Looking for a Buck on a new bit of land.......

August 25, 2008

I was going to go for a wander around a farm just up the road from me where there are a few deer,and plenty of foxes,but,the farmers young boy and some of his friends were camping out in one of the fields,and,having a bit of a party.I showed my face at the farmhouse,and,the farmer said,why don't you go up my brothers land,as he had just cut around the field of wheat,and,there may well be a buck about.Well off I went,as it's only a mile up the road.It is a field of approximately 60acres(guess)and,it sort of rolls along with lots of highs and lows,and,it butts up against a bit of woodland......I felt quite optimistic as I skirted around the bottom of the field.I stopped every few yards to glass the area,but,saw nothing.Half way up the woodland side,I saw a russet body,so,I dropped to my knees,and,I checked through the binos,and,it was a Roe doe on her own.I just had a good feeling that there might be a Buck around,so I kept low,and,set the bipod in readiness just incase.She started to walk down the side of the wheat towards me,and,kept stopping and looking into the wood edge,as if there was something there.Surely,I thought it must be a Buck that is following her every move,just as I was.I always feel very privileged to be able to watch these beautiful beasts at close range,and,she was about 20yds away now.The problem was,it was quickly getting dark,so,I made the decision to carry on around to see if there was anything else about.As I moved off,the doe bounced off into the wheat stopping to see if I was following every now and again.I was just rounding the top corner when I saw a dark shape close to the edge of the crop,it was Charlie nosing the mown grass,probably looking for a chopped up mouse that he was going to have for supper.I slowly dropped to my knees,and,got the rifle ready on the bipod,it was getting dark by now,so,I dropped the magnification down to 3 x ,and,he appeared lovely and bright in the Shmidt & Bender scope.I slid the safety off,and,as I did,he started to move away,so,I gave a small squeek,and,he turned to look at me,and,CRACK as the 100grn Remington accutip left the rifle and THWACK as the bullet found it's mark.He just fell where he stood,and,he didn't even flinch.I wasn't necessarily out for a fox,but,they have to be taken at any opportunity as the farmer wants them gone.This was the first time I had been on this field,and,I have a very good feeling that it will produce a few Bucks before the end of the season,and,I am sure that when the wheat is cut,there will be even more of our red friends.Anyway,I took a leg home for the ferts,and,they are ripping it apart as I type this..........everyone is happy(apart from Charlie I suppose)but,as they say....'You can't make an omelette without breaking an egg'