Here’s where Mr. Free Market, Doc Russia, Combat Controller and I will be stalking deer for the rest of the week. The pics were taken in years passim, when the weather was fine (i.e. not freezing with rain/sleet/snow falling).
That’s Doc Russia and CC, suitably attired. I must tell you that if the weather turns anything like that, I shall be ensconced in our temporary home with a roaring fire in front of my chair and a glass of a warming beverage in hand. Let the youngins freeze their thingies off; I’m too old for that nonsense. Fortunately, Mr. FM has arranged for suitable digs for us:
…and my bedroom, where I’ll huddle, shivering, if it’s too miserable to hunt:
And speaking of rogues, here’s Mr. FM on last year’s stalk, fresh from his day’s work:
…and lest anyone gets bent out of shape, let me remind everyone that what we’re doing is culling the game — injured deer and roes, not trophies — because without culling, the deer would overpopulate the estate and most would die of starvation as the grazing got sparser. And the meat goes into the estate’s freezers to generate income from venison sales to the public; we don’t get to keep any of it. (We can however, buy some from previous stalkers’ activities… watch this space.)
For those interested in such matters, the guns to be used are Mr. FM’s Blaser R98, Doc Russia’s blueprinted Remington 700 and Combat Controller’s Browning A-Bolt (all in .300 WinMag) and my Mauser M12 (6.5x55mm Swedish — because I don’t own a rifle in .300 WinMag).
Posting may be somewhat light over the next few days; there are no phone lines or cell towers, let alone an Internet connection, but I’ve put a few non-date-specific posts in the hopper to keep things fresh-ish.
See y’all next week.
So you, at least, are not planning to test the old Scottish aphorism, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just inadequate clothing”? Can’t say I blame you – I, too, would rather stay inside where it’s warm and dry.
I prefer the more modern “It’s either a nice day, or it’s good training”.
Lucky bastards!
“And the meat goes into the estate’s freezers to generate income from venison sales to the public; we don’t get to keep any of it.”
For the occasional readers, this is one of the big differences between Europe and the United States when it comes to hunting. Over there, the game belongs to the land (and thus the landowner). Here, the game belongs to the hunter (who may have paid for access to the land, but that’s another matter).
I’m leaving for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Nov 11 for my deer hunting expedition. Opening day is Nov 15. We’ll be in second and third growth timber on private land about 40 miles northeast of Iron Mountain. I’ll alternate between a Mossberg MVP .308 and a Henry Big Boy .44 mag for the days I feel old school (read open sights). We’ll be roughing it in a cabin heated with a wood stove and no running water or indoor plumbing. So we’ll haul in water and head to town every third day or so for a shower. Some years back we hunted out of an army surplus 16×32 tent so the cabin is actually an improvement. I expect the weather to be cold and damp and we get some snow almost every year. I’m packing the long johns and my good German Army surplus wool pants so I’m sure that I’ll be as comfortable as an old guy can be. Not quite the luxury that Kim depicts, but lots of fun anyway. At 65 I’m one of the youngest of the “old farts” in the camp and none of us know how many more years God has for us. We do see the occasional son or daughter or grand child come up to hunt and its good to see them carrying on the tradition.
Good Lord, looka the artillery. What are you guys shooting? Howitzers? Cruise missile launchers? RPGs?
I am excessively proud to boast that #1 son knocks them over at many hundred yards using a .303 Enfield with iron sights that my dad gave him when he turned 16.
Anyway, I’m only boasting from sheer envy.
Can you please tell us what it takes for a foreigner to hunt in the UK? Both legal and finding a place to hunt? I am over there annually to visit cousins and auntie, no reason I shouldn’t do it in autumn. Formalities for bringing over my own armoury?
Good luck. May the deer run just hard enough to make you feel you’ve earned the kill.
> Good Lord, looka the artillery. What are you guys shooting? Howitzers? Cruise missile launchers? RPGs?
These are Scottish deer, raised on Irn Bru. 🙂
Have fun!