Stalking diary: new ground in North Yorkshire, and pheasants that send a Cumbrian buck bolting

The success of summer stalking brings with it the welcome obligation of generosity, and my freezer has not groaned under such a payload for quite some time. I have been distributing prime venison to local friends and neighbours, a gesture that never fails to bring quiet satisfaction.

At home, this wild bounty is matched by a bumper yield from my allotment, leaving me self-sufficient in meat and vegetables after a summer of shows, stalking and harvesting. Yet, as damp signs of autumn settle over the countryside, I find myself standing before the thermostat, engaged in that solemn British dilemma of whether to turn on the central heating.

Alongside these seasonal shifts at home, my acquisition of new ground in North Yorkshire has added a fresh dimension to the season, representing the flattest expanse of country I have ever taken on. It is a working arable farm with a modest population of roe deer and whispers of fallow hovering on the periphery, though I have predominantly used it for pigeon shooting and exercising my non-working dog.

Sporadic sightings on open arable ground

Given the sparse cover, deer sightings are sporadic, but I have bumped into a few animals during recent strolls. Whether this open terrain proves a fruitful addition or merely a windy spot for a dog walk remains to be seen, but I shall keep you apprised of progress.

Meanwhile, stalking in these strange economic times has taken its toll on the pocket, with £2-a-litre diesel making a three-hour round trip to Cumbria feel like a major financial undertaking. As expected, the post-rut lull of September has settled in, bringing a quiet spell following the bounty of August.

Recent outings have been unfruitful, yet the weather has held nicely, offering a pleasant backdrop even as roebuck activity drops to a trickle. The woods are shifting once again, the winds are cooling, and local wildlife is preparing for the turn of the season.

This changing climate brings a particular plague to the thermal imager: an absolute explosion of pheasants creating what can only be described as thermal pollution. Every heat signature glinting through the canopy demands a double take, though it is heartening to see the woods pulsing with life, right down to wild ducks on the farm pond.

My Cumbrian ground remains a delight, being blissfully free of ticks and providing a reprieve after a summer spent picking off unwanted passengers. The canopy is beginning to show its first flecks of amber, signalling that visibility will soon return as shortening days bring thermal gear back into its element.

It was during one of these autumn outings that I picked up a pair of roe on the far edge of the wood, but approaching them proved a fool’s errand. The wind whipped up stronger than anticipated, dictating a tactical pause; broadcasting my scent across the woodland seemed an uninspired strategy. I attempted to circle around to work the breeze, but shifting air thwarted every move, and the pair vanished quickly.

Pheasant alarm calls and a bolting roebuck

Remaining on the perimeter, I monitored the wind, only to be reminded of why gamebirds are the bane of the woodland stalker. I accidentally flushed half a dozen pheasants, their deafening wing-beats and alarm calls broadcasting my exact co-ordinates.

Unknown to me, the resident buck was tucked up neatly behind a mound less than 60 yards away. In a delightful twist of shared ignorance, I assumed there were no deer in the vicinity, and he assumed the woods were clear of stalkers. Flustered by the commotion of screaming pheasants erupting around his ears, he bolted for the treeline like a scalded cat before I could slip the rifle off my shoulder.

It is always a pleasure to watch gamebirds feeding in twilight, but trying to stalk quietly among them remains an utter nightmare. Still, with the driven season under way, the beaters will soon thin out the pheasants, and I might finally get my woods back to myself.

Al Gabriel is a molecular biologist and keen deerstalker with a strong interest in promoting diversity and public understanding of fieldsports. He recently moved to North Yorkshire.