I was just wondering if any one has ever hunted these "mini speed beefs". I read an article in a magazine a few weeks back. I have forgotten which one. I was just wondering if any one has any interestiong stories to tell about such an animal.

GJS

We hunt them a lot in Sweden. I have a story on my website from my hunt in Poland. Check it out on http://at-home.nu and chose hunting, then Poland 2001 in english

Just sent email for booking a hunt this fall to do the UK slam. I have my hill stag, and will hunting the Roe, Jap Sika, Chinese Water deer, Fallow and the Munjak. I did not realize until now that the Roe is the most populace deer in the world. The Chinese Water deer can only be hunted in England, as they are on the endangered list in China. With out hunting in their homeland the conservation has been nil. I have a hunting video with them on and man are they neet. The have no antlers, but have long fangs on the mature bucks. I guess it takes some glassing to find a good trophy, also the Munjak has fangs also. It ain't Africa, but it won't be as bad as not having a hunting trip overseas. These are little guys and people who post on the Africian board know how hung up I am on the "little guys" in Africa, eh.

Once, in Poland.
The funny thing about this hunt was that I hired a guide that doesn't speak english.
Of we went one morning and after 15 minutes walk we saw a good one walking towards us. The animal stops 20 metres from me. Never in my hunting life I saw such a present, game is very spooky in my lands so I didn't shoot thinking that I was being victim of a set up, seconds after the roe bark and run away, the fat man (guide) start shouting me in polish, I don't understand him a word but I realized he was saying something about my mother

The next day I stalked a nice one, it was late in the afternoon and he was grassing in the open with two more, I walk slowly through the forest and short the distances between us, I shot, he run away and fell in the border of the forest, I near loose it!!

The fat man again start shouting me but of hapiness. Crazy polish

Bruz,
I've the picture but I'll control myself

LG

[ 03-31-2003, 21:46: Message edited by: Lorenzo ]

Well

Roe deer is one of my passions. I really like them.

We don't have much �lg(Moose)in the part of Sweden were I live. The most common big games animals are Roe deers, Wildboars, Fallow deer. The Red Stags are growning and will soo be huntable.

/ JOHAN

[ 04-01-2003, 12:38: Message edited by: JOHAN ]

Die Ou Jagter,

You will still be a little short on your UK grand slam...I would say you need to add feral goat and wild boar as a minimum plus possibly some others too. There is a very interesting article on this quarters edition of Stalking Magazine which discuss the various deer species that have been introduced or have escaped into the UK and there current status. For instance the author mentions three sub species of Sika, Axis deer and two sup species of Roe including the Siberian roe although he strongely suspects the sighting and identification of the latter was a mistake.

Back to the original thread, i too have a passion for Roe stalking and our buck season has just started. I found the picture below somewhere and it always makes my pulse quicken when i view it!



Regards,

Peter

GJS,
I hunted Roe Deer and Boar in Germany a couple years ago and have become somewhat addicted to them. The hunting in the area I was at was very restricted, as is much of Germany. No shooting on the high ground or near the property boundaries etc. I saw some really nice bucks but they have learned over years of being hunted , where they can go and be safe. I found it very frustrating to sit and watch good trophy bucks and not be able to shoot. If you can plan your hunt during the rut, it will better your odds of getting a good buck. Where are you wanting to hunt?

I've never seen bucks in a row,hey just joken good luck! wish i was going!

Thanks Pete, I was just going by what I was told by my outfitter and assumed the slam was of deer only. I am aware of the various sub-species like the Jap Sika and the Formosan Sika, the hill stag vs the european strain red stag. I think there a couple of ferral goats and sheep that can be taken. I also know they have Pere David deer and the Hog deer, but I understood they were not in the Slam. Who set the "slam" peramiters?

Your outfitter methinks!

Yr gonna have a great time - enjoy the Roe, they are the ideal species in my view. Pretty as hell, tastes great and easily transported once you have 'grassed' your buck.

Being very territorial, its a pleasure to be able to see the same deer each time you visit a spot........ and then you get to shoot one you have never seen before! They are fun!

Rgds Ian

Die Ou Jagter
I don't think there any set parameters on this and thats what part of the fun is. I have my sights set on taking the "slam" myself and I have talked to other British stalkers about constitues the Britsih slam and the debate often becomes quite lively at times. I think the only thing we all agree on is that whatever species is concerned, it should be taken in the wild and not behind a fence and that would more or less rule out things like the Pere David. Where the debate becomes really interesting is when one starts considering the possiblity of the big cats which are said to roam the UK is increasing numbers!

Anyways, whatever ever you decide to stalk, shoot straight, and I hope you have a good time. Hopefully you will be pleasantly surpised by the variety and quality of stalking when you consider we are a relatively small and crowded island!

Regards,

Pete

I've never hunted Roebucks but I have made some awesome shots at Sears- LOL

Roebuck are considered the poor man's elk and quite common in Europe. Most has been said already, it is a beautiful and exciting game animal to hunt and the meat is really delicious. One big advantage is that they are a little easier to gut and carry than a 100 kg hog...

May, 1st our season starts, I just can't wait to get out into the woods again, even though the most exciting hunt is during the rut first week of August. They respond very well to calling and when they either stomp or sneak in it is very exciting. Most old bucks are killed then, I got my biggest trophy so far last year 2nd of August.

Hi
I have shot one roe buck.

It was a not a grown buck, but a male calf. I shot it in oct-nov two years ago.

It was on a field not far from where I live. I was out looking for roe. And spotted three on the field some 600 meters away. I could not see them with my bare eyes but through the rifle scope I saw them.

I then I snook towards them. Thankfully the feld here aren't flat so I could use the terrain as cover. I had to crawl sthe last 50 meters to get into a good position. I saw the three roes grassing. On female with 2 calfes. I aimed at one of the calfs and fired. It went right down. I had a good rest and I also used a sling. A later measured the distans to about 150 meters.

My scope is a weaver 3-9x50. It was set on 9X when I shot the roe.

I used my Remington 700 ADL with a synthstock. I used 180 grain odin bullet loaded by CBC in brazil. The bullet is a copy of Sierra game king. I buy those dirt cheap at one of the local rifle ranges. I have also shot one bull moose with them.

It made exit hole about 5cm in diameter. It was a clean lung/heart shot. I weight the roe at 10kg slaughter weight. No head, and skinned. That's not a bad calf around here. A grown buck is more than 20kg.

I had a great chanse on a big buck that same autum but I f--kt up. The buck was grassing every morning at a place I can see from where I waited for the school bus every day.

So I snook down there on morning. I had the roe in the scope at about 100 meter, but didn't get a clear shot at him. I had taken the safety off the first time I went down but I had to crawl 3 meters to clear some high grass. Then I put my finger inside the trigger gard as I tried to put the safety of again, but the safety was already of and then the shot went of.

I had forgotten to keep my fingers away from the trigger when you arn't shooting. Luckily the shot went way over the roe.

I have the case of that shot over my bed so I see it every day to remeber gun safety first, always!

It could easily have been a nasty wounding shoot or it cought have hit something else like a fellow hunter.

Johan

Ah roe deer,

I knew there would be something I was going to miss here in Canada. Spring buck season in May in the Belgian Ardennes, or Poland, with all the fresh greens, blooming canola fields, reviving nature! Then the rut in July/August, hot summer nights, bucks on the move, responding to the call. And late season hunts for does, in winter dress, beautiful grey/brown coat against the white of the snow. I have hunted them in Germany, Belgium, the UK, and Poland.

If I had to choose any one season it would be the May season...with the songbirds hailing the coming summer while you're out in the woods.

I remember my Polish trip very well, I shot four bucks in five days. The first one (my first buck ever) was the best. It presented itself first at 180 meters, went back into cover, came back out at 150, went back in, and then came out again at 120 meters. I'd been trying to get a decent aim all the time, but I just trembled too much. The the guide asks "Do you want me to shoot the buck?" That brought me to my senses, and I cleanly hit it with 150 grs from my .300 Win Mag (talking about overkill). Got smeared with blood and all, a local tradition for a first-time buck hunter.

Shot three more, one at 200 meters, it actually summersaulted backwards when hit, 2" more to the right and I would have missed it, and one neck shot at 80 meters in a canola field. Never shot better than on that trip. I took some shots that I wouldn't take now. Beautiful warm May afternoon, spent on a bench in front of our quarters, chatting the afternoon away, dozing off to catch up some sleep, copious Polish cuisine...yep, we were roughing it. Only those four-hour nights were really killing.

I'd do it again though. Now spring bear has taken the place of spring bucks. No luck so far, but those bears gotta wake up sometime soon, I reckon.

Frans

I took my first Roe buck of this season last weekend, a really nice 6 pointer. He spotted me firat and bounded off barking but he made one tiny mistake which enabled me to take a shot...that tree was not as wide as he thought! :-) He dressed out at 37lb with his head and feet off, so by our standards he was a sizeable buck. He looked a little scruffy as he was in the middle of shedding his winter coat but otherwise a very fine beast indeed

Pete,

Ah design flaw number 2 - curiosity. (design flaw number 1 being white backside)

Our southern roe are proving to be rather late in everything - few are paired yet, all mainly in winter coat, some still in velvet.

I too would vote for the rut as being the time to visit to take a nice buck.

To the unexperienced roedeer hunter:

Design flaw "stupidity" is by far their worst one. Few animals are so easy to stop in their tracks if you want a stand-still full broadside shot.

Just give them a whistle when you have them in your sights, they will stand still for a second. During my last moose hunt I had a roebuck walking over a field in front of me, I stopped it six times and it was never more than 100 meters from me. Could not shoot though, we were hunting moose with a young dog and shooting roe deer might make it misunderstand its mission in life.

/HerrBerg

Herrburg,

I wish that using a whistle was always so reliable! Reminds me of an incident which happened whilst out stalking with a friend a few years back. We had stalked in to about 60 yards pf a buck and doe which were lying up in some long grass passing the morning away. My friend did not like the shot which was presented to him, so decided to make a quiet rabbit squeak ( as you would call a fox) to raise their curiosity and get them to extend their necks and look in our direction. He took carefully aim and made a real quiet squeak on the back of his hand. They heard it ok...they launched themselves into the air like a pair of Exocets barking furiously and bounded straight into the safety of the sitka spruce! The look on my mates face was priceless!

Regards,

Pete

[ 04-29-2003, 15:16: Message edited by: Pete E ]

Shhhhhh... Don't tell!

When I say "it works" when referring to hunting tricks, then I mean something that works most of the time!

In my opinion it needs to be a very quick noise so that they don't have the time to locate it. Snapping fingers might be a good idea.

Our season started yesterday, May 1st. Unfortunately it is a holiday, too, and, even worse, the weather was nice so the woods were full of people partying...

We can hunt bucks and yearlings. The idea is to shoot some female yearlings and the small bucks you won't see again later this year. On the other hand, there are some big ones I saw on several opportunities last year which in theory should be spared until the rut. After more than 2 months without hunting I get the shivers just thinking about them and I would suspect that my mother's son will be chasing on of them again this evening...

Wish me luck, best regards, D.

I must admit to often being unable to produce a whistle when it comes to the crunch. You know big buck walking into the woods and suddenly your lips are dry and all fails. I generaly bark and find it is much more definate in it's stopping effect especialy if you have stumbled on a buck that has run off without knowing quite what you are. A quick 'BOW' often get's a stop.

Bruz, I've the picture but I'll control myself

Lorenzo, missed your post...OK, now I'm having withdrawls from not seeing your pics, post away!

If anyone is looking for a reputable stalker for roe & muntjac in the south of england I can put you onto a couple of great guys.

All you have to do is e-mail me for their details

Update: I saw a reeaal big one when hunting with my 8 year old daughter yesterday. Unfortunately, children sometimes loose patience in the wrong moment and get a little noisy... Well, we have several more months to go so chances are, he�ll become a wallhanger if traffic spares him.

An older gentleman on a drive was going for Hasen, (European hare), in deep snow. A Reh was jumping through the snow, when someone in the treib shouted "Hasen, Hasen!" and the old man shot the Reh with his 12 ga. The gentleman never did live that one down, to include an elaborately staged "kangaroo court" with appropriate "punishment".

Drew

Hi,got my first Roe buck 2 years ago in Sweden,as far as I can remmember I've always wanted to hunt for them but you have to go across the water(ocean) to get to them,was lucky,got a 8 pointer,regular 3 points per side with 2 drop tines on one side,very heavy pearling,skinned it for a lifesize mount,had a beautiful red coat,want to go back to Sweden and England for them,very good memories,in between I read everything I can about them.
Fernando

I beg to differ, Duk. The most popular form of big game hunting in Belgium and France is driving with beaters and hounds. An animal with dogs on its tail very seldom stops when crossing the firing line and 99 % of shots are fired at running game. Also, on these shores, (buck)shot is legally prohibited on big game. I think you must be referring to silent drives or "dr�cken" as the Germans call it. I that case only 1-2 drivers -no dogs, no shouting- walk silently through the woods to dislodge game which then leaves quietly ahead.

[ 05-11-2003, 12:19: Message edited by: Andr� Mertens ]

Andre, I basically agree.

However, what around here is usually done is like a compromise between driving and "druecken". We usually have around 10 to 15 drivers, about 5 to 7 dogs and 15 to 20 hunters. It is very important to use dogs that are slow like Dachshund or Jagdterrier (excellent when boar are to be expected) and that they bark when trailing. This way game, especially roe deer hear them from very far away and try to evade the dogs by sneaking away or hiding.

Since the hunters are positioned all over the area and not in a line, there is usually the chance to get a shot at slow-moving game. Especially the roe deer don't run but rather play hide-and-seek, it is very interesting to watch them evading the dogs.

Of course, once in a while the hogs thunder by at full speed but then, they are a little easier to hit than a little roe deer... It also helps to shoot at the "running boar" on the target range once in a while.

Ah, only thinking about those hunts in fall with the sound of horns and dogs already gives me the shivers, I nearly wish it becomes November soon!

[ 05-12-2003, 00:16: Message edited by: DUK ]

Well, I shot a roebuck some three hours ago

I was waiting in a narrow but far-stretched field.

Having been entertained by two hares and a roe hind for about an hour, not to mention a few dozen woodcocks, a roe buck came out on the field some 250 meters from me. Having a Zeiss 3-12x56 , it was easily identified as a roebuck and a small one too. Perfect! I like to keep the large bucks alive through the rut which is in july, but small bucks I have no doubts taking this time of the year.

But I don't like long shots, I have always been apalled by people who mix up shooting and hunting. Where I come from, a hunter worthy to be called a hunter always gives his best to fix the situation so that the safest possible shot can be taken. So I slid down a ditch which was running on the side of the field and made my way towards the buck, in the water. A little bit cold and wet, but silent it was.

Having made my way some 80+ meters towards the buck, and in a bit of a hurry too since the buck looked like he was going to cross the field and thus make me miss the opportunity, I stopped at 150 meters from the buck since I saw some great small piles of soil that had been dug up a long time ago, next to the ditch. A little bit too much of a distance, but I had a great gun rest there. I crawled up there and the buck never presented anything better than a 45 degrees profile. Then, after some 10 minutes (the buck was moving slooowly towards me) he stood full broad side and I fired, aiming right behind its front leg. Distance - 160 meters. He darted more than one meter vertically up in the air (that is - hooves one meter up!) which was a impressive sight, turned round in midair but fell to the ground, and ran like hell for the forest some 50 meters away (and he made it to the forest!).

I walked away from there and went to get a dog (a vorsteh) to go after the buck. I waited for some 45 minutes before moving towards where it had disappeared into the forest, but I was quite confident that it would be dead there. Well, the high jump it did nagged me some, this can be a sign of a hit far too low, and the buck reacts to jumping "away" from where it has been hit.

The waiting period is always a good thing, since also a deer not being mortally wounded can lie down and stay there while one slowly follows its tracks with the help of a dog. If one rushes this, they will just go far away and make the tracking very difficult.

Some 40 meters into the forest, however, it was lying there, dead. The shot had hit *exactly* where I intended (does not always happen, I may add ). Entry half an inch behind the front leg, exit 3 inches in front of the last rib.

So, the roebuck ran 90 meters after such a hit by a 180 gr Norma Oryx bonded bullet, loaded with 44gr Norma 202 in my .308 Win. Tough little things.

This was my first game taken with my new Sauer 202 that I bought some three weeks ago, my hit percentage in the field with this gun is now 100% but I expect it to drop somewhat in the future

Well, goodnight to you all! I had a great hunt.

Regards,
/HerrBerg

[ 05-30-2003, 12:10: Message edited by: HerrBerg ]

Congratulations MrBerg and thanks for sharing!

My wife and I are heading next year to Scotland. I promised her a trip there but at the same time I would like take a couple of days to hunt Roe deer and maybe a couple of other deer species if possible. Can anyone put me in touch with someone to help in this endevor.

Brooks

Roe deer Scotland:

Trie this one:http://dunmhorsporting.com/Deerprice.htm

I have been here 8 times

Good hunt and do Graham my compliments.

[ 06-02-2003, 22:34: Message edited by: dirk_scout ]

Thanks for everyone's help
Brooks

Broks, there are lots of Roe in north Somerset too. I counted six yesterday just driving down the the pub 1.5 miles away. All bucks.