30 August 2010, 00:21
DJMDorset Trip
Well it was off down to Darkest Dorset to try for a Sika.The trip did not start too well just before the customary stop off at Reloading Solutions bang a blow out on the trailer. No problem I thought, I will just fit the brand new spare. Less than 5 minutes later we were on our way again.
We stopped at Reloading Solutions for far more than the planned 1/2 hour, but don’t you always! And spent more too!
Off on the road again but not for long as the A34 was shut, so after about an hours delay we got passed where the accident was. We would be there before it was dark. Or maybe not just heading into Salisbury and the trailer snaked again, not good news as we had used the only spare. I looked down at the tyre it was flat but there was no centre in the valve. Off to Kwik-Fit and for a change the guys there were great a Kwik valve change and the tyre was re-inflated with no leaks. Back on the road again via Halfords for a couple of cans of Tyre weld.
We arrived without further incident and before it was dark, but no time to change so it was out on to the ground without changing into stalking gear. We stalked down the first track and straight away we could see two roe does and a roe buck. We were a bit on the slow side getting set up and once we got a better look at the buck he was too good for a cull animal.
We made our way onwards and over a ridge we then spotted an old looking roe buck. We were 250m away and had to make our way down the front face of the ridge in full view of the buck. The buck was totally unaware of us sneaking down the ridge in jeans and bright blue tops. We got to a good firing point 150m from the buck and Claire got set up. The buck was now facing away from us and not presenting a shot. Claire waited patiently and as he turned to present a quartering shot she fired. The buck dropped to the shot kicked a couple of time and was then still. We made our way to the buck. It was a great shot from Claire entry just behind the Left shoulder with the exit through the neck. A nice little 5 point buck that will make a nice skull mount of her first Roe. I joked with her about wrecking another cape as a couple of weeks ago she had shot a nice little Muntjac buck almost identically. One day we may get a shoulder mount for her.
A nice Roe buck but still it was not the Sika that we were really after so after bleeding him and leaving him in the shade we continued. We saw lots of nice stags that were all a bit too good to be classed a young cull stag. Just before last light we did get on to a youngish 6 pointer but we both decided that he too was just too good to take. So it was back to the larder after picking up the buck. Gralloch done and larder cleaned it was back to the hotel.
The alarm went off after what seemed 5 minutes and it was of out again in pursuit of a young cull Sika stag. We saw lots of hinds and some really good quality stags. We still had yet to find a cull stag and it was nearly 7 o'clock. We stalked a group of hinds hoping that they may be a pricket with them but still no joy. As they moved off we spotted the caudal patch of a Sika in the grass. As we watched we could also see its antlers. After 20 minutes the stag had still not moved we could see the antlers were twisted and deformed. We waited a bit longer but still the stag stayed put. We now resorted to trying to make the stag move, first with a cough, then a whistle, next a shout, still no movement. We discussed what to do the animal was only 75m away and was not acting normally. Claire decided she just about could make out the shoulder area amongst the grass and as there was no way of getting a better angle or closer without losing the backstop she was going to take the shot. The shot hit home and the stag jumped and rolled. After a couple of minutes we could tell by the grass that the stag was still kicking and then we got a glimpse of its head and neck and second shot through the neck this time and it was all over. Well except the extraction 75m of tufted swap grass and knee deep water is no fun.
The stag had a broken front left leg at the knee joint and a hunched back. Claire's 1st shot had struck the spine but the hunch was quite noticeable and the stag was in poor condition as his spine could be felt along its length. We decided to do the gralloch back at the larder and just as well we did. The stag as well as having the broken front leg had previously been shot through the top of the spine and survived in a fashion. There was a cricket ball sized abscess attached to the underside of the spine. So gralloch completed it was gralloch and carcass into the render bin. The stag also had liver fluke and was alive with ticks all in all a true cull stag. A really good couple of stalks and shots.
Well done Claire!
Here is the Happy Hunter with Her Stag
Here is the abscess
