Shooting Times & Country – 17 July 2019

Stalking

26 • SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE

decisiontostayorflee,whether
somethingunusualis importantor
not.Theoldeststagis perhaps11 years
old.Beneaththevelvethistinesare
longandhiscoatis juststartingto
turncurly.Allhislifemenintweed
havebeencreepingaroundshooting
at hisfriendsandhe’llbealerttothe
mostinconspicuousofmistakes.
Heliesdown,idlychewinggrass
bittenfromaroundtheextensionof
hislongneck.Nearbyhimyounger
animalsarestandingorlyingdown,
feedingcalmlyandenjoyingthefirst

ofthemorning’sbrightsunshine.
I turnonmyheel,collecttherifle
andcontinueonmychosenpath.
InmyheadI amwonderinghow
muchfurtherI haveofthisrocky
gulleybeforeopengroundleaves
menakedofcoverandat themercy
ofthewatchfuleyesaboveme.
Mywatchreadsa quartertonine
asI putanendtothefirstcrawlofthe
morning.Havingfinishedwiththe
gulley,goodprogressthroughmoss
androckshasbeenmadeandthe
herdis maybeonly600maway.From
thepouchonmychestI gobacktothe
binoculars and scan the herd of deer

again.Asthedaydrawson,I cansee

theeffortputintofeedingis waning.

Stagswithfullstomachstaketolying

outonthegentlehillsidetoletthe

processofrumination begin.

Oldstag

Ouroldstagis stillhappyandI look

criticallyat theantlersonhishead,

thelengthofhisbody,thedepthof

hischestandtheconditionofhis

coat.I decidethathewillprovidean

enjoyableandchallengingexperience

fora guestlaterintheseasonand shift

myfocustohiscompatriots.Three

animalsfurtherbackanda coupleto

therightis a muchyoungerstag.

It’shardertogaina fullappraisal

ofa beastwhenit is lyingdown,but

eventheuntrainedeyewouldnotice

howmuchthinnerhisbodyis and

thethintwig-likeheadgearbarely

earnsthenameantlers.Thereis no

clearapproachinsight,butthewind

isstillstrongfromthewestandI

decidetocrawlon a little further for

covertoplot.

Withtheriflesliploopedaround

mywrist,I makeslowandsteady

progress towards the small rocky

bluffinfrontthatwillhopefullyoffer

enoughcovertoenjoya sandwich

at theviewoftheMorayFirth that

extendstothenorth.

OccasionallyduringmylunchI feel

a slightchangeinwindand,lookingat

thesky,I canseeanever-growingrain

cloudmovinginslowlyfromtheeast.

I candonothingbutwatchandcurse

undermybreathastheherdslowly

risesonebyoneasmyscentreaches

them.Andastherainstartstofall

I considerthata victoryforthedeer

nowcrossingtheskylineinflightis

acceptableenough on the first day

of the season.

“Icandonothingbutcurseundermy

breath as my scent reaches the herd”

Togiveprotectionto

thegrouse,thelandis a

jigsawpuzzleofpatches

cut out of the heather

Grazinghastobemanagedasblueberry

shoots are a vital food source for grouse