first deer of season

DubPredator

just wondering if there have been many deer got so far around the wicklow area since the 1st? i have managed to get out twice with one pricket as a result. plently of hinds around. im shooting in the glencullen area.
:pac:

650gs

Shot four really nice on the first day Enniskerry Co Wicklow and saw another few seem to be no shortage round here

dbrock

im also shooting the glencullen area and got two prickets so far one on thurs eve and fri morn,

Mauser 308

Got my first up near roundwood on Friday morning, Pricket. Guys I am new to Sika but wanted some advise. I was in a high seat on Thursday evening last, just close to dusk a very decent stag jumped out of the forest and stoped about 40/60 yards from the high seet and stood still looking around. I raised the gun picked my spot (heart and lung shot) and let fly. The stag took off across a wide heather patch aprox 600/700 yards or more running strong and out of sight. I was amazed and furious at the same time. Now I know I should have taken my time and necked the amimal as I had a rest and in hind sight plenty of time. But I reckon "buck fever" and excitement got the better of me. But unless I am greatly mistaken the animal had to be well hit and I was shocked to see how fast and strong he went into the distance. I searched for a long time and never found him.:mad:
Have been furious with myself since. Any one seen this before. By the way I am shooting a 308 using 150g Hornady super performance. So should have been plenty gun assuming the shot placment was correct. :mad:

Mountainy Jack

Mauser did you look for hair/blood around where the animal was? TBH it sounds like you missed the animal if he managed 600/700 yards at a good pace with no problems. Regards necking you shouldnt feel under pressure to do it, take the shot your comfortable with.

Mauser 308

Mountainy Jack wrote: »

Mauser did yoIu look for hair/blood around where the animal was? TBH it sounds like you missed the animal if he managed 600/700 yards at a good pace with no problems. Regards necking you shouldnt feel under pressure to do it, take the shot your comfortable with.

Hi Mountainy Jack. To be honest it was hard as it was in knee high heather which had a dash of red through. Also a lesson learned = when you get down from a high seat things look different from when you were up high. In summary I can't confirm a hit through blood etc but would be very shocked if I missed the kill zone. But did I get buck feever - yes I did. Did I miss ?????? I dont think so but the animal showed no i'll affects as he ran away:mad::mad::mad::mad:

landkeeper

how high was your seat
remember shooting up or down changes your poi

Mauser 308

landkeeper wrote: »

how high was your seat
remember shooting up or down changes your poi

It was say 18 foot or so off the ground,

Mountainy Jack

I'm not trying to put you through the ringer, everyone misses! Landkeeper made a good point, your bullet would be high when firing down. But, at that range gravity would act very little on the bullet, so it would be hard to see your postion effecting the shot.

landkeeper

true but it could be the difference between a high lung shot and a heart shot
if he was pumped he would run a good way
really depends on the angle of the stag and if the bullet hit bone or not a high quartering shot might only catch one lung

Mountainy Jack

landkeeper wrote: »

true but it could be the difference between a high lung shot and a heart shot
if he was pumped he would run a good way
really depends on the angle of the stag and if the bullet hit bone or not a high quartering shot might only catch one lung

Possible, but you would imagine he should show some sign over a long distance, unless he was clipped. How did the shot sound Mauser? Was there an audible strike?

browning 12 bore

had the same trouble myself in long grass hit the first pricket bang thud i heard then moved on to the second lad bang, thud went to look and no sign of the first lad he littterly must of went down in the long grass and litterly sneaked away :mad::mad::mad::mad:
and in relation to your situation at that distance your gun might of been shooting low as the bullet would not have time to rise yet and if that was me i would of went straight for the head or neck and yes it sounds like to me a bit of buck fever

hunter9

650gs wrote: »

Shot four really nice on the first day Enniskerry Co Wicklow and saw another few seem to be no shortage round here

only seen 1 pricket. I'm also shootin in the glencullen area. Two jeeps pulled up at a bridge at the bottom of the land i was stalkin on opening morning and spooked dear but thats life and i'll get a shot soon

PippaSpaniel

Sorry to hear about that stag, but sika would surprise you pound for pound they are as tough a deer you can get!! I have shot sika many times and they ran over hundred meters and dropped gralloched them and the heart would be practically in two halves!!
All i can think of that at such a close range was it 60 mtrs or so that the round did not expand or hit bone and punched straight thru!! it can happen! I try and neck sika when ever possible but this may not be possible sometimes.Also if the stag twigged your presence his adreline would be up hence running great distance!

Grizzly 45

Old adage when shooting high or low.IE up hill or downhill,hold low.
It can be a factor from high seat.

Mauser 308

Yea still feel like s**t over the miss. I only hope I completly missed him but to be honest I reckon he is well dead. In the rush to take him I did think about the high/low thing but thought shooting from a higher position would allow for the fact that the shot was much closer than the zero of the rifle (200y). But in any case we are talking small inches in a large kill zone. I still expected him to run a bit but give out say 100 or 200 yards. Its the huge distance he ran and from memory with no visable effects. But the next morning I shot a pricket at 200 meters aprox and he to my mind showed no visable effects but was dead after running say 30 meters, his heart and lungs were both hit when I examined them. My confidence is defo knocked into touch re the gun and amo, and myself ie fired 2 shots lost one, got one, both ran away strong. I think necking is the way I will have to go. As I would not feel right seeing the animal run off to die slowly.

iwsf

Do you have a dog ? You could go and look for the stag.
They surely can go far even with a heart / lungs shot.

GixxerThou

landkeeper wrote: »

how high was your seat
remember shooting up or down changes your poi

An angle that slight wont change poi. A 200yrd zero could be well off at 40-60 yards tho.

patsat

Mauser 308 wrote: »

My confidence is defo knocked into touch re the gun and amo, and myself ie fired 2 shots lost one, got one, both ran away strong.

Ya shud av got the .270 like you were told! :P

Feel sorry for ya tho anyone will tell ya it's the easy shots are the ones you will miss the most!

Prohunter

Hard to beat the 270 for sika,i would use nothing else.
Great for heart and lung