Second Red Deer

[scolopax]

I had another trip to my new syndicate ground three weeks ago. Whilst the rest of the country was basking in the last sunshine of summer central Scotland had wind and rain, but at least it kept the midges away!

 

After driving up through the night dawn on the Monday morning saw me in the highseat that I had my initial success from, but this time I saw nothing in two hours. I did hear a stag roaring as he moved through the forest and at one time he must have been only 150 m away but there was no chance of seeing him through the dense screen of conifers. After my stint in the high seat I decided to have a stalk/explore into the heart of the forest. Plenty of sign of deer including a wallow but the animals themselves were keeping a a low profile. Eventually I came out from a ride into an open area which I recognised from my previous trip, and I was about a mile from where I thought I would emerge! These big forestry blocks really are disorientating! Walking back to my car along the boundary track I disturbed two grouse from the heather next to the boundary track, I got the glasses on them and was pleased to see they were grey hens, a bird I had never seen before.

 

After finding my accommodation, having a late lunch then a quick nap it was time for the evening stalk. I chose a vantage point of a large rock overlooking a clearfell area at the far side of the lease. The weather had turned pretty bad by now and nothing emerged during my vigil. The next morning I returned to the location, the weather had not improved at all and again no deer emerged out onto the clear fell.

 

For the evening stalk I visited the second clear fell on the lease, I drove up through the forest then parked up at a point indicated by a small cairn next to the track. I then followed a rough path through the trees for about 250m downhill before coming out onto the top of the clear fell. Looking to the left I saw the high seat I had been told about and after ten minutes slowly stalking the forest edge I was up to the seat. From this vantage point I had a great view of the open ground in the clear fell and of the loch way below me. The tree line was about 160m away to my right and again 300 m to my left, there was alot of dead ground though in the gullies and banks and also the rough grass and sedges gave alot of cover, it would be a case of carefully glassing the whole area. I was worried that any deer I may see would be well beyond any range I was comfortable with, suspecting that they would favour he sheltered side of the clear fell in the lee of the tree line 300m to my left. A couple of hours had gone by, it was windy but the light rain was intermittent so I kept quite dry, when my dog snorted loudly as he took in a deep lungfull of air. He had been sat down under the seat but now was stood up looking upwind and picking up a strong scent, the game was afoot! I concentrated on the tree line, when a movement directly in-front caught my eye, it was a deer, a red stag at that. He was close only 80m or so, but most of the time totally obscured by brash and long grass as he grazed. After five minutes he looked for long enough for me to take a neck shot and I had my second red stag down. After the gralloch it was decision time, 350m uphill through the trees to the track above me and the car, or 700-800m down hill through the clear fell to the loch-side road. I decided down hill was easier,and no doubt it was, but how I never broke a leg I will never know. It was a nightmare of tree stumps, hidden gullies, rocks, brash and deep holes, the light was fading rapidly and by the time it was dark I was still only half way down with the beast. Eventually I found a clear gully 2/3 of the way down and that was slightly easier going. With the carcass hidden at the roadside it was an hours walk along the road then uphill along the forestry track to collect my car. In hindsight I should have left the animal where I shot and retrieved it in the morning in good light, for as I discovered clear fell has the potential to seriously damage your health.

 

 

[moses]

Nice write up and good shooting.

 

Looks like a good cull beast.

 

ATB

Moses