In July, I had the absolute privilege of heading over to the UK to join our Stoney Creek European manager Tony Laughton in England, to experience the UK market and see what the hunting industry is like over there. When Tony told me we had the opportunity to sneak off for a roe buck hunt, I honestly didn’t know what to expect...
Growing up hunting for most of my life, I’d primarily hunted red stag and fallow, so I didn’t even really know what a roe buck looked like?! I’d seen them on Instagram and thought they looked like a pretty exciting species, but I never thought I’d actually have the opportunity to shoot one. As much as I love hunting, I’d never hunted in another country before, so this whole experience was incredibly exciting for me.
We headed off on an early, early morning drive up to Northumberland in England. The grass was super high, the plains were really flat, and the land rolled gently. Completely different to what I’m used to, having hunted mainly in thick bush back home in New Zealand.
Not long into the trip, Tony casually mentioned that there were ticks in the grass. I was like, ticks? As in the ones you see on horses’ legs in the paddock? He quickly corrected me…these were ticks that could get into the animals bloodstream, and sometimes you even have to pick them off yourself. Coming from New Zealand, where we don’t have parasites like that, I honestly couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
We made the hour-and-a-half drive from Middlesbrough to Northumberland, and I was pretty stoked to be able to bring along our little mate Theo. Theo is one of Tony’s prodigy’s practically like a son. He’s 12 years old and absolutely obsessed with hunting. He made sure to pack his favourite Stoney Creek duckling jacket, Sling shot, and his TCF camo balaclava, and he was beyond excited for me to hopefully shoot my first roe buck, especially since he’d shot his first roe doe earlier that year.
It’s so cool to see the passion here for hunting is still prominent in the next generation, but also to see how the culture operates so differently around hunting in the UK compared to New Zealand.
When we arrived at our hunting spot, we pulled on our Stoney Creek TCF camo from head to toe. I was wearing my Stoney Creek Stealth Shell jacket, my trusty OG Active Tights in TCF, along with a TCF patch cap, TCF Women’s Switch jacket, and Ice-Dry Neck Gaitor. The weather was actually really pleasant, slightly drizzling with the rain coming and going as the sun battled to peer through. Pretty much perfect conditions for roe buck.
We started hunting around 6pm, stalking along the edge of a fence line and glassing out over the open plains. I kept looking for what I thought I should be seeing, but I didn’t realise just how small roe buck actually are. Tony and I spent a lot of time glassing, and I got used to shooting off a gun stand. Meanwhile, Theo was scanning the hills through his binoculars, leaning back so far he was almost flat on his back. It was hilarious. Tony kept telling him to shush and stay behind us because he was so excited his blue eyes practically popped out of his head every time he thought he’d spotted something.
As we worked our way around the hills, Tony explained how important it is when hunting on the plains to hide in the blind spots. Even though it feels like you’re standing out in the open, the roe buck actually can’t see you. It was a hard concept to wrap my head around when I felt completely exposed.
After a while, we spotted a roe doe wandering along the fence line. We stopped and froze as she began grazing. From a distance, I couldn’t quite judge her size. For anyone who doesn’t know, a roe buck is only about knee height! Really small, almost like an antelope or a springbok. From far away, they look much bigger almost like a fallow. I’m actually glad I didn’t know their true size at the time, because I probably would’ve gotten way more nervous when aiming for the shot...
The doe eventually took off in another direction, and we worried we’d blown the opportunity. But then something even better happened. An old roe buck crept out from behind a rock.
The three of us were absolutely buzzing. Theo and I nearly jumped out of our shoes, and Tony had to calm us down. At the end of the day, I’m just a girl who loves hunting. So, I was no different to the 12-year-old standing next to me. Theo grabbed onto me and whispered, “It’s time. Don’t miss.”
Tony set me up on the shooting sticks, and it took a moment to really stabilise myself. I don’t usually get nervous shooting, but this felt different. The rain had stopped, and I was able to watch the roe buck through my scope for a while. That was something special. Usually in the bush, you don’t get much time before an animal disappears. This time, I could watch him move, look around, and try to wind us.
Once I felt steady, I took the shot.
As soon as I fired, I got such a fright because I couldn’t stop shaking. Tony laughed and told me it was “roe buck fever.” I was shaking from head to toe! I’ve never experienced anything like it before. I honestly didn’t even know what had happened. I’d aimed for the shoulder but couldn’t see the roe buck on the ground. That’s when Tony reminded me how short they are, the grass was almost thigh-high. I couldn’t see him lying in the grass, but Tony was confident.
We walked up to find him, with Theo basically sprinting ahead until Tony told him to slow down. Hilarious. We found a blood trail, followed it, and there he was, my little roe buck lying in the grass. It was a perfect shot!! Fewf. I would have been sad for YEARS if I had missed… Good luck explaining that story.
Tony tied the rope around the hocks of the roe buck, and then I dragged it from my shoulders roughly five-ish kilometres through the high grass. It was actually easier than I expected, the grass was wet from the drizzle, and the roe buck slid across it really nicely. Tony offered to help me a few times, but I said no. Being the girl I am, there was no chance of that happening. I had to follow through with my hunt.
Looking back on the trip, I genuinely couldn’t have done it without my favourite gear. My Stoney Creek Active Tights are always a winner when it comes to hunting, closely followed by my Stoney Creek Hunt Guards. They’re so stretchy and easy to wear, especially when you’re moving quickly up and down hills. The Stealth Shell jacket was something I hadn’t expected to love as much as I did. It’s warm and stretchy, but also works perfectly as a lightweight layer to stay comfortable out on the hill.
I had such an amazing experience hunting over in the UK with Tony, and I can’t wait to catch up with him when he comes back to New Zealand so we can relive all the stories all over again. What an experience, and I’m so thankful for the opportunity.
