First Muntjac...

Just a quick note to say, last year I was thinking of giving up on the whole shooting sport. And thanks to a great many people who wrote with words of encouragement I have carried on.

My pal and I booked a weekend with Rick from Worcester to stalk Muntjac. At 60+ and other than Roe Deer I have not stalked any other species. So the brief and request to Rick, was for me to have a chance of a Munty.

Rick booked us into a fantastic B&B, the lady there was very hospitable, she baked her own bread and made her own jams, and breakfast was served as planned at 09.30 Sunday morning.

We arrived on Saturday and introduced ourselves to Rick. We got on our way and Rick dropped me off at a beautiful wood. I was given instruction where to go and where I could find the high seats for the last hours of light. I saw a lot of deer trade, there were fresh Fallow deer slots, these were quite fresh, as we had had a down poor just before we had arrived and the ground was soft and allowed for this assessment. I find Its never easy on fresh ground to stalk with any confidence (that's my excuse and I`m sticking to it), and I bumped into numerous Roe deer. It was now 21.00hr so I got into a high seat facing a large banking, the cover was extensive given the time of the year. However, I could still if anything was about to move. After 30 minutes I saw a movement behind a big bramble patch. Bino`s at the ready I glassed my first ever Munty Buck! My heart was racing, as I fumbled about for my rifle like a virgin on a wedding knight. Rifle at the ready he was mooching in and out of the tree line, I picked a spot were I thought he would appear. Well I never saw him again. Anti climax or what! I sat until it was too dark to see my scope cross hairs, the battery had gone flat in my illuminated scope. Another lesson I learnt, carry a spare piggin battery!!

Next morning we met at 03.45hr, and I was accompanied by Rick on my outing. We covered a lot of ground and glassed acre after acre. There was plenty of trade and the wind was in our favour. We sat for a while in a high seat, glassing the area. The wind was light and still in our favour, so we decided to carry on along different woodland edges. A Munty was barking at us, but we couldn't see him. We then walked on and down another woodland edge were we then sat for a while, me up in the high seat with Rick below. Rick said the Munty cross at this point from one wood to another. After about 20 minutes I saw the rear of a brown shape. I thought it was a fox at first. I mounted my rifle, squeaked, as the shape tuned and looked back, I quickly identified it as a Muntjac, and bang, I had shot my first Muntjac at 62 and a bit!!!!!!!

I had a brilliant weekend with Rick, his knowledge of his ground and field craft was first class, his patience made the weekend special for me. Rick doesn't know it yet, but I'm planning another trip later this year. And I plan to do my DSC level 2 with him.

Rgds
Spaniel
 
Thanks for sharing that and congratulations! Your enthusiasm and excitement really come through and it just goes to show that more mature dogs can definitely learn new tricks.

As an aside, it's nice to read an actual stalking story on here again...
 
Great report of what sounds like an interesting time. I'm glad you enjoyed the muntjac stalk, I think muntjac have to be my most favoured species to date. Good luck for the future.
 
Great read and well done

I have to also agree I love stalking muntjac as they are so elusive and challenging little deer
 
Well done and a great write up and as already said its nice to see an article which has something to do with stalking for once any way muntjac are a very exciting and a lot of the time not an easy species to stalk bazil
 
Great write up and very well done. I am heartened to read that you are not giving up the stalking. Patience and time always pays off in the end.

Here's to the next one for you.
 
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