First fallow buck of the season

06 November 2013, 01:00

Hi all,

Thought I'd share a my first outing for fallow in Denmark this year.

Weather was pretty decent, not too much rain.

On the first morning I didn’t see much and was on the way home. I decided to check out a particular gully in the woods. After spying for a few minutes I couldn't see anything and decided to take a few pictures.

Just when I’d gotten the camera out, I heard commotion in front of me. Up, out of the gully, trotted a very decent fallow buck. It crossed diagonally in front of me about 15 yards away. It was so close that I didn't even want to raise the camera. The buck slowed down and continued to walk into a piece of young oak forest.

When it was out of sight I left the camera where I stood and moved up to a ride that goes through the oak trees. I saw the buck, perfect broadside, on the track, but he was gone the moment I shouldered my rifle. I had to return home empty handed. Deer always seem to materialise the moment I think it’s over for the day.

After a few outings I had a good idea of where the fallow were moving at dawn. I also managed to shoot a roe doe, which turned out to be as tasty and tender as I expected. One morning I stalked through the woods near the gully before sunrise. I saw a fallow doe, but you can only shoot deer between sunrise and sunset in Denmark.

I got into a high seat and saw another two fallow does before the sun was up. After that it was very quiet. At nine am I decided to give it another 15 minutes and then return home. At 9.15 am I got ready to get down.

As I moved in the seat to go home, I heard something snort and take off from behind me. I'd alerted a fallow buck.

He ran forward on my left side, but was unfortunately behind low hanging beech branches, trying to figure out what I was. I shouldered my rifle and got ready to shoot. I was cursing myself for potentially loosing another buck. Just because I'd mentally switched off.

Fortunately, the buck walked clear of the branches and I shot him on the chest.

He immediate took off and I looked and listened for where he headed. After 10 minutes I got down from the high seat and went to look for a trail.

There were clear scuff marks, hair and light foamy blood at the place where he stood when I shot him. It was also fairly easy to see the tracks where the buck had crossed a muddy trail. But, I lost track of him in a dense pine wood plantation.

Following a straight bearing from where I'd hit him, I soon found the buck dead in a clearing. As much as I was confident the shot was well placed, I was still relieved to find him.

It was a lovely morning out and yet another reminder for me not to let the guards down. Not even when I decide it’s home time.

Thanks for reading.

All the best,

Christian

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