Rate the deer species by how tricky they are

guybaxendale

Well-Known Member
This is only intended as a light hearted bit of fun and it will clearly involve some generalisation but I would be curious to see how people think the UK species stack up in terms of how hard/ easy they are to bag?

No 1 should be the species you think are the hardest. If you haven't stalked a species then just leave it out of your list.
Mine would be as follows:

1) Sika
2) Fallow
3) Muntjac
4) Red
5) Roe
6) CWD

By way of explanation. No 1, 2 and No 6 were easy decisions for me to rank whereas 3, 4 and 5 required a bit more thought (it was close so on a different day they might have gone in a different order). Muntjac being a smaller target, easily obscured by vegetation, coupled with their dislike of standing still just tipped them ahead of Red and Roe.
 
This is only intended as a light hearted bit of fun and it will clearly involve some generalisation but I would be curious to see how people think the UK species stack up in terms of how hard/ easy they are to bag?

No 1 should be the species you think are the hardest. If you haven't stalked a species then just leave it out of your list.
Mine would be as follows:

1) Sika
2) Fallow
3) Muntjac
4) Red
5) Roe
6) CWD

By way of explanation. No 1, 2 and No 6 were easy decisions for me to rank whereas 3, 4 and 5 required a bit more thought (it was close so on a different day they might have gone in a different order). Muntjac being a smaller target, easily obscured by vegetation, coupled with their dislike of standing still just tipped them ahead of Red and Roe.

Spot on assessment.
 
Wouldn't the ground over which you stalk, determine, how easy it is to spot, and or, stalk any species!
Kev.
 
Anyone who does not put sika(hinds) at the top of their list has clearly never tried to manage them..... :smug::stir:
 
Just get a .338 lap mag and shoot them from 800yds away. Easy then ;)

In seriousness,
Fallow,
Muntie then roe
 
Sika
Muntie
Fallow
Roe.
muntie and fallow could be either way. My assessment is stalking them not from seats.
 
This is only intended as a light hearted bit of fun and it will clearly involve some generalisation but I would be curious to see how people think the UK species stack up in terms of how hard/ easy they are to bag?

No 1 should be the species you think are the hardest. If you haven't stalked a species then just leave it out of your list.
Mine would be as follows:

1) Sika
2) Fallow
3) Muntjac
4) Red
5) Roe
6) CWD

By way of explanation. No 1, 2 and No 6 were easy decisions for me to rank whereas 3, 4 and 5 required a bit more thought (it was close so on a different day they might have gone in a different order). Muntjac being a smaller target, easily obscured by vegetation, coupled with their dislike of standing still just tipped them ahead of Red and Roe.

The first 5 are spot on , i'll have to take your word on the CWD as I've never shot one ...
 
1.fallow , like someone said have eyes in the back of their heads in hampshire
2. Reds
3.Roe
4. Muntjac
 
1. Fallow/Sika - both very similar and mostly nocturnal once pressurised. Both species put on earth to embarrass stalkers!
2. Muntjac Does - you just don't see them! Most people cull about 3 bucks for every 2 does which creates a huge sexual imbalance and is the reason why the spread of muntjac is so misunderstood!
3. Reds - large and transient, numerous eyes to see you with! Once they see you, they are in the next county by the time you've gathered your nerves!
4. Muntjac bucks - sometimes easy, sometimes elusive!
5. CWD - variety of habitat so you never know quite where to look!
6. Roe - stupid deer in comparison which you can almost set your watch by! Even if they see you first, just turn around and wait as they will invariably run in a big circle and come back to you!
MS
 
1. Fallow/Sika - both very similar and mostly nocturnal once pressurised. Both species put on earth to embarrass stalkers!
2. Muntjac Does - you just don't see them! Most people cull about 3 bucks for every 2 does which creates a huge sexual imbalance and is the reason why the spread of muntjac is so misunderstood!
3. Reds - large and transient, numerous eyes to see you with! Once they see you, they are in the next county by the time you've gathered your nerves!
4. Muntjac bucks - sometimes easy, sometimes elusive!
5. CWD - variety of habitat so you never know quite where to look!
6. Roe - stupid deer in comparison which you can almost set your watch by! Even if they see you first, just turn around and wait as they will invariably run in a big circle and come back to you!
MS
Funny you should say that ms as I've shot far more munty does than bucks probably 2 does for every buck on my ground , admittedly I use high seats a lot when dealing with muntys
atb jim
 
Much depends on the habitat you are stalking in with species as it can make life easier ;)
But the following are my observations:

Sika in Scotland in dense forestry or Caledonian woodland would be top of the list.
Sika in Dorset are completely different, although still problematic, along with FALLOW
Fallow are harder to stalk as the winter progresses, in particular the does.
Red Deer in Forestry in Scotland are also not easy beasts to manage.
Red Deer on the open hill, as long as you know your ground well, that's half the battle, however the weather and extraction can be a problem.
Muntjac in dense numbers on ground with well maintained rides and pheasant feeders in abundance are easy pickings to me.
Muntjac in dense woodland and plenty of ground cover are a problem to control in most situations, and they are on the move all the time.
Roe are fairly easy to manage, however they can be problematic in dense forestry, on open areas of farmland they are not that hard. Easy to over shoot them if you are not careful.
CWD. Again depends on where you are stalking, I have never found them that easy, but true to say they can be stupid. The hardest part is sexing them from a distance, if the rut is not on, if it is it makes life easier. If its windy with rain, you will not see a deer, they hate windy wet weather.

Sika are also the ONLY deer that have charged me when wounded, both times (twice two different stags) in Scotland in dense cover. And NO I do not advocate using a 410 shotgun or downloaded round in a rifle. I find a 38 special or 357 mag round does the job well. It stops them :D
 
1 fallow
2 muntjac love foot stalking munties in thick woods you can nearly stand on them sometimes before they bolt off ,you need to check each holly bush you come to LOL .I have bumped so manny muntie that are under holly
3 roe
4 red
5 cwd
these are foot stalked ,as high seats dose not count that just a waiting game not much skill in that
 
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fallow does
sika hinds
red
have only shot about a dozen roe and a couple of muntjac so not experienced enough to give an honest opinion
 
Interesting how highly some have ranked muntjac. Obviously it depends on conditions on the ground, but in general I find them far easier to stalk than roe.

Does no-one else have muntjac on their ground that bimble their way through the woods, quite oblivious to you, and then when they eventually see you stand there, bark, and stamp their little feet? Or muntjac that will come to the call?

That said, on Sunday I had a roe doe within 15 feet of me who grazed quite happily for 10 minutes before realising that the dog and me were standing there. It then spent the next 10 minutes moving back and forth trying to wind me and giving the occasional frustrated bark. Eventually I gave up and said "Morning", at which the doe looked like someone had just goosed it and tore off through the woods, barking indignantly as it went. A couple of months ago I'd have proven Darwin's theory on evolution ;)

Having not stalked Sika or CWD (though I am open to offers :D), and with just the occasional red and fallow, I would rank them as:

1. red
2. fallow
3. roe
4. muntjac
 
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Sika in forestry Scottish plantations, (hinds are particularly difficult)
Reds in Scottish plantations,
Fallow,
Roe,
no idea about munties and CWD having never shot one.

John
 
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