Rifle Shooter – July 2019

56 http://www.rifleshootermagazine.co.uk

STALKER’S DIARY

As I got closer, I could see it was dead

but had been hit in the lower part of

the head. The bullet had done the job

and that deer was not going anywhere,

but I was not 100% sure of my shot.

I looked around to investigate – it is

always a good thing to do. Then I saw a

small branch that I obviously couldn’t

see through the scope at the close

range. The bullet had made a clear

scar, just clipping it, but enough to

change the point of aim one inch high.

With the fallow and roe all dropping

fawns about now it is quite a nice time

of the year to be out and observing

what is around and where. Both Jack

and Calvin have been out in the woods

looking for and counting the deer on

the ground. They also have both taken

the opportunity to cull the odd fox that

has been hunting. At this time of year,

the foxes are moving above ground

much more often, and you can ambush

or stalk them quite easily when out

stalking deer, which is a real help for

ground-nesting birds.

The fallow seem to be much more

resident during early summer, I think

partly because they are not being

pressured like they are during their

long season. The roe bucks have

sorted out their territories and it really

won’t be long before the rut kicks off.

Summer stalking in the woodland is

more a time to take stock and work on

plans for when most of the work is

being done during the winter.

Because this is a new woodland

project to us, we have made some

mistakes in terms of high seat

placement. In the largest wood, we

have four large double seats, but one

of those has simply been a failure – we

haven’t even seen one deer from it! It

is overlooking some cherry restock,

which is usually very attractive to deer,

but we have pulled a blank from it so

that seat will need to be moved before

the autumn... a job for next time. I

have also ordered three more double

seats that I will be collecting and

setting out later in the summer, so

although the activity in terms of actual

hunting may seem less, there is always

something going on.

Next time, we are going to be roe

buck stalking on Wiltshire downland

and taking a look at our kit bags for our

lowland summer stalking trips.

MEET THE TEAM

Calvin Beck has been involved in

deer management in a professional

capacity for 24 years. A qualified

arborist and forester, deer have been

a part of Calvin’s career throughout

his working life.

Being brought up in the West

Country, Calvin has a

long-standing

affinity with roe

deer and lowland

reds. Calvin is an

accredited witness

for the DSC2 deer

talking course.

Tim Weston started stalking deer

with his uncle at the age of six as

an observer, and has graduated to

managing his own ground and for

private estates, forestry companies,

wildlife trusts and other conservation

bodies throughout the UK.

Tim also trains

for the National

Gamekeepers’

Organisation

and is an assessor

for the DSC1

and DSC2 deer

7,0:(6721 stalking courses.

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ABOVE: The trusty .22

is ideal for squirrel

control, says Tim

BELOW: With the

cover up, a high seat

is needed to take

this munty buck