devon deer
Well-known member
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!
Cheers
Richard
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!
Cheers
Richard
