Hope you'll forgive the self-satisfied air I have this morning. I'm filled with the joys of spring and wanted to share it with you all.

The stalking ban in England due to foot and mouth has just been lifted.

This morning me and Otto (my German Wire Haired pointer) were out in the woods. A beautiful cool morning with for once a steady breeze in the right direction for a difficult small wood I stalk. Leaves are on the trees so visibility limited.

Best areas - nothing. Stalk via track back to car. Dog freezes, strongest point yet, I think this must be a deer (we're both new to this dog for deer thing). Move around the cover to see the white tail of retreating muntjac. No barking and slow moving away so not really spooked. Wait for a minute - sure enough there's the monotonous barking about 125 yards away. Sit Otto down, creep forward through leaves. Peer through bino's can't make out where it is. Move forward 2 steps, peer, nothing. Barking still going on - not changing at all so it must be peering down the track at me.

Finaly 30 yards on I see it facing directly towards me. Can't get a shot as twigs in the way, move sideways a step and suddenly the bark stops - s**t. Look through bino's, nothing where it was. Look in general area nothing. Motion Otto to heel (hadn't moved bless him) and as he comes up I take a last look. There it is silhouetted 80yards off in a perfect broadside. Dog hissed at and sits, uncross sticks, unsling rifle, aim, move away from twigs, reaim (steady now)and fire. Lose sight of deer in recoil so reload and scan - nothing. No thrashing or running deer.

Wait 10 minutes and go forward and there it is 5 yards from where shot. A good old buck with one antler cast and the signs of many a fight with scarred face and broken canines. Otto very interested in neck (good). Pause to admire buck (inserting a blade of grass in mouth) and think of all he must have done to be such an obviously seasoned old warrior and make a BIG fuss of Otto. I wonder how many times I walked right past that buck before I had a dog.

Paced out shot - 82 yards, paced out distance from Otto's point to where deer first sighted - 60 yards.

So that's stalking muntjac English style. I thought I'd share a special moment with you as it's the first deer I've shot that's been pointed by dog. Thanks to Mats for the load development help - it worked perfectly.

ps NOT reason for this post but as an aside if anyone would like to exchange some of this for some moose hunting let me know. Or indeed if you're just over here some other stalking in the UK and would like to see/stalk Muntjac let me know, I'd be happy to take you out on an informal basis.

1894,

Glad to hear you can hit the woods again in England. I know that they have been back at it in Scotland for a bit, but was wondering how long it would be till you "southern chaps" got into the sticks. Sounds like a wonderful hunt. I have yet to hunt munties, but they sound like fun. Interesting to hear about deer pointing dogs and you just gotta love the German pointers!! Keep the stories coming...I have to live vicariously through your deer stories until fall

Glad to hear you have a GWP. Did you train him to the strict standards used by the Germans? Absolutely wonderful dogs. I have had three. I taught my first to ignore deer. Once she went on point while pheasant hunting. I kicked the tall grass in front of her nose and a whitetail doe jumped up and lept over Annie. She just rolled her eyes as the doe went over her. I kicked another clump of grass and a big cock bird came up. Amazing. Never could teach her to retreive. She seemed to think she was above that menial stuff. Her only goal in life was to find birds.

Ol'Sarge,

At present he's trained only for deer. I don't plan on training him for birds as all my friends have dogs and the vet bills would get a bit much. He's one of the 'old style' GWPs, big (80lbs),fiery, headstrong and a hunting instinct that is awesome to behold. If I let him up on the kill he can pick a 60lb deer off the ground.

He's not yet to continental standard. He will heel, sit, stay, point, trail and kill but is a bit lazy on the trailing. He's going for the fear scent and needs more work on cold and hard blood trails. He also doesn't bark at the kill he just makes straight in. It is awesome to see. I use some falconry bells on a collar to keep track of him when he's trailing.

Have you used your others for deer?

1894
Naw, I only used them to hunt upland birds and waterfowl. In the states I've hunted it is illegal to use dogs to run or point deer. Most states that I know of you can't even use your dog to blood trail a wounded big game animal. I took the risk of being cited several times by using Frank to locate deer and elk when I couldn't follow the trail anymore. (Other peoples game, I've never had an animal run far without leaving a massive blood trail) With a good, well trained dog, recovery is 100% on any mortally wounded animal. Too bad we can't convince the idiots that be to change the laws.

BTW, I have a little horse that always stops and stares when he sees or smells elk. On several occasions he has alerted me to elk before I saw them. I wonder if it's legal to ride a pointing horse during elk season?

1894,

I'm not in a position to "swap" stalks as such because the roe sydicate we shoot on does not allow guests. Having said that a friend and I would be interested in buying a day or two on the Muntjac. Acctually, thinking on, he does have some fallow stalking in Shropshire I'd bet he'd swap...
I also know of some very cheap Roe stalking you may or may not be aware of..Drop me an e-mail if your interested and I'm sure we can sort something.

Pete

1894,
It takes my breath away, bloody good show, I sure wish I could have been there, not only for the hunt but to hunt with someone who feels for the hunt....

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Sounds like a great hunt/stalk 1894! Would love to try this deer dog thing someday. It sounds like such a strange concept to me since I have only recently heard of such things. It makes perfect sence that a dog would be a great help in locating and tracking deer.
Anyway Congrats on a great day afeild, and I pray you have many more.
X-Ring

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Freedom wasn't free. Today they want our guns. What will they want tommorow?

X ring,

There is a little pamphlet called "Dogs for Deer" written by Guy Wallace who is a well know British dog trainer. It discusses the various breeds that can be used along with the training techniques. It's around $7.50 here in the UK. IF you or anybody is interested I'll post the web site of a British book seller who should have it plus alot of other stuff on British fieldsports and guns ect...

Pete