munty's

joelewis1971

Well-Known Member
Hi folks

Ok this is a question for all of you who stalk muntjac. I was out on the farm last night with the kids and the dogs and blow me down a muntjac doe wanders out of the wood we have had roe on the farm for as long as i can remember, but i cant remember ever seeing mutjac before. Due I thuoght to the fact we have very little woodland .
Sorry the question

I have only ever shot Roe deer do I need to treat munty's differently

Cheers

Joe

Ps maybe I've been walking round with my eyes closed for years
 
Hi Joe,
Firstly have you read my article about Muntjac?
This time of the year is very challenging for Muntjac stalking, the high cover gives the Muntjac the advantage and shooting into cover at a Muntjac that you can only just make out is unwise. I prefer to stalk Munties autumn to late spring, that way I can at least have a good idea about whether or not there are dependant fawns about. I use a top heart shot very close to the front leg crease as they have a habit of running away even when shot well. They may be small but they are tough and take some killing.
A good source of information is Charles Smith-Jones book, Muntjac Managing an Alien Species.

Good Luck!
 
Thanks Beowulf

For now i'm just stoked to see them on our land well i try to learn more about them, i did read your article and i have to admit i'm way behind the curve when it comes to all types of deer.Which is why i am really grateful for your's and others posts

Thanks
Joe
 
Hi Joe

Firstly, if you don't have much woodland (especially with decent cover) don't expect to see many muntjac resident on your land. One bit of open farmland I stalk has plenty of roe but no munties, but the woods a couple of miles away are stiff with them. It could be that the one you saw was 'just passing through' as they will wander, especially if numbers get high and there is a lot of pressure on habitat. What part of the world are you in?

As for what to shoot - two schools of thought here. As munties breed all year round a mature doe could have a fawn at heel at any time. So - the humane approach is only to shoot immature or obviously pregnant does to ensure that any fawn is well grown and independent. Or you could shoot on sight and risk orphaning. I know which I prefer, but accept that when numbers get too high there may be no option.

Best of luck!

Mole
 
Hi Mole

I'm on the Wilts / Glos border . And your right this is the first one I've seen out this way although we do have some broad leaf woodland a few miles away. I agree also that they are only passing through but who knows
I will be good finding out

cheers

Joe
 
Muntjac really seem to polarise opinion; people - whether stalkers or not - tend to either love 'em or hate 'em.

I personaly think that the countryside is a more interesting place with muntjac in it, though they can be destructive of low-lying vegetation.

I would second the recommendation of Charles Smith-Jones' book. It is so good that I suspect that any further books on the subject will be entirely surplus to requirements

James

PS: muntjac venison is excellent!
 
The Mole said:
Seconded on the muntjac venison - just finished muntie kebabs from the barbeque - mmmmm!
mole
i am so jealous
just had blooming turkey, still got a couple left from christmas
joe
i treat munties with the same respect as i do roe, both are a creature of habit , just one of them is smaller and a lot more secretive and often requires a quicker identification as they like to keep on the move
 
Back
Top