Woodlife Trails

I had to stay in on Saturday to watch the English rugby team annihilate the Australians in the Rugby World cup quarter finals. Of course you know England won 12 – 10. You do know don’t you? Well, it’s the only sport I follow so bear with me on that one. Hence I only managed to get out today to do a little tracking.

It wasn’t so much tracking as hide and seek. As soon as I entered Outfield wood, I stumbled on a small herd of 5 Fallow deer. I always make the mistake of bounding into the wood completely oblivious of anything that might be lurking just inside the edge of the wood. The result was that the deer leapt off to the east side of the woods a good 200 yards away. First points to the deer. I followed at a hideously loping gait of half stalking half fast walking. It must have looked mad but I did notice that I managed not to tread on every twig. Just most of them! I reached the east side, and of course, the deer were nowhere to be seen. The deer add a few more points to the scoreboard.

I sat for a moment munching on some fruit figuring out where they might have gone, when I suddenly realised. What am I doing here? It’s quite obvious that from previous experience that they would probably go in a complete circle and leave me sitting here like an idiot. I made my way exactly the way I came and headed to the west side. Half way across the wood, I spotted some movement to my left. I was right. They must have followed the field edge and entered the wood again from the north. Pablo puts some points on the board. I must have stalked for about 100 yards trying to get nearer, but they were very wary and again suddenly made off out of the wood to the west. The deer take the lead again. Now here was a dilemma. Where next? I thought about just sitting and waiting, but this was now a game that I mustn’t lose. I thought about the fine determined English rugby team performance yesterday and feeling inspired I moved to the north edge of the wood in the vain hope I would pick up some tracks.

The conditions have been very dry and it was difficult to pick up any tracks, but I did see some Fallow tracks in a muddy bank leading out of the wood. They looked quite fresh but didn’t mean they had just been made. Pablo pulls ahead on the scoreboard.

I decided to take a chance and follow them out of the wood. I kept to the browse line on the edge of the wood. I knew I was walking too fast and realised too late as 50 yards in front of me, the small herd ran out of a gap, across my path and over to the far end of the field about 100 yards away. The deer equalise.

This was getting ridiculous. No sooner had I had that thought when they slowed and then stopped. I had crouched down and with the wind neutral everything seemed to be in my favour to stalk closer. I predicted they would again head for the wood and crawled slowly back to where a likely entrance was. The plan was working. We were converging on the entrance and I was getting pretty close. At about 60 yards, I stopped for a couple of photos. Surely, I get some points here! WHAT? The referee disallows the points because I’ve got a huge thumbprint on the lens! (Hence the poor quality photos.) There were two fine bucks and what looked like two does and possibly a yearling. All of a sudden it was over. They made a bolt for the wood and I was left on all fours camera in hand.

You win. I’m going home. The game had been going on for 4 hours. Not as convincing a performance as the English Rugby team, but not bad for a beginner.

Thanks for the visit.

Pablo.