I've been out loads with my mentor since I took my DSC and a couple of times since I found out the results. Last night he was busy and I went on his permission on my own with his blessing. I knew on this land there is a monster buck and a couple of young ones.
I arrived at about 7pm and stalked about a bit. There was a young farm hand being a pratt and bombing about on a quad so I thought it would be another waste. I had my Bavarian Lab cross with me as he has started to come on well recently, he found a doe in deep cover and I followed him to within 8 yards when she ran.
I sat with him and set up my sticks for sitting on the junction of two fields where I have seen a lot of movement but held out little hope as I'd seen far less than usual. All of a sudden I saw them, bounding across the field. The ran to the far side and stopped. I got the rear, smaller buck in my cross hairs and he fell to the shot. After reloading and getting the site picture back I realised the other buck was standing there looking about. I put the second shot through his shoulder and I felt it was a clean shot but reloaded again. He ran straight towards me, looking uninjured, the grass was long and I could only see quite high up him. He kpt running straight towards me and I started to have doubts the shot had been as clean as I had previously thought. He got to 25 yards out and stopped, turned sideways on and I saw the exit wound where it should be, and he dropped.
Bryn the bav.lab cross was released from the lead and snuffled about in the waist high ground until he found the first deer where he got loads of praise. He didn't seem to believe there was a second but found that quickly once I got him away from the bigger buck.
My only problem was that my car was over a km away, so three trips later I had them in the tray in the boot and back to my friends larder.
I ache this morning, and I know I've worked for them, but it's a great feeling having got through it all on my own for the first time.
One is destined for my freezer, the other for the freezer of the landowner. Yum yum.




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