Hi Folks - posted elsewhere, so apologies if you have read this before - it not, hope you enjoy!.......


.....Another morning alarm call - 05.15 am and I was yanked from a pleasant snooze. Lay for a few seconds trying to recall why I needed to leave the comfort of the quilt - to face the wind that sounded like to rip tiles off the roof. Ahhh..... yes, it was slowly coming back! Stalking. Sika. Last day of the hind season!

Half an hour later and with my stalking buddy piloting her Warrior down the road - we had a chance to plan our day on the hinds. Its only a small patch - but with herds up to eighty strong, there is room for a little culling!

A slow stalk revealed a small party of deer making their way towards the boundary fence. One paused and fell to an aimed shot from the .270. Gralloched and into the back of the pick up - it was off to the local gunshop/cafe for a breakfast and caffeine injection.

Back on the ground a couple hours later, our careful approach ruined a few times by the fickle winds swirling through the spruce plantation - we made our way down towards open ground where the hinds often feed during the afternoons.

Stalking thru the cover and bumping a hidden hind and follower - we eventually gained the open ground to find forty or so hinds, grazing nervously in the company of a few stags. Something was upsetting them to be sure - and they slowly made their way off into a gully and out of sight.



With that, the rapidly darkening skies unleased a blizzard of snow that within seconds dropped the visibility to a matter of only twenty yards or so. We took cover behind a couple mature spruce trees - when a parcel of ten hinds trotted slowly towards us - fleeing the storm and heading for the protection of the woods.

Two muffled shots later - and Jo and I had both scored and were faced with a couple more beasts to clean and breakdown for the gamedealer. We try and gralloch the carcasses a little distance from our regular 'killing ground' to hopefully avoid the animals becoming spooked and moving their routes away from open ground and easy shooting. The dragging commenced!

We have been using flat nylon dragstraps for some time - light, low bulk and strong - they have been modified to allow an improvised suspended gralloch. The new food hygiene regs (and the mucky swamp we shoot over) make suspending the carcass a better option when it comes to carcass preparation. The pic below shows how the hook on the end of the strap is noosed around a convenient tree or branch. Thanks to PeteL for the basis of the idea.



A welded ring is fastened with a slipknot as high as can be reached. When the strap is looped back through its self, a blunt S hook can be looped through the hock of the carcass. The pulley effect produced allows the beast to be pulled clear of the ground and the gralloch completed. Note that removing lower legs, freeing the anus and windpipe etc is more easily done before the beast is suspended!



A family member has located a source of heavy gauge polythene bags which are precisely deer sized. A bag can be easily slipped over the carcass once draining is completed - the pluck being dropped into the base of the bag at the same time. This allows for easy handling without covering yourself in gore. This is necessary as the approaches to the shoot do not permit the use of a 4wd - so manual extraction is needed until we happen to come across a suitable mechanical alternative.

During the rut, I have a knockdown deer cart I use to extract stags to the pickup. This is not really needed when dealing with the hinds and followers - so I employ the other option - a pack frame.

Picked this up out in Canada a couple years back - nothing more than a rigid frame with padded shoulder and hip straps, similar in design to the rucksacks from my childhood. The difference being a drop down luggage platform - that makes attaching a load very simple. The mighty drag strap finds yet another use!



Still being young (YES - 43 is still young!! ) and relatively fit - loads up to 100lb or so can easily be managed. The biggest beast taken that day weighed 86lb clean - and was transported without major difficulty. The difference made by getting the load high on your back and close to your body is remarkable. A real improvement over the comfort offered by a roesack!



All in all, a good day and a fine way to end the hind season! I'm always interested in ways of simplifying my stalking equipment - so if you use any kit or techniques that will be of interest - go ahead and post! We are all interested - and one thing about this game - you NEVER stop learning!

Rgds Ian

Is that a supressor on your rifle?


Okie John

Okie

Yes, my stalking partner is pictured with one on her .270Win - over here in the UK it is more and more common to use a moderator on c/f rifles. Recoil reduction, minimising noise pollution - and giving you every opportunity for multiple culls are all good reasons to use them. They do nothing for the looks of the rifles - but they do work.

rgds Ian

Great report Ian!

It's always nice to see how things are done in other countries.

You mention taking the meat to a "gamedealer". Is all of it sold, or do you keep any meat yourself?

Thanks for the info Ian, I am always having problems with single handed extraction of fallow deer if my partner cannot help out. The problem being the farmer seems to think I like carrying out 70 lbs of deer on my back.
Just tried out bt 7x64 on the fallow and it knocks them down like the Hammer of Thor in 139 gn as I hate tracking in the evening.

Regards

Mark

Erik.

As you know, we have not got any limits, licenses or tags required to take deer in season. When you are shooting consistently - it doesn't take too long to fill the freezer!!

Excess deer are gralloched (gutted), head and feet taken off - and the carcass dropped with the game dealer on the way back home.

Whilst not making the same amount you guys get for a Moose - quantity will offset shooting expenses nicely!

Rgds Ian

Ian,

When selling moose meat to a game dealer here, we get £6 (US$10.50) per kilo (the animal is gutted, skinned, and both head and feet are removed when we deliver it).

How does this compair to what you get over in England for your deer meat?

Erik,

I can't speak for the prices Ian get's,
but in many places it can be as low as £1 per kg..About 3 years ago, I was getting £2.50 per Kg for Roe and Fallow which I'm guessing is pretty good..

Regards,

Pete

Erik

As Pete mentioned, prices here in the SW seem to be recovering but still do not approach levels seen a few years back.

Currently getting 50p per lb for larger species and 85p per lb for Roe.

It may have been my choice of gamedealer - however, until recently I was being offered 25 pence per lb!!!

At those rates - I was giving it away to friends!

Rgds Ian

that beats the 30p/ lb i was offered for 5 fallow on Monday!

Try 21p/lb less damaged meat for fallow our way...

Ian,

Well dome. Looks like a good day out. I thought A hid would be bigger than that so lopoks like I;ve learnt something new too!!

FB

Our dealer only wants necked carcasses, which isn't too much of a problem but, when they only pay out so little it makes you wonder the economics of delivering the carcasses if you only have a couple to drop off.

Hopefully they will pick up now supply is decreasing due to does being out.

My 5 prickets got exchanged for beer in the pub.

quote:

necked carcasses

What does "necked" mean?

Sorry, should have been clearer, It means to shoot them in the lower neck, rather than heart and lungs.

Roe at £1.76/kg and fallow at £1.10/kg. all body shot.

Allthough higher prices are good for the wallet they also encourage poaching. At the height of the market poaching was endemic - don't think it's so prevalent now.

quote:

Originally posted by Fallow Buck:
Try 21p/lb less damaged meat for fallow our way...

Ian,

Well dome. Looks like a good day out. I thought A hid would be bigger than that so lopoks like I;ve learnt something new too!!

FB

FB

You are quite right - the pics were of a yearling follower - the Mother was 35lb heavier!

Rgds Ian

IanF,

In the picture where the deer is hanging in the tree, what kind of knife is that on your belt? The handle looks like antler and the sheath appears hand mand. It looks like a beautiful tool.

Perry

Perry

Im really sorry to disappoint!

The sheath is handmade and has a holder for a fire steel. Its an indulgence when hunting in 99% of the UK - but I don't always hunt so near civilization.

The knife - a Frosts 'Clipper' goes out for about £8.00. Thats around 14 bucks!! High carbon steel and a plastic handle. Swedish army issue, easily takes an edge - and if it's lost,I'll buy another and not cry too hard.

Rgds Ian

quote:

Originally posted by 1894mk2:
Roe at £1.76/kg and fallow at £1.10/kg. all body shot.

Allthough higher prices are good for the wallet they also encourage poaching. At the height of the market poaching was endemic - don't think it's so prevalent now.

1894,

You are quite right about the poaching, although my freind in Norfolk called the other day. He'd been out on his patch for the Reds and found three carcasses in the bushes. Two hinds in tact and what must have been a big stag (judging from the body) with the head missing. It seems some people just want to kill deer regardless of venison prices etc...

Rgds,
FB

Great pictures Ian, I use a similar method, but use carabiners instead of hooks, going to try the webbing, where do you source yours from?

quote:

Originally posted by IanF:
Okie

Yes, my stalking partner is pictured with one on her .270Win - over here in the UK it is more and more common to use a moderator on c/f rifles. Recoil reduction, minimising noise pollution - and giving you every opportunity for multiple culls are all good reasons to use them. They do nothing for the looks of the rifles - but they do work.

rgds Ian

ian,

the supressor your partner is using called a"can"? the pic is a bit difficult to see for sure.

i ran into a couple of brits last year in africa and they had "cans" on their rifles.they told me they cut recoil and noise to zilch.they told me it would cut the recoil in my .458 to nothing! needless to say i was amazed.

here in the u.s. im sure they are strictly against the law.

i am hoping someday to hunt in the u.k. ,if i might ask a question,it would be is it necessary to have a noise suppressor to hunt there?

pardon my ignorance but its a bit more difficult getting good hunt info on europe as compared to other places.

i would be proud to have a couple of your deer species on my wall.

happy stalking !

Pigslayer.

You got it - 'Can'is common slang for a moderator. Regarding the miraculous effects - maybe a little bit of exaggeration from your hunting friends.

Whilst cutting noise by up to 60 percent and recoil by about 50 percent - they ruin the looks and handling of a rifle. Though common over here - they are NOT a legal requirement for hunting the UK.

PM me if you have any queries regarding species or hunting opportunities this side of the pond - I will be glad to help point you in the right direction.

Rgds Ian