We examine a 'Freak' Roebuck recently shot on the Capreolus Club PLUS grounds.
September is usually a quiet time for Roebuck, the ‘post-rut’ lull usually extends until the ‘faux-rut’ in October at which time Roebuck once again start to become visible as the young experience an increase in testosterone and the older males have re-established some decent body condition.
It was unusual time of year therefore, for one of our Capreolus Club PLUS members to stalk and shoot one of the most unusual heads that we have ever seen. A ‘freak head’ that whilst only in theory a 'three-pointer, will almost undoubtedly, through the sheer added weight and volume (the two highest scoring criteria when measuring Roebuck) achieve a medal, due to the additional beam which sprouted from a twin coronet on the deer’s left side.
Most deer that exhibit ‘Freak’, ‘Perruque’ or ‘Moss heads’ are the ultimtae cull animals, as they usually arise due to an injury, however, this animal shot on the Salisbury patch of the Capreolus Club PLUS scheme by club member Igor Grishkov, did not, at the time of shooting, exhibit any unusual characteristics and was deemed suitable to enter the food chain.
It is an ‘anomaly’ a ‘freak’ and if I were to speculate as to the cause, it would be reasonable to assume that the animal had sustained a injury to the left pedicle at the very earliest phase of this year’s antler growth, an injury from which it recovered, but one that caused the coronet and subsequent antler to grow in a malformed manner.
Increasingly ‘Freak heads’ are becoming a source of great interest amongst experienced trophy hunters, especially amongst those that already have countless ‘regular’ six-pointers. For this reason, and because of their scarcity, professional outfitters often charge accordingly, this animal however, despite its likelihood of achieving a CIC medal, incurred no charge to the hunter. This is because any and all animals shot by Capreolus Club members on the PLUS scheme are free and incur no additional charge. Once a member has been admitted to the scheme, they are free to exercise their own judgement as to the animals that they shoot and with a further increases to the PLUS scheme grounds soon to be announced in the coming months, the chances of stalking onto a beast of this quality continue to improve.
Operating in a similar fashion to a deer stalking syndicate, the Capreolus Club PLUS scheme, now has grounds near Salisbury, Basingstoke, Petersfield, Cobham, and Hartley Wintney. Capreolus Club members can upgrade their membership and access stalking on these grounds 365 days a year with just 24hrs notice on a simple ‘book and go’ basis for as little as £112.50 + vat pcm. That’s the same as most gym memberships! If you book guided stalking through a professional, you may be surprised at the affordability.
Furthermore, unlike some other deer stalking syndicates, we have never refused a booking request from a scheme member, neither does the club attribute any additional stealth fees or charges. What you shoot is yours and this is because, we embrace and encourage those recreational stalkers who have the required level of skill, to experience the exhilaration and sense of accomplishment that can be achieved by going it alone. To read more about ‘Going it alone’ please follow this link to a recent article: deer-stalking-syndicate
Alternatively, to find out more about the scheme follow this link: plus-scheme
If you are interested in experiencing all the benefits of Capreolus Club membership and would like to be considered simultaneously for admission to the PLUS scheme, then why not apply now: apply-now
Or to learn more about ‘Perruque and Moss Heads’ click here: what-is-a-perruque-head
