Shooting Times & Country Magazine
Stalking Diary
It sometimes surprises the public that stalkers have so much respect for the deer they hunt, but Chris Dalton thinks it makes perfect sense
Ienjoy what I do, particularly because it gets me out early in the morning across all four seasons. As such, I get to witness first-hand the changes in the weather and how our wildlife reacts to the new challenges it brings. This is typically most prominent as we head into the winter, but this year conditions have been unbelievable. The dials are showing numbers far above seasonal norms — by as much as 15°C — and there is still no frost on the ground.
The colours into November have been superb and, in the milder conditions, the trees have clung to their leaves for longer. When two of my regular stalking clients arrived last week, they were surprised to see the hills of Ayrshire still sporting an autumnal blaze of browns, yellows and reds. The father and son team — both named Steve — had been granted their annual leave of absence. Both Senior and Junior are experienced stalkers now, and mostly go out unaccompanied, but Junior had booked a guided outing. Accordingly, we met for a cuppa before heading out 30 minutes before daybreak.
Small group of roe
In the weeks leading up to the Steves’ arrivals, I had been watching a small group of roe that were regularly to be found in the early mornings on a pasture field adjacent to a broadleaf wood. The field was bounded on the far side by a road, which wasn’t heavily used, but as the early farm traffic started the roll, the deer would tend to drift back into the safety of the wood. By approaching along the side of the wood and climbing over a vicious new barbed wire fence, we would be able to get into any deer on the pasture.
As we neared the grass field, I checked the area with the binoculars. In the gloom, I could make out the ghostly figures of some roe enjoying a breakfast of young barley shoots. With no safe shot in that direction, we got to some cover to wait. I was fairly confident they would drift back to the woods across our path, so we stayed put. As the light improved, I could ID a young buck with a mature doe and two young followers. What happened next is something I have never before encountered.
As the buck jumped the fence, he misjudged his leap and seemed to roll over the top strand of the barbed wire. This was followed by a lot of thrashing. It became clear the animal was stuck fast, hooked up by a rear leg. The doe, strangely curious, approached and watched the buck’s frantic attempts to get free, before dashing for the safety of the trees.
I headed out quickly, intending to release him if I could, assuming his injuries were not too bad. The panic of my approach fuelled his distressing efforts and suddenly he was free, standing, panting and clearly exhausted. I checked him over through the Swarovskis but could see no obvious wound or break to his leg. The stalemate of hunted watching hunter ended as he slowly limped off. His gait quickly eased as he walked
“It would have felt wrong to kill a trapped beast. I was relieved the buck was OK”
and, after pausing for a glance back, he was gone. The last sight was the flash of a white caudal patch ghosting into the trees.
I fear that many who don’t understand stalking, or indeed the respect that we have for our quarry, will fail to grasp my reason for not shooting the buck. It would have felt wrong to kill a trapped beast. Instead, both Steve Jnr and I were hugely relieved that the buck was OK, and had not suffered the agonising fate of other deer unable to free themselves.
Chris Dalton is the founder of South Ayrshire Stalking. Visit ayrstalk.co.uk