Thread: The Grandboy

School holidays, so I took the Grandboy out for am overnight camp over.

We set our camp up at about 4pm and then headed off for hunt.



It wasn't too long and Grandad spotted a young Fallow peeping at us down in the scrub which he popped off with his shiny new Tikka .223. He was wanting to try out the 77grain Sierra TMK load - which fattened it with a high shoulder shot at 180 yards.

GD gutted it and carried it up into the clear.



So while GD retrieved and gutted the Fallow he sent GBoy off to a spot he had shown him earlier with the instructions "I will be there soon. Watch the saddle and if a deer comes into it, shoot it". He had my 7-08 shooting 120 grn Nosler.

When I got up to GB just on dark I could see he was animated and he soon told me that as soon as he got there 2 hinds came into view (we are shooting hinds at the moment to keep the numbers down and to avoid killing good velveties - yes, its private land - and we know that we are privileged with the relationship we have with the farmer). GB didn't have a range finder but was smart enough to know it was a good distance and should aim high on the shoulder. He said that at the shot the deer "dithered" and then disappeared in the direction it had come.

There was no blood and we did a grid search in the dark and Tilly (dog) only seemed to find hot trails from alive and well animals. It was thick scrub and bush. I had almost resigned to it being a miss but decided to to drop down around the face and then do a track around under where it had been when he shot at it, hoping to cross a scent trail. Surprisingly I crossed its scent trail and Tilly put her nose down immediately and tracked it down hill. I saw the odd scuff marks in the dirt so I was confident we were onto it, and sure enough after another 100 yards Tilly stopped staring over a little drop off and shooting glances at me. "I've found it" her expression was saying.

So I plodged back up to where GB had last seen it and where I had told GB to stay. He was on his bloody cell phone texting his mates about what we were doing - so GD gave him a bit of a serve - grumpy old bastard.

Tilly led us back down to GB's deer - a heart shot - bloody marvellous for a young chap at 274 yards (I had ranged it when I met him). She was a very big hind.



GB watched and took pics as I gutted it (and texted his mates) and to his credit he carried the back steaks and a HQ and I carried a HQ back up to the saddle. The shoulders were absolutely rooted by the 120 Nosler so Tilly got some scarps and the rest was left (I have pics).

We got back to camp at 10am and I rustled up a meal while Tilly winded deer.



GS slept in the next morning and GD quietly slipped off for a hunt at .6.30am. Saw 7 Reds but left them. The larder was full.

GB time is bloody marvellous!!