Encouraging healthy numbers

Joe H

Member
Hi all,
the ground I have does currently get some Fallow and Muntjac, I believe they're knocking over the pheasant feeders which have grain and aniseed in them. I'm really excited about the thought of getting something off my own permission but as I'm not convinced I have great numbers I have two questions/concerns:

1) for Fallow and Muntjac, what works best to attract them to the ground?
2) concerned with shooting the only couple about and not then seeing any for years, my preference might be to leave them to expand in numbers (pay now to get reward later) so is there anything I can do to help them to flourish on my permission?

Thanks in Advance

Joe
 
Hi Joe,

It all depends on how large your ground is. If it's 100 acres of arable with similar around or 25 acres of wood there will be a very different answer to that if you have a large farm/estate to cover.

I have little experience with fallow so I'll leave for someone else to answer.

Re muntjac:

1) they love a feeder and crab apples
2) If you have muntjac then there is probably more there than you think. Also given that they are spreading rapidly I wouldn't worry too much about shooting 1 or 2 and not seeing anymore for a while. If the landowner is not worried about numbers then focus on the older bucks first. This will allow you to sustainably shoot for a long while. If numbers get too much for the landowner look for the heavily pregnant does'.
 
I suspect that one of the influencing factors may be the knocking over of the pheasant feeders. The gamekeeper won't be happy in the long run if the deer are pinching all his wheat and the pheasants are going hungry and going off to pastures new. He'll be angling for the deer problem to go away. Of course feeders can be made deer proof (or resistant anyway) and perhaps to encourage the deer it might be best to liaise with the keeper and agree a way forward.
 
I suspect that one of the influencing factors may be the knocking over of the pheasant feeders. The gamekeeper won't be happy in the long run if the deer are pinching all his wheat and the pheasants are going hungry and going off to pastures new. He'll be angling for the deer problem to go away. Of course feeders can be made deer proof (or resistant anyway) and perhaps to encourage the deer it might be best to liaise with the keeper and agree a way forward.

thanks for the response, I didn't make myself clear. The pheasant feeders are actually my own, it's on a section of my permission about 50acres, I feed the birds myself, I'm quite happy for deer to come and have a go at them!! The farmer for this section is really relaxed and actually doesn't mind either way, he's very relaxed!!
 
Hello Joe,

get your self a high seat with in the woods by ride close to the feeders. and just watch and wait.

good luck
 
Hi Joe,

Fallow by nature are transient they will wander in and out of your patch as you only shoot 50 acres it may be worth you speaking to your neighbours to work out a plan with whoever has permission you may be lucky and pick up a bit more as for the Muntys i cant help sorry

ATB Paul D
 
I will, thanks. Quite like the idea of a quiet few hours in a seat. I might continue to feed the ground through the summer, I heard vanilla extract is good for bringing them in?
 
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Hi Joe,

Fallow by nature are transient they will wander in and out of your patch as you only shoot 50 acres it may be worth you speaking to your neighbours to work out a plan with whoever has permission you may be lucky and pick up a bit more as for the Muntys i cant help sorry

ATB Paul D

Thanks Paul, I actually have a few thousand acres, it's just I've only ever spotted anything within the 50acres farm where I go flying my Gos on pheasants, most of the surrounding ground is open fields and hedgerows but I do have permission on some of it. The section I've spotted them in might just be as that's where I've spent most of my time this year with my bird but it might also be due to the nature of this 50 acres, two valleys, a pond, a couple of sections of wood, some open fields, high hedgerows, loads of cover. I've never spotted anything elsewhere and I had expected this to be due to the ground being flat, open with low hedgerows - I could easily be wrong (newbie)
 
thanks for the response, I didn't make myself clear. The pheasant feeders are actually my own, it's on a section of my permission about 50acres, I feed the birds myself, I'm quite happy for deer to come and have a go at them!! The farmer for this section is really relaxed and actually doesn't mind either way, he's very relaxed!!

Aha! Stick, wrong end scenario. I guess you get on really well with the keeper of the feeders then.
 
Thinking very long term it wouldn't hurt to add some apple / crab apple trees to your ground. The deer love them, so it will give them more reason to visit.

Numbers wise you are very much at the mercy of your neighbours. It's hard when there are other shooters on the same deer, especially if one of them is greedy.

What you're doing sounds fairly good for attracting them already. I too would get a high seat or even a doe box in there somewhere and just sit and see what turns up. Trail cameras are fantastic for getting an idea of what's about and more importantly, when they visit. Thermal will give you a very good idea what's going on too. If you can borrow it then having a go both day and night will also give you a better idea of their movement patterns.

Good luck. It's great to see someone asking how to go about it the right way.
 
Thanks Paul, I actually have a few thousand acres, it's just I've only ever spotted anything within the 50acres farm where I go flying my Gos on pheasants, most of the surrounding ground is open fields and hedgerows but I do have permission on some of it. The section I've spotted them in might just be as that's where I've spent most of my time this year with my bird but it might also be due to the nature of this 50 acres, two valleys, a pond, a couple of sections of wood, some open fields, high hedgerows, loads of cover. I've never spotted anything elsewhere and I had expected this to be due to the ground being flat, open with low hedgerows - I could easily be wrong (newbie)

Hi Joe,

I hope you are having a good season with the Gos I flew and bred Harris hawks for over 20 years and a few others to busy now to fly a hawk fairly now but was also Chairman of the Welsh Hawking Club for a number of years enjoy yourself while you can time moves quite quickly as you get older.

Happy HuntingPaulD
 
Thinking very long term it wouldn't hurt to add some apple / crab apple trees to your ground. The deer love them, so it will give them more reason to visit.

Numbers wise you are very much at the mercy of your neighbours. It's hard when there are other shooters on the same deer, especially if one of them is greedy.

What you're doing sounds fairly good for attracting them already. I too would get a high seat or even a doe box in there somewhere and just sit and see what turns up. Trail cameras are fantastic for getting an idea of what's about and more importantly, when they visit. Thermal will give you a very good idea what's going on too. If you can borrow it then having a go both day and night will also give you a better idea of their movement patterns.

Good luck. It's great to see someone asking how to go about it the right way.

Many thanks, fortunately there are already quite a few apple trees on the ground (i often grab a couple for refreshment, there's no orchard but maybe 10 apple trees). I'll find it difficult to work out where to actually put a high seat but could maybe try a few locations, I'm thinking relatively close to where I have seen them (always alone, never multiples), on a pathway between a pond and some good sections of cover.

i don't believe there are enough deer about for there to be much stalking going on in the surrounding farms which is why I'm concerned with shooting what little is about - I'm desperately hoping I'm wrong.

Joe
 
Hi Joe,

I hope you are having a good season with the Gos I flew and bred Harris hawks for over 20 years and a few others to busy now to fly a hawk fairly now but was also Chairman of the Welsh Hawking Club for a number of years enjoy yourself while you can time moves quite quickly as you get older.

Happy HuntingPaulD

Thanks Paul, yes, having a great season 36 so far (2 rabbits, 1 partridge, 1 duck and 32 pheasant). More importantly in her second year she's unbelievably confident, some great long flights and some top mid-air binds. I owe the success to my English Pointer, she's been great, was almost nose to nose on point with a cock bird today, great slip for my friends male and she held it there for quite a while until he was ready to slip.
i know I could be just as passionate about stalking but have certainly found it less accessible than hawking so far - both permission and being confident in the permission to produce any volume. I've been spoiled with my Hawking permission really, couple of neighbouring shoots etc, you know you can go out and see something to slip her on. The same ground doesn't give me the same confidence on deer but I'm lucky to have the Hawking to give me a foot in the door at least - I think that's going to be my angle!!
 
No problem Joe keep it up it is always rewarding even when you have to sleep under a tree when there playing up i always found it was a great centre piece for conversation on how it all worked and how do you manage to get them to come back when you explain to people that the time hard work and confidence and trust you have to gain they say i could not do that so crack on and enjoy yourself carry on having a good season :tiphat:
 
Went to this ground today, no deer visible but found a couple of deer slots so they must be about. Flew my Gos though and she managed to pull a hen bird so a good day. Encouraged by the tracks and a pal mentioned I can borrow his wildlife camera to have a play with (set-up,in various locations etc)
 
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