Can you believe that Christmas is nearly upon us? I think it fair to say that it has not been a normal year. I am not sure that we would have believed it had we known this time last year what was in store for us.
We did not get going until early June with the buck season, but despite the late start due to the dreaded COVID-19, the cull figure is what it should be, albeit with fewer of the very young bucks in the count. By the time we did get going, the youngsters that would have normally been reduced during April and May had either been chased off the ground by larger territorial bucks or pushed into thick cover on the boundaries, rarely to be seen. Who can blame them with days spent chased around the estates and hardly anywhere to hide? I would sit tight once I had found a haven.
There were, however, some notable mature bucks seen, of which two come to mind.
First
My colleague carried out a few tricky manoeuvres to get into a specific area that was a known favourite of a buck and one or two does. It was a wet area in places, meaning the plant life was varied, which is just what the roe deer is looking for; choice juicy buds and shoots that are full of energy. The roe deer is a very selective feeder that browses buds and shoots. It is not classed as a grazer that eats grass; its stomach is more primitive than the larger herd deer that are, on the whole, classed as grazers.
Denne historien er fra January 2021-utgaven av Sporting Gun.
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Denne historien er fra January 2021-utgaven av Sporting Gun.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Thermal spectrum
Paul Austin explores both ends of the thermal market with latest high-end release from Zeiss alongside a surprising entry-level offering from Xinfrared
Roe, rucks and new ground
Jon Snowdon and his team have much to keep them busy and a new tool to help them
Tales from a lifetime of foxing
Join Mike Powell as he explores the evolving world of fox shooting, drawing from a career that spans seven decades
Fox rot about Charlie
Patrick Hook responds to claims that fox numbers are dangerously on the wane
The sniff of success
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Adventures of Nick & Ted
A new chapter in the histories of Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter has Nick Ridley reflecting on the dogs he has trained over the years he has been associated with the magazines
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Vet's advice
Gundogs Q&A
No problem goes unsolved as Sporting Gun puts your questions to the gundog experts
Stop-start!
Fran Ardley continues her training tips on disciplining your dog to the stop whistle and the exercises you need to do
Gundogs at the Game Fair
Organising the Game Fair's prestigious gundog competitions: behind-the-scenes with Francesca Prentice