Last of the season [ireland]
my mate invited me out on the last day to try for some hinds and calves in the Wicklow mountains, started out after 7 yesterday morning saw a big gang of hinds out on the hill but as I crawled in for a shot I got pinged so after a shrill whistle the whole lot cleared, ah well time to try another spot. we glassed from the lane and saw 2 hinds and 2 calves about 1km out on the hill, had a nice stalk and just as I was getting ready to shoot a hybrid hind came in over the hill and gave us away, so on up the hill we went after about 300 yards we spied about 12 hybrids and 3 sika I crawled in to a shootable position and nailed a rather scrawny looking calf, happy days number 1 in the bag. After a handy drag back to the motor we had some grub and checked out some other spots.
Back to another place we spied a nice group way out on the hill so I set of crawling up the edge of a small stream after a great stalk for 2 hours I got in on them but with the hilly ground I could only see stags I cursed my bad luck then out of a deep gut stepped a hybrid hind with a calf at foot, after about 10 minutes the calf turned side on offering a shot and as the 25.06 barked the calf dropped, I lay in the heather and watched a group of maybe 30 animals look around them not sure what had happened, that was one of the most enjoyable stalks I ever had. well back to the motor.
Was about 5 oclock when I got to the motor and david says come on to try for another, we went back to the same place we went at first light, I could see deer already out feeding so I stuck my shooting sticks in the heather as they make crawling awkward, I had the lead on the dog and crawled forward and got ready to shoot, the sako barked and I saw the sika hind crumple, decided to go back for me shooting sticks before it got dark, then I went up to where the hind fell and guess what she had done a hoodini, searched high and low no sign I was gutted, don,t like to loose an animal. by now its black dark, I have almost given up when the dog disappeared into the darkness, well the dog found it, hard to believe it but it had ran about 200 yards. it was a great end to the season.
sorry if its been a bit drawn out. cheers
