The March Hunt - Why you need extra preparation when Roe Doe Stalking

On the first day of the month, I was asked by a friend to help him with his yearly Roe Deer cull. I had spent time stalking on this land before, but always on Roe Bucks - now it was time to focus on the last of the Roe Does - which was to be my first time ever hunting female Roe Deer.

1 - Psychological preparation

For those who don't know, at this time of year, although it is completely legal to hunt female roe deer, it's important to be aware that they will more than likely be pregnant. Now, this makes more sense when it comes to managing deer numbers and is the reason why some people managing deer will choose to focus their time at this time of year, but of course it makes the experience more unpleasant. However, it is part and parcel of the 'job' if you are doing it for management purposes (not just to fill your freezer) and it is the first part of being prepared - the psychological prep!

I have harvested and prepared other animals in the past that have been at varying stages of pregnancy, such as rabbits and Muntjac, but not roe. This was a very different cup of tea, not just relating to the size of the fetus(this can be quite a shock to see, and is another 'element' to contend with when gralloching), but when it came to the gralloch there were other things to contend with, including all the extra fur and that it sheds easier, the additional fat layers etc.

Even before the shot was taken, we had to change the approach of our stalk. As they were now pregnant their behaviour changed slightly. They weren't in their 'usual' spaces, they were either hanging out in the middle of fields in groups, so you couldn't stalk in closely enough as they would see you, or they were hunkered down deep in hedgerows - which is where the thermal spotter really came to good use...

2 - Equipment preparation

I wrote previously about the reason some of us use thermal spotters for hunting - and in this case, it helped me to be prepared for the first shot. The deer was hunkered down in a hedgerow and refusing to move. It allowed me to stalk in close enough to set up my sticks and rifle in a completely different direction - the direction I knew she would run in. She did indeed run a few minutes later. I had forgotten my deer whistle (need to follow my own advice on equipment prep!) But luckily she stopped on my mouth whistle, allowing me to take the shot.

The boys didn't believe I had managed the shot, and used their own thermals to scan the horizon for the deer they believed had run away. However, a short 70 yard walk later and she appeared before us - lying in a hidden hollow, a natural dip in the land, and out of sight. But I had no doubt about my shot - part of my equipment preparation is also part of the enjoyment of the experience for me, and as a result of this preparation I know when a shot is going to be perfect - which so far has been 99% of the time.

I had also used new Winchester ballistic tip ammunition, which I had tried beforehand on the range and loved how it expanded on impact. This kind of preparation really helps you to have confidence in your equipment, so you can focus on taking the shot in the moment without second guessing anything.

3 - Fitness preparation

Ok, let's talk about fitness. My least favourite subject but an important one. Think about what the environment is like where you are going to be stalking. Is it woodland that you will need to creep through? Quiet creeping is surprisingly tiring!

What is the topography like, is it hilly? Hills are beautiful - and very helpful for backstops - but they are my nemesis!

You need to be prepared that when you are ready to take your shot, you may be out of breath and need more time to regulate your breath and heart rate to ensure the shot is accurate. Other factors at this time of year such as squelching through boggy ground can also affect your breathing; although it does make it easier to find tracks!

4 - Sensory preparation

When I was first introduced to preparing any quarry for cooking, the first senses that were hit for me were the smell and feel. It was a strange sensation to 'feel' my future meal being warm to the touch instead of cold out of the fridge!

It was a similar feeling when it came to learning how to gralloch, and when it comes to female Roe at this time of year, it was a new sensation. The first sense that was hit was my eyesight - as I wasn't prepared for the size of the fetus sack. However, after shaking off that feeling and getting to work, the familiar sense of calm focus kicked in.

On my 3rd deer however, the overwhelming sense was my sense of smell - the stink of her mucky bum hit me like a tonne of bricks! This was new to me - I had never seen this in 5 years of stalking. After speaking to a couple of friends who are much more experienced than me, we came to the conclusion that she had been suffering with some diarrhoea after spending too much time eating crops - Oil See Rape to be precise - and that although it was unpleasant to deal with, it wasn't an issue in terms of eating.

What have you learnt recently while out stalking? Do you have any tips for those planning to switch from Bucks to Does next year, as I did?

Good luck to those heading out on April 1st on Bucks - I will be waiting until a little later in the year. For now, my focus is on Muntjac management, so with that said, I'm off to charge my thermal batteries and clean my binoculars!

Happy shooting!