Two approaches to field-dressing
Bang! The shot resounded, followed by the ‘click, click, clack’ of the action being cycled. Bang! A second shot rang out and then all was quiet. I relished the moment, as the familiar emotions of excitement from the success, pleasure from the satisfaction and some sadness at the demise of a living thing washed over me.
After a long and unproductive sit-andwait hunt, I was returning to the vehicle on dusk, when I spotted not one but two young fallow bucks less than 60m away. Normally, I’d be tempted to let them go forth and grow into something larger, but both my hunting partner Alex and I had instructions for venison from home and I had orders from the cocky to reduce the resident deer population if possible. So I had dropped to my haunches, settled the rifle into the ‘wobble sticks’ and stopped both animals in just a few seconds.
To be honest, this had felt a little bit more like a cull than a hunt, but I was pleased nonetheless. I had filled the expectations of family and friends back home and satisfied the farmer’s request, plus I derived a small sense of satisfaction from having done so with two
