe buck barked deeper in the wood to our left, the wind taking our scent towards him, we failed to see anything, so off to our final spot where we had spotted a Buck the last time we were out. It was a lovely meadow, and we had a good vantage point, we spotted a doe feeding below us, so we crossed a gateway and stalked along the other side of the hedge, and made our way to a small gap, which would give me chance of a shot if the buck was there too. Looking through the bins there were three of them out in the field a doe further out, then a nice buck, and then another doe with a kid which was a nice site to see, my mate said for me to take the buck, so down on the bi-pod and I waited for the right angle to take the buck. He was facing me and happy eating the butter cups, so after a few minutes he turned broadside, and as he did my shot was on it’s way and found its mark, the buck ran a few yards and then fell to the ground. The doe’s looked up for a second and then carried on feeding, the doe with the kid then thought “where the hell did he go” and made her way over and sniffed him, and then made off a few yards, and started feeding again. We made our way to the buck and the does didn’t see us, so my mate whistled to make the look at us, then they were off. A cracking Buck and a great end to an evening stalk, and Jason was impressed with what he had seen, the stalking bug has taken hold of him now.

Well it's been a while since i have posted on here.............but i'm back :blink: This was the first chance I have had to get out after some Roe bucks due to work commitments and family life, plus my stalking friend being busy too. It was an early start for me, my alarm going off at 3am, getting all my gear ready and on the road for 3.30am as I had to be at my mates for 4.30…. It looked as if it was going to be a lovely morning, so we were off and hopes were high that we would find some yearlings, as I’m not after big trophies. The only problem we had is the fact the cover has grown very high, but we had some meadows to take a look at, so we arrived at our first bit of ground, and as we were driving along the lane a Roe Buck was walking along in front of us, and it dashed off to our left into a field of rape, and was gone. The first stop all we saw were does, so off to our next patch and again all we spotted were does….where were they in the doe season?? So now for plan B, and I was dropped off at a wood and it was off to a high seat for an hour and hopefully we would get lucky. On my slow approach to the seat I bumped a Roe doe, I stood my ground and she wasn’t sure what I was but she didn’t like it and was off barking as she made her way through to the other end of the wood. I was in the high seat by 6am, and was scanning the wood with my bins, then at 6.15 I spotted a Muntjac doe making here way to my right so I steady my rifle and waited for her to stop for a safe shot, she stopped broadside, my cross-hairs were on her and I squeezed off my shot, she leapt up and dashed off 10 yards into some thick cover, I reloaded and looked at the time 6.20, so I would give it till 6.45 before I got down to search for her. Then I heard a muntjac bark and then I was really worried as I thought I had a wounded deer to find, I knew my shot was true, but the muntjac barking set seeds of doubt in my mind, then I saw a muntjac heading towards me from the same spot a saw the doe head into. Looking through my bins it was a Buck, and it was sniffing around the area where I last saw the doe, so that confirmed that she was lying there in the cover, so as soon as he gave me a broadside shot I was ready, my cross-hairs settled I squeezed off my shot and he dashed into the same bit of cover where the doe was. Now my mind was really full of doubts, I looked at my watch 6.25, so at 6.45 I headed off to the spot where I had shot them, but I needn’t have worried as they were both within 3 yards of each other in the cover. Both were shot just behind the shoulder, and the exit wounds were large enough, and upon the gralloch the heart and lungs were mashed, just shows how hardy these little deer are. We headed off to a meadow for one final chance of a Roe buck, we slowly stalked to a promising hedgerow, but not a thing, so we stalked to another spot and still nothing…so back to our first spot and a Roe doe was out and she spotted us and was off barking as she made off, then over the hedge on a brow of a small hill a nice buck stood up and scanned the area, there was no chance of a shot, but if he made off to our right and down the small brow he would be a safe shot, he stopped for a split second and I was on him, but then the fact that the two muntjac made a dash for it after my shot I hesitated for that vital second, and he was off. So no Roe bucks but two muntjac were a bonus.

Hope you all have a cracking weekend, i'll be thinking about it when i'm in work over the weekend (nites all week )

Yep it's normal, muscle memory, you find it more if the bunny was spooked before you shot it, but it is DEAD.

Now that's the way to spend a couple of days, a cracking write up, and good results. Invest in a strike a light and you will never need matches. Take a look here: http://www.light-my-fire.se/default.asp?ID=209&pID=147

Yep put me down, how long doe's this cert last for?

My mate has been busy of late with other clients after Trophy Roe Bucks and some Muntjac, and with my recent move I haven’t had chance to arrange anything for myself. But now things have settled down for my mate and me we arranged to get out after some yearling Bucks. The weather has been great and would you believe it the day we arranged to get out the weather changed and it was a cool easterly breeze and cloud cover, but would it put the deer off and would they stay closer to cover for warm. We headed off to some permission where I shot my very first Roe Buck, a small 4-pointer back in 2004. The grass was long so we made our way slowly searching for any signs of Roe close to the hedges, we got into the second field when we spotted a Doe (where were they in the Doe season??:D), and then another but no bucks. So it was off to our next bit of stalking. We drove down a track and I spotted two Fallow making their way to a small wood, and then we spotted another Doe? (OK so where are the Bucks) we waited for a while to see if a Buck would show itself, but nothing, so off to the next bit. As we crossed a cattle grid we spotted a very nice Buck, and watched him for a bit until he led down, and then we were off again. Driving down the lane a Doe was bedded down on the side of the lane, but no buck about, when we got to the gateway we spotted a Buck at the end of the field, it was a cull buck but it was making its way into a wood. So now for a plan off action, if we headed off around we may be able to cut him off, so off we set and got round the back of the wood. As we got to the gateway there were two Bucks, one with a broken antler and a very nice six-pointer, but I wasn’t out for a huge trophy, so the one with the broken antler was my intended target. I slowly stalked to the gateway, and rested on the gate post, the buck made its way to my left and stopped, but there was a branch hanging down in the way just in front of me, I moved and had a clear shot, my cross-hairs on its chest and it dropped on the spot. I gralloched it and hung it up on a tree as we were off to see if we could find the yearling buck further down the wood. We got to the spot where we first spotted him, but nothing, we both scanned with our bins, but not a sign, we had a chat as to what we were going to do next. I looked back up to where the buck was when we first spotted it and I could see a Roe, I signalled to my mate, we looked through our bins and it was a HUGE buck, with thick pedicles which were nearly meeting in the middle, it was only a 5 pointer but a malformed. My mate said that it was at least a £1000 if I were to shoot it!!!!! We headed back to the vehicle and off to our next bit of ground, a lot of the fields the crops are tall, and then a mixture of mowed silage fields, but we were struggling to see anything. We drove into a small field and I spotted a Buck to my left, it was led down facing us, so a bit tricky to assess if it was a cull buck, we reversed back and made our way to get a better look at him, we stopped and he stood up, my mate said that he was indeed a cull buck. The Buck on the other hand had different ideas and made off into a small copse. So it was off back to the farm, but we would have a look on the way home, we spotted two doe’s and then just spotted a buck before he led down. It was only a quick glimpse so we couldn’t tell if it was a cull buck, and the grass in this field was at least waist height, and every now and a again we got a glimpse of the tops of its antlers, but we needed a closer look or for it to stand up at least. Driving closer the buck got up and again it was a good buck. It was nice to see some nice bucks, not what I was after, but maybe one day.

Looks like you have been busy Mark, some nice trophy's there.

Yes you have made the right choice, i have one and it's on my belt everytime i go shooting

Just hope the driver is good and dosen't try to pop a wheelie Looks very good though

Eagle Owl Honey Buzzard Lanner x peregrine Harris Hawk

Thanks mate, i'm getting my own Gun room too

.270 130grain Winchester soft points, and moses is spot on No mate, staying in Wales but moving to a warmer house!!!!!! Only a few miles from where we are now.