Just got back home so am able to post pics of a few days Griff and I spent down in Gloucestershire invited by our good friend David (the land owner).

We shot 17 deer between us in the 1.5 days we were there. 5 Roe and 12 Fallow. We had some fantastic sport (as we always do down there) ducking behind stone walls and letting rip over undulating arable Gloucestershire countryside.

On the last morning we saw about 150 - 170 Fallow so plenty more to go at when we get time to go again.

I was using my .308 Sako 75 and Griff his .264 win mag M70.

Anyway - hope you enjoy the pics.

Gents - thats a lot a deer on the ground in a short time. Not got much time now on the doe cull - and my numbers are not what they should be. Keep working!


rgds Ian

Hi good going.I think I reconized that high seat.The estate you were on did it use to have an old keeper on there called Bill and it is not far from a very nice village with a stream going through it.

Neil,
we could tell you but, we would have to gralloch you straight afterwards!

regards
griff

Do you have to use a suppressed rifle where you are hunting?

Jeff,
there is no requirement by law, but in this day and age with anti's and the general dislike of firearms we use suppressors, it turns even the most anti social cannon into a cap gun and does not attract any unwanted attention. On the plus side it also saves our hearing.
with there being so many "bangers"(bird scarers) the deer become use to the dull thud of a suppressed rifle.

regards
griff

griff
Thanks for the reply. I been "culling" deer here in Texas and Oklahoma for 25 years, but I am ignorant when it comes to hunting around the world. That is what I like about this message board. I learn something almost every time that I am on here.

quote:

Originally posted by IanF:
Not got much time now on the doe cull

This is likely the last year that the season will end in February. The proposed season end was going to be mid March. The Deer Initiative are lobbying DEFRA for a end of March season end and are confident that this is the proposal that will be legislated on.

1894,

How muuch difference do you think it will make? I tend take bucks in preference at this time of the year as the fallow does are already looking quite heavy.

I'm happy to shoot does in a culling scenario but most of the guys I stalk with have said that they still won't be shooting does later than Feb.

FB

Scottish Forest Enterprise techniques employed throughout? Spotlighting deer from a howdah???(tongue in cheek)
FB got to be more humane to cull does carrying calves rather than orphaning dependent young calves in October.

At what age are the calves independent enough?
I have shot fallow does in early November that still had some milk in their teats...

Bog,

I got a call out on the 6th Jan this year for a Fallow Doe that had been hit by a car on our property. The doe was still producing milk even then. Fawns are still running with their mothers right into spring although they are not really dependant from a starvation point of view.

Trans,

I've been thinking about this today, (obviously not enough work to do!!), and I suppose it comes down to one scenario.

If I was out stalking and a shot presented itself on a single doe on the last day of the doe season would I take the shot. In all honesty I would. I'll avoid taking a doe given the choice of shooting her or a buck, but that is just because I don't like Gralloching with the quite well developed fawn if I can avoid it. However that is not a oncern I can justify if the object of my being there is to shoot a deer in the first place.

As for shooting does in october, I don't tend to take Does with fawns until later aqfter Xmas for this reason. Although I have not got a Cull target that I must get and am purely recreational in my staking, so it is a luxury to have that choice I admit.

Now this is all to deep and meaningful for me so isn't there a thread around here about getting drunk the night before going shooting???


FB

There are game shooting estates that I would not hesitate to cull does up till the end of March at. Normal estates I would leave alone unless there was a problem.

Why the distinctions, between game shooting estates? Is it just to do with the deer knoking over feeders?

FB

Griff, that's a good session you had there! Well done, Im jealous! Hope your knife was sharp!

Simon,
being gluttons for punishment we are having another session towards the end of the month.
Took three knives to finish the job last week...

regards
griff

quote:

Originally posted by Fallow Buck:
Why the distinctions, between game shooting estates? Is it just to do with the deer knoking over feeders?

FB

Can't get onto those estates from the poult leaving the release pen until 2nd Feb, so much to do in little time. An extra month will be very welcome.