Trans-pond has asked me to post a picture of a very nice Red Stag he's just taken. I will let him fill you in with all the details..

Trans.

Thats a lovely wild red - Im betting he was fun to load on your own! Congratulations, I see the T8 is a permanent fixture.

Keep well

rgds Ian

Is it a eleven or twelve pointer? I can't tell. In any case a lovely heavy head with good tops.

Congratulations.

What is that hairy monster in the ute?

Thanks Pete for getting the pic. up for me!
Shot last week in N. Devon, dealer carcass weight was 246lbs. A new piece of ground, after I was approached by some local farmers complaining about the recent increases in red numbers. They're running all the hedges down, alot of standing corn damage, damaging fields of swedes hereabouts.
Sadly for this fellow , his return to covert coincided with my decision to set an ambush! 70 metres he stopped his trot, stood in the field headon looking at me....the scope was covered in rain, I stuck my thumb in the eyepiece, smeared the rain about aimed and.. click, recocked the bolt and the reload went off second time... I get that occasionally!
Dropped him on the spot, where I could get pickup/ramp/winch on him. Single handed carcass recovery is a prime stalking consideration with me. Having a stuffed back is not an option!
11 point, lovely beast; maybe I should have spared him , but I've seen some promising younger stags close by!
The dog nitrox is a "Korthals Griffon" he looks forward to the early mornings as much as I do!
Rem 700. 308 r/h action in l/h stock T8 moderator. 46g reloader 15 under nosler 150 bt.
Antlers already serving as outdoor clothing rack.

Trans,

Great Stag!!

did you say you have a winch to get them on the car with?

FB

Trans

Conratulations he is a fabulous looking animal. I agree that the single handed approach is a major consideration with an animal that size.

Let us know how you get on in the coming weeks.

PS any idea of his age.

quote:

The dog nitrox is a "Korthals Griffon" he looks forward to the early mornings as much as I do!

He is proudly guarding your stag too.

A lovely looking dog.

Congratulations trans-pond.

In French we say "irregular twelve".
Really a good stag by any standards. Often one says that British stags are dwarves. Not the case here. Where I live, the stag are now (end of the rut) a wee under 300.
How old is he? About 6 years I think (5th head in French)

Your dog is concentrating, perhaps not a good idea trying to snatch the carcass. I cannot tell the difference between a Korthals and a Drahthaar.

Good stuff, trans-pond! Brings back memories of the old continent, and of my hunting trip to the West coast of Scotland...

Nice, nice, nice!

May want to check the spring on your firing pin, though ;-) I had that happen once, on my rimfire, aiming for a hare. I'd kick myself till the end of my days if it happened on such magnificent beast.

Frans

quote:

Originally posted by jbderunz:
Often one says that British stags are dwarves. Not the case here. Where I live, the stag are now (end of the rut) a wee under 300.
How old is he? About 6 years I think (5th head in French)

Jean,

There is quite a marked difference in size between a typical stag off the open hill in Scotland and one that comes from lowlands of southern England.

Down south if you get a stag with access to mixed woodland and good farmland, they can be twice the weight of thier highland cousins...
The heads can also be a lot better as well with 16 to 18 pointers while not being "common" are certainly around...I have seen some exceptional Red in Thetford Forest, but for some reason the roe is the same area living in the same habitat are mostly very average...

Regards,

Pete

Trans-pond,

What primers are you using? Not CCI by any chance?

Regards,

Pete

Yes Pete cci primers, could be either magnum or standard- cant remember/ dont have records. Is there a recognised problem with their reliability? The firing pin gives good dent, just 2/3 % need second strike.
FB I always carry a £20 2ton hand winch for pulling deer aboard and windblown trees aside; I did damage my back lifting a hind in a hurry couple of years ago- well remember a couple of weeks when I couldn't even put my own socks on in the morning!!
I would have aged this deer at 7 or 8- in an ideal world he would have run on for another year or two before he "went back" in condition.
The dog is a real friend and character; he's as soft as grease, tempermentally very sound but his appearence and bark can have a very sudueing effect on man and other dogs alike.

Lovely beast, congratulations!

Regards,
Martin

Monsieur, what are the trophy-weights of your real good stags? Here in northern Germany, the average weights is by 6,5kg, but this rut we got some real good and old stags near by 10kg, and these have been real old - ocer 11 years.
Perhaps we can meet us in november at the international conquest à la recherche du grand gibier blessé avec les chiens rouge du Hanovre et de Bavière.

Trans-pond,

I have read a few accounts of failures like yours with CCI primers..It seems the anvils on them tend to be a little harder than on other makes.

Usually this is not a problem if you have a strong firing pin spring. I have been told that Federal's primers are the "softest"; I suppose it all depends if your loads like them or not..

Regards,

Pete