Hello guys - just back from 16 days of rut hunting with clients.

Weather was rather wet with some dry moments



changing clothes twice a day was a norm - I got moss growing on my back I guess...

Nevertheless - rut started quietly, but we soon managed to get 2 good old stags





And as they say -when it rains it pours - I was returning form a succesful stag hunt with a client when we spoted ancient Roe Buck - never seen before in this area - it went in the salt as well



Judging by his teeth - he did not have many time left



As time went by rut was setting in and we slowly bagged more









Trophy board after first week



Some lucky escapes - my client dropped his rifle once and it went off - into a rock next to my foot - sprinkled me with stone chips...we were rather quiet going back to the lodge...

And on one occasion I fell quite hard - broke the KKC stock on my working R93



Collected some bullets from fallen stags

Federal Power Shok from 30.06 Spr





and Lapua Naturalis from .308 Win





There were some nice moments scouting without clients - met some fine stags on the way (fine examples how it looks like) - this one with a herd:

https://youtu.be/bzlp6mC0Cv0

And this old beaten one (I was quite tempted to shoot it myself but let it go in the end):

https://youtube.com/shorts/pnzeVAmbxjE

Just at the end we got strongest strophies







It was a time very well spent. All in all we got 13 - age/trophy above average.

Being in the wild with those creatures for that long grows on you - one gets rather wild and the process of returning to "normal" is just painfull but will manage - as always, just to be back next year!

Well done Mouse. You and your clients took some wonderful stags. I just got back last week from Poland and our group had a fantastic hunt as well with 8 hunters taking 11 stag and 7 very nice fallow. The roar is something every hunter should experience. Makes one feel alive to be in the forest with stags sounding off all around.

Congratulations!

Congratulations Mouse! Sounds like a great rut for you and your clients. Did you, or will you, have time to look for a stag of your own? After enjoying the start of the rut in North Macedonia, I concur with Bwanamrm, every hunter should experience roaring forest stags.

Thanks guys. My stags are already in the salt - maybe, just maybe if something realy special comes my way...