Dry spell over and 2 in the bag

clivej

Well after a spell of all the deer seeing me before I could spot them the balance changed to me side. I wasn't able to get out stalking for the months of December and most of January and when I did I saw many deer but was not able to get a shot away.

So at 4.30am I set off to Kerry and stopped for my shooting buddy Dwighet on the way. We stopped for petrol, coffee and a grab a sandwich on the way and arrived, a bit late as the sun was up, in Kerry at 7.45. Geared up and we both went our different way into the moutain forests.

I have my set route thats a bit more easy on the legs, I'm not getting any younger you know, and headed up to a spot I know the deer to be, while Dwighet went off on his long arduous and difficult track through the forest to the big lake.

I took my time to get up to the small clearing going from tree to tree and avoided stepping on the twigs. I stopped short of the clearing for 15 minutes to check it out before stepping out, only to be greeted with a high pitched whistle from a deer that was a little higher to me that I did not see. So that was all for the morning save the usual walk around my route. We meet back at the car before heading off for lunch and the late evening session.

So a couple of hours before dusk Dwighet and myself said we would try out a new spot where the high seat is. As we turned off the track out of the trees to where a boggy field starts and where the mountains rise at the other side of the field there were 3 deer @150m+ We both saw them at the same time but D was quicker to the draw and I didn't want to move incase they saw me. D dropped one with a heart/lung shot that ran off a little before dropping.

Where it dropped turned out to be a good spot to lay up for the rest of the evening which we did, This spot had a clear view of the field with trees on both sides from where the deer could come out to feed for the night time. And it came to be as this is what happened.

Just about 4.45 ish a deer came out to feed,@150m+ but it was feeding away from us into the wind so only a rear end shot was presented. Later another joined the first. We waited until both turned sideways on before taking the any shots. I shot the first as the other one was was behind a power line pole. The other ran a little and stopped and as it did it was also taken. We both agreed that the distance was between 170-200m and I was using Dwighets sticks while he was on the bi-pod.

Dwighet's rifle is 7mm-08 custom with I think a Leupold IV scope it's the top gun in the photo.
I use a Sako 75 in .308 with a Bushnell 6-24x50 tactical scope seen resting on the deer.



CJ

tikkamark

Excellent write up on the days shooting clive i enjoyed reading that:)
And lovely looking sako you have.

It wasn't me!

Nice write-up and photos there clive, hopefully have a similarly eventful story for tomorrow night. My own 75 is good to go and I've a few 100 grain Nosler ballistic tips determined to make their mark on the local deer population.

ghostmantra

well done lads,(bit of a try spell here too:()

dwighet

are they beads of sweat I can see dripping off your nose?

Deer Hunter DL

very nice

clivej

dwighet wrote: »

are they beads of sweat I can see dripping off your nose?

You know they are don't you now. :rolleyes:

I nearly puked dragging that small one back out of the bog :eek:, fair play to you for getting the bigger doe back to the track.

It was a good day out even if the temp was around the -3c. We know where to go the next time, could be worth an early morning stalk.
Sure you spooked a small lad just as we went into the gate, there are plenty of deer in that part of the permission.

jwshooter

clivej wrote: »

You know they are don't you now. :rolleyes:

I nearly puked dragging that small one back out of the bog :eek:, fair play to you for getting the bigger doe back to the track.

It was a good day out even if the temp was around the -3c. We know where to go the next time, could be worth an early morning stalk.
Sure you spooked a small lad just as we went into the gate, there are plenty of deer in that part of the permission.

what does not kill ya ,will make you stronger.

dwighet

jwshooter wrote: »

what does not kill ya ,will make you stronger.

He wasnt far from it JW.....
I was getting a small bit concerned.....The ground was frozen over..It would have taken me all night to dig a hole big enough to fit him in it.:D:D

welsummer

nice rifle, i see you have it treaded for a moderater, do you not use one.
i have a timber stock sako and it is a heavy pig of a gun with the moderater / bipods on.

jwshooter

dwighet wrote: »

He wasnt far from it JW.....
I was getting a small bit concerned.....The ground was frozen over..It would have taken me all night to dig a hole big enough to fit him in it.:D:D

crows may eat same as worms.

clivej

welsummer wrote: »

nice rifle, i see you have it treaded for a moderater, do you not use one.
i have a timber stock sako and it is a heavy pig of a gun with the moderater / bipods on.

I use some Surefire in ear hearing protectors so I don't have to carry the mod with me when stalking.
It's the Varmint model that has the fluted barrel and the laminated stock.
The synthetic stock is pillar bedded.
All up weight with the synthetic stock and scope is 8 3/4 lb

jwshooter

clivej wrote: »

I use some Surefire in ear hearing protectors so I don't have to carry the mod with me when stalking.
It's the Varmint model that has the fluted barrel and the laminated stock.
The synthetic stock is pillar bedded.
All up weight with the synthetic stock and scope is 8 3/4 lb

a nice lite set up clive .

clivej

I was out to the same spot yesterday and got the range finder out to messure the distance, which was easy as the 2 deer were feeding around the base of a power line pole. Well it was 180m/200y bang on.
That's my best ever shooting off anything let alone off sticks.

And the first deer that Dwighet shot I ranged at 145m/160y.

It wasn't me!

Was out yesterday, sitting in on the edge of a wood waiting for the deer to move out at last light. It was a race between the darkness and the mist to kill visibility until target ID would have been impossible, and the mist won it. Would have been somewhat earlier without the Schmidt and Bender. The Zeiss binoculars I was using were a lost cause long before the rifle scope gave up, and they're good binoculars. Ah well, next time.

welsummer

just put mine on the scales and is some where between 11 and 12lb in weight

clivej

welsummer wrote: »

just put mine on the scales and is some where between 11 and 12lb in weight

Well then it could be time to shed some weight and I don't mean the extra grub over the Christnas.

The synthetic stock saves 1lb
No mod 1.25lb
Bi-pod .75

so there's 3lb of extra weight that you have on your back.