It was not a dream hunt or a “bucket-list hunt”, it was more of a – “how can I get my wife involved on my hunts” type hunt. In recent years my wife has become a bit more vocal in her opposition to my hunting safaris / adventures; so I needed to figure out a way to get her on-board my hunts. So one day I approached her with the idea of going to the United Kingdom to look up my Gaelic roots. My great-great grandparents were from Scotland and Wales. I told her I would hunt for four days and then we would tour the United Kingdom for two weeks. To my surprise she did agree, as long as her sister could come along with us.
We were met at Heathrow Airport by Mike, our hunting guide and Mitch, our tour guide. We traveled for about two hours south near the village of Wadhurst, 35 miles south of London. Let me say this – the 405 in California and the H-1 in Hawaii is wide open compared to the traffic around London. I have lived all over this world and have been to six of the seven continents – but, never have I seen traffic like London!
Since I would be hunting in England, we stayed at the Best Beech Inn which was an historic old coaching house. It was built in the 1800s – has six rooms of above, and the pub and restaurant below, quite quaint.
The hunt itself was not physically demanding as some hunts are, although the country-side is rolling hills with pasture and wooded areas – very beautiful and you will do a lot of up and down trekking with much glassing. The estate we hunted on belongs to a Scandinavian gentleman That made his “way of means” by inventing the vacuum seal packets for milk. Once an avid sportsman, but now in his late 80s his daughter controls the estate and she has decided to thin out the animals, as far as the number kept on the estate.
The amount of animals seen was quite abundant. The estate has Red Stag (English), Fallow, Manchurian Sika, Japanese Sika, Pere David deer, Chinese Water deer, and more. There was a 40 plus inch axis nearby!
The first day we drove the entire estate reconning the area for what I wanted to take. Then in the afternoon we dismounted and stalked several times but just could not get the closing shot. Then with about two hours of light left we dismounted at the top of a hill and worded our way down a wooded draw. Mike spotted him about 100 yards below us standing in the trees – he knew we were there. Move a few feet to get a quartering front shot. Set the sticks – put one through the lung and heart – three steps and dropped. He was too big for the three of us to lift. Had to go back for the trailer with the winch to get him home. He was a nice Red Stag – almost as big as the one I took in New Zealand. The thing to know – it is 1/3 cheaper in England than New Zealand for the same size animal. I am not knocking New Zealand – I loved it there – I plan on going back – food for thought for those who want more bang for their buck.
The next day we started about 0830 hours – did the same tactic – but had to walk a little further – saw a pair of Manchurian Sika bucks feeding in a pasture about 150 yards away – had to shoot from the tree line or we would have been busted. I forgot the sticks – braced against a tree and in “the pump house” ran for 50 or so yards then did the “dance”.
They sell the meat to the French – quite a market. Other interesting facts about hunting in England – you cannot bring in your own gun – or ammo. You will be detained and deported that day. In fact – Mike told me – do not even bring a knife. Also for most part of Europe – bow hunting is illegal – something about cruelty to animals. – and public land hunting is outlawed.
Now it was time to keep my promise to my wife – 1100 miles later – 3 countries – 5 hour train ride – 4 days in London – all the major sites – !!!
It must have worked – she now is on board for the next hunt — Espana!!!