Well the first week of the scheme has now finished, does anyone have any reports yet???

Not sure what happened last week but we are still awaitng puntgunners promised report from last year

First week, 5 Stags one of which was a 12 pointer, weather absolutely abyssmal, only six guns for first week.
week 2 only four guns, again weather absolutely abyssmal 48 hours of persistent rain, low cloud, plague etc.. 3 stags shot one a 14 pointer the rest were 8/9 pointers.
the 14 pointer weighed 358pds hung up in the larder..
weather still crap, will have to see what next week brings..

regards
griff

God you guys have got long memories!!!

I have been waiting to give this article my best, but never one not to rise to a challenge , her goes.



The weather on Arran seems seems to be one of the only things you can bank on.........its wet.

I remember an old story told to me by an Irishman form Cork.

He said "If you put your hand out of the bar window in in Cork, and its wet, it's raining. If it's dry, it will rain soon..."

The same applies to Arran.

But when the clouds part, you are in for a treat.

i will apologies for the poor quality of the pictures,(in some cases), now ; as the poor quality was beyond my control. Some may not choose to believe this after 'The best buck so far' pics, but some of you that know me, and my past professions, will just laugh.

The scenery is fantastic




Before we go to the island, I will just go over the events that lead to the trip.
a good friend of mine, Barney, , and I we mulling over what we could do for trips the coming year.
he mentioned the BASC project on Arran. It seemed a good idea, and that proved to be the deal, as barney said" Good. Cos I've put both our names forward for it ! "

And so, our adventure on Arran was sealed.

The last week in September 2005, was our allocated slot. Still warm and sunny in the South East where we live. The flight out to Edinburgh on Bog jet airlines was pretty painless. So was picking up our mode of transport from the airport. Not our usual series 111 , of 4x4 , but a Volkswagen Polo!
Not the usual mode of transport for a shooting trip.



We arrived on the Island with a couple of other groups that we met up with on the same mission.
All talks were of stalking that evening. We met up in the bar with Griff, one of the guides for the week.

The weather was the main subject. It had been wet for the past month, with the occasional break for a real storm. So much for stalking muntjac in carpet slippers back at home!
Day one consisted of a team brief, a zeroing session , followed by the first trip on the ground.

Due to our mode of transport, we could not get up to some of the higher beats , where we were sure the stags would be roaring. We had to make do with the lower, more sedate lower grounds.

Still, our first outing offered a very long and arduous stalk across fallen tree, burns and tussocks to where we had seen a staggie and a hind emerge.
We soon learned that we had to be quicker , and fitter, then we first imagined.

Back at the bar, with the rest of the team talking about what they had and had not seen, soon made us realise that we had been in the right spot.

a wager was made that night, as no beast had been shot. The first man to drop a beast would take the princely sum of one pound of each that was present. Now it became interesting..........

The next morning found us up at the crack of Dawn (nice girl), ready for the day. we were elected to go to the same beat. This time we wee ready.



We came across a fresh wollow in the heather moor. Still stinking and muddy. In the half light our senses became that much more sharp. For in the gloom ahead, I could see the only sapling for about a mile , thrashing to and fro.

I pulled Barney to the floor, not wishing to be noticed by whatever was causing the affray. There before us was our first Arran stag !

The offer was made, but Barney turned it down to See how i could do.
Some 200 yards in from the sapling still swayed to the relentless thrashing of the beast. I had to be quick, as the tree seemed to loss its interest the the beast.
I made ground quickly, on hands and knees, to a point where I could take the shot. Now less than 150 yards, with the light coming up quick , I could make out my target.

The shot will last a memory. Well placed, the stag managed to heave itself through the heather just out of site before I heard it drop.



A very compact 10 pointer, a little light in body weight, but a stag all the same. As we had heard no other shots, the kitty was ours.

With the money in the bank, it must become easier.




The next day found us on a different beat.
This time we had the full run of a hill and valley.

Nothing seem that day, but we did have the pleasure of spending time with one of the forestry workers, Bob, who gave us an excellence lesson in stag calling.

The next day, we grouped up to pull lots were to shoot next. The method was to put aerial pictures of the beats ,face down on a table and drawer from the. Our next beat was dubbed Hamburger Hill..........



From the map, I could not see the gap between the gradient lines. was this steep or what!

The challenge was magnificent. If not mad.

The view from not even half way up the hill, covered in fallen trees and boulders, with the occasional feral cat for company , was magnificent.


As we approached a plate above us something caught my eye on the forest edge. suddenly two staggies and a hind broke from cover.
quick reactions and a lot of luck found me slipping the rifle and landing on a log just right to take the shot.

The staggie did not make it across the small burn that was running down the hill.



Now to get it off.

Griff, and one of the other rangers, were quickly on the scene to lend a hand.

The last days were spent in the most beautiful of settings.

Plans were made back at the larder for the following days stalks


And the larder showed the results that our team had accomplished



But as the weather has set in, we saw no more beasts.
The team met at the larder for a debrief


With the best beast on display


And forever will live in my memory ' The beast of Arran'


I have made friends that I still keep in touch with from the trip. And hold fond memories of the time spent on the island. So much so that we are going back this Sunday with a new group of lowland softies to try our luck ! ..............more to follow.

See what happens when you make me rush.............

Good on you Puntgunner- we had to wait for it but it was worth the wait! Enjoyed the independent report, I suspect you will have encouraged a few others to consider it a worthwhile proposition.... well done to all concerned both F.E. and BASC for setting it up.

Nice report, I was hoping to be there, this year, but due to unforseen circumstances (bereavment) I may now not be able to go - we will see. It does seem like a bit of a lottery though regarding your selected beats and the ground they cover (not that there is a problem in that) I suppose it makes things very interesting scrabbling up "hamburger hill" in the wet.

Well Done!

Nice one PG. Great report

Arran was great fun and very well organised. The issue is not with the beats which all hold deer but mainly with weather, fitness, experience and your stalking companion plus a large amount of luck. It pays to listen to the rangers - they know their stuff.

Griff even recovered my stag without me and my partner being present so my partner could get on and get his stag....

I shall return for the hinds bearing new goretex and a large bottle of Islay for Bob and Griff

we have just got back from a week on Arran.

This was truly a week to remember!
12 stags shot. All of very noteworthy proportions.

As soon As I get the full set of pictures from all of those concerned , I will pen another report.

Lovely job PG. Sounds like an action packed week.

I am going up next week but by the sounds of it there will be none left

Look forward to the report and any pics

Dear Mr E,

Sorry about the second coming of the report.I was trying to reduce the size of the pictures, and it seems i managed to post it again! (Edited : Duplicate Post Now Deleted, Pete E)

At the moment I an penning this from a log cabin in Alberta , Canada.

If I shoot anything , will it be okay to post it on the European site, or will I have to post on the Canadian one ?

TTFN

'B' stalker Signing off .

Glad to hear you made it over the water ok...Did you're rifle arrive safely as well? How about the stags head?

Got to go now; need to check my GPS for the location of some unoccupied highseats I know of!

BTW, what are you hoping to take over there?

Regards,

Pete

I was on week 2nd Oct - 5th Oct and whilst I won't even attempt to call this a "report" for fear of eternal digs & reprocussions... here's a brief synopsys...

Weather generally pretty good except for last day ot two.

Turnout - good total 14 stalkers.

Final bag - 11 (or 12)ish I think.

Trophies - include 16, 14, 13, and 12 pointers.

Photos - still in the camera trying to work out how to get them on to my PC!

Scenery - Stunning...well worth the trudge through the "clear"fell to the top.

Company - Fantastic...I can't imagine a better bunch of blokes to to go shooting with.

Finally - Many Many thanks to Griff & Rob, the BASC & the FC.
I had an amazing week with great memories that will be with me for a long time.

P.S.
I got a 10 and a 6 pointer.

How about hinds? Are there many being seen? Large parcels or two"s and three"s?
good shooting

I only ever encountered twos and threes.

Sorry lads, but according to the thread on modern-stalking there are NO deer and its shotout..

Brass Thief,
we have been getting reports of small parcels of 2&3's with the odd parcel of 5&6's, but plenty of them, the woodland reds tend to be in smaller numbers than the open hill.Once thre rut has finished the larger groups will split up into the family groups of 2's & 3's

regards
griff

Griff,

On the forestry i used to stalk over near Aberdeen, the Red hinds behaved in a similar manner. We were lucky in that we had a couple of small hills you could use to view the forestry below and in the rut, you would pick out lots of small groups made up of a stag and two or three hinds...I don't think I saw groups of more than about 8 to 10 hinds in the whole time I was there, and that tended to be outside the rut..

Regards,

Pete

Being a bloody colonial, I thought Arran only produced malt whisky..........

That is beautiful country, quite a change from Aussie.

Great hunt and pics.

What calibre rifles etc were you guys using?

Blair.

Blair,
it is quite a mixture of calibre's, we had what we call girlie guns "243", then there the old mans guns "308", then there's the real mans guns "270",some of the biggest stags we have shot have been shot with a 243 and have dropped on the spot.. On the last day one combatant launched 3 140gn 270's at a roaring stag before it finally expired, ironically there was an 18 pointer watching him at about 200yds and he had only taken 3 bullets with him..Nigel shall remain nameless, and he walked the plank of shame on the ferry on his way home..

There are of course other different calibers that appear on the scheme, most do not exceed 30 cal..

regards
griff

Griff

nice to hear from one "who knows" that the reports on other forums about Arran are unfounded.

Do you have any knowledge if the scheme is booked up for the hinds after the festive season?

I may be able to make it after all now and it is possible I could have one of those girly 7mm magnum thingys to throw over my shoulder (if my man finishes it) - of course I might be tempted to get a .243 instead and risk a broken shoulder

griff,

Nigel should remain "nameless" for not taking enough ammo! An 18 pointer, that's a hell of a stag!

308 is more popular here in Australia, on a cost basis, but the 270 has more class The 25-06 is very popular with the bunch of blokes I shoot with, great for roos and drops fallow bucks like lightning with the right bullet.

My favourite is the 264 WinMag, loaded with 100grainers it's noisy and flat shooting!

All the best,

Blair.

I always smile when the great .270win / .308win debate comes up..

In the context that they are used for stalking in the UK, in practical terms, there's bugger all difference between them...The choice of bullet in either caliber has a far bigger influence on the down ranch performace than the caliber itself...

Pete E,

Agree on that completely.

It's essentially a cost factor in Australia, 308 ammo, brass is a lot cheaper and more readily available.

Now in this Aussie's humble opinion the 25-06 is the better than both of them, for the majority of our game, anyway.

I"m looking forward to bringing my "girlie .243" over at the end of the month!
How are the FC about shot placement? heart/lung, neck, etc? or do they want them suffocated with a plastic bag?
good shooting

Just come back arran on the stags 9th to 13th oct didnt shoot nothing myself but my mate brian got a 10 pointer on tue night not bad for only his second deer shot. Any way i enjoyed it to bits and would love to go again even though i was knackerd when i got back well worth going plus i saw plenty of hinds just a shame i was a couple of weeks early


Paul hedley

I would be interested in that experience. Is there anyone I could contact about a hunt like that one?

Bill,

Griff will correct me if i am wrong, but this particular scheme is organised by the British Association of Shooting & Conservation for its members and to take part, the members have to already hold a Deeer Management Qualification level 1 which is akin to your hunter safety courses...
As far as i can see, this rules out most visitors from abroad...

You can however book a few days on the Stags commercialy or perhaps swap some stalking with one of the other posters here...

Regards,

Pete

Pete
Thank you for responding. I have long thought of a hunt in Scotland, and this one would be a particulary wonderful experience. I am off
to Argentina Wednesday and will follow up when I return. What could be finer than a dram of good whiskey and a stag of any size....
Bill

quote:

Originally posted by griff:
Blair,
it is quite a mixture of calibre's, we had what we call girlie guns "243", then there the old mans guns "308", then there's the real mans guns "270",some of the biggest stags we have shot have been shot with a 243 and have dropped on the spot.. On the last day one combatant launched 3 140gn 270's at a roaring stag before it finally expired, ironically there was an 18 pointer watching him at about 200yds and he had only taken 3 bullets with him..Nigel shall remain nameless, and he walked the plank of shame on the ferry on his way home..

There are of course other different calibers that appear on the scheme, most do not exceed 30 cal..

regards
griff

Griff, can you send me the pictures of the last days, and those I took (on your camera) of Paul's beast, and I will set about getting it all posted

quote:

Originally posted by griff:
On the last day one combatant launched 3 140gn 270's at a roaring stag before it finally expired, ironically there was an 18 pointer watching him at about 200yds and he had only taken 3 bullets with him..f

Griff - has the stipulation of not shooting another stag before the last has been recovered been relaxed or is there an 18 pointer get out clause?

I have a 30-06 that is calling Hiiiiiiiiiinds to me, what is the availability like at the moment?

Well, the reports have been a bit vague about Arran again. Maybe it’s time to wet some whistles for the forthcoming hind season.

The first week in October was our allotted period this year. Having missed out on the rut last year ( last week in September), I was hoping to get amongst the big boys. What an unbelievable week it turned out to be !

The drive up from the soft south took us little time, or so it felt , as the questions and last minute preparations that took place on route passed the time. As we were travelling in convoy (Paul with I and Shooter 451 in his fuel guzzler ) , we utilized 2 way radios to keep in touch. It was even more pleasing to be informed by loved ones back at home that we were leaving foul weather behind us, as we headed North in beautiful conditions.

We arrived on the island in plenty of time and in high spirits , eager to meet up with Griff and be filled in on the SP.

Unfortunately, Griff informed us that the previous 2 weeks had been wetter than a pint in Bar Eden……… 48 hours of constant rain was not uncommon.
Still no change there then !

Not to be beaten we were still full of hope, and with our new stalking buddies ( the Irish lads and the Essex Boys ) we were keen to get underway………how wet could it get ??!!!


The next day went without hitch on the range ( less said about my new nickname of
‘six shot’ from Griff !), and we were informed of the new format for the week. Instead of being given a beat, and then changing after a day or two, we would be given a much larger beat ( in the region of 2 to 4 thousand acres each), to play with.

Most consisted of clear fell , new growth, forest plantation , swamp (not again !) and bracken . But almost all had a very large patch of open hill as well. This was to prove most important as the week progressed.

First blood was drawn by shooter 451, ( or ‘Goldballs’ as he will now be known as down the Plough ….)

Apart from bagging a magnificent 10 pointer without even leaving the car park , he didn’t even have to gralloch it !
As soon as he has figured out how to get the pictures out of his camera, I will be glad to post them for him, if he wishes.

What a fantastic start to the week. One stalk in and we (the team) already had a ten pointer in the bank

Who would have though it would have been trumped again and again that week....

I will not steal others thunder now, but will stick to what happened to my team.
I had taken on a relatively new stalk, a colleague from work, called Paul , “Millwall Paul†to his friends.

The plan was for Paul to take the first beast of the trip. I was willing not to take a shot until he had connected.

This could have happened far sooner than we both expected, as you will read……

After a particularly gruelling trip to the bottom of the open hill

(

but through scenery you would have gladly paid to see), we made our way back to the car .



With the light fading fast , and with less than a couple of hundred yards to the car, we
became aware that we were not alone.

Paul noticed , in the descending inky darkness, a shape. “ What’s that?†he inquired , pointing at what was increasingly becoming obvious as a pair of hind on the edge of the clear fell.

“Get ready mate, “ in wispered to him as he made himself ready on the sticks, “ there must be a stag around here somewhere !â€

A blast on the infamous Arran bugle horn (a pop bottle with the bottom cut off), met with what appeared to be little interest from the hinds. They just moved into the thicket.

I moved Millwall along 50 yards, then saw another( or the same ) hinds. This time they kept looking over their shoulder at something. My mouth went dry with expectation. Another call on the horn.
Nothing .

Five minutes past and the light faded still further. Sencing the moment had passed, I told Millwall to shoulder his rifle .

As we turned to move to the car, now not more than 75 yard away, there standing no more than 50 yards in front of it , was a stag . Too late, his neck extended like a periscope as his eyes engaged us. Seconds later he was no his heals.

That’s stalking….

Next morning saw us attack the clear fell and new plant. As we saw beast from the start of the day, we were full of expectation.

The top of the clear fell gave a fantastic vista for miles. This was the right spot alright.




So many signs of deer( slots , fresh Fumets ) but no calling.

We gave it a couple of hours, then decided to move. On last glass of the lower clear fell was in order though.
“ Look at those hares down there ! “ Paul exclaimed. Glassing furiously in front of us, I still could see nothing . “Where? “
“Down there!â€



Looking further down the valley (about 900 yards) I could see a hind and a calf on the edge of the woodland!

Note to Paul: Good work spotting, but work on you range estimation when back
at home !

We were falling behind with the other teams now.
Several very good heads had been taken. A thirteen, a fourteen and a very admirable 16 by Shooter 451’s buddy for the week, Dennis.

Still determined to get Millwall a beast, we pushed up onto the hill for the next stalk.
This time we were on open ground, looking down onto the forestry block below.
The climb was hard , as those that intend to visit Arran in the future should well be advised.

I elected to place millwall in a good vantage point some 300 yards above , looking down onto the edge of a block some 800 yards wide. The ground between him and the block consisted of burned-off heather, a stream and an area of boggy marsh.

I pushed on, into the now horizontal rain and falling cloud, to the top of the hill. With the heather pulling at my legs and tripping me with every step , I was not sure that I had taken the right option ! But the view. ….breath taking.

I ventured on for about a mile, until I came level with the block of wood as it kicked 90 degrees away from me, up the opposing hill, still some 1000yards away.

I spied the hill in minute detail looking for signs of a beast, but instead , some 2 miles away , a sway something very familiar. A blue cagool ! We are not the only ones mad enough to be out on a day like this!

Looking back at the oppsing hill, without the aid of the binoculars, I could see a very distinctive shape moving across it . A large stag was making its way across the hill to the block of woodland that we were interested in .

I called millwall and told him what was occurring. As I did so, the stag saw me and made a run for the woods. Still a long way from a possible shot, I just stood and watched .
He stopped at the edge and looked up in my direction, confident that I could do it no harm. He then walked into the wood, and disappeared.

Between myself and the wood lay an area of undulating ground, it was not until I tried to cross it, that I realised between me and the forest edge was a very steep gorge . I had to travel a further half mile up the hill, to the source of the stream that had formed it, to circumnavigate the obstacle.

I could now get to within 200 yards of the forest edge. The target lay within.
I called to Millwall on the radio to move down the hill some 150 yards, to the edge of the burned of heather . In his new position he stood out like a sore thumb, but if he stayed still, he would be okay.

I started to call on the horn. A long deep throaty Aaahoo Whoarrr, that hurts the back of the throat. Almost instantly it was replied to by a very deep roar!

I called again. The same happened. The stag then continued calling on its own.

Some 5 minutes passed, until I heard a crackle on the radio. It was Paul. The stag had come out of the wood right in front of him, still roaring and set for a fight!

I looked across and could see both hunter and hunted. This was fantastic! Still some half mile away from me I could see the pair barely 200 yards apart.

I called to Paul to take a shot whenever he could , but not to try and call me on the radio. Any undue movement may alarm the beast and send it fleeing.
I hastily made up the ground between the opponents and myself , safe in the fact that the strong wind in my face would not spoil his chance .

The stag was advancing up the hill towards Paul’s position. No sound from Paul…………I wonder why!

As I got to within 100 yards parallel to the beast , with it only 80 yards from Paul’s position, he let of a shot.

The sound of a good hit,due to Paul using a sound moderator, was unmistakeable. Yet the stag was only stopped in its tracks. It turned a full 180 degrees and stood again.

Everything I had told Paul to do raced through my mine. He had not forgotten. A second shot rang out, and the beast went down. Good boy!
On these fired up hill stags, full of testosterone and fight , a single shot from any calibre, sometimes, is not enough .

The rest of the proceeding was a pleasure to be part of. The shear exhilaration of a first time stag, let alone a 12 pointer , is something to behold. Paul was, and is, one very happy chap.





The extraction by Griff, his dog and the Argo cat, was also an experience. One of the easiest he has had for a long time, but still entertaining.

Beers and curries on Paul that night!
The rest of the week the weather turned bad. Stags were still shot, with a total of 12 in all. Me, I had a chance, but I leave running deer to Bisley!

This is some thing that the BASC , and the lads, Griff and Rob, should be proud of. An experience that is not to all tastes, as it is very physically wearing, and not to all levels of experience, but worthwhile .

I shall be back, I hope.

Well done PG - Nice report. Brings back good memories.

I'm just negotiating with 'er indoors to go up onto the hinds in January (If there are any places left).

451

PS
I see you have an internet connection at your "lets camp out in the forest in the middle of nowhere" Canadian hunting trip!

Back in civilization now. The Flintknappers looks pretty tame in comparison.

We went into a Redneck bar in Swan hills, (forced in by the intense cold you understand) , and it was like looking in at a 1980's 'mullet' growing competition. fantastic.

It's - 0 deg here at the moment. Just on my way to the airport. See you on arrival.

Another great report Puntgunner, the photos were excellent, felt like I was there. A great result for your mate with his first ten pointer. Nice when it comes off.

PG,

Great report and very much like the pictures..Now i am waiting for the report and pictures from Canada!

Regards,

Pete

PG

An excellent report and what a fantastic stag (great antler confirmation) for Millwall as his first one. It would make an excellent shoulder mount?

What calibre was used just out of curiosity. I get the impression that this scheme is probably one of the most successful things BASC has ever done.

Anyway congatulations to you and your buddy.

way to go PG

J2

I believe Millwall Paul uses a 6.5x55.

Rgs

451

Thks 451 just thought it may have been one of those "girlie" .243's