Late Spring 2010
What a great spell of weather and just fine for the new kids . I am seeing many in my travels and the does look in great shape. Of bucks there are plenty and the stalking has been better than average for the time of year. I have seen some very big heads so far this season and can only imagine that although cold, the winter provided well for them. All the salt licks and supplement I put out went early on, and by January I had to top up with more. Although the overall condition of the beasts is good, I am still not convinced that extra salts makes much difference as areas where I have not salted has also produced good heads!!! I have tried this Euro method for the last three years and I feel there must be other factors in play.
I was treated to a great vocal display the other morning between two average size bucks, barking, grunting, bush bashing and a mid tone whistle almost like a sika.
This sound was a first for me and research has failed to confirm anyone else hearing this sound as from a roe buck, This sound, which followed a bow-bow bark , only lasted a second and was quite quiet. The buck was no more than 20 feet from me and was not aware of my presence. Perhaps there might be some medical reason!.
My two charity days for Combat Stress went well with 5 cull bucks taken and £1500 raised for great cause. Thanks to my Guests for a great couple of days stalking and also their contribution to this cause. Mike and I have now caught up with sleep loss.
A lesson learned during that session. We saw a buck at about 80m which saw us and ran into cover. The wind was in our favour so we followed on into a wood following a valley track uphill. After 200m I saw the buck again as it was feeding some 100m ahead of us. My client shot off sticks with me holding a long bipod along with my walking stick to make up a tripod, a far more stable platform at that range. Regrettably I was unsighted but heard the impact. After much searching we failed to find any sign of paint or pins. I was not keen to follow up on a blind track which involved going down a slope and over a stream as I would contaminate a blood line for the dogs. I had almost made up my mind to drive home for my dogs when I saw a female blackbird on a branch 50m uphill across the stream. She had worms in her beak and was scolding something in the bramble below her.
I continued to look for sign along the track without success. By this stage my Guest was convinced he had missed and was somewhat crestfallen. That blackbird was still calling! Why? Perhaps I had to investigate. Sure enough after a scramble of some 60m down hill, over the stream and up to the bramble, produced a fine cull buck dead in its centre.
An examination showed that the shot had entered 6 ins below the kidneys raking forward into the chest cavity with no exit wound. A perfect heart shot on the angle. Why the bullet did not break up or leave the body I do not know.
Moral of this story...always, always look for shot reaction, As a Guide was unsighted and should have been. I knew the shot was safe but changing position would have saved me lots of head scratching and uncertainty for my guest. Finally thank you Mrs Blackbird, I should have taken note earlier.
Happy stalking
Pete.
PS There were 5 chicks in the nest and she fed them as we were doing the field grallock down by the stream.
What a great spell of weather and just fine for the new kids . I am seeing many in my travels and the does look in great shape. Of bucks there are plenty and the stalking has been better than average for the time of year. I have seen some very big heads so far this season and can only imagine that although cold, the winter provided well for them. All the salt licks and supplement I put out went early on, and by January I had to top up with more. Although the overall condition of the beasts is good, I am still not convinced that extra salts makes much difference as areas where I have not salted has also produced good heads!!! I have tried this Euro method for the last three years and I feel there must be other factors in play.
I was treated to a great vocal display the other morning between two average size bucks, barking, grunting, bush bashing and a mid tone whistle almost like a sika.
This sound was a first for me and research has failed to confirm anyone else hearing this sound as from a roe buck, This sound, which followed a bow-bow bark , only lasted a second and was quite quiet. The buck was no more than 20 feet from me and was not aware of my presence. Perhaps there might be some medical reason!.
My two charity days for Combat Stress went well with 5 cull bucks taken and £1500 raised for great cause. Thanks to my Guests for a great couple of days stalking and also their contribution to this cause. Mike and I have now caught up with sleep loss.
A lesson learned during that session. We saw a buck at about 80m which saw us and ran into cover. The wind was in our favour so we followed on into a wood following a valley track uphill. After 200m I saw the buck again as it was feeding some 100m ahead of us. My client shot off sticks with me holding a long bipod along with my walking stick to make up a tripod, a far more stable platform at that range. Regrettably I was unsighted but heard the impact. After much searching we failed to find any sign of paint or pins. I was not keen to follow up on a blind track which involved going down a slope and over a stream as I would contaminate a blood line for the dogs. I had almost made up my mind to drive home for my dogs when I saw a female blackbird on a branch 50m uphill across the stream. She had worms in her beak and was scolding something in the bramble below her.
I continued to look for sign along the track without success. By this stage my Guest was convinced he had missed and was somewhat crestfallen. That blackbird was still calling! Why? Perhaps I had to investigate. Sure enough after a scramble of some 60m down hill, over the stream and up to the bramble, produced a fine cull buck dead in its centre.
An examination showed that the shot had entered 6 ins below the kidneys raking forward into the chest cavity with no exit wound. A perfect heart shot on the angle. Why the bullet did not break up or leave the body I do not know.
Moral of this story...always, always look for shot reaction, As a Guide was unsighted and should have been. I knew the shot was safe but changing position would have saved me lots of head scratching and uncertainty for my guest. Finally thank you Mrs Blackbird, I should have taken note earlier.
Happy stalking
Pete.
PS There were 5 chicks in the nest and she fed them as we were doing the field grallock down by the stream.
