A passionate game manager goes out more often to analyze the game than to stretch it. This also applies to the roe deer. Everyone has their opinion about stretching deer and especially when it comes to the roebuck. At the top of my list are the buck(s) with an injury. Then you have the slope trestles and finally the nicer trestles. My preference is for a few beautiful young bucks that remain for the rut. These are not stretched but are spared in order to spread their genes.
It was no different on May 15. After an exciting morning (read May 15, a special day… part 1) I decided to sit on the buck or fox with a friend, Gert-Jan, for an evening. We were both at each end of the hunt. Myself in a place where occasionally a fairly old buck passed, which I also wanted to stretch. GJ in a place where many deer and foxes pass. Around 9 pm we had both seen some deer coming and going. But nothing interesting to stretch. Distracted by a whats-app from a hunting group, a fox surprised me. He dared to cross from one forest to another. He only had about ten meters to travel before he would disappear into the bushes. As I reached for my rifle, I already called him to a halt. Safety off, the cross on it and gently touch the trigger… The bullet was out. Immediately after the shot, I received a call from GJ: “Do you have it?”. “No, not that one. But the fox does,” I answered him. The necessary congratulations were given and we decided to stay seated for a while. It was still early in the evening and a lot could still happen. After taking some pictures I decided to look for the other side of the forest. There was still a nice lawn where I might meet the old buck. I’m not around the corner yet when I see that the lawn has been mowed. Immediately my thoughts occur that a buck is not going to come and drink on a mown field anytime soon. A few steps further I see a reddish-brown spot against the edge of the forest. I quickly reach for my Swarovski binoculars to conclude that it is the old buck I am looking for. The quad-stick of Viper-Flex is silently unfolded and with the rifle at the ready, I wait for the buck to stand sideways. Minutes go by and the buck keeps running away from me. Daring a neck shot at 120 meters and risking to shoot the venison to shreds or hurt the buck is certainly not an option. So I wait and at the moment that the buck wants to disappear just behind the corner, he decides to stand semi sideways. I’m not going to get a better chance, the safety is off but the block continues to eat and I don’t have 100% confidence in it. Briefly I shout “HEY” and in a flash the buck is nicely crossed. I had to have this and without a doubt I will get my money’s worth. With a big leap he disappears into the forest. The shot felt good, it doesn’t go far. When approaching the shooting place I see the buck lying 3 meters in the forest. There is always a moment of relief, even if the feeling was right.
What a beautiful buck, it is even bigger than last year. I drag it onto the mowed grass and position it. After a few photos, I think to myself why Gert-Jan hasn’t called me yet. Wouldn’t he have heard this shot? Haas can’t do that.
To be continued...
