Would you head shoot a medal buck?

75

Well-Known Member
Without getting into the ethics of head shooting deer, what would you do in the following 'theoretical' stuation?

You've just stalked into a good muntjac buck, maybe not gold but almost certainly medal, you've crawled the last 50yds on your belly through some rather unpleasant mud, set yourself up prone off the bipod at about 60 yards but... The muntjac buck is lying down partially covered by a tree. You've been watching him for 20 mins and the only time he stood up (when a dog barked in the distance) his body was obscurred by a branch. There's thick cover to both sides of him and if he gets up again and moves, it's very unlikely you'll get a shot. You've got a clear shot at his head, but you know any shot will almost certainly blow any chances of mounting the head.

After stalking the same bit of ground for over a year, you know how hard it it to catch up with the muntjac and you've certainly not seen this buck before. Do you leave him for another day or put him in the larder?

As you've prob guessed, this is position I found myself in a couple on nights ago!
 
if it was my ground id most def leave him for another day and with him being a big buck hes probley taken the territory so be there for a while just my thorts
lee
 
A couple of questions
Am I after the buck to make up your cull number? If yes then possibly.
Am I after a Trophy? then No.
Am I just out for a stalk? then No
Would he maybe improve the deer on my ground? then No.
In all probability I would not shoot him.
 
No but yes, maybe... NO

I think that without getting into a debate, a head shot on a doe would have been made but a medal opportunity is a big deal. I would have passed on it for another chance or fingers crossed see it move into a better position.
 
No, but then I don't head shoot except in exceptional circumstances (was the deer injured, for example?). My personal choice, but trophies don't come into it.
 
i might get shot down for what im about to say but im going to say it any way, i wouldnt waste a good buck with a head shot but what i would have done was set the rifle up so as if he stood up i could take the shot with very little or no movment and just made enough noise to alert him that somthing was up maybe just a small peep and he would have either pricked his head up to have a look about giving you the chance of a neck shot or the chances are he would of sprung up looking around as he was getting ready to run you would have to have been fast but it does work as i have done it in the past just not on muntjac
 
No would be my answer, although I havent Muntjac on the ground I stalk, there are Reds, Roe, Fallow and Sika (not all the same area)

There are some excellent animals on the ground - I would not consider taking a "good head" due to consideration for retaining the quality of deer in the area.


Not interested in "trophy" heads all I shoot are females, poorer quality animals and should I come across them, the injured.

The reason I stalk is deer managment.



Apologies, do not mean to offend or upset anyone, ive just come off another forum where there are some exceptional reds shown that have been shot - "because it was a gold"....., I understand most if not all the quality stags in the area concerned have shot, I fail to understand the rational behind eradication of good genes:doh:


Rant over..:lol:
 
I wouldnt head shoot any deer. I dont judge those that do, but I wouldnt, to many if's in my (limited) experiance. But niether do I see a "medal" deer in any different light to a doe, so I'm probably not the best person to ask! But I see medal deer as (often) the best way to keep a healthy population. I have 2 trophies mounted at home, one is a roe buck, its up there (looking at me as I type this) as it was the hardest stalk I think I've done. Incidentaly its about a bronze I think. The other is a fallow prickett, again because of the stalk. That doesnt mean I wouldnt mount a medal head because I thought it pretty though!

I keep all the male head I shoot and boil them off. Partially as a record, but also because I think they make make a good coat rack (stag1933 style!) by the time I'm 50

atb
Sam
 
i'd suspect i'd just biff it, I had a pretty big muntie head in the freezer for ages but it made way for something else and i never ended up keeping it . if i was selling stalking i wouldnt as it could help make up my paycheck i guess.
 
No would be my answer, although I havent Muntjac on the ground I stalk, there are Reds, Roe, Fallow and Sika (not all the same area)

There are some excellent animals on the ground - I would not consider taking a "good head" due to consideration for retaining the quality of deer in the area.


Not interested in "trophy" heads all I shoot are females, poorer quality animals and should I come across them, the injured.

The reason I stalk is deer managment.



Apologies, do not mean to offend or upset anyone, ive just come off another forum where there are some exceptional reds shown that have been shot - "because it was a gold"....., I understand most if not all the quality stags in the area concerned have shot, I fail to understand the rational behind eradication of good genes:doh:


Rant over..:lol:
I also stalk on a decent piece of ground which held some quality reds along with muntjac roe and fallow,unfortunately the reds used to shelter in a neighbouring wood which was covered by a syndicate who used to bring paying clients looking for trophies,( greed took over )the result is although we still have quality in the other species the red stags have all but been wiped out ( no red rut for two years ) damm shame and not my idea of deer management.
In responce to the original question I would not head shoot a medal unless injured or way being on my cull figures.
 
This is a moot point, as I seem unable to get near the little barstewards, but I think on the whole I would leave him for breeding.

On my bit of Worcs we have come to an arrangement to leave two fallow bucks in particular. They would be an asset to anyones collection, but my local group of stalkers have agreed to leave them alone.

I am trying just to take the weak, old and average and to leave the good roe and fallow for the future.

ft
 
Without getting into the ethics of head shooting deer, what would you do in the following 'theoretical' stuation?

You've just stalked into a good muntjac buck, maybe not gold but almost certainly medal, you've crawled the last 50yds on your belly through some rather unpleasant mud, set yourself up prone off the bipod at about 60 yards but... The muntjac buck is lying down partially covered by a tree. You've been watching him for 20 mins and the only time he stood up (when a dog barked in the distance) his body was obscurred by a branch. There's thick cover to both sides of him and if he gets up again and moves, it's very unlikely you'll get a shot. You've got a clear shot at his head, but you know any shot will almost certainly blow any chances of mounting the head.

After stalking the same bit of ground for over a year, you know how hard it it to catch up with the muntjac and you've certainly not seen this buck before. Do you leave him for another day or put him in the larder?

As you've prob guessed, this is position I found myself in a couple on nights ago!
there are several issuses attached to this
you hav only mentioned the buck in question and not made any comments on surrounding bucks as they could well be better breeding potential just not as good as holding territory
if it was only the dog barking that made him stand , then i feel a little time waiting would provide a good chest shot with the right commands if you are not a head shooter
head shooting often ruins the skull but taxidermist these days can easily overcome this so i can see no problems in regards of getting it mounted
but in regards to catching up with such a buck again
that is easy all you need to do is your homework and hav a little patience, as if the buck is that good or eager to stay, he will leave plenty of sign as to his where abouts
 
If it was me i would leave him for another day the fun is in the stalk, hopfully the bonus is you get to stalk him again another day.
 
Yes he would get it through the head if that was all that was on and I had a good shooting postion.

Muntjac are shot on sight regardless of age sex or antlers in my ground.

Leaving them until next week is why there is such a Muntjac problem that will olny cotinue to grow unless drastic measures are taken.

There is a lot of dross spoken about so called muntjac experts, shoot muntjac you see as soon as you see it and ten will still come to its funeral.
 
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Yes he would get it through the head if that was all that was on and I had a good shooting postion.

Muntjac are shot on sight regardless of age sex or antlers in my ground.

Leaving them until next week is why there is such a Muntjac problem that will olny cotinue to grow unless drastic measures are taken.

There is a lot of dross spoken about so called muntjac experts, shoot muntjac you see as soon as you see it and ten will still come to its funeral.

Agree, I had this conversation with a friend that shoots a lot of munties. I shoot on sight unless ethical reasons not to regarding follower etc.

DSC00271.jpg


prob just the tip of the iceberg and took a lot of time effort and organisation (not by me)
 
Muntjac are shot on sight regardless of age sex or antlers in my ground.

Leaving them until next week is why there is such a Muntjac problem that will olny cotinue to grow unless drastic measures are taken.

There is a lot of dross spoken about so called muntjac experts, shoot muntjac you see as soon as you see it and ten will still come to its funeral.

so shooting them on sight obviously works , as like you say ten more appear
you must be a proper expert...!!!!!
 
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