cooter Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 After spending a few months getting the bits I wanted on the .223, then waiting for the weather, I finally got out today and had a few hours on the Muntjac that have been grazing on a field of wheat. I drove to the field, which is only 27 acres in total, and as I pulled in through the gate there were three already in there, paying me no attention at all. I set the .223 up, selected the ammo that I have been testing for the last few weeks, and then realised I had to go around the field in order to get a safe shot. I backed out of the entrance, drove half way around the field, pulled back onto the field, and they were still all munching away. Out with the range finder, and the nearest pair were 154 yards. Adjusted the focus, put a pad on the window sill, waited until they were not in line with each other, picked the full grown buck, lined him up for a chest shot, but had to wait until he turned broadside, squeezed the trigger, and he dropped without a twitch. His closest buddy legged it, but the other one, which was at the opposite side of the field, and now directly in front of the jeep, just carried on grazing. B) I checked the distance, 254 yards, adjusted the focus again, moved position, this time using the wing mirror, careful aim, steady the breathing, squeeze the trigger, and he dropped, kicked around a bit, then got back up and started stumbling around. He made his way to the edge of the field, and then dropped into the three metre deep, bramble covered, drainage ditch at the side which I would need a machete and a Sherpa to get him out of. I gave it a few minutes, then went to retrieve. The large buck I got was a full 15kg’s, and flippin heavy. The other buck was exactly where it dropped, in very dense brambles, and almost submerged in the one metre deep sludge that the drainage ditch contains. There was no way I could safely retrieve it, so I had to leave it where it was. I carried the large buck back to the car, then I had to move again, as I was close to some houses and a road, and the passers bye might get a bit spooked seeing some ugly bloke in cammo grallocking a deer. :o So it was back to the other entrance. It took me a while to get the grallock done, but I was pleased in the end as it looked like there was a fair amount of meat on what really is a small animal. I was just looking around for somewhere to hang him up for a bit to dry out, when another deer popped out of the hedgerow about eighty yards from where I was standing. B) I had to slowly slide into the jeep, then unpack the rifle, fit the mod, find the ammo, get comfy, and he was still there quite happily grazing on the wheat, and by this time another one was twenty yards further out in the field. :unsure: Unfortunately I had no clear and safe shot, so I just sat watching and waiting. They grazed for about ten minutes, then decided to leave. I organised everything in the jeep, and went and hung my Deer up, then got back in the jeep, and poured some coffee out and just enjoyed the view. Not even ten minutes, and another Munti popped out at the far end of the field, way too far for me to be comfortable at the moment, so I just watched. Ten minutes later another came out to join him, by which time I was contemplating a shot, but as I have only really practiced out to 250 yards, and they were over 300 yards away, I decided against it. A few more minutes, maybe fifteen, passed by, then a small buck stepped out at 170 yards. He was in the sights in no time, and a squeeze of the trigger watched him take three back flips, then disappear down the ditch. :blink: There was no way I was loosing another, so I packed everything away and set off to find him. :yp: It took me a good fifteen minutes, but he had managed to climb the other side of the ditch before dropping. When I did the grallock there was nothing left of his lungs, so for a little fella he must have had a lot of adrenaline in there. Before I left the field there were two already back out grazing, but they will keep for another day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooter Posted January 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 And here are the pair of them together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beretta28g Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Are you allowed to shoot from cars, i thought that was illeagal please enlighten me! Top shooting mate shame about you loosing that one. Beretta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooter Posted January 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 (edited) You can so long as the engine is turned off. I'll find the link and post it. The acts (mainly the Scotland act) say that you can't shoot from a moving vehicle, but you can use the bonnet, roof etc as a steadying platform. A car can also help to gain elevation in some places. Edited January 20, 2010 by cooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lloyd90 Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Brilliant shooting mate :unsure: What bullets and rifle/scope you using ? :blink: Seems alot of deer around by you you lucky bugga Should keep the freezer well stocked. Dont go shooting them all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beretta28g Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Thankyou for the reply re shooting from a car. Many thanks Beretta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joke209061 Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Ive just got some permission on land with munties, and am awaiting my FAC. Cant wait to get involved. Great stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbo. Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Excellent read, well done. :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSS Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Good read and nice shooting :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mayfly36 Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 RIFLE LOOKS LIKE A REM OR A TIKKA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfowler.250 Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Well done :unsure: shame you lost one though! I'd have been back with chest waders and a snorkel if needed for number two but what can you do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Elvis Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 :unsure: Wow, you have an abundance of munty!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie g Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 nice one goiod shooting. hopeful for a good number of muntjac this year. the place i share the shoot with a mate is full of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samw Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 great shooting am hoping to bag one myself in feb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sako751sg Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Are you allowed to shoot from cars, i thought that was illeagal please enlighten me! Top shooting mate shame about you loosing that one. Beretta For Scotland im sure you can shoot from a vehicle as long as it is on enclosed land,ie,fenced,dyked ect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooter Posted January 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Brilliant shooting mate What bullets and rifle/scope you using ? Seems alot of deer around by you you lucky bugga Should keep the freezer well stocked. Dont go shooting them all Thanks for all the comments guys. The rifle is a remmy 700 SPS. The trigger has been changed to a rifle basix with 1.5lb pull The scope is a Bushnell Elite 6500 4.5-30 X 50, which I normally shoot on 10 X mag. The mod, which I had taken off and forgot to put back on for the picture, is a DM80CF2, which is far quieter than the T8 I was using before. I was using home loaded Dog town 55grn SP, with 21.2grn of N133, CCI primers and Winchester brass, set 2 thou off the lans. I know it's a little slow, but I like to take things steady, and as they are grouping around 2" at 200 yards I can't complain. There is some history with this field and it's deer. The place is less than ten miles from where the Munti were originally released near Woburn. The field is bordered by around 400 acres of natural broad leaf woodland, which is Muntjack heaven, and the locals have seen as many as twelve in the field at the same time. Each year they get through around two thirds of the field, which means they are eating close too twenty acres of what ever is being planted. About four years ago it got so bad that the farmer called in a company, who took out a special licence to night shoot the deer. They got seventeen in ten days, and told him that it would need constant attention, but they could not give it the time, plus they charged him for the job, and so it is now my job. Stalking it isn't, I'm sad to say, but, as pest's go, they are the best tasting ones I've ever had, and it makes you really popular when you hand them out to the locals. I'm hoping to shoot some video one time, and post it on U Tube. ATB Cooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooter Posted January 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 For Scotland im sure you can shoot from a vehicle as long as it is on enclosed land,ie,fenced,dyked ect. Scotland is the only place that specifically mentions shooting from vehicles. http://www.bestpracticeguides.org.uk/refer.../dcs_night.aspx Mainly it says you can not shoot from a moving vehicle, which makes a lot of sense. From what I have read it seems to be an attempt to stop poachers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njc110381 Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Nice write up, thanks for sharing it with us! I wish we had that number of Munties around here, they're supposedly very tasty little things and I'd be well happy if I could knock a few over now and again! I'm still trying to get one, the little **** are really bright and always get the better of me! Shame about the one you lost in the ditch. As you say though it's not worth risking yourself to get it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooter Posted January 22, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2010 Munti is a very strong and dry meat, a lot more so than the Red I have had. Even when it has been in the freezer for six months, then marinaded in red wine and herbs for 24 hours after defrosting, it still has that gamey taste to it. It is still good eating, but better in stews than as a steak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supadonk Posted January 22, 2010 Report Share Posted January 22, 2010 Munti is a very strong and dry meat, a lot more so than the Red I have had. Even when it has been in the freezer for six months, then marinaded in red wine and herbs for 24 hours after defrosting, it still has that gamey taste to it. It is still good eating, but better in stews than as a steak. used to shoot a lot in fields with deep ditches made a four pronged grapple with 10 metres or so of strong 6mm nylon line used to work a treat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardo Posted January 22, 2010 Report Share Posted January 22, 2010 Munti is a very strong and dry meat, a lot more so than the Red I have had. Even when it has been in the freezer for six months, then marinaded in red wine and herbs for 24 hours after defrosting, it still has that gamey taste to it. It is still good eating, but better in stews than as a steak. i'd have to disagree on that - i find it a delicious meat, that roasts superbly. what age beasts are you eating and how long have they been hung? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooter Posted January 22, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2010 i'd have to disagree on that - i find it a delicious meat, that roasts superbly.what age beasts are you eating and how long have they been hung? The last one I had was probably a 2 or 3 year old. It hung for over a week, then, after trying the first meal made with it, it went in the freezer for months. We had the sirloin barbecued, which was good, the shank was boned out and roasted like a joint, and the shoulder went in a stew. It is very tasty if a little strong, but it is dry, still I won’t let it stop me eating it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardo Posted January 22, 2010 Report Share Posted January 22, 2010 you're hanging it longer than i do (mine are 3-5 days). forgot to say, great original post btw! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooter Posted January 22, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2010 you're hanging it longer than i do (mine are 3-5 days). forgot to say, great original post btw! Thanks Nick, I'll butcher these over this weekend then, once the 'orrible smell has gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet boy Posted January 24, 2010 Report Share Posted January 24, 2010 Well Done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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