Words by Fergus Wells
As an avid supporter of the GWCT, I thought that I would put some more money in the pot by buying a few Grand Slam raffle tickets in November last year (2024) .
It was a huge surprise to receive the news that not only had I won, but also that the main prize was for two guns, and a very festive (and large!) voucher to spend at Bushwear to boot - in readiness for the trip.
Enter the Dane
Upon winning I immediately contacted a Danish friend, Peter. He is an experienced shot. He had always wanted to "get the 5" and he was over-the-moon to get this opportunity, even if he was initially a little sceptical about our chances.
Nevertheless, he signed up with eagerness, happily taking on the wrath of his heavily pregnant wife who marked out three days in the diary to look after his young son, whilst Peter prepared to disappear into the woods for some final "me time" for a while.
Operation Grand Slam Commences
Once Peter had calculated approximate distances to the nearest maternity wards, and I had scuffed up my brand new kit so as not to get teased - we headed out to meet the chaps running the Suffolk Grand Slam.
The whole thing was a slick operation. Clearly Will W (organiser) had done this before. And like all outings, it is only during and after the event that you appreciate the huge amount of effort they have put in to ensure that it is a success.
Trading the Highlands for Hedgerows
I had only ever stalked in Scotland: with the wind, the breathtaking enormous barren landscapes, the boggy slithering about, the odds stacked against you, in search of the single species of 'hill rats', as some Southerners call the thin red hinds and stags. So what about stalking in Suffolk, "The Suffolk Grand Slam"? I had no idea what to expect.
Game On: Roe 1, Muntjac 2, Pride 0
It was billed as a two-day outing. In fact, we met up on the Thursday afternoon at 3:30pm near Diss in mid-Suffolk, with a view to have a few shots on the range and practice with shooting sticks, which I had never used and was slightly apprehensive about.
The tempo was set. No sooner had we let off a few shots on the targets then we split up and went our separate ways. Peter with one Will (S), and I with the other Will (W). There was only one hour max of daylight left. Peter managed to bag a nice roe at 5pm - evidenced by the first of many whatsapp messages with photos, urging me on to catch up.
Denmark 2 – England 0
Thirty minutes later, another photo from the Dane popped up - his first muntjac. Cherry popped. But I was behind 2-0. Peter may have married a local Suffolk girl, but a certain amount of national pride was now at stake.
Will W and I had an exciting hunt of a group of red deer in the twilight, but as ever, the risk of too dangerous a sightline dominated the stalk, and we had to eventually move on. I shot my first muntjac in the near darkness. The shot seemed miraculous at the time due to the dying light, but the subsequent evidence on the uber iPhone camera betrayed the difficulty of picking out that small well-camouflaged shape at 150 yards.
Some good videos taken for my boys, to show them how to gralloch and prepare the muntjac for carrying, then straight to the pub for an early celebration. We were not even planning any for the day of arrival, but 3 in the bag already!
Red Deer
The Day the Quadbike Groaned
The main day arrived. Friday 28th February. One that will never be forgotten.
We headed out at 5:30am - the lads guiding us having worked very early already to check what was about. I was very thankful for my new Bushwear kit, including thermos! Split up again, Peter and I went our separate ways. I headed back to the area near where the red deer had been the night before; we found them, but they were hunkered down in the pre-dawn mist which refused to lift.
Extraordinary to be able to see them so very clearly through thermal scopes, but no chance with binos or the naked eye. We lay and watched for a fair while, also covered by the low mist, splayed flat out in the open field. After a good 20 minutes some leaders began to creep out of the mist, and I took my shot. My goodness, these Red deer are huge! Stuffed with maize and all the other goodies to be found south of the Highlands; it took three of us to lift the beast on the back of the quadbike.
Chinese Water Deer
Banter, Bushwear and a Bagful of Deer
I was very content to just be out and about for a day or two; I had thought we'd shoot one species between us then move on to find another. Oh no. We were there to do a job. So few stalkers these days, and so little hunting, with so many deer. Yes, we were on a mission to get all 5 species, but also to get whatever bag we could.
Two roe and a red for Peter by mid-morning, and for me another muntjac and a couple of roe. All in a mixture of woodland, hedgerows, ditches, and game cover. Superb weather and excellent company, with some good banter. A joy to be out and in the fresh air.
From Woods to Water Deer
We then upped sticks and headed to the coast - in search of chinese water deer and fallow, who were not seen much inland. It was a beautiful open landscape, stretching off into coastal marshlands near Orford. Again, we went our separate ways.
I had some fun stalking and shooting the chinese water deer, three in total, whilst Peter got a few more on his tally, but he was missing his elusive fallow. My day finished with a very tricky and exciting stalk down a sparsely populated tree line in open country to track some fallow, always bunched up as they do in large groups after marauding across large distances. The prize shot of the day, and a prize head. One for mounting in pride of place at home, when my wife is out....
Beer, Banter and Five Deer Later…
With a great deal of help from some amazingly gifted passionate stalkers, I had done it! ALL 5 IN ONE DAY. The highlight of the whole Grand Slam was not the achievement in itself, but it was the cold beer brought out and enjoyed in the setting sun, looking out over the marshes. A long and unforgettable day. One to savour. Will not be beaten.
The Grandest of Slams
We went out on the Saturday morning for some high-seat viewing (but no luck) then off to get Peter a fallow - to complete his goal of all 5 species. And then back to the base, to prep all for the game dealer and revel in the most extraordinary 36 hours or so. From Thursday 4pm to Saturday 10am, the total bag was :
- 2 x Red
- 6 x Roe
- 6 x Muntjac
- 7 x Chinese Water Deer
- 4 x Fallow
25 Deer, Two Days, Endless Smiles
A total of 25 head. Local trees happy. Car insurance companies happy. Crops and Gardens happy. Game dealer happy. Amateur stalkers very happy. An unforgettable trip. Thank you so much to Will, Will, James and all others involved (incl Bushwear for their voucher) in putting it together, and making it run so smoothly.
Fancy taking on your own Sufffolk Grand Slam? Get your 2025 GWCT raffle ticket here.
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