Foragers Diary; October 2019

When you learn about wild food it is as important to learn what you can't eat as what you can so you recognise poisonous and inedible plants and fungi and can avoid them;

Apple-of-peru, shoo-fly-plant (it has insect repelant properties) or nicandra is one of the nightshade family which is often planted as an ornamental in gardens. It is reportedly eaten in some regions of Nepal and it certainly wouldnt be the only nightshade which is edible; tomatoes, chillies, black nightshade (huckleberry) to name a few. But most of what I've read indicates that most parts of this plant are poisonous so this is one I'm going to pass on for now until I get more reliable information.

 

Moving on to some edible fruit;

Roadside apple trees are often an untapped wild food resource and we turned a motley assortment of roadside apples into a delicious warm drink recently. We had a good mix of varieties; some looked like russets, some were crab apples and there were a few other varieties too. We juiced them up and spiced them with some cinamon, cloves and star anise, sweetened with honey and drank it by the fire. We'll be making more for Christmas.

The sea side is a good place to look for fruit at this time of year too, sea-buckthorn is particularly easy to spot and identify especially when it is covered in it's bright orange berries. Its a great source of vitamin C as well as fats and although sour to the taste when fresh that can be lessened by bletting. It has a long history of use all over the wold in food products such a juices and jams but also in the preparation of skin ointments and creams.

Back in the kitchen we've been preparing rosehip and blackberry jelly all ready for our winter stores.

Rhubarb and apple crumble with ingredients from the garden was on the menu too. 

Game;

With the shooting season underway game is on the menu regularly at the moment;

As well as the duck we've got pheasant, goose, coot and a whole range of other game to eat and to prepare for Christmas.  

Carrots, swede, onions, green lentils and pearl barley along with the pheasant legs and goose breasts which had already been fried in a dusting of flour went into the slow cooker with a couple of pints of stock.

To make the most efficient use of your game birds without spending hours plucking them consider preparing them using the method my Dad taught me and which he explains here;

Expose the breast of the bird, the skin isn't strong and can be split over the breastbone with just your thumbs. Then take a sharp knife and remove each breast. The legs are next; dislocate at the knees before going through the skin and tendons with a knife then dislocate the hips and peel off the skin. You might not get a picture perfect roast bird but it saves a lot of time and all the feathery mess of plucking.


A bit of butchery to break up a red deer carcass for the freezer was required recently too;

One red deer haunch and one backstrap yielded all this meat. Thats why you have to be a 'hunter-gatherer', gathering on it's own just isn't enough sometimes. There are many, many delicious meals here for my family.

A Full Wild Meal (plus a few potatoes)

The parasol mushrooms, and sweet chestnuts that accompanied some recently harvested venison for a delicious Sunday dinner were harvested less than two hours before they were eaten. Delicious; and the children love helping with the foraging.

delicious, plump sweet chestnuts

Collecting shaggy parasol mushrooms

Ready for the pan

Roast venison, sweet chestnut mashed potato and parasol mushrooms, Delicious.

Preview; Aim point micro H-2

In January you will get to read the full review of a product martin has been using recently one of his deer rifles, as you can tell from this little preview he is quite excited about it. Check out our usual gear review post in January for a full account. 

It's never too late to have one of those "I wish I'd known about this 20 years ago" moments and I just had one! I'm 61 next birthday and have fired many weapons in a variety of disciplines and situations and I can't think of one in which the aim point micro H-2 wouldn't have made me a better shot.
I grew up with small bore rifle and a lot of shot gunning for pest control and on my best days, I was good but never great.
The military had me shooting with assault rifles and sub machine guns as well as an assortment of man portable antitank weapons and once again, the aim point would have been brilliant in all but the pure long range applications.

My other love, whilst the military encouraged it and civilians tolerated it, was pistol shooting. Tragedy bought that to an unnecessary and abrupt end but without doubt, this too would have benefited from an aim point micro with its pinpoint accuracy and 'both eyes open' capability, I only wish I'd had the opportunity to try it! But alas, those opportunities have gone and unlikely to return. The one I do have though, is to put it on a short, light and fast handling deer rifle for woodland stalking.

Watch this space for my experiences in the cambridgeshire woodlands, shooting Muntjac, Chinese Water Deer and Roe. 

See you in the woods! MG

From the High Seat; making smart choices.

After working late in to the night making repairs to our little forest range, there seemed little point in driving home for 3 hours sleep, just to turn around and come back in the morning, so I lit a lovely blazing fire and had a brew before sliding in to my sleeping bag at Midnight. The air was already below zero but I had been working hard, was warmed by the fire and knew that I was exhausted enough to get a fantastic night’s sleep. 

I was right to some extent, I was really cosy in the sleeping bag and I went ‘out like a light’ and slept very soundly until about three in the morning! After the 3 hours’ sleep I could have had at home in bed, I awoke to find my extremities very cold indeed! There was nothing for it but to get up, stoke the fire and have another brew before trudging off into the darkness for an early session in the high seat.

The walk, the multiple layers, the car journey and exertions had warmed me for a while as I trudged in over noisy ice covered puddles and finally took my seat and loaded up ready for the long wait.

The inactivity soon had me thoroughly cooled down again and as the light gathered I could see frost forming on my barrel and moderator! There was no choice but to sit and shiver whilst I continued my vigil.

I heard the unmistakeable barking of a Muntjac about a 150 yards away then, a little later, I spotted a couple of Roe does in the distance but then on one of my innumerable scans with the binoculars, I caught a glimpse of something that hadn’t been there before. Your eyes and the light can play tricks sometimes but I was sure this was something real and as I focussed and scrutinised the spot, I realised it was a fox. I hadn’t come for a fox but as I watched its slow progress along the edge of the field, I knew exactly where he was heading, he was off to the breakfast bar which we call pheasant pens. We ‘share’ this piece of wood with a little syndicate who have a few pheasants and out of good neighbourliness, I couldn’t let Charlie go and wreak havoc in their pens, I remember all too well the night a fox took my last 4 chickens. So even though I knew that my deer vigil was over when I pulled the trigger on Charlie, it was a choice that had to be made.

I squirmed around in the seat to rest the rifle on a side rail and began to watch him through the scope, I was comfortable and the next time he stopped, it was going to be his last stop! He made a 90 degree left turn and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Still certain as to his destination, I started my ‘distressed rabbit’ squeak and thankfully he reappeared just as quickly but a few yards closer. I was watching more intently through the scope now and the safety was off, ready for the shot, he was at about 65 yards and all thoughts of deer had gone.

I will never know if a deer was going to show up, so I made a choice based on my neighbour’s pheasants and I’m content with that.

Choose wisely in the woods!

From the High Seat; Early Season Outing

November sees the start of the Chinese water deer (CWD) season and to open it I often make an outing with a few like minded companions to make a good start on the cull. This is an account of one of those early season outings from a year or two ago:

Before we even reached our parking spot, we saw our first CWD, unperturbed by our presence we could only watch him briefly before trundling on. Once parked, we wished each other good fortune and set off after a careful re-brief on safety and communications procedures and where everyone would be seated on this grey, damp and increasingly windy morning.

A few minutes later we had all taken up our respective positions and began our vigil as the light slowly gathered in the east. Through binoculars, dark shapes could be seen but not yet in sufficient detail to be useful, weeds and the ever present ‘bog oak’ projections, can all take on the form you want them to in poor light and patience is the only solution.

A double Crack and thump told me that Carl had found his mark with 2 rounds in quick succession. I awaited Carl’s call so that I could leave my seat as I could also see deer now, though not close enough for a shot and I was eager to move but didn’t want to rush Carl and safety and communications protocol demanded that we were in touch before I moved. Carl’s report came, he had two deer and was observing another, as was I. We agreed that he would make safe and I would leave my seat to pursue one of my opportunities, Steve hadn’t seen anything yet but the day was young.

I was out of my seat and crossed a very rough track to the cover of some tall weeds, from here I confirmed the position of 2 deer and dropped back into deeper cover to make my advance unseen. Progress was slow to avoid making any noise in the brittle cover and soon I had closed the range to around 75 yards, a safe and comfortable shot even in this morning’s stiff breeze. I opened up my shooting sticks and rested the rifle on top, made a few minor adjustments and slipped behind the stock to take the first view of my target through the scope. It was a good size yearling buck, no fangs to speak of and moving confidently and freely with no sign of impediment. I slipped the safety catch off and as he turned broad side on to me, two deep breaths, exhale as I put the cross hairs just behind his shoulder and squeezed the trigger. The rifle cracked and nudged me gently in the shoulder and I heard the bullet strike its target and saw a shower of hair to confirm the fact. 

Chinese water deer often shed huge clumps of fur when they are hit, this makes is fairly strait forward to track them down if they run from the point where they were hit. 

My phone buzzed almost immediately with a message that Steve had dropped a nice buck and I replied that I had too. The deer I had shot had disappeared in to cover as they often do but experience told me that I was only going to walk a very few yards to find my prize. This was my hundredth CWD. I made safe and started my gentle stroll to the spot where I last saw my deer and as I expected, I found hair and blood at the point of impact confirming what I already knew and a significant blood trail led the 8 or 10 paces to where the little fellow lay motionless in a dry ditch. He was in lovely condition, fine coat and fat. I carried out all of the carcass inspections required for meat to be put in the food chain and got to work with knife and rubber gloves to prepare him for the carry out.

Back at home, the butchery confirmed that the animal was in great condition, very fat from a plentiful supply of quality fodder, kidneys almost invisible in a shroud of thick fat, this is going to eat beautifully!

MG

From the High Seat; Seat Life

It will soon be Chinese water deer season so it's time to check and carry out maintenance on all our high seats. There are always seats to check, build and locate, the older seats need checking for ageing, rusting, rotting or even malicious damage because some people don’t understand what we do, how we do it or why and they feel that damaging a seat is helping the deer and hope that someone tumbling out of it is wildlife pay back.

Over the years, we have put in a lot of seats from purpose built single seaters, purpose built two seaters and some homemade seats and observation towers, improvised from stacking IBC frames and crates but all have their place and can take a beating from the weather during the space of a year, I even had one stolen!

Shooting from one of our two seat high seats

Today though, we just had to check security of the structures and the seats and all was well, a little pruning and we are good for our first outings of the season. We all know where we are going to be sitting on the first day of the season and have a reasonable expectation of what we could see but of course, the wildlife isn’t briefed, so it could do something completely different! And that is the joy of it, it’s not a computer game, it’s not predictable, it’s the application of skill and knowledge against an infinitely variable set of circumstances, wind and weather, a tractor showing up unexpectedly, a dog taking its owner for a walk or a particularly wary deer spooked by a strange deer showing up on its patch.

We’re as ready as we can be but on the day, we are at the mercy of so many factors out of our control and we may need to use all of our skill and experience to overcome any challenges which may occur, the important thing to remember is that a session in the high seat or foot stalking is to be enjoyed not endured, I am as happy with a picture or a memory as I am carrying out 20Kg of warm venison!

Enjoy!

MG

Volvo XC90 D5 Power Pulse Automatic

This road test was undertaken with a view to providing a typical member of BASC with an insight as to the suitability, desirability and practicality of this high spec Volvo XC.




First Impressions.


The XC90 is a big car, with great presence and imposing lines, standing ‘head and shoulders’ above other ‘normal’ vehicles around it but of course it has to be, it will carry seven people and a significant amount of luggage. As my old flying instructor used to tell me, stand back and look at it to see if it looks right before you get up close and it does look right! The tested model arrived in shiny black and it certainly wouldn’t look out of place dropping off dignitaries at 10 Downing Street! It may however, look a little out of place in the farm yard until it has been ‘de-shined’. The big, road based tyres, low and wide didn’t look like the tyres that would take it on a serious cross country journey and I think that many BASC members, like me, would certainly want to switch these out for something a little higher profile and with a rather more rugged tread pattern. I intended to try it way off road but as we’re still in first impression mode, this vehicle appears to just lack a little ground clearance for the farm and cross country application. It was also lacking another countryside accessory, a tow hitch, which is likely to be another BASC member requirement, I would have liked to test it as a tow vehicle, I suspect it would be good and may well find favour with the caravanning fraternity, IF that 2 litre engine can deliver the power necessary and on paper is says it will, time to find out!


Getting to know the Beast.


Time to enter the parlour! A quick press on the ‘unlock’ button on the keyless fob, has the lights flashing and the neatly folded door mirrors swinging into position, the doors are illuminated for easy location and entry in any light conditions. If you’re heading towards the car loaded with shopping, opening the tail gate doesn’t require a lot of effort either, a press of the button on the key fob or even a quick kicking motion under the rear bumper has the ample tail gate swing open. A convenient button on the base of the open tail gate, now nearly 7 feet in the air, reverses the ‘open sesame’ trick and is a bit of a stretch for some of our shorter family members and perhaps a button a little lower down may be worthy of consideration, maybe near one of the rear light clusters.


It is quite a step up into the driver’s and front passenger seat, I would want to see a convenient grab handle appear in the door frame when the door is open and fold away again as the door closes, so as not to provide a protrusion to injure occupants in the event of a sudden deceleration or worse, in the event of an accident, I’m sure Volvo could come up with such a device in a 50 grand car. If the car is on any kind of side slope, the big solid and heavy front doors need quite a bit of opening and closing respectively, several times I had to push the door ‘uphill’ to get out on a slope only to have it fall back on my legs as I swung out and that is a big heavy door to have close on you.


The third row of seats, the 2 rearmost seats for children, for this is the only size of occupant who can really be accommodated here, really needs some agility to gain access. No matter how we slid and folded the middle row seats, it was still essential to provide some assistance with a huge step or gentle lift for a small person. I feel a little extra work on gaining access to the third row would be well worth the investment, perhaps an extra step or similar.


The seats are very comfortable and it is impossible to conceive that anyone could not get comfortable in these well-appointed and infinitely variable leather arm chairs, this is going to make any journey comfortable, they adjust every which way and will even warm your rear if you so desire. I could write ‘war and peace’ on the gadget list but suffice to say that I have flown aeroplanes with a lot less gadgets and one could play for hours if gadgets are your thing. Gadgets are not my thing but safety certainly is and I loved the safety features, of which more later. The gadget box contained voice activation for climate and entertainment control and a whole host of other things but for me, navigation and safety devices outweigh the value of other ‘options’ by a mile.


Unleash the horses.


The view from the driving seat creates the immediate impression that the big Volvo isn’t so daunting after all. Visibility is excellent, mirrors and driving aids all help to make it an easy drive, despite its size. With the keyless fob in the vehicle, all you need to do is turn the start / stop switch to start and the horses are awake. It is a beautifully quiet and smooth for a 4 cylinder engine, the vibration and sound deadening is of a very high order and if you didn’t know it was a 4 you could easily believe you were sitting behind a 6 cylinder engine. Very powerful and smooth power delivery through the lovely 8 speed automatic gearbox, it would have been my first choice of power and transmission combination and it didn’t disappoint in any situation, gravel, grass or tarmac. Between the beautifully weighted power steering and that gear box, travelling was not going to be a chore!


On The Road.


We covered 873 miles on every possible kind of journey that the vehicle is capable of during which the car returned an average of 41 MPG, which was well down on book value, as we have come to expect for almost every vehicle. The very efficient start stop technology was the best and most consistent I have ever used but even this didn’t pull the mpg up to where it should be. Journeys included the daily commute to work, which is mixed country lanes and A roads in to the edge of the town. We had motorway journeys from Cambridgeshire to visit family in Staffordshire including the M6 and other A roads. We took Children and Grandchildren on days out and to Church on Sunday. I also drove it to and through the farm to collect wildlife cameras and deliver essential equipment for an executive training course at the wilderness camp site and I even shot a couple of rabbits from the driver’s window!


Acceleration is rapid once it gets off the mark but there is a slight lag between pressing the go pedal and leaving the mark, I couldn’t detect if this was a gear choosing process or what but when it had decided how it was going to launch, it certainly did go! Accelerating to cruise speed or speed matching with other traffic in the blink of an eye.


I loved the safety features and all those aids that assist with situational awareness. I have encountered some of them before but never so many on a single vehicle. In order of preference, I love the blind spot warning lights in the door mirrors, they were great on the motorway and as a look over the shoulder is pretty worthless because of the width of the door pillar, I quickly got to love them!


Next the adaptive cruise control is brilliant on the motorway along with the proximity warning lights which all aid awareness of a tired driver and keep those fast moving traffic jams just far enough apart to prevent using the car in front as a brake!


Reversing Camera is also brilliant, with proximity warnings on all corners, it really does help put this big car safely into modest amounts of space, it will even park itself but I didn’t have to opportunity to test that, everything else worked beautifully so I have no doubt that this would too.


For a big, tall vehicle, it drives superbly well and is not hard work at all, there was no hint of body role despite the slightly higher centre of gravity than your average saloon. It drives like a limousine and you could certainly use it for the school run, collecting the Chief Executive from the airport or taking a spare part across the field to the combine harvester and it will do them all very well. The big Volvo just ate up the miles on a late evening motorway journey, it was comfortable, restful, navigation was a breeze, adaptive cruise control, mirrors and safety features to assist in avoiding the increasing number of drivers who have forgotten what mirrors are for or just thought they bought the road with the car! We arrived home swiftly and safely, 2 awake and 2 asleep and I didn’t feel exhausted. I did detect a constant roar from behind me which I assumed was road noise but as the seats were so comfortable, I couldn’t find any volunteers to lay on the floor to confirm or deny my suspicion. If I was right, then that is a disappointment as the sound deadening from the engine and front wheels is superb maintaining the impression of a being in a six cylinder limousine, so logic dictates that it could be done for the rear wheels too.


During the period of the test, we had barely a drop of rain and so when I took the Volvo off road, it was on rough and grassy tracks but no mud to speak of and by choosing my line carefully the road tyres and the ground clearance proved adequate but in a month or two when it’s been wet for a while, I’m not sure if it would fare quite so well.


If you have a £50k plus budget for a luxury estate which you need to do almost everything, then the XC90 could well be the one for you. It did everything I asked of it, which is probably more than many of its owners will. I know several XC90 owners of older models who fill all the seats, do the school run and longer trips on holiday but if their tyres touch grass it’s because someone spilt grass trimmings at the city recycle centre! I think of the XC90 as a gentleman’s carriage rather than a workhorse, a very capable one too. I think for many farm / shoot applications, the XC90 may just be a little too grand and to excel in that role it needs just a little more ground clearance and some more XC type tyres, the road biased tyres on the model I tested were not going to go far when the mud got serious or even if the grass was really wet. If you want to do the airport run for someone special, take 4 big adults (and the driver) for a special night out or take a picnic for 7 (so long as 2 are children) off the beaten track or a major camping adventure, the XC90 will certainly do it all and then some. Definitely test drive it, it’s a big step up for small people and definitely needs a step to assist those entering into the back row or for those lifting children in to the back row.

the big Volvo doing it's duty on the farm 

It did take me by surprise with one little party trick, as I hit a particularly large pothole on the undulating fen roads, the seat belt pre-tensioner activated and took all the slack out of my seat belt and then about an extra two trouser sizes! Wow! That got may attention but it was reassuring to know that if I hit something, the seatbelts would be tight!

With the topic of this months review being a vehicle I thought a good lesson to include this month would be some tips about bushcraft skills and tools that can compliment overland expeditions by vehicle. Rather than turn this post into a huge essay though it is simpler to send you to the Overlanding Journal Website where Geoff has written some articles on just that topic. I hope you enjoy them;

Bushcraft Tools for Overlanding

Expedition Cooking on a Campfire

When Fancy Kit Fails

Summary.


Loved the Big Volvo, smooth, powerful, quiet in the front and drives like a limo, love the seating position, the visibility and driving and safety aids.


Tyre choice wouldn’t have been mine and a little more ground clearance would be a boon when the going gets tough, it’s a little bit thirsty considering the motorway miles we covered and I would have loved to tow a trailer for a few hundred miles to test that particular capability.


Would I own one, yes absolutely!



Martin R Guy

Browning X-Bolt Review

The Browning X-bolt is already a tried and trusted hunting firearm, which I already own and use in its 6.5 x 55 form so when I needed a lighter calibre, another X-bolt was an obvious contender. It looks almost identical to my other synthetic stalker and straight from the box it points nicely, is light and beautifully balanced. 

Un-boxing the new rifle 

It seems a shame to spoil that balance with a sound moderator and I’m sure there will be times when I don’t burden myself or the rifle with that extra weight right up the front. However, the practicality of a moderator can't really be contested, it deadens the report of the rifle and can reduce recoil considerably, although recoil wasn't really a concern with the .223. 

Looking down range at Riddy Wood to zero in the new .223

The new feature on this rifle is the ‘Super Feather’ trigger, which I found to be superb! I’m looking forward to having much longer to get acquainted with this lovely rifle in the coming weeks and months and to preparing a more detailed test report.

Some time later......

A proper range session with the .223 and 6.5x55mm

The .223 is now fitted with a kite optics scope which has a lovely fine reticle for precise shooting which can be illuminated for dusk and dawn shooting. 

the x-bolt in .223 above and 6.5x55 mm below

One of the fantastic features of the x-bolt is the safety catch which allows the bolt to be operated while the safety catch is engaged. This is often not the case on rifles which require you to disengage the safety catch to open or close the bolt meaning that for a split second you have a round in the chamber and no safety catch applied. If you practice proper muzzle discipline this isn't a problem but it is nice to be able to operate the bolt with the safety applied and browning provide this comforting feature. 

The x-bolt is light, features a relatively short action bolt making cambering a round very strait forward and fast and the synthetic stock while not attractive is very practical. All in all the perfect stalking rifle and one which in .223 or 6.5x55mm or any other calibre can be highly recommended. 

A successful stalk with the 6.5mm, two muntjac bucks in the bag. 

We normally feature some sort of lesson in each of these product reviews on the bushcraft education blog but in the interest of giving the topic of todays lesson a bit more space it will be released tomorrow as part of out Bushscience series. In it we'll cover terminal ballistics, in simple terms that is how a bullet behaves once it has struck something. This is important to understand for anyone using firearms to cull deer or to take any other wildlife for the pot, it relates to what firearms and types of ammunition are legal for use to kill deer and how we choose our shot placement. Check it out here tomorrow. 

From the high seat; a doze in the high seat.

My working week consisted of a half day at a remote warehouse, three long days, two short nights, 2 planes, 3 trains, a tram, two cars and a cab, along with two hotels in two cities and I was wrecked at the end of all that!

I arrived home at 11-00 pm on Thursday, barely safe to drive so, after 6 hours of deep sleep, I did the bare minimum in the office on Friday, before taking the rest of the day off to get some rest and recreation in the Cambridgeshire woodlands!

I headed to the woods where our cameras had captured a daily visit from Muntjac and an occasional Roe. I have the faithful Browning X-bolt, with 100 grain hollow points today.

A range of ammunition performs a range of tasks, lighter bullets for foxes and vermin to heavier bullets for the larger deer species. 

The matching Browning x-bolts one in .223 for smaller deer and foxes and one in 6.5*55 for the larger deer. the 6.5 was my choice today. 

I made slow and near silent progress to my high seat. I ascending the ladder and made myself comfortable in my seat for a long, warm afternoon and it really was warm! I think I had a little doze.

Checking my watch, it was close to the time of the regular visit, this is the joy of trail cameras which date and time stamp pictures, I was focussed on the right spot at the right time, the shortening days creep up on you and I was a little surprised as roosting pigeons started to drop in around me and the light faded by the minute. I was wondering if it was going to be a no show day, when, as if by magic, a nice little Muntjac buck stood just clear of the trees about 70 yards distant. I readied myself but I wasn’t going to wait long as it was a narrow field of view and if he spooked, he’d be gone in seconds. I followed him through the scope with the cross hairs over his heart and as he paused to sniff the warm evening air, I increased the pressure on the trigger and sent the bullet on its way.

The little fellow put up his white flag of a tail and sauntered off at a brisk pace, clearly disgruntled but completely unharmed! I wasn’t so tired that I couldn’t see straight and that Muntjac should now be lying dead in the leaf litter of the forest! Disappointed, I made safe and climbed down, making for the spot where the deer was standing when I fired. I did all the right things and checked for signs of impact, blood, hair etc but I knew I wouldn’t find any, the deer wasn’t touched, which is the best possible outcome if he’s not lying dead where he should be, no wounded animal to track, no worry about any undue suffering.

Then I saw it, a 2 inch diameter blackthorn stump had been exactly over the Muntjac’s heart as he stood a couple of yards behind it, there was no colour contrast between the deer’s coat and the blackthorn when I took the shot but now there was, the reddish orange of the freshly shattered shaft showing where the hollow point bullet had struck it and come to pieces instantly throwing a few splinters of wood but nothing more deadly than that towards the unsuspecting Muntjac, who had immediately done the smart thing and left the scene! There was nothing more to be done, I cursed my luck and l laughed a bit as I collected my kit and headed for the car. There are no guarantees, this is hunting not shopping and you don’t always get what you came for, today was one of those days!

Enjoy the journey, not just the destination!

MG

From the High Seat; Angry Birds

I have a theory which I believe is well founded enough to share with you: birds make mistakes!

For as long as I can remember, the alarm calls of ‘angry birds’ has been an extension of my own senses whilst sitting in a high seat, often in low light conditions. I like to arrive early, very early and the hour between arrival and having enough light to shoot, is enough time for anything disturbed by my arrival, to settle down again.

In the dark, all of your non visual senses can appear to be enhanced, hearing is the primary one but occasionally you will get a whiff of fox too. You can hear the footfall of animals, the thrashing of antlers in bushes and the call of every kind of wildlife, rabbits thumping, deer barking, every kind of bird call and the staccato drumming of woodpeckers. My personal favourites are owls and wood peckers.

Thrushes like blackbirds or this fieldfare are often very vocal and their alarm calls are a good sign that something is moving in the woods. 

I have found the most useful to be Wrens, Robins and Blackbirds. The very essence of these tactical accomplices, is that the birds mistake small deer for foxes and therefore give them the same kind of verbal abuse that they would a fox! Recently I was on an outing with a novice and was able to explain the alarm calls of these little spies, the first chorus was fairly high in the trees and fast moving, these were driving out an unwelcome owl. The second however, was lower and slow moving as I suggested that these may be concerned about a fox, which may actually be a small deer walking through the undergrowth. My suggestion was spot on and a minute or two later a little Muntjac trotted in to view and paused briefly to breakfast on a little pile of wheat which I had strategically placed near the high seat.

Muntjac are often mistaken for foxes by humans and birds seem to be just as confused as we are sometimes. 

Go ahead and team up with the ‘Angry Birds’ and see if you agree!

A Deer Stalkers Daily Carry

On the grounds that a successful deer stalking outing for me usually involves a fairly heavy carry out, what I carry in is always kept to an absolute minimum!

 Everything I take fits in my pockets and a very small light-weight pack, the largest single item is the 

Roe Sack which is used to carry out a deer in the event of my success. This is folded as small as 

possible and tucked into the small pack and only deployed as required.

Of course the most essential item for me on a deer stalking expedition is my rifle. A trusty Browning 

X-bolt synthetic stalker, in 6.5 x 55 calibre, with a sound moderator and telescopic sight, I carry it by 

means of a sling which is permanently attached.

In my pack I carry

 The Roe Sack, a very strong and water proof canvass bag with shoulder straps and pockets which carry a deer or occasionally 2 or exceptionally even 3 and has a washable lining, which is normally cleaned by a good hosing.

 A compact bone saw for assisting in the carcass preparation and typically is used to saw through the pelvis of a deer, prior to moving the elementary canal complete from the carcass.

 I normally carry at least 2 knives, one is an inexpensive fixed blade knife with a red handle so that it is harder to loose in the grass and vegetation. It is in a hard sheath to reduce the risk of it protruding from the ruck sack in case I should fall or use it to rest the rifle on. The other knife is a folder but has a ‘gut hook’ which I much prefer for gralloching a deer as it reduces the risk of damaging any of the guts or stomach which can contaminate the meat and render it unfit for human consumption. Disposable surgical gloves are also carried to ensure hygienic butchery and clean up.

 I carry a pouch of ammunition, 14 rounds of ammunition protected from damage and permitting carriage silently for replenishment of the magazine as required, many outings only use a single round but you need to have enough.

My trusty binoculars

 The bolt and magazine for the rifle, without which it is just a high grade club!

 I carry a large dressing too because its good practice, although a close range wound with deer legal ammunition is likely to be beyond the capability of a dressing to contain it.

 I carry a pair of 7 x 35 binoculars which I have had for a very long time, over 40 years in fact but I have recently wrapped them (originally black) in camouflaged duct tape to be a little less obvious and reflective.

my strobe light

 My final item is a signal strobe so that if I need to attract attention for a medical evacuation, I can do it effectively after dark.

As a creature of habit and so that I know where everything is in a rush or in failing light, I try to put everything in the same pouch or pocket, every time I go out, I also put the same number of rounds in the rifle so that counting them and loading them is also easy and instinctive.

MG