Hi folks.

Just had a wonderful day out on the ground - with results that more than make up for some blank visits in the past.

Having been offered the opportunity to shoot some Sika - I had made a few trips to this particular patch of Dorset. Getting out early, staying late - I had tried the lot. Nothing!

Stag season was open and I was sneaking around and seeing nothing, nada, niente - zilch! Well, not quite. What I was seeing was Hinds. Hinds and calves all over the place. First morning I counted fiftyfive shootable animals...on forty acres! All the wrong sex - ain't it always the way?

Eventually it sunk in that where I was seeing Hind groups, I was not going to see Stags. Until the rut came around!

So it was that I drove out yesterday - got on the ground in darkness and waited for the light to come up. The land is thickly wooded and as such it was a little while before the darkness left and colours started appearing.

Out of the Landy and moving quietly through the woods. Sounds of morning and the world waking up...... Mmmmm, the best time of the day.

The woods are very tight, limited visibility and huge Rhododendron bushes mean you have to move at a snails pace. Constantly glassing, trying to differentiate between a twisted branch and the head of an alert sika. It makes for tiring stalking, having to stay constantly alert for movement that could signal a deer breaking cover.

Twenty minutes in, I had disturbed a deer that had been calling from a patch only 30 metres to my front - couldnt see a thing even with the binos. I was sure it was a stag, disturbed by my movement - but unsure as the wind was in my favour. Moved on and froze as a couple Hinds moved across a gap to my front.

More movement confirmed that it was a herd rather than just a couple loners - so I sank to my knees and waited. After another five minutes the stag appeared in my view. He moved slowly forward, always with branches obscuring his vitals until at last I could see a clear path to his shoulder.

The '06 is not the quietest round but I hardly heard it. He plunged forward, one leg hanging, to fall five yards later.



The ground is pretty tight - to the point where extracting the animal to the Discovery is a real job of work if you are single handed. Anticipating that any deer was likely to be a fair old weight I had previously constructed a knockdown deer cart. Its light and compact enough to carry in easily, and assembles quickly once you have a beast on the ground. The design has had a few modifications - but is now basically what is needed to save your back from the joys of a long drag.



The stag was offloaded to a local gamedealer and it was over to the local gunshop (Sportsman) for a well earned breakfast. Took the opportunity to ponder a plan for the afternoon and decided on a different beat as the wind had backed around.

It was a slightly tired and considerably fatter stalker that finally set off a couple hours later. Parked up once more and set out towards the copse I had been told might harbour another stag and his harem. Once more, try as I might, the density of Hinds was such that my progress was marked by a relay of alarm calls in the thick cover.

After another thirty minutes of slow progress, once more I caught sight of a group of hinds, seemingly undisturbed by the previous alarms. A few calves were moving around, some lying and chewing the cud, some just enjoying the weak sunlight filtering through the trees.

Inching forward, I could see the white tips of a nice set of antlers - once again, the heart started to pound. Ten minutes later, he shook his head and stood up. Deer milling around meant that no target presented for anther five minutes - but in the interim the rifle had been settled into the tripod and I was able to take an accurate kneeling shot. He dropped without a twitch, his neck cleanly broken. Then, as ever - the hard work began!



Days like these make it all worthwhile.

Keep well.

Ian

Good stuff, Ian. Another bit of quality informative journalism.
Couple of nice stags taken after a good few unsucessful/frustrated forays makes the hunting experience all the richer, I'm sure you'll agree.
Does that ladder/barrow fold at the axle?

Trans.

Thats right, for transport, the wheels drop off and are secured inside the ladder frames which are separated by 8" cross members.

The axle is mounted in 'D' rings, tightened through the cross members by thumbscrews. When removed, its held by spring clips on the frame.

The whole lot is tightened down by the rachet straps used to retain the carcass - which in turn act as shoulder straps for walking in.

If interested, Ill get some better photos and a short post on its construction. Seems to work well....... certainly can make life easier on those bits of my ground that aint Disco friendly.

Rgds Ian

nice pics IanF id also like to see the plans orthe ladder barra interesting

Congratulation with two beautifull stags Ian !!
Always entertaining to read your hunting stories. And that trolly looks fit to do the trick wheeling the deer out of the woods.

Nice one Ian

Two truely fantastic stags.

I can imagine the excitement increasing as the hinds started to move. Great narative and an amazing experience. From the pics it look as though the rut was in?

Also it sounds as though you were close in when the shot was taken. What sort of range were you at?

As per previous comments i would be very interested also to see more detail on the extraction contraption.

Great result.

Guys

Thanks for the kind comments. To answer the questions, yes the rut is in its early stages - the beasts are still fairly relaxed - but wallows and whistling starting to be more noticeable.

First beast was taken at only 20m - totally unaware and relaxed. The second was a bit more awkward. Due to foliage and other deer I decided not to stalk closer - eventually shooting from a kneeling position at 150m. Again, the animal was unaware and relaxed.

Rgds Ian

Nice Show Ian!!

Always good to hear about other peoples successes!!

At the moemnt I'm waiting for Pete to come and show me how it's done as I too have had a dry start to the season!!

Keep up the good work

Regards,
FB

Gorgeous animals, and nice write-up. I must confess that you lost me on the 'turning Japanese' part in your post's title, however...

Kamo Gari

Sorry,I guess it was a tad convoluted. The species is Cervus Nippon - Japanese Sika!! The title is from a song by 'The Vapors'- quite a hit over here way back when. You know how it is, once in your head the damn thing won't go away!!

CHORUS
Turning Japanese, I Think I'm Turning Japanese, I really Think so

Turning Japanese, I Think I'm Turning Japanese, I really Think so



Keep well

Ian

Great story and photos! Thanks for posting it! Makes me wish I was there.

Cheers,
-Bob F.

Ian,

Nice to see somebody having some success! Also like the deer cart. A couple of us made one a while back but the ground we were on was just too rough for it...I am still convinced on easier ground they are the way to go if you don't have a quad...

FB,

I am looking forward to a visit early November if everything works out...I might leave the rifle behind, and just enjoy your cooking if thats ok!

Regards,

Pete

lol IanF your showing your age to remember the vapors

Chapster.

Damn it man - that was only the 80's!!! That weren't so long ago....... was it???



Rgds

Ian

Pete,
don't do that.... I'm running dangerously low on venison!! I'll still fix the grub.

Late Nov though?? 19th?

Ian,

You have mail.

Regards,
FB

Ian,

Very Well Done!

As usual, a sterling report & photos to accompany your hunting escapade!

Quick, bring the cart - I've got some spots where I can take some photos of you loading a large Wild Boar on your OX(Man)-Cart. If you think you worked up a sweat in Dorset, wait until you see the hills, gullies, draws and swamps here!

quote:

The title is from a song by 'The Vapors'- quite a hit over here way back when. You know how it is, once in your head the damn thing won't go away!!

CHORUS
Turning Japanese, I Think I'm Turning Japanese, I really Think so

Turning Japanese, I Think I'm Turning Japanese, I really Think so



Keep well

Ian

The term "turning Japanese" also means something entirely different ....not, I'm sure applicable to the gentlemen of this fine forum!!!

Nice stags though

Cheers Roebuck

And if you are going to visit Fallow Buck the next line from that song would apply too:

"No sex, no drugs, no wine, no women...."

I seem to remember seing The Vapours at The Marquee, was it about 1981?
I think it was a double Marquee weekend for me with The Rezillos the night before (or after).

Happy days!

Gerry.

Cheers!

Just back from the Fatherland - but other commitments meant that the hunting had to take a second place. I did, however, come in for some friendly abuse from my contact down your end of the world.

Apparently its a mortal insult to spurn the offer of free hunting - and accordingly, when I'm over next, I have to hunt TWICE as long!!

Will keep you posted about my next visit...... if only because I now have an urge to pick up a BBF - and you seem to have cornered the market in Germany!

Rgds

Ian

Ian,



My God, man - get a grip! You need to sit down and contemplate your life seriously. Did you:

1. Actually mean what you just wrote?
2. Read it before you pushed the "enter" button?



".....hunting had to take second place....."

".....spurn the offer of free hunting....."


You are Out-of-Control!

I'll be speaking seriously to Pete E shortly about considering your suitability to be on this site altogether - utterances like this simply won't tolerated.....


A BBF - very nice indeed!


I was out last night, a goregeous night warm enough, good visability with no clouds, moonlight, no fog, simply fantastic - had 28 Roe Deer in a field at one time! Best part was; due to the lease bondaries the vast majority of them came out from my neighbor's property!


Let me know when you are over next and we'l figure something out to cure your ailment!

Ian

I refrained from congratulations through envy.

Now I've grassed my first smelly fallow buck I feel at one with the world and can be more generous - congratulations! Nice stags and a great story.

Small woods are often more productive, not least because we tend to stalk slower.

1894

Congrats - BUT where's the pictures??

Show me the body!!

Rgds Ian

Ian,

Great story. Is there a place you can recommend hunting these deer in the UK. I mean as a paying hunter with a stalker?

Thanks,

VAR
New York, USA

quote:

Originally posted by IanF:
1894

Congrats - BUT where's the pictures??

Show me the body!!

Rgds Ian

Ian,

Chronology was thus:-

Wake up early and go stalking despite having assured wife previous night I wouldn't.

Get to high seat in dark

0710 shoot buck, 0711 ring wife to assure I WILL take the kids to school, run to car (having unloaded first) drag carcass, load into car, drive like lunatic, arrive home, wash hands, load kids (George - 'Dad that buck smells as if the rut has started' (good lad!), drop kids, return home, gralloch, wash hands, fire up work computer at 0845!

So no photos I'm afraid.

Sounds like you've started that boys training!!!

quote:

Originally posted by IanF:

Sorry,I guess it was a tad convoluted. The species is Cervus Nippon - Japanese Sika!!

Aha! Thanks for the education.

quote:

The title is from a song by 'The Vapors'- quite a hit over here way back when.

You're showing your age a bit! I remember it well, as I lived in Japan at the time, in the early 80s.

quote:

Turning Japanese, I Think I'm Turning Japanese, I really Think so

Turning Japanese, I Think I'm Turning Japanese, I really Think so

That's the one. But the best part, IMO, is this verse:

"No sex, no drugs, no wine, no women, no fun, no sin, no you no wonder it's dark....

Everyone around me is a total stranger, everyone avoids me like a cyclone ranger,
everyoooooone...

Damn you, that'll be in my head for weeks now! LOL!

Cheers,

KG




Keep well

Ian[/QUOTE]