More Bucks

[oowee]

Still trying to get a better understanding of the new ground that I picked up this year. Always a challenge when you can see where you need to get to but don't know the land well enough to know what routes are possible. Some of the land consists of a steep edge bank falling maybe 40m over a length of 800m or so. The bank has plenty of cover but its not easy to move along it except at the top and the bottom edge. 

I had been watching a couple of bucks over the last few days as I was out and about doing this years survey. My hopes that the landowner would not put cattle out on the hill before i had a chance at the deer were dashed when the next day the cattle were our feeding. Fortunately they were only there for a day or so and the two deer were in place as I set out at about 1930, giving me about 90 mins to find them and get on them. I started from a vantage point where I could see much of the bank and identify what looked like the two bucks. 

The first was half way along the bank and half way up making an easy stalk. Coming in at the top of the bank I was able to climb down it and use the field margin at the bottom to move along it. I waited maybe a couple of minutes from about 40m for it to put its head around the trees and it was down. A quick gralloch and hung it over a fence and made my way back to the truck. I went to the top of the bank and made my way to the other which had conveniently waited for me sitting at the bottom of the bank. A simple neck shot and it was down. 

Two bucks one getting on a bit without a great head and the other around middle age i guess, both 40lb van weight and were harder to retrieve than to stalk but a very enjoyable evening stalk. 

[Gemsbok]

Good going! Sounds a bit challenging, but you got the best outcome

[WelshMike]

Well done Grant 

[Mickeydredd]

Like you, I'm still learning the habits on the roe ground I picked up in December.

The does were taken easily as everything just sat out in the open all day long!  Had my first buck stalk this week and not a deer to be seen.  Thankfully I had taken the thermal and discovered everything was tucked up in the long grass/reeds in the drainage ditches so I will now have to resort to normal stalking hours outside of the heat of the day.

I took one but didn't get a shot on the second buck that I spent 20 minutes shouting at from 30 yards to try to get him to break cover!!  😁

[oowee]

Not sure what your ground is like? I have many that are opportunity shoots where i take what i can. On the larger bits I try not to take too many does as they will bring the bucks. The question then is how many to take as the does will leave if there are no bucks lol.

[bumpy22]

3 hours ago, oowee said:

Not sure what your ground is like? I have many that are opportunity shoots where i take what i can. On the larger bits I try not to take too many does as they will bring the bucks. The question then is how many to take as the does will leave if there are no bucks lol.

Slightly different scenario bucks will definitely come to does rather than does leaving 

[oowee]

1 hour ago, bumpy22 said:

Slightly different scenario bucks will definitely come to does rather than does leaving 

The doe can be considered the more sexually ‘dominant’ of the sexes. If there is not a buck in the area when a doe comes into oestrus, she will go and find one and will then lead it to her preferred area with much leading on and chasing.

[clakk]

First Roebuck this am in West Sussex well pleased only munties up here on my perm

[Mickeydredd]

On 17/05/2019 at 18:25, oowee said:

Not sure what your ground is like? I have many that are opportunity shoots where i take what i can. On the larger bits I try not to take too many does as they will bring the bucks. The question then is how many to take as the does will leave if there are no bucks lol.

My ground is flat Fenland, all barley, wheat and beetroot etc in strip fields of 500 yards by 100 yards mostly and a total area of less than 300 acres.  I'm doing a cull program as when I viewed the land in December there were around 40 deer sitting out in the fields in groups all day long - there is no cover and they have never really been shot.  Concentrated initially on mature does and took 15 in four visits.  It was a striking contrast to visit the ground in the warm weather and not see anything sitting out.

I will take a few more bucks and then control the remaining population going forward as the farmer doesn't want them wiped out but needs the numbers substantially reduced.

Edited May 25, 2019 by Mickeydredd