Our Fallow Season

There’s something special about watching a testosterone-fuelled buck tearing around, thrashing trees, chasing does and clashing with potential rivals. It’s a sight to get one’s blood pumping and knees shaking with excitement. The rut - that time of year every deer hunter has marked on their calendars, counting down the days till it arrives.

THIS year I’d taken a week off work and organised to spend it in a state forest with a group of mates chasing fallow deer with the hope of finding a mature buck. I spent the days leading up to the trip anxiously checking the weather forecast and was pleasantly surprised to see clear skies, minimal wind and low temperatures predicted.

After meeting on the highway we convoyed south and arrived at the state forest just in time to quickly throw our gear on and go for an afternoon stalk. Michael and myself opted to sit in the head of a gully