Brian Phipps accompanies one of the UK’s most renowned deer experts and his client on a buck cull in Hampshire
Top man: Informative and professional, Dominic was a perfect stalking guide
Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset and Berkshire are home to some of the most respected deer stalkers around today. Many have moved into the area because of the quality of their favoured quarry: the roe deer. The male of the species is so sought after by continental and British clients, it is no wonder that Britain’s best are drawn to the south of England.
I was privileged to be invited by top stalker and deer management expert Dominic Griffith to cover a morning’s roebuck stalking in his native Hampshire. In the past Dominic has had well over 20,000 acres of the county to manage. His career with deer started as a pony boy in the Scottish Highlands, eventually leading to him starting his own deer management business back in 1986. He is now responsible for managing deer on several prestigious estates.
On the morning in question, Dominic was taking out a client, Nigel Beacham. Nigel explained he was a novice shooter and this was to be his first stalk. Obviously full of enthusiasm, he explained he had met Dominic the previous evening to listen to him explain what our stalking day would entail, as well as heading to the range to release a few rounds and get used to the rifle.
The estate we were on is around 1,200 acres in total, just 150 acres of which is woodland. Dominic estimates the roe population to be about 60, and over the 25 years he has stalked this ground he has shot about eight bucks and 14 does per year.
Dominic told me how he approaches deer management on this estate. “My philosophy is one of low stress, so I like to leave them alone as much as possible. After a week of census in March, I stalk over the spring and summer for a few days a month to achieve the cull. I follow a similar pattern in winter, with a more intensive effort in February if required. I do not stalk in March – I believe we made a dreadful mistake in extending the doe season so far.”
It was a perfect spring morning and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Dominic handed the rifle to Nigel to carry, and we headed out on foot into the stalking grounds. The first port of call was the fields of a local clay pigeon shooting ground. Within seconds of walking through the gate, a buck showed unexpectedly in front of us. I didn’t know who was more surprised – him or us. Even Dominic hadn’t seen one there before – he had caught us entirely unawares.
The buck bounded away, showing a slight limp on the back leg and deformed antlers. “That one needs a bullet,” said Dominic. Luckily the buck leapt a fence and stopped not 50 yards away behind a hedge. We collectively crept forward, and found the buck had moved on to a footpath between two hedges. Unfortunately a couple of things caused us problems. Firstly, there was no backstop, and secondly, the footpath is frequently used.
Closing in: A painstaking stalk culminated in a textbook approach
Dominic decided to approach the buck in the hope he would run to the right towards a small woodland and out onto some fields. He returned within minutes, and told us all had gone to plan. We followed Dominic, picking our way over the mown fields and making sure not to step on the remains of the millions of shattered clays that would crunch underfoot. I though it was bad enough trying not to step on fallen branches in dense woodlands, but this seemed almost impossible. Dominic smiled and said: “You would have thought they would keep this area clear for me, wouldn’t you?”
The noise of approaching animals stopped us short. We quickly hid behind a large bush. Two roe were running fast in our direction. “I think the buck we moved on earlier has startled these two,” whispered Dominic. Dominic explained that these two were this year’s young, pushed out by their mother as she approached fawning time again. With no sign of the buck that needed culling, we let them bound away and headed along another hedgerow, looking for a pathway to a disused landfill site.
Dominic stopped and explained the next step to Nigel. There was a large area of open land alongside our position, and when we climbed over the bank onto the old landfill site, he expected to see some deer. He wasn’t wrong, and with the sun behind us, it was near impossible for the deer to spot us. Dominic glassed for a suitable buck to stalk. He quickly dismissed the available quarry, and we followed him on along the tramlines through the acres of winter wheat.
Time was of the essence. We were told to keep close and pick up the pace. Dominic explained that it wouldn’t be too long before the deer would be sitting instead of standing. He went on to explain to Nigel the importance of dew on the ground while roe stalking. Dew point is absolutely critical to stalking roe bucks, which is why it is often a waste of time to go out too early in the morning. Deer also don’t generally drink, getting most of their moisture through their food. Nevertheless they do take advantage of the dew, especially in the dry conditions we have experienced recently.
With the resident cuckoo seemingly following us around that morning, we pressed on. The dew was still apparent, and the buck had moved out from the shade of the woodland and into the warm sun. He was looking to settle down not 100 yards from us.
We hid behind the edge of the wood. Dominic moved forward to get a proper view, and was happy with what he saw. It was an undersized yearling. He whispered: “I’ll be basing this cull buck on his body condition only, but it also appears to have a low-volume, thin set of antlers. Let’s stalk him.”
The buck stood proudly on a slight incline, which required Dominic and Nigel to get slightly above him. The rifle they used was a Sako Finnlight .243, chosen by Dominic as a good budget working tool. Moderated, the Finnlight was shorter and lighter than his previous rifle, with no loss of performance. The rifle was scoped with a 5-15×42 Zeiss Varipoint. Dominic has always favoured Zeiss, and he likes the flexibility of a variable scope but without a huge objective lens. He thinks that too much is made of twilight performance. If you are shooting deer so late that you need huge objective lenses, you are probably shooting too late anyway.
Before the stalk began, I remarked on Dominic’s stalking attire. He replied: “I am not a ‘kit’ man. I have just two rifles – my day-to-day working tool and a spare – and a good basic Cutco knife. I wear ex-military camo because it is comfortable and cheap (and hides the blood) – not because of the camouflage. That said, I really like the Deerhunter range of stalking clothing. I bought the reversible jacket when it was discounted at the Midland Game Fair. Of course, I wear a hat when it’s cold and a peaked hat when stalking into the sun, and I also recognise that covering your hands is an advantage.”
Thanks in part to Dominic’s expertise, it was a happy outcome for a first-time stalker
Dominic proceeded to take Nigel along the perimeter of the woodland. They slowly made their way towards the buck, stopping every time it glanced up. It was a painstaking experience for me observing them from a distance, but no doubt exhilarating for the two stalkers. They successfully approached to within 30 metres, which was necessary to get the angle needed for a safe shot. Dominic deployed his Cabela’s tripod extending stick for the standing shot. The buck was still completely oblivious.
Time was aplenty, and a relaxed Nigel carefully rested the rifle in the sticks and took a straightforward mid-shoulder shot, dropping the buck inches from where he had been enjoying his final meal. Looking through my binoculars I could clearly see the smiles of the hunters as they returned. We all moved back to the pickup to retrieve the fallen quarry.
It had been a perfect spring morning, and it was great to be out in perfect company. I have stalked from Cornwall to Scotland, and Dominic was one of the best guides I have had the pleasure to hunt with. He was a thorough professional, and explained everything. He told us the history of the land and pointed out other wildlife, trees and flowers. He also explained how they came to be upon the estate if relevant. It was the same when it came to the actual stalk, and I learned a great deal during the outing out with him.
