Jump to content

Sometimes a stalk goes bad!


gixer1
 Share

Recommended Posts

Went out for a stalk yesterday to see of there was a buck around, stalked in to a good vantage point overlooking a few fields an a wood and saw a buck laid up In the long grass, this was just before 8pm so I crept down the field to a wall dividing the field I stalked through from the field the buck was laid up in , I peeked over the wall but the buck was laying in the long grass on the horizon so no shot from that point....

 

At that I heard a roe bark and a doe came trotting up the field with another buck following her, I waited to see where they would end up and they walked straight towards me and ended up no more than 15ft away on the other side of the wall - I decided to stalk up the line of the wall uphill to put some distance between me and give me and them and to give me a shooting point down into the field and instead of having to wait for them to move to a safer point but when I had moved up the wall i looked over to see the doe running around with the buck giving chase, this put them over a crest at the other end of the field and did not present a safe shot or the opportunity to stalk in due to the first buck still laid up in the field on the horizon.

 

I then looked to my left and noticed a buck in the field just out from the wood at the other side of a dip and decided to stalk down the field to get a little closer, I closed in to about 130 yards and found a spot near a single tree in the field where the grass was low and I could get a shot off a short bipod I had made.

 

I waited for the buck to give me a side view and when he was nearly all the way round I put the crosshair on him and pulled the trigger.

 

The thud of the round hitting him sounded good and I saw him head for the wall and hit it falling in the long grass.

 

Now at this point the rifle fell off the home made bipod as I tried to cycle the bolt and chamber another round, I picked the rifle up and wiped the droplets of water from the scope glass and stood up to slowly walk to the buck.

 

On arriving at the wall after a slow 5 minute walk I discovered my first problem - no buck.. :( I could see a clear mark where the moss had been peeled off the wall an there were 3 trails through the bracken so I climed over the wall and followed one of the trails expecting to find him collapsed just over the wall...no joy,

 

I walked all the trails I could find and through the bracken with no joy and it was now getting dark, I had a look in the field around where he had dropped but could not see any blood trail or tracks in the fading light.

 

My heart sank as I knew I had to start the walk back to the car, all the way back I was swearing and moaning at myself, was the shot in the right place? Was the rifle out? ...all the usual things!

 

I had a bad nights sleep thinking about some poor buck with a wound lying dying slowly...not fun!

 

I woke early and decided to have a drive over and look in the bracken in the wood in the light, I walked about for 15-20 minutes following all the "trails" I thought I could see but no luck, I had to head to work...where it bothered me all bloody day...

 

After work I decided to head home and get the quad on the trailer and head over for one last look..

 

I went over and and drive down the other side of the fields to gain access to the wood on the bracken side and drove through stopping to walk the area now and again...

 

The view in the bracken -

32B86238-D778-4085-B242-D711A71B0A61-3747-000006464520B490.jpg

 

And again -

265FFF40-C8A7-421D-A702-D71822ACB550-3747-0000064638D6B493.jpg

 

I then went back and looked at the mark on the wall -

1808A012-9652-4B25-8F35-4FEF763AE8C3-3747-000006461E12B615.jpg

 

Definatly fresh when compared to the rest of the wall-

0D905F73-F138-437F-8D79-EEC10AB8DD95-3747-000006462DCB6DC9.jpg

 

I then decided to have a last look in the fields long grass by driving up and down...

 

And about 45 yard out , low an behold!! -

 

2E5EB200-9CB7-402E-BA63-1136F0E72268-3747-00000646031A9F68.jpg

Not great as a few critters had been at him and the carcass was now ruined.. :(

 

Another view - you can see the mark in the moss on the wall just to the right of the trees behind the quad, can't believe I didn't see him but I guess the direction he headed initially and the long grass disguised him -

 

0FECB771-4441-4CC6-8DC8-6D7C3626E0EA-3747-00000645FA3D5A91.jpg

 

 

A view back towards the firing position - The middle tree infront of the big group of trees in the background at the right of the pic - out of the 3 trees on thier own in the field above -

 

7D166761-AEC2-4ED4-9527-FEBFE6E21BC6-3747-0000064617086CC5.jpg

 

Finally the head on the poor fella -

 

49DAE22F-F941-408A-BF6F-72790EAB72C2-3747-000006460A157168.jpg

 

It's been a bad 20 odd hours of feeling bad about it but I've learned a few things out of it. -

 

Never take your eyes off a deer until you are sure it is down and not moving.

 

Never assume it will keep going in one direction, even when heart/lung shot...

 

Get a dog trained for finding deer!!!

 

Shame the carcass had to be disposed of but I'm glad I found him and it's plain he didn't suffer at all.

 

Live and learn!

 

Regards,

Gixer

Edited by gixer1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a ****ter when it happens I always struggle with finding foxes shot on stubble in the lamp. Tonight was a prime example two that would have been easy in daylight were pigs in the dark, fortunately I just throw the hound out now and she does the hard work. You just can't beat a decent dog haven't you got anyone local with one ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a ****ter when it happens I always struggle with finding foxes shot on stubble in the lamp. Tonight was a prime example two that would have been easy in daylight were pigs in the dark, fortunately I just throw the hound out now and she does the hard work. You just can't beat a decent dog haven't you got anyone local with one ?

 

I have two labs that would probably find a deer and hang around it long enough to give me an idea, but to be honest in this case if the dogs had come out of the wood I'd have stopped them and put them back in...I was that sure the deer had gone that way... :rolleyes:

 

I think I just saw what I wanted to see and put two and two together to make 15.. :lol:

 

Regards,

Gixer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

good honest wright up fair play its always a ****** to hear a story like this but at the end of the day its part of shooting not everything falls on the spot and on occasions you will not find the animal or pull of a bad shot but we are human and not perfect it happens to all of us you just got to carry on with the attitude "one of them" nothing you can do its done .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's actually a small stream between the two fields that runs through the wood and I even started to convince my self it had run into the wood, fallen in the stream and I was thinking "do roe deer float" :blink:

Edited by gixer1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hiya

 

Great 'briefing' and Well Done for persevering. Clearly demonstrates going back to the scene in the cold light of day and replaying the moment can suggest other possibilities that can be followed up.

 

Many of us know that 'sick' feeling but it is all part of the learning/experience process.

 

L

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its a bad feeling but at least you found it in the end, if you shoot enough its inevitable you will loose one, anybody who tells you different is either telling porgies or doesnt shoot very much.

 

:yes: you'd have to be very lucky to never lose a deer in your life if you regularly stalk!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

well done buddy for posting and for the follow up of your quarry its one of the worst feelings ever to lose a deer as sako and doc have said it has or will happen to everyone at some point it has happened to me a couple of times and will probably happen again lost one in very heavy cover and lost one in bracken people would not believe how hard it is to spot a deer once it has gone to ground in cover.you can walk over there them mant times before you spot them

and i have as you have shot roe and been sure it was down and dead and taken my off them just to catch them out the corner of my eye getting up and staggering 20 or 30 yards and crumpling in a heep dead . i have started training one of my young cockers to hunt them up and it is going great SO FAR !!!very steady and finds them no probs wouldnt leave the house without him :good: :good:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good to learn that he didn`t suffer. Almost lost a doe in a stubble field one day as there were 3 of them and I lost sight of the one I shot and thought it ran, but it was in a hollow in the field and I walked past it in the half light, but later found it when the sun got up.

Will have to try to remember to do a 360` search next time I lose sight of one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Having a dog is the answer, I wish I could have one but not for a few years yet, lucky to shoot with guys that do, I have stopped wildfowling because of not having a dog and that was a tough decision !!

 

Just out of interest - for all the guys who use "deer dogs" do they stalk with you? I spent a lot of my time belly crawling through long grass and creeping along walls - due to the type of ground I have (mostly open fields) and my dog would either be 1) trying to ly on top of me when on the ground or 2) rummaging around the wall.

 

I do have a friend with a black lab that kinda "tip toe's" along beside him when he is out but thats a kind of amusing "by accident" thing - I dont think it was trained to do

that.

 

Regards,

 

Gixer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good to learn that he didn`t suffer. Almost lost a doe in a stubble field one day as there were 3 of them and I lost sight of the one I shot and thought it ran, but it was in a hollow in the field and I walked past it in the half light, but later found it when the sun got up.

Will have to try to remember to do a 360` search next time I lose sight of one.

 

It was Henry, a big sigh of relief when I found him so close to the shot point, it always amazes me how Roe deer can "Vanish" - you would think a red coated animal in a green background would stick out like a sore thumb!

 

I have had a few lost over the years but always found them within 12/18 hours - this one just seemed worse because I had convinced myself it had fallen down dead at the wall....and no blood trail also had me thinking "was the shot ok?"

 

Regards,

 

Gixer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Breeze my deer dog is now allowed (at 5 and out everyday) her "nose", many times she has wanted to take me away from where I think the deer is.

She eventually gets her way and takes me to them! Often they have run back around behind us. You would never have found them without a dog.

Edited by yds
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just out of interest - for all the guys who use "deer dogs" do they stalk with you? I spent a lot of my time belly crawling through long grass and creeping along walls - due to the type of ground I have (mostly open fields) and my dog would either be 1) trying to ly on top of me when on the ground or 2) rummaging around the wall.

 

I do have a friend with a black lab that kinda "tip toe's" along beside him when he is out but thats a kind of amusing "by accident" thing - I dont think it was trained to do

that.

 

Regards,

 

Gixer

 

most stay in the car, but I guess its up to you, would have to be well trained to stalk and not cause trouble.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hi gixer if i am stalking round wood land i take the dog with me but if i have to stalk into a deer over open land i try and leave him in the car i can get him to sit and i can go 150 ish yards with him still sitting but then there are times when you turn round after a 100 yard stalk to see him 25 feet behind me :/ even if you leave them in the car by the time you walk back and get the dog out the car the sent is still fresh by the time you get back to the area you lost your deer in

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good honest write up Gixer, thanks.

Im with cocker. In woodland the dogs with me, open ground or frosty and she stays in the car. About 8 years ago not long after I started stalking I lost a fallow doe in woodland, two of us followed a thin blood trail which eventually disappeared, we spent two hours looking. The carcass was found by forestry workers later in the week not 50 yrds away, I vowed to get a dog asap, got myself a 3/4lab / 1/4 german s.h.pointer cross pup, my first ever dog, who now works pigeon, pheasant, deer and had a successful wildfowling trip last winter, a first for both of us. Sometimes theyre a right pain in the butt, sometimes they give you more reward than the shooting itself, they will embarass one day and make you proud the next, they will test your patience and your will but reward you with their loyalty and skill. I have learnt things from my dog by observing her behavior, on more than one occasion she has indicated deer where I could see none, Always a good idea to have someone with a dog you can ring when things go pearshaped, shame im not closer....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...