Hi guys

I'm back from big trouble land ... Divorce still not solved and eventually requiring hard fighting to defend my rights. Definitely a selfish and venal woman.

When not managing big challenge at the office with enhanced responsabilities, I did spent as much time as possible with firends, hunting, shooting, fishing, training, etc, to keep my mind busy.

A friend of mine invited me to hunt red stag up the pyrenean mountains.

I trained myself during 3 monthes for that: diet and running (lost almost 20 pounds and trained myself more than I thought it was possible. I can now run at least 6 miles, not a sport record but it's a long range for me), reloading and shooting (until I was able to get a 0.6 MOA quick shooting group at 100 m). I had a blast hunting these mountains, physically hard but memories for ever.

I also developed a good load for the Garand which is a pleasure to shoot, but I still wait to feed its tiger with some blood

I hope everyone's OK here, especially Jim.

Cheers from old Europe and world's beer heaven.

Excellent! I've always enjoyed your posts and pictures. Welcome back.

Did you kill a stag on your hunt?

Yes, I bagged my stag bull Still sorting the pictures. We made a lot of photographic hunting, and saw (and eared) plenty of game animals (Stags and does in high mating season, isards and wild boars), vultures, etc.

It was a bear country hunt but I saw no bear, though I played bear in front of trail cams hidden to take pictures of them

I look forward to seeing the stag pictures.

Welcome back! I hope you have some good food photos to share.

Too bad you aren't within striking distance because I've recently brewed up a Westveterlan clone and a tasty cherry stout that woud knock you socks off!

Jeremiah Johnson made his way into the mountains
Bettin’ on forgettin’ all the troubles that he knew

Picture taken from France, Haute Garonne, but the background is in Spain.

Isards:

Nice, now show me how you cooked him up.

Didn't cook more than steaks from my bull ... And some soup ...

Submit on the left is the Aneto peak (11168 ft), in Spain.

Great pictures and fine looking country.


What rifle did you use on the stag hunt?

This one



It's a .270 WCF Sako 85 Finnlight. I broke my own scope's turret a few days before the trip and had to borrow that Leupy and quickly re-zero the rifle in a hurry.



I loaded the rounds with 130 grains TTSX bullets. I recovered my bullet along the stag's back strap. I shot it in the sternum, frontal shot from down to uphill, the bullet wen through the sternum, the thorax and the spine behind the shoulders. It lost 5 grains in the beast.

Nice rifle.

This one is for hatari

Welcome back from your adventure and congratulations on a fine stag. Looks delicious. I'll raise a Stella Artois to your success this weekend.

great pictures

thanks for posting

Yes!!!!!

La venaison steak avec des frites et des carottes ?

I bet I could find a Trappist Ale to wash that down with. Looking good GV!

You nailed it

We should discuss the origin of the "French fries" expression

By the way, yesterday was à battue day in St Hubert (the place where the story of the white stag in St Hubertus's légend took place and where Hemingway stayed as war correspondant in 44) and buddies of mine killed that beast :

Nice!


Good to see you back GV!

Really neat set of pics!


Keep them coming!

Now that is a beast of a boar.

Great post and pictures GV. E

Good stuff GV....

Great pics and good times!

good to see you back gv

HI gents,

still alive though the troubles we have around here at the moment...

Let's remain positive ... I'm back from my wednesday lunchtime 4 miles run and feel even better week after week My friend Jean-Claude, who invited and guided me during the pyrenean hunt, likes to record and produce videos of his hunts and just sent me that one you could like to see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuPX_5-Xx08



Vive la France, et vivent ses chasses

Please, do not reshare it, as it is a private video.

Watches it this morning GV, looks like you had FUN!!!!! A bit steep there!!! NIIIIICE stag!!!!

Thanks, Jim.

I hope the video transmits some of the emotions we felt during the hunts.

Those mountain stags aren't very big compared to our northerner continental lower lands stags, they're closer to the scottish highlander stags, but it is a good one as a mountain stag, and it will always be a priceless trophy anyway

What were those red socks ya had on in the beginning???

Sometimes, after hours and days walking the bushes, a gentleman has to change his socks as well as his underpants ... But I had them when I shot the stag ... just wore gaitors over

Niice knife!! Looks familiar somehow!

It gutted and butchered so many game animals ... Roe deers, Wild boars, and now a stag ... It even clean killed a roe past season. Easy to have it sharp and lots of memories when I hold it in my hand.

Guys, you should watch the video...

It is a big step up from the many twitchy videos with bad photography and composition. Well worth watching, IMNSHO!

GV, whomever Jean-Claude is and whatever background he has, as the man behind the camera, he has my compliments! The music fits well too.

John

I'll pass the compliment. Thanks.

GV,

You were fast!

I just edited my post to add a compliment about the music fitting well.

John

No probelm, the music choice was mine

Cool!

Can you give details of the group/artist?

One of the things I like most about the internet is finding interesting new music that I would otherwise never discover.

John

Simply parts of The Hobbit's original soundtrack and the Ballad of Jeremiah Johnson for the last chapter (maybe the ending scene seemed familiar to you ???)

La vidéo est superbe ! Meilleurs voeux et la force durant cette période mouvementée. amities sincèrement

Thanks

Hello grand veneur,

Great pictures and video!!! Very similar to our Red Deer hunting in some parts of the Patagonian Andes.
A question, your Swarovski binocular is a 10x40 or a 7x42?
Thank you and congratulations!

PH

Habicht series 7x42

Thank you!

Hey guys, if you liked Jean-Claude's work, you should have a look at this video too.

It was one week before my hunt, on another area of the same hunting ground (more likely an open area hunt, above the trees line, 2000 m high or something like that). Very different hunt with an alpine hunter (I mean David actually comes from high alps. He's used to high and physical hunts).

Different hunt, different hunting style, and different mood but an excellent vidoe IMHO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9LJ5XVstZ4

Great video and nice country.

Had my kids and my nephew at home today. Good opportunity to test red stag burgers

Those red stags are awesome animals!! Good for you.

Nice vid.

Music was overbearing.

Made me Wish that you had tracked down and knocked over the SOB that was singing and moaning all over those mountains especially when I would have rather be listening the stags roaring.