UK Hunting 2023

406LIFE

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Aug 18, 2016
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Let me start this story by saying my thanks and gratitude for the generosity and camaraderie of @devon deer, Richard. As I have travelled I have found a strong thread that connects hunters everywhere.

I'll keep this more on the adventure unless on the logistics.

If you added the flora of Western Washington to the Hill country of Middle Tennessee you would have an approximation of what it is like to be in the southwest of England. Moss and ivy cover everything. Yeah altitude is slow but the hills have their own steep climbs. Having left my archery elk hunting at 9000 ft my lungs felt like I was Superman. The only personal gear that I brought with me were binoculars. I did purchase a set of drab green Sitka to take in lieu of my camo.

Richard pick me up at my bed and breakfast and in the darkness we drove to our first field. A small herd of fallow does fed amongst the ferns along the hedge line. Moving uphill on the western side we made our way to the next meadow. Each is bordered by a very thick hedge that could be centuries old. It provides great cover to move into and for the deer to move out.

We made a stalk on roebuck we had spotted from a distance. Coming in uphill due to the prevailing wind we made it to 100m before a doe we hadn't seen popped her head through some ferns and busted us. Quicker than a whitetail ducking a string, they were both gone. We moved over to another farm, a large glen with rising hills around it of oak. A quick look found two fallow dow but nothing more. We had decided to ease out when the bel himg grunt of a fallow buck in rut turned us around. Keep the wind in our favor we skirted up the hill side and side stepped e through until 125m meters the dark forms were feeding up. We setup the stocks and the shot needed to be quick as the buck appeared weaving through the young trees. Behind me Richard barked and he paused just long enough for me to squeeze. He dropped and I had just stalked my first UK deer. He was between a sorrel and sore, classification of three and your year old bucks. I lingered with it while, mesmerized by a creature that seemed more fairy tail than real.
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Our second day started out much like the first with a cold and a crisp morning. It would the second farm we visited that I would again find a fallow buck. There was almost on the hills. A quick scout into a field with a 200 year old oak showed deer. The stalk started behind the herd and was blown and then recovered over again. A belch grunt from across the way revealed another buck. Slowly picking our steps we made our way through the young oaks until he revealed himself looking dead on. A snap shot on the shooting sticks left him lying just there. A truly magnificent animal with a near phantomlike presence.

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I truly am indebted to Richard and his wife for their hospitality and graciousness. I look forward to our future antelope hunt underpaying the favor. I have a week left with Sika, roe, and red on the schedule. Well see what happens there.

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Very nice! Glad you enjoyed your trip. Richard and Kath were excellent hosts! How did you like driving over there? ;)
It's not so fun. Like a million mice chasing one piece of cheese. The left side thing isn't too much, but if there's traffic it's a nightmare. Sixty miles took 4 hours.
 
It's not so fun. Like a million mice chasing one piece of cheese. The left side thing isn't too much, but if there's traffic it's a nightmare. Sixty miles took 4 hours.
We stayed in Exeter and some of the streets there and elsewhere were a real treat. There was one roundabout going to Richard's house that was huge! I took the wrong exit on it twice and had to travel somewhat "quickly" to get back and onto the correct road so we could get out hunting.

As to the hedge fences, there sure were a lot of them! Rock walls as well. Sure made some of the back-country roads interesting to drive on!
 
Best of luck to you on the remaining days of your hunt. Those Fallow bucks look like Richard got you into some beauties. Can't wait for a picture or two of a red and roe buck. I didn't know that sika were on the list in that part of the UK. Tell Richard that he hasn't changed a bit since my wife and I were there in 2017. Wish he and his wife well for us and safe travels for the rest of your trip.
 
Sika on the Heathland.

An early morning started with a proper downpour leaving everything around very wet. The peat ground held puddles, some deceptive on their depth. A long stalk around the heather and hillocks was punctuated with whistles of stags in rut.

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Dropping down into glen with mossy bottom and fenced with old growth trees we setup the sticks. We blew into the call, three blasts, and immediately heard a responding stag some 500 yards off. Through the breaking light we saw him run straight in. At 200 yards he paused and turned behind him. Another blow on the call and he trotted into 85 yards and stood broadside. A shoot with the 6.5x55 brought him down. A dandy of six point looked otherworldly among the dying ferns and blooming gorse.

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I am very thankful for the new friends and fellow hunters here in the UK. Many laughs and swapping of stories were had around pints.
 
Best of luck to you on the remaining days of your hunt. Those Fallow bucks look like Richard got you into some beauties. Can't wait for a picture or two of a red and roe buck. I didn't know that sika were on the list in that part of the UK. Tell Richard that he hasn't changed a bit since my wife and I were there in 2017. Wish he and his wife well for us and safe travels for the rest of your trip.
Still fit enough to challenge the visitor.
Best wishes to you and your family.
 
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I have asked Randy and been given the go ahead to post my Instagram link, this is so you can see the big Fallow Buck 406life shot on video through my scope.
We had seen plenty of deer but all does on this outing, we had carefully stalked into a position across the stream and could make out some deer legs, but their bodies were obscured by foliage, they just wouldn't move, it was then we heard the Fallow Buck grunt further down the valley, after a quick discussion we decided to try and find him, we got lucky, he was rutted up and looking for his 'ladies', typical male, only one thing on his mind, he trotted across and stopped perfectly, job done.
 
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