A couple of weeks ago another AR member and good friend came down to my patch for a weekend off. Needless to say this involved shooting something
So after a heavy curry session the night before off we duly went in the wee small hours to my ground in search of a fallow buck. On the ground in plenty of time we opted for a walk and stalk rather than a sit up job as the wind was in our favour and set off cautiously into a gentle breeze. The farmland was just waking up while the ponds around us sounded like a farmyard with geese making a hell of a din at a marauding fox (whispered coversations about lamping that night)
through the first two pastures without a hitch and without disturbing any squawky birds when my friend notes a group of does and yearlings feeding fast across a maize stubble sprayed liberally the previos day with slurry. They were probably picking at odd bits of silage in it.
Decide to try to get closer to take a view but they twig us betwen 3-400yds away with a wood in between and show us a fine display of stripey tails as they mooch off. They have been pretty well spooked as the culling has been hard in the doe season and are ultra alert.
Heading back over the stubble they hav vacated we stick to the edge and check out the sign. Many well worn paths as the deer are coming out of the adjacent forest to feed on weeds and anything they can get it is a hungry time of year. A flight of gery geese come over and flare wildly as they see movement and so do the three does watching us from cover about fifty yards away. Seeing a lot of deer this morning!
Continue into the wind and keeping in the dead ground at the side of the wood I glimpse movement in the distance and sink slowly down while my buddy does the same. 'We're in' I say as I glass a big group of bucks and does about 400yds away through a gap in the cover. The wind is for us and so is the cover so into stealth mode and hands and knees to try and get into a shooting position. The cover starts thinning out after abut 50yds and as the deer are on the qui vive its onto the belly and into sodden poached clay. Inch my way up to behind a large oak and gather my composure. The deer are feeding away and I glass for a suitable buck. On this ground the big bucks remain and we take the poor beast and a proportion of yearlings with the emphasis on the darker coat coulours. Glassing over I spy a chocolate brown beast with a very poor 3-4th head and decide on him. To get the elevation I have to stand but have a solid rest. Shot is c 290yds with a v light breeze l to r so compensate for this. After shuffling for a while and waiting for the beast to turn I make the shot and hear the strike and immediately lose the group in the scope as they run down into dead ground. My friend is spotting and says he is down. The rest of the group clear the fence and are gone.
My friend says that the deer is trying to stand so I look again and he is on his elbows at the front with head low and back legs fully extended. He raises his head and I finish it with a shot to the brain. I see him go over in the scope. Going up to the beast we find that the first body shot went wide and was liver/spleen but damage was extensive and had I not shot again the deer would not have been able to stand again.
The cause of this wide first shot was an oiled barrel which I had neglected to push through before using the rifle as is my normal practice. Just shows what a difference this will make even at range. The buck was a good one in terms of body weight and was a s expected 3 years old.
After that event the weather turned and we did not get any more chances but there is always another day. Next time the barrel will not have any oil!

Waidmannsheil.

Z

Weidmann's Geheul!

A pretty nice story of a nice hunting adventure.

Nice story - its good to tag along with someone elses hunting experiences. Thanks for taking the time to share.

WE WANT PHOTOS!!!

Rgds Ian

Thanks fellas. I will try and get a photo posted ASAP. Unfortunatley we didn't have the digi for the obligatory pose in front of the UV (UNFORTUNATE VICTIM) but we did have one around later in the day. I'll do my best

Z