Photos Most recent trip...

There were two with me.....you will note NO knives pictured. But the knife pack had two ASH1s, B4, HRLM and an ESEE Cleaver... ;)
 

....so my editing software is crap...anyway...here is one of the videos I made while away. This is the same young buck in the first pic of this thread. Sorry it is all a bit crappy, this is the first time I have really tried to use the V1 as a motion camera. The deer are aware "something" is nearby and just where. Around the 50 second mark he started playing peek-a-boo with me then at 55 throws his nose to the air properly (and looks quite strange doing so ;) ). Just above me were at least two more bucks (including a very nice head) that were grunting up a storm. This also kept this guy on edge.

A little down from me in the gully between us is a big patch of Blackberry, of course this was sheltering several hogs including the one large boar I mentioned. He of course chose the time when I was transitioning the camera back into my pack to bolt.
 
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Andy can you clear something up for me. Is it correct to say that both 'menil' and 'black' are considered different color phases of fallow deer rather than different species of fallow deer? Just like our 'black' bear out here can be different color phase, i.e. blonde, cinnamon, brown, etc., and a black sow can still bear brown or blonde offspring, but are still 'black bear' as a specie? Can a menil doe bear black fallow offspring for example? Thanks, and thanks for adding the video :thumbsup:
 
They are considered different, in that if you have a herd of Blacks they won’t throw a Menil or Common at random. This use to be a pure herd of Blacks and nothing else till a deer farm some distance away went tits up. They can however happily interbreed so a Black Doe can throw a Menil fawn and vice versa.
 
Thank you Andy. They are such an interesting deer, and so unfamiliar to me, except through our conversations. I appreciate your explanation, and see now why your herd is predominately black compared with the deer Wilkes posted in another thread. Fallow are an especially beautiful animal IMO. Thanks again.
 
Andy the Aussie said:

....so my editing software is crap...anyway...here is one of the videos I made while away. This is the same young buck in the first pic of this thread. Sorry it is all a bit crappy, this is the first time I have really tried to use the V1 as a motion camera. The deer are aware "something" is nearby and just where. Around the 50 second mark he started playing peek-a-boo with me then at 55 throws his nose to the air properly (and looks quite strange doing so ;) ). Just above me were at least two more bucks (including a very nice head) that were grunting up a storm. This also kept this guy on edge.
Click to expand...

What a beaut!
 
White Black Fallow (as opposed to Menil who are spotted) are also not that uncommon. In that you can have a herd of pure Black Fallow and they will occasionally throw an all white (albino sort of - without the genetic defect) Black Fallow, this last trip I saw two.
 
Here is one my best friend shot after looking over roughly 400 others. Not the biggest boy in town, but certainly a great trophy and very tasty!

pk3tydB.jpg
 
Fallow are one of the hardest trophy animals to judge on the hoof. Douglas scoring a Fallow head is a PITA, one of my good mate's is a certified scorer so I have never really learnt. Most people get thrown buy the number of spellers as they tend to catch the eye, on Fallow however it is about palms, length and symmetry, if you have those and intact bez and brow tines they normally score well. The buck I took last season had most of it happening, which was unusual given how late in the season I took him (after the rut and when they had reverted to bachelor groups), normally by then they are well busted up. .

 
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I don't know if there are other variations, but I could sure see making room on the wall for white, black, and menil mounts. Great pictures guys.
 
What did he score Andy? He's a beaut!

I was told by locals that my Buck was the biggest taken in the area for at least 10 years and they are begging me to score him... I am in no rush but will do so next year sometime. He isn't very symmetrical and fairly cleft on one side so I doubt he has an amazing score anyway.
 
Just on 236DS. There was a 252 out of the same area in late March. I probably saw three maybe four that would have gone 220DS during the week in April.
 
236DS is awesome! Would be a top 5 Buck in VIC according to the ADA Vic branch website.
 
Anything over 220DS is a good head in Aus mate. The European heads are just something else however !!! The hardest part is getting heads that are allowed to grow out past 210/215. Around that they start looking really nice and people want to take them mostly thinking they are larger than they are. I have however seen some gorgeous 215s and some horrid looking 240s !!
 
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