Coordinates: Lat: 59.41233, Lon: 18.23497
Time: 1 day in August
Hunting has become a big part of my life. Easy to forget that it's just three years ago I got my hunting license. During this short period my passion for hunting Roe Deer has made this date; the 16th of August, a somewhat sacred day each year... Finally The Buck Premiere is here!
The head lights of my pickup truck sweeps over the dark field as I'm backing up into the woods and turn off my engine. I then get a glimpse of a really nice Roe Deer Buck and his mate out in the dark. I hope I now can reach my hunting spot as quietly as possible not to spook the two animals. This is the hunting grounds of Svenska Jägareförbundet and this morning I'm climbing into tower number 72.
Finally in place I can see the movement of the two individuals; they are still out there posturing. It's now about 04.00 am, it has been raining tonight but it's now starting to clear up.
I let the situation settle while I'm waiting for some morning light to hopefully get a clear shoot. Meanwhile I take a deep breath, smell the summer morning breeze and enjoy the moment. My thoughts wonder off to my preparations up until this morning; for example I've gotten a new rifle; a bargain off the used market, that I now feel confident in after good time spent with it out at the shooting range.
As the light starts to get shootable the buck has unfortunately wondered off into the three line about 150 meters away. I start to call to see if there's some more game around. At once a small young deer turns up to my left hoping to find an attractive female. He gets real close and starts barking at me in disappointment when he realize he has been tricked. I take some shoots with my camera and hope to see this little fellow again in the future.
During this morning I get to see the above mentioned two bucks and five females. Just as I start to pack up my gear the initial buck and partner turn up again among the threes. Perhaps the hunt is still on, if I only can get the buck closer to me out in the open. I call on him but I can see in my hand held binoculars that he's not even reacting to my calls. I guess he is more than content with this majestic female than to come running after my calls.
I lift my hat off for today; a beautiful and exiting start to this year's buck hunt. Truly grateful for the knowledge Nature has offered me this morning I drive home to my family to take a siesta. I again think back on when I started hunting and conclude that it's important to stay humble towards the fact that each day spent hunting is teaching me something new.
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