Munty pair

[oowee]

Tuesday evening sees me at a farm where there are chances to shoot deer at the margins. Waiting at the back of a wood from the high seat I decide that not a lot is happening so move to another side of the farm and spot a Munty. I stalk along a railway bank trying to get above the fence that is covering it but get spotted and he is off. Heading back to where I started I spot four munties on the edge of the wood and also in the open. I am below them with no shot and an open field to cross. Despite the half light I am spotted and they are off. 

Wednesday I do the same all over again. A lack of patience sees me trying elsewhere on the farm and coming back to see the same munties running into the distance. 

Tonight would be different as i was not going to move and set up on my hide seat at the edge of the wood. Within minutes I see a roe doe in the wood heading my way. If I stay she will probably see me first as I can't shoot into the wood. I decide to move and quickly trot to a high seat out in the adjacent field. After 20 mins she emerges from the wood right by my hide seat and presents an easy 140m shot from the seat. She runs back to the wood and after a coffee, I retrieve the animal from the edge of the wood and a quick field gralloch and its only 1840 (sunset was 10 mins before). 

Back to the hide seat to see a munty running for cover. Ten minutes later and two more trot up towards the wood. Quickly on the sticks I see  the doe is first and swivel to drop the buck at 120m. He is upside down and the doe pauses and I cycle the bolt and swivel to her. She runs towards the wood, stops and I am on her as she runs again, my way. I squeak she stops and  turns to the wood and a third shot drops her at about 80m.

 

[Lloyd90]

Well done Grant 👍🏻 Is that down your way? Munties spreading everywhere. 

 

Do they taste good? 

[oowee]

Not by me, but they do come into my field and we have had a couple out of there. It's unusual for me to see them in the open, they are almost always in cover and rarely stop.

Taste. I have heard it said that they are the best for me I don't think I can tell the difference. I have sent you a Whatsapp if you want to try one. 

[sako751sg]

Good job and he looks a fair age of a lad.

[Walker570]

I never saw muntie in six years I had the stalking down at Postlebury so they must have really spread in there.  Great little animal, love 'em and YES they are exceptionally good eating.  Try butterflying one of the backstraps and stuffing with wild boar , cranberry and chestnut pate, wrapped in streaked smokey bacon and roasted.  Awesome.

I wouldn't say the buck is that old, maybe three years as the feed down where it was shot is very good eating for them.  The doe looks the older animal with that very dark face and long nose.

Great to hear a report from an old stomping ground with many happy memories.

Nice shooting by the way, as they don't stand still very long normally.

Edited March 29, 2019 by Walker570

[sako751sg]

1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

I never saw muntie in six years I had the stalking down at Postlebury so they must have really spread in there.  Great little animal, love 'em and YES they are exceptionally good eating.  Try butterflying one of the backstraps and stuffing with wild boar , cranberry and chestnut pate, wrapped in streaked smokey bacon and roasted.  Awesome.

I wouldn't say the buck is that old, maybe three years as the feed down where it was shot is very good eating for them.  The doe looks the older animal with that very dark face and long nose.

Great to hear a report from an old stomping ground with many happy memories.

Nice shooting by the way, as they don't stand still very long normally.

Far from an expert but does the short pedicle length not point to an older beast? 

[Walker570]

Not in my experience. All the old munties I have shot have had obvious ugly looking antlers and yes the pedicles may be stubby. But this young buck looks like he would have been  better 'trophy' head next year or the year after.  If he were an old beast I think the antlers would have been thicker and gnarled, but like you I'm no expert although I have shot my share.

Th measurements for a trophy head actually take the circumference of the coronets and the length of main beam and points into consideration.  I have shot and have seen a few with 2cm front tines.   The picture is one a client shot with me down in Oxfordshire an has interesting palmation.  I don't know if the Swedish gent had it measured but on my measurements it was well up in gold stature.

[sako751sg]

27 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Not in my experience. All the old munties I have shot have had obvious ugly looking antlers and yes the pedicles may be stubby. But this young buck looks like he would have been  better 'trophy' head next year or the year after.  If he were an old beast I think the antlers would have been thicker and gnarled, but like you I'm no expert although I have shot my share.

Th measurements for a trophy head actually take the circumference of the coronets and the length of main beam and points into consideration.  I have shot and have seen a few with 2cm front tines.   The picture is one a client shot with me down in Oxfordshire an has interesting palmation.  I don't know if the Swedish gent had it measured but on my measurements it was well up in gold stature.

Thats an absolute beast of a muntjac,some thickness on it.

Im just regurgating what the fellas have said so could well be wrong.The first one i shot he reckoned was getting on to 8+ and had antlers going way back,and were very thin with the brows just offerings which he said in years gone past would have been prominent.

Facinating wee beasts anyway,and so much character.

[Walker570]

Out of interest what state were the tusks on that muntie oowee?

[oowee]

10 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Out of interest what state were the tusks on that muntie oowee?

Interesting discussion. Here's some close up's of tusks and antler.

[Walker570]

Tusks in pretty good order but the angle on that antler now revels more and I update my judgement, yes that muntie is a touch older than I thought, you can see the gnarled appearance I was mentioning.  Reached it's prime I feel.    Thanks oowee, appreciated.  He wil still taste good, very good. Plan on muntie backstrap steaks for Sunday lunch. Cut 1 inch steaks at an angle across the backstrap. Flatten out with  meat mallet or empty beer bottle to half the thickness and then drop in a very hot skillet with butter and garlic. Sear on both sides and enjoy. Delicious.

Learned this up in the New Zealand Alps when my guide did the same with the backstraps from my Tahr over an open fire ... we call them New Zealand venison chips and it works with roe, fallow, goat, whatever. 

That is a top quality Somerset tick he has attached to his bottom jaw as well

Edited March 29, 2019 by Walker570

[sako751sg]

Tusks in remarkably good condition and the few mid to old ones ive shot had horrendous dental hygiene.

Suppose like all species some go against the grain in trying to determine age and as said im very far from clued up on the wee fellas.

[oowee]

Never noticed that tick. 😞 I took the Roe doe to the dealer this morning and the doe Munty is skinned and jointed and in the freezer. The Buck is hanging in the chiller for Lloyd to come and collect in the morning as he wants to have a go at one. 

Waiting for Monday now when I can go after those 5 bucks I saw last week on another opportunity farm and also take on a new shoot and get to repair the high seats and try them out Monday evening. 

[Walker570]

I don't believe there is a set way that age can be determined.  The older ones I have shot have all had pretty torn up ears and one recently brought in by a friend had a 6 inch fresh cut, like done with a razor blade down its flank.  We watched two having a serious ding dong in a field about 90yrds away in broad daylight on Tuesday and eventually the younger one gave in and trotted off. The older bigger bodied animal just look across at us as if to say.."You want to argue as well" then quietly walked off about 50yrds and looked back and gave us what could only be described as an arrogant stare.  He was lucky that munties where not on the menu that day. 

[Lloyd90]

On 29/03/2019 at 07:10, Walker570 said:

I never saw muntie in six years I had the stalking down at Postlebury so they must have really spread in there.  Great little animal, love 'em and YES they are exceptionally good eating.  Try butterflying one of the backstraps and stuffing with wild boar , cranberry and chestnut pate, wrapped in streaked smokey bacon and roasted.  Awesome.

I wouldn't say the buck is that old, maybe three years as the feed down where it was shot is very good eating for them.  The doe looks the older animal with that very dark face and long nose.

Great to hear a report from an old stomping ground with many happy memories.

Nice shooting by the way, as they don't stand still very long normally.

 

On 29/03/2019 at 17:15, oowee said:

Never noticed that tick. 😞 I took the Roe doe to the dealer this morning and the doe Munty is skinned and jointed and in the freezer. The Buck is hanging in the chiller for Lloyd to come and collect in the morning as he wants to have a go at one. 

Waiting for Monday now when I can go after those 5 bucks I saw last week on another opportunity farm and also take on a new shoot and get to repair the high seats and try them out Monday evening. 

 

 

Thanks Grant,

As I have read they are a right ****** to skin!! Especially with a rubbish kitchen knife ... All done now thought and in the fridge and freezer

Need to look at recipes now, Walker's pate and bacon does sound good, I have two big back straps and have diced the legs to use in another dish, was a picky job but luckily my lodger got stuck in giving me a hand! 

[Walker570]

Enjoy some of the best eating meat you will come across and well worth the extra time needed to skin the little boogers.   The meet will dry out very quickly so wrap in streaky bacon and I always use stuffing even on the haunches which I bone out, stuff and sew back up. 

[old man]

3 hours ago, Walker570 said:

Enjoy some of the best eating meat you will come across and well worth the extra time needed to skin the little boogers.   The meet will dry out very quickly so wrap in streaky bacon and I always use stuffing even on the haunches which I bone out, stuff and sew back up. 

Haunch with blackberries superb too?

[Lloyd90]

On 01/04/2019 at 08:04, Walker570 said:

Enjoy some of the best eating meat you will come across and well worth the extra time needed to skin the little boogers.   The meet will dry out very quickly so wrap in streaky bacon and I always use stuffing even on the haunches which I bone out, stuff and sew back up. 

Amazing recipe with the pate and bacon 👍🏻

 

Looked on 180c for 45 mins - OVER COOKED IT, it’s a nice medium, thank god for the pate, it’s still beautiful but I would have liked it a little rarer, would aim for about 35 mins at 180 in future. 

 

Enjoying post gym workout with a mix of carrots, runner beans and cauli with some peri peri mayo on the veg 👍🏻👌🏻

Oh and DONT SKIMP on the pate!!! 

Wish id used more  

[Walker570]

Easy to overcook muntie and all ovens are different. I looked at the bacon and saw it wa browning and then popped a meat thermometer in it read beef rare and the meat was cooked but still succulent/pink.    I used a full double pack from Aldi of the Wild boar, cranberry and chestnut pate cut the pieces in 3/4 inch slices and then laid them along the butterflied backstrap.

I have a couple of fallow backstraps off a buck fawn shot four weeks ago and going to try the same with one of them.

[Lloyd90]

20 hours ago, Walker570 said:

Easy to overcook muntie and all ovens are different. I looked at the bacon and saw it wa browning and then popped a meat thermometer in it read beef rare and the meat was cooked but still succulent/pink.    I used a full double pack from Aldi of the Wild boar, cranberry and chestnut pate cut the pieces in 3/4 inch slices and then laid them along the butterflied backstrap.

I have a couple of fallow backstraps off a buck fawn shot four weeks ago and going to try the same with one of them.

I need a meat thermometer  

[Walker570]

Worth every penny whether it be for a big turkey, beef joint, muntie backstrap or even a game pie.  Cuts out guess work.