A bang that’s right for a buck

There are plenty of dates in the stalking calendar that I look forward to. I love stalking does during snowy Highland winters, calling roebucks during their rut in late July and listening to the eerie and haunting whistles of sika stags under an October moon. But if I had to single out just one date, it would have to be early April and the opening few days of the roebuck season.

The joy of early-season roe starts with the changing of the clocks, the warmer weather and the longer daylight hours. My dawn stalking forays start while the rest of the world sleeps. I relish the sense of solitude on those early mornings when I return for breakfast as most are only stirring. It’s a special experience to pause and listen as the light breaks over the horizon and the dawn chorus is at its peak, with hundreds