Roe rut starting!

[Frenchieboy]

I went out this evening to have a look over a small permission that I have shot a few foxes on over the last few weeks to make sure that there weren't any more "hanging about"! No foxes showed but what did was a really pleasant sight to watch. I was hidden away below a dry stone wall about 100 yards from a piece of woodland that often holds a few roe deer when at about 9:00 out of the woods trotted a roe doe in really good condition. I spotted her come out of the woods and noticed that she was being closely followed by a large Roe Buck - He would certainly make a silver medal for me if I shot him. I have seen this buck about on a fairly regular basis but tonight he was acting slightly differently. He didn't appear to be too interested in feeding, he was more intent on making sure that the doe did not get a chance to leave his sight, so much so that if she went too many paces ahead he was after her and running around her. This tells me that the rut is now starting in our area.

Even though I had the .243 with me (I was hoping to nail a fox (if one showed) with the 58g V-Max loads I have been working on) I did not attempt to take a shot at the buck even when the two of them got to within 25 yards of me. I could not have justified the shot anyway as we are trying to encourage the roe to breed around this permission. Even so I feel quite priveledged and satisfied to have witnessed these two fine animals at such close quarters and it is great to know that the rut is iminent in our area now!

The situation will becompletely different on Thursday morning as I have an early start (I hope to be out on the permission and in a good shooting position by 4:00 in the morning) Roe Buck Stalking about 20 miles from my home!

[HotShot!]

Interesting. It'll just be starting to kick off in most areas during he next two weeks. Can't wait !!!!