1st buck of 2011 bit late but finally!!

sauer · August 29, 2011

hi there folks

well weather was cold overcast and bit blustery last night up here in angus area but managed to get out have a look and managed to find an elusive bugger and get my 2011 season off the ground!!!

i was begining to think i may actually blank this year...would have been a first in 7 or 8 years!!

for those that know me i work away from home alot...also got 2 young boys nearly 3 & nearly 2 that require a load of watching!!!!

couple that with fact that dont have too much ground and most of that is very public and still full of uncut crop etc....

i have one small local fruit farm and they dont tolerate any deer on the place...and sometimes get themn moving in from another area across the march ..which is split by a main road.

Anyway we had seen a couple of bucks and does move in start of august but i eneded up in Oman in middle o the desert for 3 weeks!!!

Anyhoo....got home....finally got my scope back from my brother who borrowed it till his repaired and got it on my rifle...a Russel Gall build in .25-06 and zeroed!!

As you guys all aware rut all but over and usually the bucks just vanish!!! but i was desperate to get out anyway

so onto the ground and sat in the motor overlooking a couple of big parks either side of me and glassed for a wee while decoded to park up and walk the perimeters....so driving at walking pace and just bout to pass thru end of the parks and i spot a flash of red on the right....yup a roe...couldnt tell what sex but kept going till out of sight and killed engine and coasted down another 30 yards or so.....out with stickjs rifles binos ..and back to field/wood edge for a nosey.....bloody hell its a buck!!!!!

wasnt expecting that ...thought for sure it would be a doe...but no!!! so onto the hands and knees and crawl over to a set of electricity poles 30 yrds over....my plan to use them to hide behind and lean against whilst on the sticks...and from ther i could get a shot....

got to the poles stood up ...yup ..he just noseing bout not too bothered ...got sticks and rifle set up a second later......WTF?!?!?! where he go???!?!?!?!?! no!!!!!!!

literally vanished....but im glassing and there in long grass...an antler and an ear...he had layed down and promptly dozed off!!!!

right me thinks i have time ..i cant see nowt bar his antlers so ill hang it out.

well afte 50 minutes he finally stands just perfect...im ready ...and out of no where....i start shaking like a bloody leaf and my breathings out my backside!!!! ive never had buck fever hit so quickly and unannounced before.....

well i fired and no reaction .....NO!!!!!!! reload and he steps forward 10 ft and seemed to stretch...did i hit him after all?? dunnoe but i fire again before he runs and drops on the spot!!!!

i ave him 10 minutes got my self settled down again ...al the time thinking did i hit him with the 1st shot? mmmmm

anyway i dressed him but could see no exit wound mmmmm or entr wound!!!!

skinned him this morning and turns out i had missed completely with the 1st shot and pulled the 2nd shot forward and anchored him in the shoulder....i found the bullet under the skin on the far shoulder .......buck fever i was all over the bloody place!!!!

he is 42lb dressed and a bonny enough head so im keeping the trophy ....a bit of memory never mind he may be my only buck for 2011 ....maybe!!!!

lessons learned?.... i need to make more effort to get out shooting more... i may even have to start paying for some stalks in order to keep my eye in....after all ..we all know how hard getting ground is!!!

venison for the freezer and a memory for me

sauer / paul