Apologies to Wayne for borrowing his title.
I have been fortunate enough to stalk a lot of muntjac over my twenty year stalking career. I still have the skull mount of my first one and still stalk that estate. I'm indebted to my friends who I have stalked with over the years, and this year old and new friends have all been generous with the sport I have had.
I have a lovely collection of muntjac from over the years from a big malform to a five pointer, to a couple with very strange shaped skulls but what had eluded me was a gold. In the UK I have shot gold sika, goats and cwd but hadn't had the chance on a gold munty.
Knowing this a good friend who has the luxury of being able to be a little more selective in his muntjac management then I am had seen a good one and phoned to see if I could get permission to head out. Being married with two young children I have to check it's ok! Luckily my mother in law was staying so she could help with the childcare duties.
Pink ticket arranged and I was off.
The wood the buck was in wasn't large and a high seat had been specially placed and a fair few kilos of grain and sugar beet deployed. Having dropped me off in the wood my friend headed off to try for a few fallow. I hadn't been there long when three Muntys started on the beet but no big boy. A text arrived to say that it was headed down a hedge to another wood. Transpires it must have scented us and headed off elsewhere. Plan was hatched to get there earlier the next night.
Friday night saw me in the seat two hours earlier. The wood was incredibly quiet and apart from a cuckoo and a small buck nothing moved. Until the light started to go, at the far end of the ride a smallish buck was being pursued by something bigger. A quick whistle to stop it and it was all over, I had no idea what the big buck was like but knew it had to be the one my mate had seen. You just don't get two good ones in the same wood.
I had a very pleasant surprise when I walked over. Two days later i am still smiling!
I can't thank my friend enough!!!!
I have been fortunate enough to stalk a lot of muntjac over my twenty year stalking career. I still have the skull mount of my first one and still stalk that estate. I'm indebted to my friends who I have stalked with over the years, and this year old and new friends have all been generous with the sport I have had.
I have a lovely collection of muntjac from over the years from a big malform to a five pointer, to a couple with very strange shaped skulls but what had eluded me was a gold. In the UK I have shot gold sika, goats and cwd but hadn't had the chance on a gold munty.
Knowing this a good friend who has the luxury of being able to be a little more selective in his muntjac management then I am had seen a good one and phoned to see if I could get permission to head out. Being married with two young children I have to check it's ok! Luckily my mother in law was staying so she could help with the childcare duties.
Pink ticket arranged and I was off.
The wood the buck was in wasn't large and a high seat had been specially placed and a fair few kilos of grain and sugar beet deployed. Having dropped me off in the wood my friend headed off to try for a few fallow. I hadn't been there long when three Muntys started on the beet but no big boy. A text arrived to say that it was headed down a hedge to another wood. Transpires it must have scented us and headed off elsewhere. Plan was hatched to get there earlier the next night.
Friday night saw me in the seat two hours earlier. The wood was incredibly quiet and apart from a cuckoo and a small buck nothing moved. Until the light started to go, at the far end of the ride a smallish buck was being pursued by something bigger. A quick whistle to stop it and it was all over, I had no idea what the big buck was like but knew it had to be the one my mate had seen. You just don't get two good ones in the same wood.
I had a very pleasant surprise when I walked over. Two days later i am still smiling!
I can't thank my friend enough!!!!