A bit of luck this morning in Wicklow Ireland

you don't normally see these fellows in the middle of a field in broad daylight. a mature Sika stag.

Well done!

Well done, a few more pics of that buck would be welcomed!

Take them how they come.
Congrats.

Congratulations. Nice stag.

Noticed that you have hunted Kenya. Do you mind my asking when and where you hunted in Kenya and what you hunted? Your in an elite group these days.

All the best.

Great job, great sika!!!

@ Wheels. I was in Kenya last year,2013 on holiday in Watamu Bay.
While there I met a Pete Darnborough who runs a boat called Alley Cat for deep sea fishing off the coast for marlin,wahu etc.
I have little interest in fishing but Pete introduced me to his brother David who has a concession on the Galana river beside Tsavo. So I took a couple of days up there shooting sandgrouse.
Very challenging birds,they go like little rockets.

nice stag, and wheels they still bird shoot in kenya. i was going one time with friend who has a couple of photo lodges there, but unfortunately he had to cancel a few days before we were supposed to head. hopefully one day.......

Sika98k said:

@ Wheels. I was in Kenya last year,2013 on holiday in Watamu Bay.
While there I met a Pete Darnborough who runs a boat called Alley Cat for deep sea fishing off the coast for marlin,wahu etc.
I have little interest in fishing but Pete introduced me to his brother David who has a concession on the Galana river beside Tsavo. So I took a couple of days up there shooting sandgrouse.
Very challenging birds,they go like little rockets.

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Sika,

That is a pretty neat bonus to your holiday! Really like that vulturine guinea. Yes sandgrouse are challenging. My pile of shells would be larger than my pile of birds.

Thanks for the info.

All the best.

spike.t said:

nice stag, and wheels they still bird shoot in kenya. i was going one time with friend who has a couple of photo lodges there, but unfortunately he had to cancel a few days before we were supposed to head. hopefully one day.......

Click to expand...

Sorry you missed out on it.

I guess I need to make friends in Kenya. Sounds like a neat hunt.

Is Ole Bally in Kenya these days?

Great stuff Sir, well done

Ok, so I have had a fun day shooting pheasants here so I thought I would add a little aside to my sandgrouse shooting.
We travelled up from Watamu Bay to David's concession in the morning. In the afternoon David took myself and 4 other guests out on a game drive. Baboons aplenty,various antelope and warthog. There and then I decided I had to come back to Africa,somewhere and hunt those little buggers.
In the evening over dinner at the lodge I asked what the ground rules were for shooting. I have to give a safety speech at our shoot here in Ireland. No low birds,guns empty and sleeved after a drive,etc,etc.
David has a dry sense of humour and it went along these lines
"Well there really are no safety rules. We are 20 miles out in the bush shooting at waterholes. We,ll be 400 yds apart so don't worry about low shots as you might at home". Ok so far,your scribe is quite happy with this.
He continued,"Now as we drive out to shoot we may see some flocks of guineafowl along the track. So what we will do is drop you and Jimmy(my spotter,bird finder) and we,ll drive on a 100 yds or so and we will try to get the birds between us and flush them". This is not a problem I'm happy.
"Now we are in Africa mate" a hesitant yes. "And in Africa we do have lions,leopards,buffalo and the odd elephant might be around."
Now I am listening very intently and paying attention.
"If we do meet something that is higher up the food chain don't run" ok,got that.
"Jimmy will grab the back of your shirt and just walk back slowly until Jimmy says it is safe to turn and walk away" I am relieved and make a mental note not to piss Jimmy off beforehand.
" But if something does charge you". At this stage I interjected and said "Yes,this is what I was wondering about". " oh,just shoot Jimmy in the foot and run like hell. If a tourist gets chewed up,gored or stomped on it doesn't look good in the press.
I'm glad to say Jimmy and I both had a pleasant day in the bush.
I suppose a lot of us have read Ruark,Capstick,Hunter etc. I always wanted to say nipa bundouki kwa mimi tafidali. Give me the gun please. Childhood wish came true.

Good story.