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its mid-august out in the countryside it's one is the busiest months of the
year
with the local farmers harvesting their summer crops
the wild fallow deer are being displaced pushed out of the fields that have provided the deer with so
much security
through the summer months and that means
it's the perfect time to hunt wild game in this instance
we're hunting fallow prickets I'm out in my Huntsman
with a good friend and excellent shot for company I'm here today with my
good friend Alan Haywood
the general who told me everything I know about stalking and shooting and
how to make the most out of a deer so it's a real privilege to be out with Alan
today's a very exciting day you know we're in August so the fallow bucks are in
season
but also you know the harvest is coming off now you can sense
autumn's approaching it's harvest time and that moves the deer
around the deer have been comfortable in these long crops all summer
not disturbed at all and as the crops come off the deer start to move
and you're much more likely to see deer
on the local farmers request we're out and about looking for
hunting fallow deer it so we pull off the main road and head into deep country
surveying the nearby woodland as we go for signs of deer
we haven't been driving that long before we spot a gorgeous fallow doe
and where there's one deer there's always more deer a small one it's a good omen
we decide to park up in the nearby woodland and see how our luck runs
as always it's about keeping noise to a minimum
if the deer are spooked we stand no chance of success
as well as being a good mate alan is an incredibly good shot
unbelievably good and it's always great to have been on board
I trust his instincts and we've not gone at all far before we're drawn to a
disturbance in the words
using my Swarovski rangefinders
I check it out but with the evening fast approaching it's just too dark to spot movement
we decide to cut through the woods and follow our instincts
no sooner do we emerge from the trees
I immediately spot a small gang of fallow deer grazing in the adjacent field
the last one's a pricket
you can got it
what a shot well done
as often happens when shooting fallow deer in these fields that all
happened in a minute spotting the deer to shooting it
we popped out there were three fallow does
and a fourth doe and the fourth doe turned out to be a fallow pricket with spikes
we shot the fallow pricket it's dead
third tramline in
shot from about 180 yards away
okay so go up and then walk down the trail you that crest
you know he's in line with the crest of the third tramline
with this it's crucial when you're trying to find a deer in a crop you need to
relate to something tramlines are the way you find our deer and we're gonna walk
down it and then let Milly my gundog find the deer
I think I'll get a sack and we can carry the deer out
good girl Milly
good girl Milly good girl finding the fallow pricket
we reckon on my Swarovski range finder
to the corner of their 202 yards
hmm this deer was standing looking at Alan and the only part of the deer that was exposed
the top of the deer's neck and his head
and there
is the entry
I think makes you Mr Hayward the best shot in Britain
no luck involved at all and when a deer is looking straight at
you that fallow pricket heard us crashing through those bushes
knows deer had all stopped they heard us as we popped out
I don't think the group of deer saw us do you Alan I think he was inquisitive
the three fallow does ran on the pricket stopped at looked at us
the deer wondered what was going on maybe he thought it was another buck but he looked straight at us
the fallow pricket looked straight at us even when you tried to take your safety catch off
you noticed that
really heavy fallow pricket perfect eating venison a fabulous example
of a fallow deer we drag the fallow pricket into clearer ground get it out of the crop
and check it over it's in great condition
so it's time to gralloch the deer before transporting it home
in the Huntsman as the beautiful august evening finally draws to a close
it's been a fantastically successful fallow hunt just perfect
in fact and I'm already thinking about all the venison meals I can make
this wonderfully tasty fallow pricket gonna get some parmesan on here
shave off the front face like that and those schnitzels look
amazing
don't forget you can watch more my episodes for Mike's wild
kitchen on you tube just by clicking on the links below