Dunkield Posted April 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 It takes me back to the days when I went fly fishing every week al4x, no one left out house without a trout, now if they are lucky they get venison [not the best bits though ] I got the muntjac book an he says they are hard to shoot out completely, so I will get a few while I have unrestricted access to the land, then ease up a bit when that changes then really get back on them in the summer holidays. The chiller, oops I mean shed, should be up and running by then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted April 7, 2010 Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 realistically they have colonised the whole south east very fast for an alien species so if you were to shoot them out you would just get them moving back in. Keep at it after all all summer they will have a lot of cover and be hard to see till the crops are down so will get a respite then. I'm hoping I can get my hands on a few by trickling in feedback on the damage they are doing to a load of newly planted trees and bluebell woods but we shall see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verminator69 Posted April 7, 2010 Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 Dunk sounds like you landed on your feet with this piece of ground well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted April 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2010 Deeeeeey 5 in the big brother hoose. Well it did happen, went out yesterday evening, horrible gusty cold evening, not much about, spooked a roebuck and two does and that was about it. It started to rain so I packed up, for some reason my heart wasn't in it, the icing on the cake was having not seen a single muntie all evening and having packed the rifle away I saw the decent sized buck on the way out, he just stood there looking at me doing that 'I am not a deer, I am a tree' thing they do when they think they haven't been seen - never mind with a bit of luck his day will come... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted April 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2010 So today was a blinding day weather wise so straight after work I grabbed the rifle and headed off early doors, got there no long after 5:30 so had plenty of time for long stalk about in the sun. I made my way over to the area where the buck I saw always seems to come from so I walked as slowly and as quietly as I could, something drew my eye to a brown blob in the distance. Having very slowly lifted the bins I saw the buck, but unfortunately he had seen me... I froze and hoped he would carry on munching, but the next thing I heard was him barking like mad, I lost sight of him and was convince he had walked off but stood firm just in case. I got the sticks down and knelt ready just in case I was wrong. After about 2 or 3 minutes I just saw a nose and a pair of ears from behind a biggish tree. Knowing he wouldn't pose for a shot I got ready to take the slow walking shot that seems fairly common with munties. Right on cue he wandered out into a gap between 2 trees, just long enough for a qick shot. Even though I was sure he dropped I didn't want to take a chance so sat it out for a few minutes, then wandered over, there was that horrible moment when you think the deer isn't there, but there he was, stone dead. It was certainly the one I had seen about and much bigger than anything I have shot so far, with decent antlers for a muntjac anyway As the head looks good and is certianly the best buck I have shot so far I may get it mounted, if don't I will boil it, so took the time to get it off the hard way with the skin still attached, I have never done it before so to say it was time consuming is putting it mildly I don't know enough about them to say whether it is medal status or not, but I will say it looks bigger in the flesh (spoken like a true fisherman ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardo Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 nice work Dunk, definitely a keeper on the trophy. i popped out last night for some bunnies (got 8 and a fox) and saw a good dozen Muntjac, so they're definitely still about on my patch. Also saw a bigger deer - couldn't id it under the lamp though as it darted back into the woods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted April 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 My head was buzzing after that, I was going through what to do and when (I had to get the head into my parents freezer etc) so just grabbed my stuff and walked quickly back to the car, predictably as I had decided I wasn't going to shoot anything else I saw a couple of roe but then the smallest muntie I have ever seen, honestly thought it was a bunny, it couldn't have been more then 14" long! so the breeding just continues. I just spoke to the taxidermist, and sent him some pictures, if he says the scalp can be tidied up OK I will treat myself and get a full head mount done, the boar tusks will have to move down a notch in the hall of fame. Get stuck into them Nick, the big one wasn't the elusive Sika was it? or does that remain a figment of GB's imagination I should add the missus was less than impressed with me using was going to be her new beating flag for the Sweeney Todd work last night I am sure it will wash off... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 you need to PM muntjac stalker and see what he reckons to it. Looks a good one to me though, Its interesting you have Roe over there as you aren't that far from us and we've none anywhere near. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted April 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 There is no science in measuring Muntjac trophy's so I will measure it myself and then submit it to CIC if it looks silver or gold. I could even take it to the game fair under my arm, that would raise a few eyebrows The taxidermist reckons it has mange on it's scalp, so rather than use Head & Shoulders he can re-skin it, obviously he has seen loads and was quite impressed with the antlers. Roe must be on their way up to Herts, there are more Roe visible in South Bucks and Berks than anything else, I have a fairly mixed short urban/country drive to work and saw 7 out this morning. I see at least 5 between my house and where I shoot and that is no more than 6-7 miles, and that is just out the car window. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 the best bit is after measuring you can work out what it would have cost had you been on a paid stalk Be interesting to see if Roe do get here as we have very good populations of Muntjac and Fallow, probably too many as certainly within 5 miles we have two herds one of 160 plus and a few smaller ones. The big herd are being a complete nuisance but hey thats what the farmer gets from not allowing deer shooting on his ground Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardo Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 the chaps aren't imagining a Sika - i saw it on my patch last year, so may well have been that last night. i've got a Muntjac CIC table - let me dig it out and scan it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardo Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted April 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 Yeah I have that book, sorry didn't I mention that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardo Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 i won't hold it against you - i'm sure other people will find it useful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted April 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2010 Indeed they will. And if anyone ever wants it here is the link to the CIC Red Book guide for measuring most trophies you are likely to come across. http://www.cic-wildlife.org/uploads/media/red_book.pdf I will dig that head out of my parents freezer this week and run a tape measure over it before it goes to the taxidermist, I am getting it done whether it's a medal or not it doesn't really matter, it's my first proper buck, so I will push the boat out and get a full shoulder mount. There were none about last evening, I took a mate over there to hopefully get him one, but we didn't see a single muntjac, so I will give it a rest for a while as I have stuff I need to be getting on with in the meantime. Interesting thing was with no munties about there were no less than 9 Roe, some I recognised, and some were definitely new to the patch, so maybe they have moved in instead, or maybe it was just a coincidence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth Stalker Posted April 11, 2010 Report Share Posted April 11, 2010 Nice work on the munties Stu, the buck looks like a good head to me And if was 100% Sika we had on the lamp last year although I've not seen any signs of him since SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted April 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2010 Got the head out of the freezer today ready to go to the taxidermist, and it looks like even from my quick measurements (and if my maths is right...) it is a borderline Silver/Gold - 'which was nice' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardo Posted April 14, 2010 Report Share Posted April 14, 2010 sweet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted June 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2010 I managed to get back to this place this week, I had an early morning stalk on Thursday but there was absolutely nothing about. The undergrowth has really come on so spotting stuff is that much harder, but even so it was dead. Not put off by that I went back last night, got there about 8:30pm and had avery slow walk about, just walking very slowly stopping scanning round and so on. Having not seen much of anything I thought it was going to be another blank stalk when I saw something move right out the corner of my eye. Whatever it was it had gone behind a fallen tree but if it carried on it would end up out in the open, so I sat down with sticks set and waited. Bang on queue a muntjac doe appeared, walking slowly and not stopping much at as they do, I just waited for the best chance, and took it. It was about 100 yards and as always with the .223 fell into it's shadow and never got up. Turned out she was heavily pregnant, which always leaves you with a lump in your throat, but reducing numbers is the name of the game after all. Still a small deer, but quite big for a muntie, certainly in perfect condition with loads of fat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth Stalker Posted June 5, 2010 Report Share Posted June 5, 2010 Heavily pregnant = the best time to take them! at least you've a clear conscience knowing that you haven't left a dependant fawn to starve to death. It still tugs the old heart strings during the gralloch though Well done SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleTap Posted June 6, 2010 Report Share Posted June 6, 2010 nice shooting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted December 22, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2010 Re-visiting this old thread... I finally got around to picking up the buck head and to get it to CIC for official measuring. Mr CIC included the one brow tine in his calculations which meant I had more points deducted as it isn't symmetrical - I didn't think it was big enough to bother, just goes to show.. So the antlers are 'only' Silver, which considering he reckoned it was at least 3 years past it's best, and one of the oldest he has ever seen, it makes me wonder what it would been like in it's prime. It's my first medal of any sort (my boar tusks were just short of bronze) so I am happy enough with that I can never see myself becoming an out and out trophy hunter, ever, but when you shoot something half decent it does make you take a little bit of interest in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MM Posted December 22, 2010 Report Share Posted December 22, 2010 Top work dude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted December 23, 2010 Report Share Posted December 23, 2010 Hiya Great to read that alls worked out following your search for a 'large' Muntjac cape - the medallion seems to be the icing/cherry (whatever your tipple) on the cake!!! It would be great to see some photos of the finished article when its up on your 'wall of fame' please? All the best and Seasons Greetings L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rasher Posted December 23, 2010 Report Share Posted December 23, 2010 Hard lines mate. So close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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