Buck in a hurry
One of the things I like most about hunting is how quickly a situation can change. This was proven to me once again today.
The last weeks were very hot and dry here in Germany. We barely had any rain at all and since I don't much like breaking a sweat while sitting in my stand, I had to take a break from hunting.
Today, however, was different. A nice lukewarm day averaging around 17°C with a few clouds and a calm breeze here and there. Perfect seeing as I'm more of a fall-person.
I picked a Drückjagdbock (a small stand for shooting driven game) at a sugar beet field, embedded in the forest at 3 sides, with the other side continuing over a ridgeline into a valley.
With clover to the left and right of the stand, I was confident that there would be some activity. Of course I took my 8mm along- just for good measure.
My predictions were right, since a doe with two fawns - and later a single buck - disappeared into the forest when I came up through the woods behind the stand.
After I made myself comfortable on the sitting board, a single doe quickly entered the field together with her fawn and started feeding. In the following hour a few other deer showed themselves, but no males at all.
Then, all at once, all hell broke loose. Furious cracking and rustling on the opposite side of the field - about 100m away - clued me in that something was about to happen, when suddenly a roe deer exited the brush and rushed towards my side of the field.
A quick look with the binoculars and it was clear that he was a small spike buck, clearly a taker. After him came a fork buck, antlers about ear-high.
When the small buck reached the seam of clover at the edge of the woods, I let out a sharp whistle to get him to stop. Whistle or not- he stopped alright and I saw my window.
The rifle rested firmly on the wooden spar of the stand and the dot closed in on the deer, when it turned away from me. That's when I noticed my heart pounding once again - deer fever strikes again.
A few deep breaths later, the deer turned broadside once again. With calm nerves, I took aim and fired. The forest folk went quiet as the report of the 8x57 rang out.
After cycling quickly, I saw all deer, except the fork buck, making a run for it. My buck soared up high and then dropped in his tracks. After 5 minutes had passed and the other buck had disappeared, I walked up to my deer.
The bullet had struck behind the shoulder blade, hitting the heart and lungs and scratching the liver. He most likely did not hear the shot.