Very pleasant morning with a good outcome

[243deer]

Agreed in the pub last night to take a friend out as an observer on a morning outing after Muntjac.

Well we picked a good day weather wise for our excursion with just a very gentle breeze blowing, a little tricky as the wrong way for where we needed to park so a circuitous route was planned around the edge of the perm to start our stalk properly from the far end.

Folk were out early this morning on the rooks, I think on some drilled peas and we heard several volleys which pushed a couple of young roe over on to our perm - all good as the owner and his wife like to see a few around. Whilst my friend was concentrating on watching a young roe buck moving through the wood in front of us I had the rifle up on the sticks concentrating on a muntjac doe that was moving a little behind the roe buck. The shot was well within range but I had tree branches hanging down 2m in front, a bunch of herbage 25m away and the shot would have been towards the village houses. So not a shot opportunity but we had now seen 2 deer of 2 different species, always a bonus when you take someone out as there is always a little pressure to avoid a complete blank.

Another 50m along the path to get to the side of the wood and start moving directly downwind to our planned starting point. Always keeping an eye ahead and even though we were not in complete stealth stalking mode we were still moving quietly and steadily, I spotted a munty doe that was probably the same one around 200m away looking at us through the edge of the wood. She had undoubtedly winded us as as she was clearly not quite sure and unusually moved off out of the wood alongside a field of winter wheat.

The next few hundred metres alongside the wood were uneventful deer wise but were none the less a joy, getting told off by the jay for a few moments and enjoying the cacophony of spring bird song. We are ruthless controlling the squirrels even though it seems to be impossible to eradicate them completely and note has been taken of the jay!

After waiting 10 minutes for the wood to calm down we started our stalk for real going into proper stealth mode moving only a few slow paces at a time then stopping and scanning. The first movement seen was from a hare about 30m, not quite sure about us but not overly concerned and it moved off unhurriedly.

We had covered about 100m in 20 minutes and a muntjac doe appeared as if by magic just 90m away. Rifle up on the sticks, good backstop, good direction of shot, nothing in the way, safety off, target acquired, target moves a few steps as usual, swing around on the quad sticks hoping that she stays put for a moment, target acquired again, hold breath, squeeze, watch for shot reaction, hear the solid thud of a good shoulder shot, reload quickly, watch for movement, feel the adrenaline rush that I always get even after many repeat experiences.

After waiting a couple of minutes (I know some books/courses say wait longer but I do not necessarily agree when I am confident that the shot was good, any possible misery needs to be ended swiftly) we approached and it was obvious that the job was done. A check on eye reaction with the end of the sticks and I look round for a suitable branch.

My friend now tells me that he has never seen a gralloch done before so a bit of pressure on again, quickly forgotten as when you go into a process you have repeated many times it is second nature. 

The doe was a young animal, 3/4 of the way through term and, as I explained to my friend, if you are going to control muntjac numbers you need to be shooting the does and as they are nearly always pregnant all year round you just have to deal with this. She will eat very well with only a small amount of shoulder meat lost.

Kit used was a set of home made monkey quad sticks, Sako 75 6.5x55SE, 8 x 56 Schmidt and Bender scope, Federal soft point 140gr ammo, vanguard Endeavour ED 8 x 42 binos.

 

 

 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Well done, I hope your mate enjoyed himself and learned a lot.   

[London Best]

Very well written account, thank you. 
Hopefully your friend will become another disciple.

[oowee]

Sounds like a nice outing. I took a mate out last week and we bagged a roe buck. Then took another this week and got onto two but he was unable to bag them, very disappointing but he enjoyed the experience. I went the day after and knocked them over and he picked them up yesterday. 

[243deer]

4 hours ago, London Best said:

Hopefully your friend will become another disciple.

That is the plan. I try and mentor one person a year and do not charge, unlike many these days. I have received some modest value pressies from some with each pressie bringing back priceless memories of each first deer.

4 hours ago, oowee said:

Sounds like a nice outing. I took a mate out last week and we bagged a roe buck. Then took another this week and got onto two but he was unable to bag them, very disappointing but he enjoyed the experience. I went the day after and knocked them over and he picked them up yesterday. 

Always good to be out with someone who's company you enjoy. As I turn into an older generation person I do believe that it is my duty to try and pass on some of the knowledge gained, often from folk who were equally generous when I started out. We saw other deer that we cold have shot today but they will keep.

[Morkin]

A great report mate, written very well and interesting, and a lovely morning out for the person you had taken out,👍🎣🎣🎣Don't forget to dangle ya buzzers 🤔