Page 76 - RSDG Year of 2021 CREST

74 EAGLE AND CARBINE FIELD SPORTS
Lieutenant A Roberts
This year with some Covid measures more relaxed than last year we were able to take a slightly larger team on the annual stalking expedition. It was a huge success with the South Chesthill annual cull almost complete by the end of the week. The regiment also stalked on North Chesthill, Blackmount, Easter Logie, and Straathbraan & Murthley Estates.
The snow was falling heavily when SSgt Thapa, Sgt Purja, Pte Gurung, Tpr Sharpe, LCpl Metcalf, LCpl Poole, SSgt Jarret, WO2 Lang and I arrived on Sunday and it continued to do so for the next two days, which pushed the beasts off the tops of the hills into the lower sections below the snowline. This was much to the relief of anyone stalking with Ainster on South Chesthill, who possesses the fitness of a mountain goat. The weather also blew over a tree which took out our power and sent us back in time for a night of candle- light and fires.
Despite the white downpour, small gaps in the weather made for good conditions, as long as beasts could be spotted in the broken snow, and it was not long before SSgt Thapa, Sgt Purja, Pte Gurung and Tpr Sharpe all soon shot their first beasts! Success continued with LCpl Metcalf and LCpl Poole contributing. It was great to see the enthusiasm and helpfulness of the men in dragging beasts off the hill, gralloching and helping in the larder - which was soon full (luckily to be emp- tied by the game dealer mid-week).
The quantity of deer being culled, combined with the demand to take venison home, led to the decision to butcher two fat hinds for those returning to camp mid- week. With SSgt Thapa, Sgt Purja and Pte Gurung also taking home a considerable quantity, I am certain the venison was cooked to the highest standard!
The expedition was then joined mid-week by SSgt Wykes, Lt Horridge, Maj Barker and Maj Christie, by which point the snow had eased up and the deer were starting to head up the hills; after a few days of pressure they were becoming increasingly canny – at least that’s the story our new hunters stuck to! Not to be discouraged by wily hinds, however, the larder was once again refilled by most of the new party.
Although as the days progressed it became apparent that Maj Christie was either a staunch conservationist, shooting at ghosts in the fog or that he was ‘struggling to adapt’ to a stalking rifle and that eye relief, grip or maybe a bit of hind fever was making it difficult for his bullets to find their targets.