muntie behaviour

pete evans

Well-Known Member
shot a muntie today. I bumped it and it ran 10 metres then stoped and looked back, bang. I have seen roe do this all the time but it is the first time i seen a muntie do it. I have shot about 70 munties so got a bit of experience but not as much as some
 
shot a muntie today. I bumped it and it ran 10 metres then stoped and looked back, bang. I have seen roe do this all the time but it is the first time i seen a muntie do it. I have shot about 70 munties so got a bit of experience but not as much as some

Bucks will do it all the time. I shot a lovely buck, probably a good bronze this morning in exactly the same way. As soon as they run, get ready for a shot! If they don't look like stopping, give a quick whistle and they will generally stop and look over their shoulder. You will get about 3 seconds if you are lucky! This morning I got a low neck shot off in about 1 second!
It normally works best if they haven't actually seen you but just heard something that has 'spooked' them.
Muntjac Does are a bit different though. Once the tail is up and they are running, they never stop!
Nice one Pete!
MS:)
 
this was a doe, tail up, going for it. just stopped perfect broadside, wack. never seen this before. you neither it would appear
 
this was a doe, tail up, going for it. just stopped perfect broadside, wack. never seen this before. you neither it would appear

Blimey! You were lucky!
Maybe it forgot something?
I hope it wasn't a Fawn?!!:-|
Had it seen you or just heard you?
I think curiosity has been the downfall of many a deer - not just Munties either!
MS:D
 
winded me initially then saw me (i think) as i quickly drew a bead on it . started running then looked back about 10m later on edge of wood.
 
no milk, no follower as far as i know, i had been watching it for a bit. had small embryo. when it stopped it was looking at me rather than for something, like roe do. just never seen this with a muntie
 
...i had been watching it for a bit...

So you watched it for a while and then, presumably, put it up it on the stalk rather than bumping it unexpectedly. Yes? Sorry, Pete. I'm not trying to be awkward, just trying to get a better picture of the event. How far away from her were you when she first ran off?
 
couldnt shoot as not safe, the area she was moving to that was safe was down wind. she winded me and i suspect saw me, ran then stopped and looked back. boom. 30m initial distance. like i say i have shot a fair few munties and have found to date they just leg it tail up if they wind see or hear you. ive had a few stare and stamp to the buttolo but never seen that stop and look back thing you often get with roe.
 
As you say, unusual.

I wonder if she did actually see you or whether she ran on without really knowing what the threat was. When I bump munties in undergrowth I reckon, more often than not, that they have already seen me and just sit tight for a while before scarpering. Either that or they are totally oblivious to me until I'm nearly on top of them when both scent and sight will send them on their way. I have managed a few stalks on them where they seem to keep sniffing the air as if they are catching something they can't quite make out. There is a theory that prey animals can be highly inquisitive of novel sights and sounds if they aren't unduly alarmed. If she didn't see you and only caught a faint trace of your scent, her sense of a threat may have been insufficient to stifle her curiosity.

Interesting post, Pete. This is precisely what stalking is all about. Thanks.
 
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