A friend kindly invited me for a morning stalk. Weather was nice, at least it was dry this time and not too windy. We drove to the edge of a young plantation he manages deer on. I got instructions how to get to a high seat and marched on. It was still early, but just enough light to walk comfortably without a torch. After 15 minutes I got to the high seat and climbed on, made myself ready and waited for the first light.

The high seat was standing on a ride with the plantation on the back and little clearing in front of me with some older wood further on. I did not have to wait long when a single doe appeared on the ride. She was too far away for a shot, but at least I knew roe deer started moving.

I soon spotted a movement to the right in front of me. I looked through my Zeiss 8×56 binoculars and saw a single roe doe coming my way. I made myself ready as she was coming towards me and there was a convenient gap between the trees right in front on me.

All looked good and the doe was only a few steps away from my chosen spot when she became alert and ran across the clearing without stopping… 🙄

I thought she must have winded me and that was it as I expected to see her again further on, but nothing happened for the next 15 minutes.

I wanted to put the rifle back when I heard a deer running and soon spotted a roe deer behind some branches to my left. I could not see the back end of the deer so I did not know whether it was my doe or something else. I watched the deer through the scope and it soon moved a bit and I could see the tush, so it was my doe.

She was grooming and licking herself and not in a hurry to cross the open space. She was looking intensely in one spot, but I could not see whether there was anything and I preferred to keep an eye on her though the scope in case she moved. Later on I could see on the video there were two or three more deer, but I did not see them at the time. This was not a first time I could see something on a video and I did not see when stalking… That is a bonus of taking a camera when stalking.

The doe soon moved a few steps and started running. I just knew she would have run across the open without stopping… I barked and she paused looking straight at the high seat. I aimed behind the shoulder and squeezed the trigger. She dropped on the spot and I could see she soon was lying still.

I went down and dragged her to the ride. I gralloched her and saw the bullet went a bit high through the lungs, but did not touch a shoulder nor the spine.

This was my first deer shot using new 87gr Hornady reloads. Hard to judge the load from a single kill, but there was very little meat damage and the doe dropped on the spot, what else can I wish for…

Video

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