Beauty, Beast And A Perfect View

To bag your stag, one of the three parts of the Field Macnab challenge, you’ll need to ensure you have patience – and the best tools for the job

- Adrian Dangar

The commission – to stalk and shoot a red deer stag – seemed straightforward enough; with the opportunity to test the new Swarovski telescopic sight and range-finder binoculars included, it was an assignment I was particularly looking forward to. It was only when I attempted to fit the 30mm tube scope onto my old Mauser rifle that I realised it was not compatible with the 25mm mounts. A short drive up the west coast to visit a stalking friend yielded no joy with his rifle, either, and suddenly the whole mission was in jeopardy. To further complicate matters, the friend I had invited to shoot his first stag was forced to stand down at the last minute, leaving me with no one to take out on the hill and no rifle to fit the superb, state-of-the-art telescopic sights languishing in the boot of my car.

Disaster was averted by a fortuitous encounter in Ullapool the following day. Field photographer Sarah Farnsworth and her fiancé, Adam Godley, were staying nearby on a work assignment. I knew Godley to be a competent rifle shot and experienced stalker, and it was quickly established that he was travelling with his .30-06 Blaser rifle and that he was certain its mounts would be compatible with the new Swarovski scope. A plan was hatched to take him out to shoot his first Highland stag in 48 hours’ time, with Farnsworth accompanying us to take the photographs.