Selective hunting as a management tool

This year I rented a quite nice preserve for roe deer in the north of Palencia. Before the season opened, we saw many animals in the fields and on the edge of the mountain, which made us anticipate a good year for roe deer.

The team I trust for my stalking is the Mauser M18 in lime. 7mmRm with Minox ZE5.2 3-15×56 scope, attached to the rifle with the Hexalock mounts and the Geco Express 155gr bullet. A team that I have full confidence in.

Beginning of the season

The season started, and everything changed. There was almost more food in the forest than in the crops, and it was very difficult to spot the elusive roe deer, having food and water inside the forest so that they would come out.

On the first outing of the year, my friend Manu Moretón accompanied me. After several peeks at lands that painted very well and without luck to spot any male, we passed by a valley of oaks, and in it, a fleeting shadow with horns among the oaks gave us a good thorn, but it disappeared. We would have to keep trying.

The zeal

It continued with the “run run” of the roe deer from the valley of oaks since it was not seen again during the season. I even put a trapping camera on it, and it seemed that I knew not to go through it, except once and not showing well in the photo.

With the zeal entered, I decided that morning to enter the valley at the very first hour. The sun was low, and the wind forced me to enter the valley with the sun on my face and half blinding me; in reality, I could hardly see with it, but the desire of that roe deer could.

In the middle of the valley, I felt something, and when I turned my head, I saw a male and a female who ran away just 50m between the oaks. I had played it again !!! The morning continued, and it continued to stalk without fruit.

Later in the day and back in the car, I passed by the entrance of the valley above, and a “and if I try again” circled my head. A slow entrance to the valley began again, it was that moment, and the hunting weekend was ending, so it was necessary to take care. He walked slowly and cautiously on the path used by the roe deer.

I found very fresh footprints and excrement in this one, so in the next clearing, I was about to use the claim. I get to the clearing, open the tripod, place the rifle for the possible throw, and take out the claim. Without actually using it at about 80m, I am surprised by a calm female of a male. It was him!!!! I face to assess it directly with the viewer, and I see that it is a roe deer with bad genetics, it did not have fighters, the days that had passed until I could see it.

The work to get to see it and the preserve’s management came before getting a great trophy, so I got ready for the playset. Place the Minox crosshead on the knuckle, I slowly squeezed the trigger of the Mauser, and the Geco did its job of glaring at the elusive animal. I open the tripod I place the rifle for the possible throw and take out the claim.

Without actually using it at about 80m, I am surprised by a calm female of a male. It was him!!!! I face to assess it directly with the viewer, and I see that it is a roe deer with bad genetics, it did not have fighters, the days that had passed until I could see it. The work to get to see it and the preserve’s management came before getting a great trophy, so I got ready for the playset.

Place the Minox crosshead on the knuckle, I slowly squeezed the trigger of the Mauser, and the Geco did its job of glaring at the elusive animal. I open the tripod I place the rifle for the possible throw, and take out the claim. Without actually using it at about 80m, I am surprised by a calm female of a male.

It was him!!!! I face to assess it directly with the viewer, and I see that it is a roe deer with bad genetics, it did not have fighters, the days that had passed until I could see it. The work to get to see it and the preserve’s management came before getting a great trophy, so I got ready for the playset.

Place the Minox crosshead on the knuckle, I slowly squeezed the trigger of the Mauser, and the Geco did its job of glaring at the elusive animal. The work to get to see it and the preserve’s management came before getting a great trophy, so I got ready for the playset. Place the Minox crosshead on the knuckle, I slowly squeezed the trigger of the Mauser, and the Geco did its job of glaring at the elusive animal.

The work to get to see it and the preserve’s management came before getting a great trophy, so I got ready for the playset. Place the Minox crosshead on the knuckle, I slowly squeezed the trigger of the Mauser, and the Geco did its job of glaring at the elusive animal.

The satisfaction of getting that roe deer was incredible. As soon as I brought him down, I began to make calls to Manu and Ramón to tell them that he had succeeded, “the roe deer from the oak valley” was coming home !!!! Some photos and time began the hard part, taking the animal out of the field to take advantage of its meat. Nice memory leaves us this roe deer in the memory that I will remember every time I look at his unique trophy.

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