Thread: 18 months of hunting

There she was. Twenty meters below me, in a rocky dip behind the boulder, watching me intently. Her head slightly cocked to one side, like she hadn't quite made out what I was, yet.

In an act of urgency - feeling like it was a make or break moment, I pulled my rifle to my shoulder and lined the cross-hairs on her neck. I squeezed off the shot and watched a puff of fur burst into the air, as she crumpled into a heap.

It was a triumphant moment - embellished by the knowledge that the amendments I'd made to my approach (informed by hindsight), had prevailed. However, it was also a moment tinged with regret. There was just something special about seeing a wild deer so close to me. Just it and myself - on a mountain top. Two independent living beings whose odds of meeting at the same time; at the same location; could only have been astronomical.

How often do you get an opportunity like that? Where a truly wild animal lingers; its gaze locking with yours; with virgin eyes - pure of any previous human encounters?

I guess it's something a lot of hunters avoid talking about or expressing. Perhaps dwelling on an activity which is very much wedged in that grey area between primeval instinct/necessity and a fascination with nature, just unnecessarily complicates things. And I, for one, with only a few deer to my name, was content to kill the hind for her meat, and the sense of achievement it would bring me. But a part of me wished I'd put the rifle down and watched her instead. It would have made for a worthwhile memory. Perhaps even in the deer's own mind -

- if only fleetingly.


(Story to come)

Deer story: A deer and some lessons... - The Mountain Gnomad

Good stuff, I like your writing style.

Thanks, Stug! I don't think I've written this much since leaving highschool, haha - so I hope I'll improve with time.

Always a bitter sweet moment to take an animal I seem to spend more time just watching these days:-)

It's pretty good Frodo, i enjoy it to.

Hi frodo, nice stories. What rifle are you using? It looks like a nice classic.

Originally Posted by Friwi

Hi frodo, nice stories. What rifle are you using? It looks like a nice classic.

Custom 270. On a Mauser action I think. He had a thread or post about it somewhere.

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Originally Posted by Russian 22.

Custom 270. On a Mauser action I think. He had a thread or post about it somewhere.

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Yes correct

Nice write up, enjoyed that. Good to see you are surviving the elements. Your 270 is made on the same action as my 338 Win Mag, good solid action.

Originally Posted by Sarvo

Yes correct


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That wood tho....

Yep, nothing beats a Mauser. Reliable; immune to obsolescence; elegant; no frills. Something which has been around for over 100 years needs no marketing campaign.

Mmmmn...Modelo1909, hinged floorplate in blued steel...very nice
not sure about the calibre though, I can't imagine the Argies would be happy with that. I can picture that sun on their flag with a bit of a frown over that.

Nice story by the way. Actually I've enjoyed them all.

Originally Posted by Puffin

Mmmmn...Modelo1909, hinged floorplate in blued steel...very nice
not sure about the calibre though, I can't imagine the Argies would be happy with that. I can picture that sun on their flag with a bit of a frown over that.

Nice story by the way. Actually I've enjoyed them all.

Thanks man.

Hahaha - the sun crest has been removed from the action. Does that make the calibre okay?

Originally Posted by Puffin

Mmmmn...Modelo1909, hinged floorplate in blued steel...very nice
not sure about the calibre though, I can't imagine the Argies would be happy with that. I can picture that sun on their flag with a bit of a frown over that.

Nice story by the way. Actually I've enjoyed them all.

I had never struck negativity towards the 270 until on here
Can anyone explain why the 270 is not in flavour anymore - it sure was in the 80's - never saw a Deer lost with one (apart from the clean misses
All we used for lighting