Good few days.

Well I have had the kind of busy week we all like.

First was duck shooting on the weekend. It was way too fine and clear and still, but 3 of us managed 64 birds for the day shooting on stubble. A mix of paradise and grey mostly, but also about 10 mallards which didn't make it too the photo as they got plucked early.

https://i.postimg.cc/q7YNb39X/ducks.avif

The next day I was the only one able to get out, and had a ball by myself, picking up another 24 birds for the morning. I shoot better by myself as can do things at my time and without having to worry about others. Plus there is less movement in the hide and birds seem to decoy better.

https://i.postimg.cc/d1yLz0FM/IMG-0120.avif

Then last night a mate and I hit a clearing we have been staking out a bit. It's in an area where the deer are very hunter aware and cautious and there's 3 stags there that we have had numerous gos at without luck.
Tonight we crept in with 10 minutes of light left, and Dan got a shot at a stag as it crossed the clearing. Im loading the 130gr Barnes TTSX for him and this was the first trial.

The stag ran about 100 yards into the bush, and by that time it was pretty much too dark to see blood, and so the pup got a chance to show what she can do, and she did a great job of leading us in to where he lay in some tight shit. She was telling us he was there and yet we couldn't see him at 10 yards. It was really good to see how she behaved on a fresh track on clearly hit animal. Her first needed track where I didn't all ready know where the animal was.

https://i.postimg.cc/jjCW4XkS/Dan-Stag.avif

https://i.postimg.cc/K80kTVfW/barnes.avif

As he was still quite rutted up, we carried him out whole too the roadside and car, then skinned him immediately at home before putting him in the chiller. The projectile had done a lot of work, smashing the foreleg and nearly every rib as it angled down the far side. We found it just caught in the skin on the far flank.

Yr freezer be fill now,ducks and veni.Well done.

Glad to see your pup coming on so well! I’d say you had a great week!
Bet you haven’t recovered too many of those Barnes bullets..

Living the good life of a Coaster. Thd way life should be. A great couple of days indeed. Reading about it put a smile on my face.

Good dog...give it a big pat from me. That job alone justifies all the chewed shoes n landmines in middle of freshly mowed lawns. It gets easier when the dog knows it's job and the boss will trust them. Lots of sausages there.