Muntjac

Lincs Yellowbelly · #1 (**permalink**) 24-09-2010, 09:02 AM

Saw my first ever Muntjac deer yesterday, he/she was taking a drink from a small pond. Amazingly we are just on the outskirts of a small town. I oten hear strange noises and always assumed they were foxes. But listening to the muntjac barking on the net it's the Muntjacs I a hear

Fuzzy-felt bloke · #2 (**permalink**) 24-09-2010, 10:05 AM

I think you see more of these pests in future, I've even seen them grazing on a traffic island in the middle of the day. Does anyone know if they are good to eat?

Fuzzy-Felt Bloke

Burko · #3 (**permalink**) 24-09-2010, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fuzzy-felt bloke

I think you see more of these pests in future, I've even seen them grazing on a traffic island in the middle of the day. Does anyone know if they are good to eat?

Fuzzy-Felt Bloke

Oh yes, and the best thing is that there's no season.

Lincs Yellowbelly · #4 (**permalink**) 24-09-2010, 11:36 AM

Well i was pleased to see it anyway

RKB · #5 (**permalink**) 26-09-2010, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lincs Yellowbelly

Well i was pleased to see it anyway

They're a nightmare. They are immensely damaging to woodland and scrub habitats, and they cost a fortune to protect against. Habitats need 9 ft fencing to keep them out and protect the native flora and fauna. They are particularly bad news for spring flowers, and can destroy 90% of the flowers in bluebell woods. And also woodland birds like Nightingales, by eating all the brambles. They breed all year round and can live at very high density (1-2 animals per hectare) in farmland, woods, scrub, reedbeds and suburbs, so are best thought of as very large rabbits, or goats. Just south of you in neighbouring counties, Natural England has to shoot hundreds of them each year to protect the habitat. Conservationists loathe them as much as the Grey Squirrel, if not more.

But they are very tasty indeed.

Bandit · #6 (**permalink**) 06-10-2010, 05:40 PM

We moved to our house, near Nailsworth (Glos), at the end of August. A few days later we heard horrible noises around the garden and noticed almost daily visits at around 6-7am by two noisy Muntjac deer. One male and one female. They stood one morning on the lawn c.30ft from a house window whilst I took photos of them from inside. The flash made them stand still but not run off. They eventually jumped over the chicken wire fence. One limps a little. They wander through most mornings grazing. We have a mad Springer Spaniel and I thought the smell of him would deter most animals. Anyone any ideas to protect our mini orchard we have planned for next month......

salukiwhippet · #7 (**permalink**) 07-10-2010, 10:33 AM

Yep, they're spreading and doing damage wherever they end up I'm afraid. They are really adaptable little things, my Grandma was in a nursing home in Cheltenham, a good mile from the 'countryside' and they had one eating the roses!

As for protecting the mini orchard, really good fencing will be required (they can be very determined), or if the ground's suitable, a cheaper option would be to find someone with a suitable rifle on an open certificate to keep the population and therefore the damage reasonable.

They are very good eating indeed, I think probably the finest venison I've had - though I haven't had CWD or sika - they're also easier to carry to the truck than fallow!

Meant to add, yours is a buck LYB - the ridges of bone that run up the forehead to the pedicle and the more pronounced suborbital gland are the clues, even when the antlers aren't very visible.

James

RobinP · #8 (**permalink**) 07-10-2010, 01:24 PM

I regularly get Muntjacs in the garden (I can see one as I type!) and they do relatively little damage, one shrub has been nibbled a lot but apart from that the adjoining brambles are bigger than ever and they seem more interested in the weeds in the 'jungle' out the back than my flowers etc.

I'm happy to see them, though I understand why others are not, I would rather have deer in the garden than cats.

Robin

RKB · #9 (**permalink**) 07-10-2010, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by salukiwhippet

As for protecting the mini orchard, really good fencing will be required (they can be very determined), or if the ground's suitable, a cheaper option would be to find someone with a suitable rifle on an open certificate to keep the population and therefore the damage reasonable.

Their browse height is only 1 metre, so if you buy trees and guards taller than that then they'll be ok. But any foliage or shoots below 1 metre will be nibbled off.

Bandit · #10 (**permalink**) 07-10-2010, 06:30 PM

Many thanks for the comments. The trees we have so far, ready to be planted, are around 5ft high so we'll buy more tall fruit trees. A friend has offered us lots of tree guards which should help. It sounds as though we need to make a fruit cage for further plans we have too!