Well I am home from 7 days of stalking and high seat hunting with Gerry. To say the least I had a great time.

We saw about 60 roe deer in a week, and 3 pine martins, 2 fox, and no piggies. There is a big fenced area of about 5 acres full of red deer and some nice stags. Didn't see hide nor hair of any pigs.

I shot a really good 9 point buck last Wednesday and a yearling doe on Sunday morning. We hunted in the area near Kirchburg in Rheinland Phalz. I could have taken a spiker or a 4 year old buck a couple of times.

I will say this, hunting in Germany is very scientifitic, they spend a lot of time agonizing over every animal. This was the hardest part for me. I will post photos tommorow.

Gerry and his wife Irene were really great people, and they had a beautiful home. I am going to go back and try another place if we can work out dates for wild boar in Febuary.

Hey Seth, glad you had a great hunt. Gerry’s not too bad a bloke to share time in the field with.

Looking forward to any photos you want to post.

- stu

Seth,

Thank you for the kind words.

I am very pleased that you had a good time and enjoyed a taste of traditional German Roe Buck hunting during the Rut (Blattzeit).

Apologies that our Wild Boar didn't cooperate on our agreed German "Grand Slam" of a mature Roe Buck and a Piggie but that's the way hunting is. The Pigs were feeding contently at the baits the week prior only to vaporize to destinations unkonwn. Apparently our neighbor leases were offering better wares! Also attempting to harvest a mature, colorful German Badger went astray as the three Badgers seen at one particular High Seat also didn't reappear - Ugh!

Every emphathy for the overly Teutonic scientific analysis of Roe Deer; Too Small, Too Young, Too Far, Too Dark, Too Close the Lease Border, etc. I could feel your consternation!

I thought your crash course in speaking & comprehending Tuetonic hunting jargon was nothing less than amazing; the nuances of Waidmannsheil & Waidmannsdank; Schmalreh, Bock, Kitz, etc., was absolutely outstanding! Well Done!

It was great to make your aquaintance, spend a week with another American Hunter in Germany, talk hunting, guns, reloading and get you a good, unusual, mature Roe Buck Trophy.

Waidmannsheil!

Good to hear you had a great time!

Oh, for those that are rifle-cranks. I used Gerry's 30-06 R93 with a Zeiss 3-12 rail mount and 180 grain round noses.

The buck I shot at 40-50 yards through the spine and then through the front of his body. The 2nd shot exited the ass and made a hell of a mess of the inside of him with a ton of damaged meat.

The doe I hit through the front shoulder and it exited through behind the off side shoulder.

Your not allowed to shoot anything in the head as it considered to be poor sportsmanship in Germany. Actually they don't like either of the shots I took. But that's life.

Gerry is going to start taking a limited number of hunters every year. Send him a PM for details.

Gerry did a hell of a nice job cleaning the skull for me. I bought a plank of dark stained carved wood for it at Kettner-Frankfurt.

Looks really nice I think. I am going to do all my European trophies I don't have shoulder mounted in this way. The zebra rug made a nice backdrop.

D99

Another angle of the buck. He had 9 points including shovelled 3rd tines and extra inside points.

Weidmannsheil, Seth. Nice buck - just judging from the picture, his age is showing in thin and outwards sloping coronets. As you will have gathered by now, age is probably the number one selection criteria for roe bucks in Germany.

I'm sorry to say I can't see the extra points - he looks like a straight 6 to me, which would be the standard roe configuration. A 9 point is something pretty rare. I'm not quite sure if it is the pearling on the inside of the antlers you count as extra points?? Again, I should stress I'm only judging from your photos, and maybe the pics did not catch what can only be seen from a particular angle?? In fact, heck, if he is a 9 pointer to you, then I guess that is what he is. He is a nice buck for sure.
- mike

quote:

Originally posted by mho:
As you will have gathered by now, age is probably the number one selection criteria for roe bucks in Germany.

The number one (and IMO the only reasonable) selection criterion these days is whether the buck stands free and broad.

Weidmannsheil,

Carcano

Very nice buck. However and according to C.I.C. rules, pearls are not counted as tines, which in turn have to measure at least 2 cm, taped inside. I'll agree with Mike in rating this one as a 6-pointer, just like this quite similar one :

André & Mike,

O.K. guys - everyone's a F***ing expert!



Give D99 a little leeway here, it's his first Roe Buck and a very interesting & unusual trophy as well. Of course, the photo didn't do it justice as the back tines are flat, long & both split. This didn't appear at all in the photo.

Since D99 was hunting with me, knows nothing about Roe Buck Trophy evaluation I decided to embellish somewhat using Gerry's Rule Book, not CIC.

Oops, sorry if I managed to step on any toes, certainly not intended. I personally don't think the buck needs any "embellishment", it was an older buck, and they are not easy to find. I'll stay with my statement: nice buck!

- mike

Sorry, I didn't mean to burst a (new) hunter's bubble. Older hunters tend to become too "serious" at times, putting the hunt above the fun. My first buck didn't look that nice, far from it !
Weidmann's heil to D99.

André & Mike,

You are both gentlemen; your gracious remarks on Seth's first Roe Buck generous.

Ok,

In my defence! I am not a new hunter, but this was my first time with Roe. The buck I shot was stalked to about 40 meters and shot twice through the top of the back. The 1st broke his spine and left him half up, and the 2nd ended his life and blew his guts up.

The buck had 5 points on one side and 4 on the other. Not counting pearling. Both 3rd points were split forming 4th points and the left antler had a 5th point ( I think it was left). When I get the buck back from Gerry I will take some more photos of the wierdness.

Waidmannsheil, I hunt in Rheinland Phalz also. I live close to Trier.
I'm an American Hunter also. If any of you nearby need help with work on your revier send me a PM.
Layton

Another American in Germany, at last! Waidsmannsheil everyone.

I like your Roe buck. Unfortunately, I am working at Hohenfels, live in Hemau, and it appears as if the Fallow and Reds have chased off the majority of our Reh, though we almost harpooned one yesterday morning in the fog with the Opel.