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Another one of those Monday mornings


henry d
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Cold start to the day and with the leaves falling it didn`t make for a quiet walk to a spot where I could wait for the light to hit the fields where I intended to stalk. Not a thing but sheep............ then something jumped out of the long grass about 300+ yds away. I waited and then could see in the sheep park a dark brown shape and to my eyes it looked like a pheasant, but it must be a big one !

I got the glass on it and there is a fox, crouched down and then again it jumps up and pounces into the long grass, after a mouse no doubt. I then set off as there were no deer to be seen after the miscreant. Unfortunately it was skylined and ther was no way I was taking a chance with the 6.5 140gn softpoint :good:

I got to just about 200yds and (s)he suddenly runs for cover towards the wood and it wasn`t because he saw me or winded me, so it must have been the traffic. I had hoped to meet with it again but after rounding the corner of the wood there were nothing but sheep there.

I stalked on and around to the north side of the wood and as I was cocking my leg over the fence, I spot 2 roe walking fast up the field toward me about 600 yds away. I get over the fence into some rough grasses and calm myself, they seem to be a doe and follower and on a beeline towards me and a little to my left which will put a small rise behind them when in range.

As she nears the older doe breaks into a canter and I now worry that she will make the wood without stopping so at 100yds I twang the fence wire and she instinctively stops long enough for me to shoot her, but with her being alerted she runs off after the shot and hurdles the fence into the wood. The follower I can now see is very small and probably late born. It runs to the fence but is too small to get over and as I have a dead elder next to me I cannot get a shot off, so I have to stalk towards it. Thankfully it is only 80yds away and sniffing at the fence and I can close the gap to less than 50yds, but it is still tucked in too tight to get a shot unless I go over the fence and that will spook it. I wait 5 minutes or so and it then starts to feed and slowly quarters away and into the field, I wait and get a chance at it and it falls stone dead.

The adult, probably mum, is five yards in the wood and dead, so I drag both 100yds out into the field to gralloch so that if we go out lamping the chance of a shot is better if foxy decides to lunch on them.

Just as I think about taking my jacket off, 2 more roe come trotting up the field and seem to be taking a similar line for the wood, then they deviate and cut across my wind and as I am lower than a snakes belly at this point in a wheeling, they bolt past at about 120 yds, they then wind the 2 beasts I have shot and stop.

The older doe seems puzzled and scents the air and looks at the prone bodies. Unfortunately for me she is also skylined and I`m not able to take a shot. After a minute or two she trots off towards the wood, which is good as she will get a backstop if she stops before the fence, which she does and drops on the spot.

The other doe, is a good size but bolts back to where they winded the other deer, so is skylined and I can`t move as she will see me and spook, by now the frost is eating into my chest and I`m feeling quite cold. She stands fo five minutes hardly moving and then she walks a few steps and winds me and is off like a rocket.......................

 

Ah well, 3 out of 4 aint bad :good:

 

How was your Monday morning ??

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We start our does on the 1.11.10 so have that week booked off work. will be spending the week boar and fallow shooting, most of it will be on the deer cull but we have just picked up some wild boar shooting so far the others in my team have shot them between 60 and 600 lbs so cant wait

doc

Edited by docholiday
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We start our does on the 1.11.11 so have that week booked off work. will be spending the week boar and fallow shooting, most of it will be on the deer cull but we have just picked up some wild boar shooting so far the others in my team have shot them between 60 and 600 lbs so cant wait

doc

 

:good: That`s a fair old porker !! Let us know how you get on :good:

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:good: That`s a fair old porker !! Let us know how you get on :good:

 

 

Believe me if I see one that size I will be legging it in the oposite direction :good: . The way it works is we are culling for a farmer who had some tree huggers release about a 100 "wild pigs" from his land about ten years ago, they have thrived and as can be imagined are causing a lot of damage with their "rooting and tooting" so he has just given us the shooting over his land basically free and he gets the meat to sell, we can keep at a £ per pound if we want.

If you get one of the big boys he comes out with tractor and takes it off to the chiller which is just as well as I wouldnt fancy trying to manhandle something that size.

I would like to get one about 6o lbs be worth bringing that home for the freezer. anyway wil find out more on the 3rd which will be my first visit. some of the lads have sent me pics of ones they have shot so cant wait. hopefully will be back with loads of pis

doc

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I cant think of a better way to start the week Henry. You know nate that every time I read one of your posts I go even greener with envy. It's not fair, all I have to look forward to is a few rabbits or a fox here and there! Sob, sob, sob - Anyone got a spare Kleenex?

Great write up mate!

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