Brian and I went for a hunt last night in a lovely area with a great bush line to hunt and a lot of variety. Ideal for an evening hunt.
We split up like we do, each going to a different area.
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It was late before I saw the first deer. There didn't seem to be as many around as usual. Maybe 'cos of the cold southerly wind.
At 8pm a big hind appeared - 'cos I was shooting for a charity anything was going to be good - she was 425 yards. I umm'd and ahh'd over whether I should get closer but the light was fading and I would need to cross a couple of creeks and gullies to get to the next shooting spot. So I decided to take 425 yard shot.
There was no sign of a "fawn" (they are big and weanable now) but by preference I would have liked to have got that too.
So I lined the hind up (4.5moa up) in the 4-24 Delta. I was probably on about 20 power. At the shot from the 270wsm she dropped on the spot, and so she should have being hit by a 117grn Hammer bullet at 3,450fps mv. I got quickly back onto the binos and there was what I thought was a younger deer, but not her fawn, 20 yards up from the hind. It copped it too.
It took about 20 minutes to get to them, the hind first.
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Then to the second one. Goodness me, it was her "fawn" and it was a big lump of a thing. Maybe the biggest Ive seen at this time of the year.
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I was now in a spot of bother because I was an hour from the truck and it was steep up hill. And 2 deer to cart out less some bits (yay for messy shoulder shots). So I called Brian.
He hadn't got anything so said he would come to help. By the time he arrived I had the meat boned out and we were ready to go. It only took an hour to get to the truck but we had good loads on and it was steep. I always have a feeling of accomplishment when I dump my pack at the vehicle.
So ended an eventful evening hunt. No stags seen. I heard one half hearted roar as we climbed back to the truck in the dark. I crawled into bed at 2am.
