First fallow and red stag

No not really, just the first for this year so far. But on this resent trip the first time I’ve seen a falcon catch a bird in flight only 3m or 4m above us and the first time I’ve shot deer and a pig with Sierra 168gr TMK.
With everyone busy being busy in the middle of the week it was another solo trip for me and the hound. Going light weight we were on a recon mission to check the stags out and drop some tasty venison. The weather was perfect with a 3 day southerly keeping us cool and the animals out in the open longer during the day.
Walking in we shot 28 goats and a pig, seen a few deer high up in the mountains well beyond the range of my short barrel 308. At 8:30pm we we’re running out of light and made camp. Day 2 5am we packed camp heading higher up the mountains glassing walking and glassing some more spotting 20+ hinds with fawns which is always good to see and the odd time hear a fawn call out to his mother. A few shitty stags spotted that will make for some fun during the roar and couple of potential trophies in a few years to come if the don’t get shot. Day 3 glass some more and nail a deer and get stuck into some more goats. This trip I didn’t bring a bipod and decided to try using my walking sticks as shooting sticks, I was really happy how well they worked and had quick follow shots on the goats out to 400m sitting.
Early days using the Sierra TMKs at longer range on deer, a few more trips on deer will see if the are as good as the 168gr A-max and ELD-M.

Day 2 camp site

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Walking sticks/shooting sticks setup waiting for goats

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Yearling hind TMK-ed at 386m

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We spotted this stag bedded down 800m away on a small clearing above a creek so we stalked onto him shooting him at 35m still bedded down. Shot him in the throat out the neck then the bullet hit his back leg. The dogs looking over at a hind barking at us.

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Out the neck

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Bullet fragments into back leg and out again

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Fallow spiker 30m shot straight on lower chest the bullet opening a massive hole in his guts.

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Enjoy and hot barrels

Back into it, you machine! :-)

Nice coat on the pricket!
Good going.

Nice wee mission. Well done. Good to see plenty of goats taken out

Awesome hunt I love the photo of your dog wearing your jacket as a sleeping bag!

Those TMK's make a mess . Love yer work

Good hunting,your dog enjoying the hunt too.

Awesome hunt and story. Crack up your dog wearing your jacket. I need a new tent. How do you rate the macpac? What model is it? Thanks.

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Originally Posted by Mohawk660

Awesome hunt and story. Crack up your dog wearing your jacket. I need a new tent. How do you rate the macpac? What model is it? Thanks.

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It’s actually a proper dog puffa jacket and the mut is sitting on top of my puffa jacket instead of his mat/ my pikau hiviz day pack.
https://www.d-fa.com/collections/activity

As for the tent is a micolite very basic small and only good for sheltered spots out of the wind. I mostly use the Minaret it can handle the wind better and more room for cooking, the dog and get changed when it’s pissing down with rain.

Nice report Tikka,

Was it cold enough this time of year that the dog needed a puffer jacket? may have to rethink my shift down South.. I have the same blaze buff for my dog as well.

Good work on the goat control.

Cheers

The do and I get changed!
Brilliant MacPac dressing room you have there :thumbsup:

Great pics mate

Cool trip and a great bit of culling.

great stuff.....yes must get myself off the couch and into it.

I like the walking/shooting stick idea. Do you tie them together?

Nice work doing your bit for conservation! Sticks as bipods are the way to go. I used mine the other day to drop a hind and yearling in quick succession - my mate had a 13” bipod next to me but couldn’t get a useful rest in the tussock.

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Originally Posted by Shearer

I like the walking/shooting stick idea. Do you tie them together?

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No I just loop the leash over the other stick and vice versa then hang the rifle sling over one of the handles, a very simple setup. It was a great way of getting the elevation needed in the bluffs above us, there’s no way of getting the goats prone with my Harris bipod on top of my pack at time as it was +32 to +48 degree shots and they had some epic free falls.