6-pointer

Weather has been quite bad for the last two to three weeks. Very cold with easterly and northerly winds, temperature dropped below freezing at night and it did not feel like May. I went out stalking anyway just to have a look after any new signs of roebuck territorial activity. They started to move about, but it was still not in full swing. Usually in May there are fraying marks everywhere,every corner and every young tree near deer paths get scratched, but not yet this year. It would be good to have a few dry and warm weeks as all roe does I have seen were quite big and would be fawning any time now.

I went for a walk but the wind was too strong and it was cold. Only when the sun was coming up, it was not too bad. I decided to sit down in some sheltered place. I sat down under a tree at the bend of the ride as it was not too bad. I sat for about 30 minutes when I spotted a movement to my left. It was a young hind walking out the trees maybe 10 yards away from me. She saw me and the camera, but the wind was from her to me and she could not figure out what I was. I was trying to keep still and only to move the camera a bit to keep on her. She was no more than 10-15 yards away and was stretching her neck to see me and sniffing the air, but I was lucky for some time and she was not convinced what I was. Eventually, she caught my wind and run away barking… Nothing else showed up and I went further up to the road.

I bumped on a few does, but could not see any bucks. The wind was too strong and it was looking like the rain was coming as well… It was still not 8pm when I decided to finish early as the weather was getting worse. I went back to the forestry track and headed back to the car when I spotted a roe feeding.

I set up sticks, but one of the telescopic legs collapsed and I could not find comfortable position… My sticks are on last legs anyway and will need replaced soon… So I moved a bit forward trying to find firm higher ground to set up the sticks when the buck spotted me. I was not in his full view and he could not figure out what I was. The wind was also in my favor.  He made a few steps forward stretching his neck, but it was not a nice broadside position.

I managed to make myself more or less comfortable on sticks and when I felt the wind on my back I decided to shoot when he was facing me slightly quartering. I squeezed the trigger and he disappeared. I thought he dropped on the spot but was not sure.  I gave him a few minutes when it got really dark and big dark clouds came in and it started raining…

I went to the spot where he was and the buck was there. I checked for eye reaction, but he was dead dropped on the spot. The bullet entered as I wanted low neck/front and exit just behind the far shoulder. The buck was not great, just average six pointer. After a quick gralloch I packed him to my Harkilla roe sack and went to the car before the rain got worse.

He was 11kg larder weight, so not the best condition for this time of year.

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