Wakeup time for me was 2am, not because of jet lag, but because I was so excited. I lay awake looking at the stars through the skylight in the Lodge like a child on Christmas Eve. For the first time in many years my thoughts went back to memories from my youth. Hunts with my Father and Grandfather on the opening day of Deer season, and how I could never sleep the night before.
Out of the bed at 4:15am and breakfast at 4:45. We drove to the hunting area and met with the Hunt Director and drove farther south than where we had been last night. Parked the truck and moved quietly to a high stand overlooking a hillside and the valley below. I could easily make out the roar of at least 4 Stags 300 yards down the hill, but in the total darkness couldn't see them. Marius haded me his thermals and I was shocked to see more Red Deer than I could easily count just down the hill.
We stayed in the stand until it was nearly shooting light, and the Stags started moving into the timber. Some went to our left, but at least 4 Stags and their groups of cows moved to the right. We made a plan to move to intercept them as the came up a fence line and into the timber. One Bull was much larger than the rest, and lingered with his cows longer, giving us the chance we needed
Up on the sticks as to cows moved up the hill and he gave me a broadside shot. I fired, but the first round was a clean miss. Second shot and I heard the loud thump of the bullet impact. Third shot and he went down hard.
Some handshaking and backslapping soon followed. I couldn't believe I missed the first shot at not much over 150 meters, but the 2nd and 3rd shots went where they needed to go. Walking up to this old boy, there was no ground shrinkage, he was every bit the Stag that I saw through the scope.
Five huge points on each palm is enough to give any Hunter the shakes, and I'm not to proud to admit my adrenaline was pumping hard.
Another hunter shot a Stag at last light yesterday evening, but didn't recover it, so the dogs were used to trail it. Fortunately it was found only a few hundred meters away, and we were able to attend the traditional ceremony that takes place when a Stag is down.
I think this is a wonderful piece of European Hunting Heritage that we could use a bit of in the United States.
This afternoon Tina is at bat, and we'll see if she can score on one of the Roe Bucks.
