Post by dreamrider on May 2, 2020 22:38:08 GMT -5
HOW COULD I MISS?
It was one of those magical crisp autumn mornings that make you feel good to be alive. Mist was shrouding the valley and the sun was just peeking over the horizon. I was about to enter a strip of bush, seeking out a Fallow Buck. How did I know there was Buck in there? Because I had been listening to his croaking ever since my son Bruce and I had arrived at the farm house thirty minutes ago and judging by the racket he was putting up, he was hot to trot, with only one thing on his mind.
When Bruce and I had arrived we immediately drew straws to decide who hunted on which side of the valley. Bruce drew the lucky straw. He had won the most favored side, and with a huge triumphant grin on his face, proceeded to prepare himself in the predawn gloom. The grin soon disappeared when we were suddenly entertained by a rutting Buck. We estimated that he was approx a thousand yards away, and on MY side of the valley. Splitting up at the farm gate I worked my way across the moisture laden pasture and slowly entered the dark gloom of the thick bush.
On entering I realized that it was way to dark to precede, I would need to wait a few more minutes as I did not want to rush things and bump the buck in the poor light. Forcing myself to settle down and wait. I listened with wrapped attention to the Buck working himself into a frenzy. Another reason I needed to wait for the light to improve was, when a Fallow Buck has himself worked up like this, they attract a lot of attention from all the does in the area. I knew from past experience that there would be more than one doe in the immediate vicinity, and I would have to be at my best while getting in close. Although the buck might have been in his own little world with his brain down between his back legs, the does would be on full alert for any danger, so I would have to proceed with the utmost caution and to do so I needed more light.
After a lifetime wait of fifteen minutes, the rising sun managed to force fingers of sun light through the bush canopy giving me enough light to proceed. How ever as so often happens, the increased light started to affect the buck, and his croaking was becoming intermittent. Setting off, I calculated him to be in a small clearing that I knew of approx one hundred and fifty yards further up the valley slope. Easing my way through the under growth I edged closer, stopping every couple of yards to glass the area. There was no breeze but I had to be careful of the rising warm thermals that are created by the sun warming the valley floor, and of course warm air rises. I had allowed for this and had made a detour to my right calculating that I would come upon the clearing at approximately the same height as him. The buck had been silent for a few minutes and I was growing concerned while anxiously waiting for any sound. Had he moved off? I had no way of knowing.
Finally I heard a faint meowing I knew instantly it was the doe giving him the love talk. They were only fifty yards away and I could still not see them. Lowering myself down on my hands and knees, I leopard crawled through the last of the undergrowth. Slowly, ever so slowly I eased my head into an opening. The small clearing was as I remembered it and there, slap in the middle, thirty yards away was a sight that all hunters dream about. A magnificent Fallow buck was standing there; a ray of sunlight had spotlighted him and almost on cue as I breathlessly watched, him throw his head back and bellowed his defiance at the world.
Fallow Bucks have a strange roar, it sounds like a cross between a pig grunt and the croaking of a bull frog and although having no great volume, it can be heard for quite long distances.
Hidden behind a bush I slowly stood upright, with all my senses on full alert I placed an arrow on the rest and prepared myself for the shot. Murphy however had other ideas. Just as I was about to start my draw, the Doe (That I had not initially noticed at the buck’s feet) decided to play coy, she leapt to her feet and trotted off to the far side of the clearing, then laid down again. Of course, the Buck, with tongue lolling out of his mouth and saliva running down his chin, followed her, and proceeded to give her a nudge with his antlers. But she was having none of it and stayed put. This put them at 50yards and outside my comfort range. Cursing Murphy and my luck, I settled down to wait,…..and wait…..and wait.
While waiting I had a great time watching the buck trying to seduce her. For the next hour he used all his wiles to have his way with her. From raging around her, giving displays of his prowess by beating up trees and ripping up the earth, while roaring his desire at her …. To whispering sweet nothings over her prostrate body….. Then to occasionally nudging her with his antlers, but all to no avail. I stood there completely still and admired his sleek muscle-bound body and his magnificent coloring.
Fallow have the widest color range of any deer in the world, ranging from charcoal black through chocolate, and on through the red brown phases to light fawn, and yellow colors, to pure white. The most common is the dark chocolate and red (ginger). Fallow are also the only deer, other than Moose to have full palmation, making them a very desirable and unique trophy. This Buck had the red phase coloration and very nice palmation on a good wide set of antlers with eight points per side.
While I sat there watching and hoping that he would come closer to enable a shot, I spotted several does emerging into the clearing. They had, as I had earlier guessed, been lying under cover watching the proceedings, acting as look outs for any danger. They had decided to head out to feed on the edge of the open pasture and as they left. The doe on the ground leapt up and started to follow them with the result that the buck followed as though stuck to her like glue.
Oh bugger what to do. Almost without thought I gave a croaking roar. The Buck gave no indication that he had heard a thing. But I noticed the does head flicked around in my direction. The buck nudged her on and they soon disappeared into the bush…. Emptiness and silence was all that I was left with. Oh the disappointment, I stood there and tried to think what I could have done differently, attempting to get closer had been out of the question. The bush was way too thick and noisy for me to circle around the clearing to get closer. I also would have bet the house that there was a group of old biddies keeping a look out (as it proved to be the case).
While standing there feeling sorry for myself, I spotted a flicker of movement in the area where they had disappeared. As I watched, the doe materialized walking towards me with the Buck hot on her heals. The Buck appeared very agitated and was trying to turn her around, but she was resolute. She was looking for the buck that had roared at her (me).
They steadily closed the gap and when they were behind a thick piece of bush, I quickly placed an arrow on the rest and readied myself for a shot, expecting them to slow down or stop. But they kept coming, 30 yards 25 yards 20, 15. Then, as they put a thick clump of bush between them and me, I came to full draw. They were walking from my left across in front of me to my right. My heart was beating a tattoo in my chest. They were so close I could hear their breathing and was sure they would hear my heart pounding. Anticipating where they would emerge, I twisted my body so I could line up on the buck when they came into view. First the Doe stepped out only a mere 12 yards away, then the unsuspecting buck filled my sights, a feeling of elation pulsed through my body I couldn’t miss……. Then that bas…d Murphy intervened, just as I was lining up the shot I felt my feet start to slide underneath me on the soft slope that I was standing on.
With the awkward twisting of my body around to the right I had no hope of stabilizing myself. In a split second the shot was away and I heard a satisfying thunk resulting in the Buck and doe leaping off into the bush. “Got him” I exulted as I stopped my backward slide. Not wasting any time, I quickly walked over to the spot to find my arrow still quivering in a fern trunk. On inspection, and with a sinking heart, I found it clean. Absolutely no blood or hair to be found, it had been a clean miss. Still shaking from the adrenaline, I sat down and went through the shot sequence. With a clearing mind, I realized that as my feet started to slide out from under me I had pulled the bow down with the result that the arrow passed under the brisket by a half inch and the thunk was the arrow hitting the soft fern trunk.
As I made my way back to the farm house my head was down and I was dragging my feet utterly dejected.
Suddenly stopping, I thought to myself, why be I so down on myself? I had just experienced one of the most wonderful hunting mornings of my life; get a grip I told myself. Many hunters would have loved to have been in my shoes. Killing an animal is not the only goal in hunting. It’s the thrill of the chase, its being out there as one with nature, enjoying an experience that only hunters can understand and truly appreciate.
With a spring in my step, a wonderful glow in my heart, I stepped out with my head high …….But even now, I sometimes wonder how I could miss a huge buck at only12 yards.
If I ever meet up with that sod Murphy, it will be with guns drawn at noon.
Written by Ray Scott (Dream Rider)
It was one of those magical crisp autumn mornings that make you feel good to be alive. Mist was shrouding the valley and the sun was just peeking over the horizon. I was about to enter a strip of bush, seeking out a Fallow Buck. How did I know there was Buck in there? Because I had been listening to his croaking ever since my son Bruce and I had arrived at the farm house thirty minutes ago and judging by the racket he was putting up, he was hot to trot, with only one thing on his mind.
When Bruce and I had arrived we immediately drew straws to decide who hunted on which side of the valley. Bruce drew the lucky straw. He had won the most favored side, and with a huge triumphant grin on his face, proceeded to prepare himself in the predawn gloom. The grin soon disappeared when we were suddenly entertained by a rutting Buck. We estimated that he was approx a thousand yards away, and on MY side of the valley. Splitting up at the farm gate I worked my way across the moisture laden pasture and slowly entered the dark gloom of the thick bush.
On entering I realized that it was way to dark to precede, I would need to wait a few more minutes as I did not want to rush things and bump the buck in the poor light. Forcing myself to settle down and wait. I listened with wrapped attention to the Buck working himself into a frenzy. Another reason I needed to wait for the light to improve was, when a Fallow Buck has himself worked up like this, they attract a lot of attention from all the does in the area. I knew from past experience that there would be more than one doe in the immediate vicinity, and I would have to be at my best while getting in close. Although the buck might have been in his own little world with his brain down between his back legs, the does would be on full alert for any danger, so I would have to proceed with the utmost caution and to do so I needed more light.
After a lifetime wait of fifteen minutes, the rising sun managed to force fingers of sun light through the bush canopy giving me enough light to proceed. How ever as so often happens, the increased light started to affect the buck, and his croaking was becoming intermittent. Setting off, I calculated him to be in a small clearing that I knew of approx one hundred and fifty yards further up the valley slope. Easing my way through the under growth I edged closer, stopping every couple of yards to glass the area. There was no breeze but I had to be careful of the rising warm thermals that are created by the sun warming the valley floor, and of course warm air rises. I had allowed for this and had made a detour to my right calculating that I would come upon the clearing at approximately the same height as him. The buck had been silent for a few minutes and I was growing concerned while anxiously waiting for any sound. Had he moved off? I had no way of knowing.
Finally I heard a faint meowing I knew instantly it was the doe giving him the love talk. They were only fifty yards away and I could still not see them. Lowering myself down on my hands and knees, I leopard crawled through the last of the undergrowth. Slowly, ever so slowly I eased my head into an opening. The small clearing was as I remembered it and there, slap in the middle, thirty yards away was a sight that all hunters dream about. A magnificent Fallow buck was standing there; a ray of sunlight had spotlighted him and almost on cue as I breathlessly watched, him throw his head back and bellowed his defiance at the world.
Fallow Bucks have a strange roar, it sounds like a cross between a pig grunt and the croaking of a bull frog and although having no great volume, it can be heard for quite long distances.
Hidden behind a bush I slowly stood upright, with all my senses on full alert I placed an arrow on the rest and prepared myself for the shot. Murphy however had other ideas. Just as I was about to start my draw, the Doe (That I had not initially noticed at the buck’s feet) decided to play coy, she leapt to her feet and trotted off to the far side of the clearing, then laid down again. Of course, the Buck, with tongue lolling out of his mouth and saliva running down his chin, followed her, and proceeded to give her a nudge with his antlers. But she was having none of it and stayed put. This put them at 50yards and outside my comfort range. Cursing Murphy and my luck, I settled down to wait,…..and wait…..and wait.
While waiting I had a great time watching the buck trying to seduce her. For the next hour he used all his wiles to have his way with her. From raging around her, giving displays of his prowess by beating up trees and ripping up the earth, while roaring his desire at her …. To whispering sweet nothings over her prostrate body….. Then to occasionally nudging her with his antlers, but all to no avail. I stood there completely still and admired his sleek muscle-bound body and his magnificent coloring.
Fallow have the widest color range of any deer in the world, ranging from charcoal black through chocolate, and on through the red brown phases to light fawn, and yellow colors, to pure white. The most common is the dark chocolate and red (ginger). Fallow are also the only deer, other than Moose to have full palmation, making them a very desirable and unique trophy. This Buck had the red phase coloration and very nice palmation on a good wide set of antlers with eight points per side.
While I sat there watching and hoping that he would come closer to enable a shot, I spotted several does emerging into the clearing. They had, as I had earlier guessed, been lying under cover watching the proceedings, acting as look outs for any danger. They had decided to head out to feed on the edge of the open pasture and as they left. The doe on the ground leapt up and started to follow them with the result that the buck followed as though stuck to her like glue.
Oh bugger what to do. Almost without thought I gave a croaking roar. The Buck gave no indication that he had heard a thing. But I noticed the does head flicked around in my direction. The buck nudged her on and they soon disappeared into the bush…. Emptiness and silence was all that I was left with. Oh the disappointment, I stood there and tried to think what I could have done differently, attempting to get closer had been out of the question. The bush was way too thick and noisy for me to circle around the clearing to get closer. I also would have bet the house that there was a group of old biddies keeping a look out (as it proved to be the case).
While standing there feeling sorry for myself, I spotted a flicker of movement in the area where they had disappeared. As I watched, the doe materialized walking towards me with the Buck hot on her heals. The Buck appeared very agitated and was trying to turn her around, but she was resolute. She was looking for the buck that had roared at her (me).
They steadily closed the gap and when they were behind a thick piece of bush, I quickly placed an arrow on the rest and readied myself for a shot, expecting them to slow down or stop. But they kept coming, 30 yards 25 yards 20, 15. Then, as they put a thick clump of bush between them and me, I came to full draw. They were walking from my left across in front of me to my right. My heart was beating a tattoo in my chest. They were so close I could hear their breathing and was sure they would hear my heart pounding. Anticipating where they would emerge, I twisted my body so I could line up on the buck when they came into view. First the Doe stepped out only a mere 12 yards away, then the unsuspecting buck filled my sights, a feeling of elation pulsed through my body I couldn’t miss……. Then that bas…d Murphy intervened, just as I was lining up the shot I felt my feet start to slide underneath me on the soft slope that I was standing on.
With the awkward twisting of my body around to the right I had no hope of stabilizing myself. In a split second the shot was away and I heard a satisfying thunk resulting in the Buck and doe leaping off into the bush. “Got him” I exulted as I stopped my backward slide. Not wasting any time, I quickly walked over to the spot to find my arrow still quivering in a fern trunk. On inspection, and with a sinking heart, I found it clean. Absolutely no blood or hair to be found, it had been a clean miss. Still shaking from the adrenaline, I sat down and went through the shot sequence. With a clearing mind, I realized that as my feet started to slide out from under me I had pulled the bow down with the result that the arrow passed under the brisket by a half inch and the thunk was the arrow hitting the soft fern trunk.
As I made my way back to the farm house my head was down and I was dragging my feet utterly dejected.
Suddenly stopping, I thought to myself, why be I so down on myself? I had just experienced one of the most wonderful hunting mornings of my life; get a grip I told myself. Many hunters would have loved to have been in my shoes. Killing an animal is not the only goal in hunting. It’s the thrill of the chase, its being out there as one with nature, enjoying an experience that only hunters can understand and truly appreciate.
With a spring in my step, a wonderful glow in my heart, I stepped out with my head high …….But even now, I sometimes wonder how I could miss a huge buck at only12 yards.
If I ever meet up with that sod Murphy, it will be with guns drawn at noon.
Written by Ray Scott (Dream Rider)
