Was following this guy with hinds and a smaller "side" stag from early Sunday morning (still dark) - there were other hunters on them as well. Reds outmanouvered other guys and got pass me as well - however I put in higher gear and 2 hours later high just under the top of big hill connected with them in a thick bush area where nobody sane would follow since it was so thick that stag would sence you before any reasonable sight of him...I pushed it quite some and with some luck spooked the smaller stag (that wasn't quite sure what I am) but it only made a couple of strides - just enough to unsettle old stag that came through and chased it off but made one turn to much - at 7m I shot it through both shoulders with 8x68S - mad 30m dash and he was down. Picture as it ended.






Found the bullet (Blaser CDP loaded by RWS) on the off-side peaking through hide



...pic with "grandeln" aside



On stag - it is an older management sub trophy to be taken out...but it was a Hunt!

Mouse, You always have great photos and accounts of your exploits. Thank you for posting this.

Sounds like awesome hunt and great skills Mouse
Lovu zdar

Mouse, good to hear from you.
Thanks for sharing.
Weidemansheil to you.

Hope you are fine.

Cheers

Thank you guys - here is the trophy.

Another great hunt from Mouse. Nice stag and nice caliber, the 8x68 is deadly.

Good stuff!

Thanks!

I can't emphasize enough how magical it is to break into their comfort zone bubble...reds have a capability to smell you over 300m when wind is in their favour or they just sence your presence within 35m regardless the wind. Once inside those 35m (on normal conditions) you have 10-15 seconds before you are busted. They are quite aware of their environment all the time - time of day, roads, water, thickets, danger zones etc.
However when you cheat them into their awarness - sneaking into thicket was one thing they didn't expect it.

And it still amazes me how the animal of this size with its antlers can move so silently through even thickest of bush - pushing one antler ahead, then snout follows and then the other antler, then neck and the rest of the body - like a giant weasel - almost snake-like...

But when a shot goes off - all this just goes to hell - shatters in a moment - shear force, and hard breaking of the branches and rocks tumbling gives you the real impression of beast's size and power...

Great stuff Mouse.

We are a couple of weeks behind you here. The stags have not really started roaring yet but thew odd spike and sub-stag is following the hinds.

I'm on the hill on the 9th so can't wait. As you say red deer are awesome to hunt.

K

Alright - good for you!

Funny - a part of me envies you since everything is still ahead of you and I guess this is the best part at the end. Tho must say, I am grateful that it happened as it did eventually.

We are truly privileged to be able to tackle them beasts - now in the 21st century.

I wish you a good one. Make it count.

Mouse - really impressive stuff. Those tough stalks live in the memory the longest.

Bet the extraction wasn't the easiest either!

yes - regular stuff tho. First I had to climb some more to get a signal for my mobile. I was lucky since 2 of my hunting buddies were close by. An hour passed untill they reached me. Then we had to drag it 300m - fortunately downhill, to the nearest road through the terrain you can see. In doing so it crossed my mind that I am getting too old for this. But all was well a couple of hours later.

That is cool Mouse. Good for you.

I just got 8 pointer two days ago
Made low shot on front leg, friend has awesome Bavarian hound, tracked it 6 K's, stopped it so we were able to finish him.
Hunting can be tough when you mess up the shot, but having dog like that is icing on the cake
Tracking thru peat bogs, sinking in, crawling thru spruce thickets and constantly losing your hat add to the magic
We were a mess

Alright - Weidmannsheil! Where was that?

Czech, Krusne Hory right on the border

Great hunt, congratulations Mouse. 'Really enjoy the photos.

Your hound has become quite...mature looking. Sweet dog.

Gentlemen - pleasure is all mine. BTW - good to see some of you old bones still around

Just to emphasize it some more - not my vid (from a place nearby last year) that resembles my hunt (scene, atmosphere, terrain, stag...it was much thicker tho) as close as it gets: