Croxton Park

My first morning stalk on our new lease at Croxton Park and it certainly bodes well for the future

It was a beautiful morning and the sun was already warm and shining when I arrived at 06:00, there is a broad strip of mowed grass separating a small plantation of elders and a wheat field near where I parked the car, it is about 10 meters wide and around 300 meters long and there must have been anything between 10 and 15 hares happily basking in the sunshine. Not wanting to disturb them I set off walking through the elders only to notice the rear end of a deer backing into the small ride I was walking on about 100 yards in front of me. 

I was expecting a muntjac but it turned out to be a very fine Roe Buck indeed. We have decided not to shoot the roe until we have a better idea what is on the ground so I just watched it for a minute or so through the binoculars, it had a good head not sure if it would have made a medal but it would not have been far off, eventually he spotted me and made off sharpish. 

The elevated roe-box is very spacious and comfortable but the roof is a little low, I settled down to see what was about there were squirrels everywhere and a couple of very large hares came past. At just after 08:00 I spotted some movement on the ride to my left, there is a bit of foliage that needs trimming back to give a clear view up the ride but when I was eventually able to see what it was I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was a very large muntjac buck, it was still in velvet but it looked like he had a pair of over-ripe bananas stuck on his head. Far too good a buck to be taken in velvet so he will get another day. 

An hour later there was again movement on the ride to my left, this time it was a doe, slowly making her way towards me down the ride, she turned and presented a broadside and she is now in the freezer.