Stalking saturday and today

[salukiwhippet]

Trying to catch up with the doe cull after the pheasant season
So was out at 6.30 on saturday morning, managed to bag a fallow doe by 8.00, and encountered a muntjac doe in the afternoon with a broken front leg, the cause of which is unknown, but she wasn't moving very well, and they cause a lot of damage to woodland, so I took her as well.

Then out at 6.00 this morning, shot a fallow doe at about 8.15 at 150 yards, perfect placement, very pleased with that, then another Muntjac doe at about 4pm, I've got about 70lb of venison in the freezer from saturday and off the gamedealer tomorrow with today's fallow doe, got to butcher the muntie for myself tomorrow too! Busy little me!
Any other stalkers playing catch-up

ATB, James

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by salukiwhippet

So was out at 6.30 on saturday morning, managed to bag a fallow doe by 8.00, and encountered a muntjac doe in the afternoon with a broken front leg, the cause of which is unknown, but she wasn't moving very well, and they cause a lot of damage to woodland, so I took her as well.


ATB, James

Muntjacs dont actually cause much damage (unlike other deer species) to agriculture or timber crops. But if it was suffering as you said, I can't complain for putting it out of its misery. I know deer have to be controlled in some areas but why are you boosting about killing things on a wildlife forum

[salukiwhippet]

Muntjac do cause a lot of damage to natural regeneration in woodland, and since the wood I was in had large areas of ancient semi-natural, muntjac can be a problem.
I thought this was the fieldsports section, stalking is a fieldsport, even if, as in my case, it's done for management (and venison!) more than for sport and therefore I thought It might make interesting reading for those in wildlife management. Apologies if any offence has been caused, this was not my intention.

ATB, James

[span130502]

i dont think muntjac have arived up here in northumberland yet but i have been told thay have been seen south of the river wear. i am under the impresion they do a huge amount of damage to the plant life on the woodland floor i may be wrong and am ready to be told so

[hunterswind]

All deer cause damage to woodlands when there are excessive numbers look at the baronscourt EXAMPLE - video link deleted again

[Ukwildlifeo]

Everywher I read, it says muntjac cause little damage to forests and crops, saying that they will only damge vegetable crops occasionally. Im not debating other deer cause damage, theres no doubt there, but the diet of muntjac is different

[dunlin]

It's mans destruction of the once vast forests that stretched across this country that now leaves us in a position where wildlife populations have to be kept in check in certain areas.
Which sadly means deer have to suffer as a result.

regards mark n.....

[muldonach]

Originally Posted by Ukwildlifeo

Everywher I read, it says muntjac cause little damage to forests and crops, saying that they will only damge vegetable crops occasionally. Im not debating other deer cause damage, theres no doubt there, but the diet of muntjac is different

Muntjac cause little damage to commercial forestry or farm crops, they do however severely depress coppice regeneration and certain woodland floor plants, bluebells being a notable but not unique example.

They also have a tendency to spectacular but unnoticed population growth i.e. you don't see a lot of them but all of a sudden you have a lot of damage. Like all other deer unless subject to cull pressure they will expand their population untill they exhaust their food resources which eventually results in a spectacular population crash.

They are prolific breeders and can stand a lot of shooting pressure.

Regards
mac

[muldonach]

Originally Posted by dunlin

It's mans destruction of the once vast forests that stretched across this country that now leaves us in a position where wildlife populations have to be kept in check in certain areas.
Which sadly means deer have to suffer as a result.

regards mark n.....

Actually its the exact opposite - the explosion in deer populations in the last century is generally attributed to the planting program followed by the Forestry Commission and private landowners following the two world wars, since little or no provision was made for deer control in this programme deer populations effectively grew unchecked for many years.

Far from suffering, deer populations as a whole benefit from a suitably proportioned annual cull.

Cheers
mac

[salukiwhippet]

Originally Posted by Ukwildlifeo

Everywher I read, it says muntjac cause little damage to forests and crops, saying that they will only damge vegetable crops occasionally. Im not debating other deer cause damage, theres no doubt there, but the diet of muntjac is different

I've always been told in all my training that muntjac have a wider ranging diet than most species
and are therefore more likely to do damage. Due to their short stature, all their feeding is also restricted to about 2ft from the ground and below, localising the impact to the lower understorey of the wood, which is so vital for other woodland species.
They also breed prolifically and are very elusive, therefore its hard to get an accurate assessment fo numbers, and to manage them.

In reply to dunlin, none of the deer I have shot have suffered, the bullet has been properly placed and of the correct calibre and type to ensure a clean kill. The deer will have been unaware even of the bang.

On another note, just had venison for tea, delicious!

James