Page 78 Australian & International Trophy Hunter • September 2015

RED HIND STALKING ON TARANSAY

By Selena Barr

Australian & International Trophy Hunter • September 2015 Page 79

There’s something quite magical about hunting on an uninhabited island on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Something that arouses a primeval sense of raw adventure. In Scotland there are around 140 uninhabited islands in total, but only one of them boasts its own herd of Red deer, like Taransay does.

The tiny, remote Hebridean island has been uninhabited since 1974, except for holidaymakers and is the largest island in Scotland that lacks a permanent population. Remarkably, the 3,500-acre island has a population of approximately 50 stags, 100 hinds and 40 calves. “In the early 1980s the then owner of the island released around 10 hinds and two stags to establish a source of venison for his family,” explains estate manager, Steve Woodhall, adding: “Today’s herd carries good body weights – they’re of average stamp for west coast hill deer – plus there’s a few Royals in the herd as well.”

Made famous after starring in the BBC series Castaway 2000, the bleak, treeless island became part of Borve Lodge Estate when it was purchased by pharmaceutical magnate, Adam Kelliher, in 2011 for a reported £2 million. It sold in just five days. The

island is pristine, with picture-perfect beaches,

rolling

machair meadows, gargantuan rocks and numerous archaeological sites.

The island has evidence of inhabitation going back some 10,000 years and it has a firm place in Celtic pagan folklore. Throughout history it has been the site of fierce battles including the Massacre of Taransay in 1544, when the Morrisons of Lewis invaded. At one time there were three villages on Taransay but the population dwindled, with the last remaining family moving to the mainland in 1974 when the island became principally a place for sheep grazing.

When I visited, I stayed at Borve Lodge itself, which is a plush 9-bedroom pile on the neighbouring island Harris and has just undergone a complete refurbishment under the direction of swanky London interior designers, Beaumomnt Interiors. Marbled wetrooms, million-thread count cotton bed linen from The White Company and views of the Sound of Taransay, all come as standard. This is five-star luxury accommodation where you would not expect it. A member of the Scottish Country Sports Tourism Group, Borve Lodge comes with a private chef and housekeeper and can accommodate up to 14 people. We had the place to ourselves. The estate also has four self-catering cottages. Two are

traditional island dwellings, but the other two are

highly

modern architecturally-inspired one-bedroom spaces that need to be seen to be believed – ideal for romantic getaways. According to a review in The Financial Times, “Borve Lodge Estate takes the self-catering experience to a level of sophistication previously unknown in the Hebrides.”

Getting to Harris itself is not difficult. There are two options – fly into Stornaway on the Isle of Lewis or drive up through the Isle of Skye and catch a ferry. Road trips provide unrivalled thinking time and are a great way of shaking off work stresses before you arrive.

Stalking Red hinds on the Isle of Taransay has to be one of my best diary entries of last year. To reach Taransay, we boarded the estate’s landing craft, named The Verley Anne. A leftover from the Falklands War, this rather eccentric vessel certainly aroused the inner explorer in me. After loading up the Argocat, deerhound and rifle, we began the 40-minute voyage from Ardhasaig in Harris. En route we spied all sorts of indigenous wildlife including puffins, seals and a golden eagle. After a busy few months at work, I was ready for some clean Hebridean air, wilderness and solitude to help recharge my batteries. Time forgot this part of the world. Islanders are orthodox Presbyterian, meaning virtually all commercial activity ceases on a Sunday and a large proportion of the population attends church every week. Inhabitants do not drive their cars, draw their curtains

or hang out their washing on this sacred day. An

atheist

Page 80 Australian & International Trophy Hunter • June 2015

myself, but the slow pace and peace and quiet makes a visit somewhat soul cleansing and completely restorative. Walking off the landing craft onto the untouched white sand was an experience in itself. So isolated from mankind but brimming with wildlife. I felt like the explorer Captain Cook or Tom Hanks in Cast Away. I could not help reflecting on how different this Tuesday was to my usual weekdays in gridlocked London.

Steve and I had the island to ourselves for the whole day. The plan was to work my more experienced Bavarian Mountain Hound and attempt to cull a hind or two using my new custom rifle teamed with Hornady 150gr SST rounds. Trying to ignore the distracting far-reaching views across to Harris, I concentrated on scanning the island for signs of the herd. With stag season now well and truly over, stalking wily hinds is doubly tricky. Hunting a lone stag that has been cast out of a herd by a more dominant rival is difficult enough but creeping up on a dozen twitchy hinds requires fieldcraft of the highest standard. A veteran of the hill, Steve has a lifetime of experience when it comes to outwitting them. He has an impressive CV: he worked as BASC’s Northern

Regional Officer for eight years before upping sticks and moving to Canada to manage a private hunting club. He returned to the UK in January 2014 when he was appointed to look after and develop the sport on Borve Lodge Estate. So I felt confident that we would leave the hill with a beast.

The topography on Taransay is much like mainland Scotland. I scanned the terrain for the flash of pale rump using my Leica Geovid HD-B 10x42 rangefinding binoculars. It was hard to concentrate on the job in hand as I kept being distracted by the island’s abundant wildlife all around me. Suddenly our eyes were drawn to a large herd of Reds, containing around 40 animals, disappearing over a hill. Two of the stags in the group were sparring, causing the hinds to be on edge. Now out of sight, we decided to stalk into the group, using the dead ground as cover. With the wind in our faces, we belly crawled up the side of a small hill to catch a glimpse of the herd on the other side. We continued belly crawling through the tussocky grass strewn with deer droppings and couches where they’d been laid up. Now just 150 metres away from the herd, they appeared more relaxed as the stags had exhausted themselves. “I’m surprised to see

stags still rutting,” whispered Steve, adding: “October’s warm weather has put their behaviour out of kilter.” A satellite group of hinds were grazing to the left of the group and a lone hind at the back presented a safe shot. Steve unfolded my bipod and positioned the rifle in front of me. I wriggled into position and peered through my Leica 1.5-10x42 Magnus scope. The herd was still unperturbed and unaware of our presence so there was no undue pressure. I could take my time. Steve ushered me to shoot the rear hind as he watched the group through his binoculars. I waited until she was perfectly broadside before squeezing off a 150gr Hornady Superformance SST. She instantly fell to the shot. I reloaded

and the herd stayed put, not knowing where the danger was coming from.

Once the herd had moved off I slipped my deerhound and allowed her to claim the beast as her prize. She was proud to indicate to us that she’d found the dead hind. I gralloched her on the hill and then dragged her back to the Argocat with Steve before loading her onto the boat. Borve Lodge aims to cull around 20 hinds and 10 stags each season, and this old hind was most definitely part of the management plan.

After a day’s hard hunting on the hill, the one thing every hunter wants is a hot bath. Borve Lodge boasts seven deep roll top

baths as well as complimentary luxurious bubble bath. Once clean, the next thing most hunters want is a dram. This was served in front of the roaring open fire in the stylish, beamed drawing room. Somehow I knew the long drive home wasn’t going to be half as enjoyable as it was going the other way. I am already planning my trip back.

A day’s stag stalking on Taransay costs £500 per outing. Price includes transportation from the Lodge to the island and light lunch.

For more information, visit: www.borvelodge.com

GEAR USED ON THIS HUNT

Hornady 150gr SST ProjectilesRRP: From $59 - $78 AUD per 100www.hornady.com

Leica 10x42 Geovid HD-B Rangefinding BinocularsRRP: From $4,200 AUDwww.leica-sportoptics.com

Leica 1.5-10x42 Magnus scopeRRP: From $3,140 AUDwww.leica-sportoptics.com

Leica APO-Televid spotting scope RRP: From $4,250 AUDwww.leica-sportoptics.com

Australian & International Trophy Hunter • September 2015 Page 81

Selena, Simon and deerhound start heading up the hill to reach the prized hind