After Blaser zeroing session I was hoping to get a deer or two with a new rifle, but just when I finished shooting the wind picked up and it was soon raining heavily. I sat under a tree watching the road in front of me for a while, but did not see a thing and went back home wet…

Evening stalk

The following weekend I managed to go out Saturday afternoon. The weather was a bit better. It was a bit too windy to my liking and clod at 1C, but at least dry. It was a bit crunchy as most of the snow was gone, but the ground was still solid frozen in some places and wet in others. I had no “hunch” as where to go, so just went for a walk along the forestry track. I noticed a few fresh roe trails, but sitting near the road waiting for deer crossing is not really that exciting. It can be effective, but as I always carry my camera with me there is hardly time to turn it on and shoot before they disappear… Not exactly the footage I am looking for…

I got to the place where I got a doe and kid in December. I sat in the same place for a while but I got really cold and the wind was not favorable so I moved on. I slowly followed forestry boundary back towards the car. It felt like it might be another blank outing… 🙁 I only saw sheep on the moor and some fresh tracks near the forestry, but no movement…

It was well after sunset when I got to the place where I could see for about 150m along the forestry edge. The wind was swirling a bit, but with a bit of luck I could see something. I quite like this place and shot a few does there in previous years. I stood near the fence in front of a small sitka tree so I was not skylined.

After a few minutes I could hear a branch cracked not far away. I was glad, but afraid whatever was coming might have been a bit too close. And as I expected a single roe appeared as by magic no more than 20m away. It immediately paused and looked at me. I could not move. The deer was watching me, I just kept still… Suddenly, I could hear a buzzing noise coming closer. It was a helicopter coming from Loch Lomond area somewhere towards Glasgow and it would be passing exactly above us. I thought the deer could have been watching the helicopter instead of me and slowly fetched the rifle. The deer bumped off when I was putting the rifle on the sticks, not sure whether it was me or the helicopter that spooked it… 🙄

I kept the rifle on the sticks when I spotted a white patch further in front of me. Yest, it was the doe, but there was a fallen tree between us and no shot available. I had to wait for it to move off. It was getting close to legal 1 hour after sunset limit when the doe moved off the branches and presented a shot. I aimed behind the shoulder and squeezed the trigger. The deer disappeared and I was sure it dropped on the spot, but I could hear the deer running away. 😳 I was confused. I quickly reloaded on saw it pause maybe 100m away. All I could see was a white patch and a bit of neck and head above. I was sure it must have been my doe wounded so I carefully aimed at the neck and pulled the trigger…

She dropped on the spot. I gave her a few moments and went to the place I shot first time. No pins or paint, nothing… 😯 I went further on and there was a doe with a perfect neck shot. No other injuries… 🙄 I went back to the place where I shot first time and could not see any signs.

It was getting really late so I decided to come back in the morning just to make sure I did not do anything stupid. I gralloched the doe and hanged her on the tree.

Morning

I was really confused what happened in the evening. Going back to the car I convinced myself I must have shot at two deer and the first one dropped on the spot between the long grass and the second one was laying down there and stood up when I shot the first one?

I went back to the place I shot the first time and I could not find any evidence. I spent a while going back and forth and it looked like I missed the doe at 40m aiming at heart-lungs and neck shot the same deer at 100m. 🙄 I think because I was a bit higher and she was in the dip and I aimed a bit lower than middle of the body the bullet went under the deer.

I looked again and there was no sign of the first shot on the deer. The second shot was perfect and 100gr Remington Core Lokt bullet did a good job.

Blaser

I have no complaints about the rifle so far. It is not too heavy and pleasure to handle. I had to reload quickly to shoot again and that was a good experience. I also cocked the rifle before the shot no problems and it was quite natural to reload after the shot.

A-tec Maxim moderator is also quite good. Maybe not as light as A-tec CMM-4 I also have but it does not upset the balance.

It was good to get the rifle blooded eventually. The doe was in good condition for this area at 12kg.

Video

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