Caribou Gear

Red Stag, tough day!

devon deer

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Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Messages
2,772
Location
Devon, England
We had some serious (for us!) and rare snow last week, nothing like Montana, but 18'' in 12 hours is a good amount.

I was out as soon as it stopped and found red deer tracks (they have been very elusive) but no deer.
I got up at 05.30 the following day, we had a rapid thaw, I didn't think I would be out long, so didn't eat breakfast, after 3 hours I finally found them in the woods, all bedded down except, for the calves which were actively feeding, they couldn't have been in a safer place for them, the only way I could get to them in the thick brush was with the wind up my Jacksie, after a stale mate lasting around an hour the decision of what to do was taken out of my hands, a gust of wind took my scent to them, the game was up, the woods exploded with deer, I never even knew some were there, I ran to a vantage point and waited, I got lucky, they stopped and looked back, all skylined, the lead hind barking an alarm, the last deer wasn't skylined, I briefly thought about the extraction, but adrenalin took over and the .243 barked, he dropped on the spot, big mistake!
Long story short, the farmer was out, my friend has a quad, I walked to him, only to find it was broken down!
3 1/2 hours later, after slipping on snow/ice/bog/mud and wet grass I got back to my truck, damn it knackered me out, no food for 18 hours!
I will remember this for a long time!

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Cheers

Richard
 
Congrats on sticking with it and taking a nice animal. I always find tough hunts very rewarding. The meat also tastes just a little bit better.
 
Nice work... although if you don't me me asking why didn't you quarter him or bone him out and just pack him out?
 
Some of the most challenging are the worst at the moment... later make for the enjoyable conversation based memories that last.

Congrats! Ho many acres do you have available to hunt?

Thanks for sharing the pics... Figure this is a great warm-up for your trek to MT. :)
 
Sweet!
And you'd do it all over again tomorrow, but maybe put a sandwich in the coat pocket, and an apple in the other as you walk out the door.
 
Nice stag Richard! That gate looks familiar. Was that on an area that we hunted last summer? Sorry that your extraction was so difficult. Looks like your cart came in handy.
 
Nice work... although if you don't me me asking why didn't you quarter him or bone him out and just pack him out?
I could have done that, but our countries differ, we can sell our deer, and that is where that one went, to the game dealer, then I share the revenue with the farmer, the game dealer would not accept a carcass without its skin on whole, if it had been a hind I might have considered doing that as I prefer the taste of the hinds and filled my freezer.

Congrats! Ho many acres do you have available to hunt?

Thanks for sharing the pics... Figure this is a great warm-up for your trek to MT. :)
Around 2500 acres, and I agree, great training for Montana!

Nice stag Richard! That gate looks familiar. Was that on an area that we hunted last summer? Sorry that your extraction was so difficult. Looks like your cart came in handy.
That gate is one that you did climb over!
That cart is a god send.

Sweet!
And you'd do it all over again tomorrow, but maybe put a sandwich in the coat pocket, and an apple in the other as you walk out the door.
Great advice, I have already put some energy bars in my truck!

Another stag had a lucky escape this morning, 30 seconds and he would have been mine.
Off to try again tomorrow morning.

Cheers

Richard
 
Makes sense, but wow does that make the process more work. Impressed you got it out.
 
Nice stag mate! As was mentioned up above hunting stories are ALWAYS better when they include some strife :)
 
Careful, my friend. All of that hard work will make an old man out of you! Looks like there was an addition to the top of your rifle?
 
I thought it would get noticed!
Its a LED Lenser, good out to 150 yards, I use it for shooting foxes at night with my .243
Cheers
Richard
Careful, my friend. All of that hard work will make an old man out of you! Looks like there was an addition to the top of your rifle?
 
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