Dear all

As promised I am posting the second part of the Red rut for the 2010 season.

This was the last weekend of the rut (16th Oct) and the stags were the most active I have seen them.

I was waiting for Griff to get back from Arran on the friday with his ATV and hill trailer but as I was up in Glasgow with work I thought I would go and case the joint out on the thursday night.

I went equiped with video camera and managed to get some great footage of several stags out on the hill and one actually jumped a sheep fence and came to make me out. He was 350 yards away but came to within 60 yards of me (all on vid) and I then stood up so he could see what I was and as soon as I did he trotted off.

Anyway back to the interesting stuff. We went on the saturday with the intention of getting a friend of ours a stag but as is quite often it didn't work out that way.

We had 3 two way radio's between us so that each one, when split up from the others could hear what was going on.

I had my 7 mag in my Eberlestock and Griff had his .264 Win mag. We could hear roaring coming from all over the place. We counted about 8 stags that we could see and as it happened (although we didn't know this yet) a few that we didn't know were there.

After our friend making a pain staking approach on a big stag, Griff and I split up to take our chances on our own. I headed for a massive glacially eroded bowl which is a very barren looking landscape but I was convinced I had heard roaring coming from that area.

Griff headed for the hill where we had seen a couple of big uns parallel walking etc

My area as I say was not a promising type of landscape at all and I wasn't holding out great hopes but was just enjoying the walk and explore. However, I came over a small hill and a very handsome 12 pointer was looking straight at me about 100 yards away from me. He had made me out and was on the trot. I gave him a roar and as he was coming to a halt I was getting my rifle ready and set up. He stopped perfectly side on text book style at 218 yards. I let a 7mm 160 SGK on it's way and heard a very reassuring THWACK from a positive shoulder hit. However he didn't go down and I thought for some reason I had messed up. Another round was already chambered but he was always rear end on and didn't present another opportunity for a shot until he sank to the ground but this was at 359 yards!

I was concerned and worried he was not dead. Just as I was lining up on him for a very well rested prone neck shot, his head flopped to one side and he had expired. I thought thank god but I was still wondering what had happened. Griff had heard the strike and then a resounding echo coming from the bowl I was in and he knew it was good news. I explained the situation to him over the radio but time was getting on so we decieded to extract first thing in the morning. I gralloched this magnificent animal and took out the vent and bled him too. This is how he looked.



He had actually sheared off his left hand bez tine I presume fighting or perhaps more likely just from thrashing around.

He was a super super stag and I was over the moon.



As I was coming to the end of gralloching him etc I heard a shot come from a fair distance away and then Griff got on the radio. "Wait till you see this" was his starter for ten. I wondered what he had done but was eager to see so made my way over to him as quickly as I could and this was the result:-



Mine was a super stag but this was something else and truely a once in a lifetime D&G Red Stag. Unbelievable and truely a unique prize.

Here is mine and Griff's together for comparison:-





A fantastic experience and without doubt the best Autumn I have ever had stalking wise.

Just to address the issue of my stag not dropping earlier. When we got back and processed them it became evident what had happened. I had shot the stag side on without any doubt. The bullet had hit the shoulder blade and then deflected at roughly 45 degrees to the line of flight only to clip a lung and then pulverise the liver.

These woodland stags are big big animals and I will be changing bullet accordingly. I can see why on the continent it is common place for 9.3's to be used on these types of animals.

Anyway hope you enjoyed the pics and the story.

Thanks

JB

jon,

great pictures and write up, you both must be pretty chuffed with the results,

surprised you do not use heavier in your rem mag

alex

Well done, gents!

Nice country.......

Congratulations!

Very nice indeed! The mass on those stags is stunning. I always feel like I've just missed the rut, nice to know somebody was there for the peak days!

What are you considering as ammo for next year?

Yes thanks fellas

I agree G the mass is something else.

I am looking at what is the only choice as far as I am concerned and that is a 160 grn Partition of which I have quite a few from years ago.

I would go for a 175 Alex but I have a ruck of 160's and I know from direct experience that these will do the trick. I am convinced that a Partition would have kept on course.

The first one I shot was 132 KG's on the hook or 290 lbs. These are big big animals and in my opinion you need enough gun. I even felt slightly under gunned with my 7 mag which is a bit daft really but that is down to the performance of the bullet I would say. The deflection happened exactly the same on the first stag I shot in part one i.e. a deflection off the shoulder bone.

It actually provided for a quicker fatality but nonetheless did deflect.

Thanks

JB

Was the deflection off the scapula?

Barnes TTSX would do the job, but you need a second mortgage to shoot them regularly.

Yes correct it was.

Yes there are various options but the Partition is tried and tested over decades and I also have personal experience of them to know they will do it.

I think any performance bullet is expensive but I would prefer to go with what I know than experiment with something that I am sure would do the job but it would still be an experiment.

Now you know who shot the Emperor!!

Nice one Jon,

Which one of these two is the Emporer?





K

Is that a trick question!!

Cheers K

it wasn't me honest gov

Guys,

Great to hear you are still having fun - the terrain and the deer sound to be amazing.

Has Griff done a report on Arran so far? Always interested to hear how things are going in far off & distant climes!

Rgds from us both,

Ian & Jo

Ian

Very nice to hear from you and thanks for the comments.

Griff is back this weekend so I am sure he will provide an update when he gets back.

I know the weeks have been successful but not sure what the talley is.

Best

Jon

Such gorgeous, gorgeous animals! The mass of the antlers always amazes me, not long like our elk but thick all the way through.

Thanks for sharing!

Nice going Jon

you've taken a few nice beasts this time around

you hav been blessed

Great photos and animals.


Best-
Locksley,R.

wow!
i envy you.

amazing trophies.

what did you do with the venison?

was it a syndicate stalk or an estate stalk?

can you please provide more details

regards
and once again congrats on the amazing trophies.

quote:

Originally posted by Jon2:



I even felt slightly under gunned with my 7 mag which is a bit daft really but that is down to the performance of the bullet

It actually provided for a quicker fatality but nonetheless did deflect.

Thanks

JB

Great heavy pair of stags,congrats.

Never mind the 7 mm Rem it will handle any red deer anywhere in the world no matter what weight the deer is or basically at what distance. Sambar stags run into several hundred pounds heavier and my 7mm handles them with 150 gr Winchester factories!