Typical Day & Tactics

You will fly into Heathrow and be greeted by your outfitter to be delivered to the lovely old hotel accommodations for the hunt, enjoying a nice dinner before bed. The following morning will start off in the pre-dawn arriving at the hunting area in time for sunrise. Reminiscent of Pronghorn Antelope, CWD favor and inhabit open country, bedding down in agricultural or pasture fields in midday. This allows us to hunt them essentially all day long. They are conspicuous and the use the vastness of open space as their defense, aided by a phenomenal sense of smell. CWD are hunted spot & stalk. Glass long range with quality optics inspecting numbers of CWD until a medal class buck is identified by the presence of his large “tusks”. These are modified canine teeth used when fighting other males for breeding rights.

It’s a straight forward hunt, and while CWD populations are somewhat spotty – where they are present, they exist in great numbers. Usually one full day is all that’s needed to get a meaningful shot opportunity at mature medal class trophy buck. Muntjac however remind most North American hunters of Whitetails. They prefer dusk and dawn and often do not stray too far from thick cover. Plan for two outings each day (morning and evening hunts), with lunch often at a nice local pub. Muntjac can breed or rut year-round, so there are always a few estruses females being pursued by rutting bucks on every hunt.

Hunting tactics can vary by area or situation. Classic spot & stalk hunting is often employed in conjunction with calling tactics or sitting over bait at last light. All techniques prove effective, and often each is employed in a typical day to put hunters in front of these elusive trophy Muntjac bucks. Its not uncommon for hunters to take multiple Muntjac bucks during a 3-day hunt. They are a pleasure to pursue. Once dusk concludes the day, head back to the hotel, clean up and change in preparation for another lovely dinner to recount the days encounters in the field.

Landscape & Climate

Southern England is a patchwork of small, old hamlets, rich agricultural or pasture fields dotted with mature deciduous dominated woodlots.  To this, add old castles, churches and manor homes in the distance set amongst gently rolling hilltops. Huge gnarly English Oak, Elm and Beech trees become covered in rich ivy scattered among the holly bushes. Medieval era rock walls and dense hedgerows delineated and compartmentalize it all. Before long you find yourself in an ancient, picturesque and very huntable landscape. Just exploring it alone is almost worth the trip.

During the winter, CWD & Muntjac hunts the leaves are down, and frost, dew, rain or snow dampens the sound of the forest floor underfoot while you hunt. Visibility through the brambles is quite good as you attempt to spot these little deer in the undergrowth. Weather can be damp at times so rain gear is smart to bring in a day pack. And while the temperatures rarely stray below the freezing mark, its encouraged to wear a hat and pack some light shooting gloves when needed. Things warms up in the afternoon and evening, and the sun even makes casual appearances half the time.  For detailed weather data, Wikipedia is an excellent resource for historic weather trends found in the “Climate” section available for any city worldwide.

Meals & Accommodations

Stay in a beautiful heritage manor home, now converted to a rural hotel complete with a bar and restaurant. The hotel is only minutes from some of the primary hunting areas and includes lovely private rooms with all the amenities. One of the outfitting partners lives next door and is always happy to help, but also really facilitates logistics and trophy preparations. There is a lovely pub a short walk away that makes for a nice after hours treat.

Meals from the restaurant are already included in every package and enjoy a nice line up of traditional English fare, as well as other popular menu items. Have a buffet style brunch after you get in from the morning hunt (or a pub stop midday). Order what you like off the menu for dinner. Fish & chips, bangers & mash, gourmet burgers, local seafood platters, curries, pizzas and pastas are just some of the great items to choose from each night. 

Key Equipment Suggestions

This hunt only requires basic equipment. A day pack, 10x binoculars, rangefinder, headlamp, comfortable walking boots, rain gear and a digital camera covers the essentials.