Chinese Take away
Introduction
It`s
an odd thing, yet despite my love of deer stalking and related subjects that Chinese
water deer have really been off my radar. They have become very much a part of
the British countryside in some of the Home Counties but to me they held no
real interest. That was until I met Mr CWD himself. Charlie “Chinky” Harriman who
works within the agricultural sector and has access to some pretty impressive estates
and privately own land. A self confessed rifle nut, like me, Charlie has hunted
all over Europe and Namibia in Africa but his guided hunts after CWD or Muntjac
has earned him a great reputation of giving his clients a memorable stalk.
CWD
(Hydropotes inermis) are really like no other deer and if you thought Muntjac
looked odd in the British countryside then the sight of little beige coloured
teddy bear faced deer lying up like hares in the fields is a real shock.
Having
spent a day’s stalking involving some serious leg work and straining the eyes,
I have to say I wish I had given this alien invader a little more attention as
the day was exhilarating.
Natural History and kit needed
I
am no expert but the CWD does have an interesting way of life which is fascinating
for naturalist or shooters but not so good for land owners!
Bucks
and does have no antlers whilst the bucks possess large front canines that are
used for dominance, especially in the winter months as the rut is at its height
in December.
The
gestation period is about 180 days and they can have up to seven offspring
which aids to their proliferation at colonisation. Charlie said that if you let
CWD onto your land and do not start a proper cull plan immediately you can soon
become over run with them. Seeing the numbers we did, I can believe him. But
also despite having up to seven young it
is rare to see a Doe with more than two at her side , triplets occasionally but
seemingly not needing too much woodland allows them to inhabit areas that Roe
would not, perhaps.
They
can be mistaken for Roe at a distance but once you have seen them up close that
slightly slanted stance to the front, they are longer in the leg but more
slight in build. They have rounded ears and almost white and shiny in the sun
are a dead giveaway and the face is much more dominant with large eyes and shorter
overall length too. The light pelage is also obvious although pelage can vary a
lot as we saw from the 30 odd deer out when we stalked.
Rifle
wise you actually have the advantage that you can use a .22 centrefire legally for
CWD, this means that a soft or hollow point bullet of no less than 50 grains
and a muzzle energy of not less than 1000 ft/lbs energy.
For
CWD this actually makes sense as after the stalking on Charlie’s ground the
typical habitat is that of wide open and big field’s edges by hedgerow. Shots
can be close if you bump one but more often than not it’s a long shot and a fast
.22 centrefire with a flat trajectory can really help.
My
fellow stalker Julian had a custom built Accuracy International AX rifle but
chambered in the .22-250 Ackley Improved round that spat out 55 grain bullets
at 3750 fps for 1717 ft/lbs energy and when sighted at 100 yards was only 1.0
inches low at 200 yards, perfect for CWD.
Me,
well I opted for my trusted .30-47L Predator that shoots a 125 grain Nosler
Ballistic Tip producing 2814 fps and 2198 ft/lbs energy and what it lacks in flat trajectory
it makes up for in wind bucking abilities and instant energy transfer to the
vitals.
Absolutely
essential are good binoculars , you will need them as spotting deer is 90 % of
the sport and if they have built in laser range finders all the better as those
long flat fields are very difficult to judge ranges without any real land marks
or scale to them.
Also
a good set of shooting sticks although I choose both these and a set of Harris
bipods attached to the rifle that proved invaluable when the second CWD was
taken.
Stalk 1
It`s
rather like highland stalking which sounds a bit odd at first , but because the
CWD will spend time in the middle of the fields where they feel safe you can
actually see them and then plan a stalk. Rather like spotting a parcel of hinds
or stags chewing the cud on the hill. When I am after Roe in the woods, it’s
the deer more often than not that’s spots me
first!
It`s
not to say it`s easier, it`s not, you still have to stalk out of sight and downwind
but at least you can observe , assess and plan a stalk on a animal that you
know is there, although I did stalk a few mud clods, but don`t tell anyone,
please.
First
out with the bins and look, really look hard as movement is your first clue to
a CWD nestled in the hedgerow, Charlie was right CWD held fast until an hour or
two before dark and then started to move out on to the fields although some
stragglers can be found in warm spots out of the wind in furrows earlier in the
day. The weather was bright but absolutely bitter, 5 degrees with a really
strong easterly wind that made it feel like -5 degrees. Advantage, we could stalk
into the wind easily and to some degree disguise any noise but conversely that
raw wind sapped your energy and noses and fingers soon turned to ice cubes.
Charlie
lend us slowly along the low hedgerows skirting the fields defined by deep six
foot drainage ditches and then huge expanses of flat and I mean flat fields.
This one estate in Buckinghamshire was 6000 acres. We rounded a headland and Charlie
soon spotted an odd shape in the field, we both strained to define the blob at
384 yards and stalked in closer with Charlie’s dog, Ozzie a black Lab leading
the way. Easing slowly forward with the hedgerow behind to disguise our
silhouette 384 soon shrunk to 300 yards then 250 and at 200 we stopped and had
a better look. Sure enough the characteristic hump of a CWD curled up in a
shallow furrow in the old rape field but head tucked in to barrier the wind but
ears still mobile.
Julian
and Charlie then crawled closer to 150 yards and set up for the shoot off the
bipod as the ground was open now and any attempt to cross it would alert the
CWD of our presence. Because the fields are so flat you have to be extra
careful of a safe back drop and a fast expanding .22 centrefire bullet actually
makes very good sense.
As
the deer raised its head Julian wasted no time and a 55 grain Sierra cleanly
dispatched the deer without moving with a neck shot. When we recovered and
gralloched the deer Charlie found it actually had male and female sexual organs
so we concluded Julian had shot half a buck!
My First CWD
Now
it was my turn and a steady stalk on to the next field yielded some more fine
glassing from Charlie as he spotted yet another odd shape in the field. Sure
enough another CWD bedded down in the field, only showing half it body and
head. This deer however was alert and I had to inch my way forward to a
convenient pylon in the field to get a shot. I could not us the bipod as the
angle was to shallow and dangerous so I had to rest on my sticks and cradle the
Predator rifle against the pylons superstructure. Here’s where a big .30
calibre comes into its own the range was only 81 yards but the howling wind was
really blowing me about , so a neck shot was out of the question but the heart
lung area was just on the margin of the stubble of the field. As the CWD
slightly rearranged its sitting position , I took the opportunity and that 125 grain
Ballistic Tip hit home hard with the
deer not moving an inch accept the head slowly moving backward and then down.
Mine was doe with a lovely light beige coloured pelage and I was a CWD virgin
no more.
CWD galore
With
two in the bag and the light fading slowly once where the fields were empty
suddenly CWD were emerging from the drainage ditches and hedgerows like
rabbits. In a wood the deer would be
there but you could not see them, here where
you could see up to 1000 yards the same number of deer were clearly visible. We
stalked onto a promising CWD by walking a very long margin across muddy fields that
stick to your boots and made every step just that bit heavy and that rifle bite
just that bit more into the shoulder. We spooked an emerging Doe at 10 yards
which kept us on our toes and as we crossed another ditch Charlie and dog Gus
stopped in unison, “Monster buck” slowly making clear a thicket some 250 yards
ahead. We all slipped slowly down the bank and Julian positioned himself, still
down wind to get a shot with a safe back drop of a soil heap. We waited as the
Buck edged slowly across the fields, you did not need binoculars to see his
tusks hanging down from his jaw like scimitars. My old heart rate was pumping
as some dog walkers laughing some distance away their voices carried on the
wind and the buck skipped towards us! Julian waited for him to turn side on and
that was his mistake as he presented a perfect shot and Accuracy International
`s muted report from the MAE sound moderator was instantly followed by the sound
of the bullet striking and the buck dropped on the spot.
When
we recovered him he was indeed a monster and a very good medal head with over
three inch tusks. I had one more doe to conclude the evening and that thermos
of hot chocolate was so welcome.
Conclusions
When
can you go out and see 30 deer in a night and enjoy a totally new experience, I
have been stalking for 30 years and I felt a new stalker again with all the
excitement of a new challenge, really get sport and I am hooked as I have
already booked another trip with Charlie.
Another
benefit is that CWD is probably the nicest tasting venison you will eat and
with flesh paler than normal venison but twice as delicious.
Charlie
can arrange a stalk to meet your own requirements with mornings or evening’s
stalks and CWD ranging from cull beast up to medal class bucks if you wish. Muntjac
and Fallow can also be arranged.
Muntjac
Chinese Water Deer
Muntjac (Buck)
Chinese Water Deer
Bruce with his Chinese Water Deer
Out Stalking
Stainless Steel MAE Moderator
MAE Moderator
By Bruce Potts
Contact
He
can be contacted on 01494 757131 or 07702 886137 and I promise you will be
amazed at the quality and quantity of CWD on his extensive stalking grounds.
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