Folks.

I have just had the pleasure of hosting a couple good friends from Norway. As they are usually the ones looking out for me, it was great to be able to show them a good time.

The weather was perfect, the deer cooperated and the fox population turned positively suicidal
when called!



Managed to put both Bjorn and Kare Vidar onto Chinese Water Deer before heading back down south to Devon. These small deer are fascinating as they have fangs instead of antler - as such a unique trophy. Following a couple of successful hunts, it was off to chase the Roe deer.




The high point for Kare Vidar was getting to grass an 'abnormal' Roe Buck. For him, the first in over forty years of hunting. Instead of the normal antler configuration, this beast showed the effects of damage whilst in velvet.

Eventually, the two hunters returned to Norway, tired but happy! We managed to fit in a visit to the FITASC World Championships as well as spending a few hours on a private game reserve viewing Formosan Sika and Hog deer.

There's nothing like making the most of the available time!

Thanks for some accurate shooting and great memories guys, can't wait to hunt with you again soon.

Rgds Ian

Looks like a fun time.

Ian, do you know how the 'fangs' on the Chinese Water Deer are used? Do the stags spar with them like antlers for dominance, or are they merely for show?

Were the Norwegian gentlemen planning to shoulder mount the CWD or the usual skull or skull cap mounts? I imagine a shoulder mount is the only way to go, but a skull mount might be interesting. Do you have a photo of a cleaned skull to post?

Nitrox.

The fangs are fairly mobile within the jaw - I believe to aid feeding. What is certain, is that they are used as an aggressive weapon - especially during the rut. When shooting in the post rut period, it is not uncommon to skin out a beast and find 20 or more stab wounds in the neck and shoulders.

For ease, the guys decided to simply boil out the skull. A cape from either sex will suffice should you wish to make up a shoulder mount in the future. The taxidermist will usually cast a couple replica tusks for the mount - leaving you the boiled skull c/w fangs as an alternate talking piece.

I will get a skull photo posted shortly - however, it is a really unusual piece and a wonderful trophy!

Rgds Ian

Nitrox.

Here ya go! This should give you an idea.

As Kare Vidar is a writer for one of the largest hunting-magazines in Norway, i'm sure we can read about this trip soon.

I dont know him personally, but I know some of his colleagues.

Ian

Thanks for that. Very interesting skull.

I wonder if you showed that skull to most people what they would think it is.

460wby.

Yes - Kare Vidar does write and edit for 'Jeger' as well as being the author of a crop of hunting related books. Not sure that this trip is likely to be the topic of another article. He has written on hunting in the UK in the 2005 annual and is a superb ambassador for Norwegian hunters - as well as being a good friend.

Rgds Ian

I have a couple of his books as well.. Norway is a small country you know..

I have always thought of hunting the chinese water deer in combination with muntjac and possibly red deer. Is that possible? How many hunting days do you think is required to sucessfully hunt them (fair chase)...??

Best regards Anders

Anders.

I reckon that CWD and Muntjac is doable in two or three days on the ground.

Whilst CWD and Muntjac are local to Stansted airport (north of London) - the nearest Red herd is probably Thetford chase. Living amid the Red Deer here in the south west I have no knowledge of the numbers and availability in that locale.

I would suggest to be safe that you look at a seven day hunt for all species - two days of which for flights and one day for travel to the Red area.

Rgds Ian

Nice picture and story, looking forward to read more about this in the magazine Jeger.

Can you hunt hog deer in Britain?

D99,

Here in theUK we have:
Red Deer
Sika Deer
Fallow Deer
Roe Deer
Chinese Water Deer
Reeves Muntjac

These are all naturally occuring to a greater or lesser degree and can be hunted in the wild. In some private deer collections and fenced parks you may come accross Pier-David and Barrasinga. I've not heard of Hog deer in any of the parks but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

rgds,
FB

D99

Yes - I know of a private herd of 60 about ten minutes from here.

Fenced hunting and priced to represent the fact that these are hard to come by - other than SW Australia.

Rgds

Ian

Those water deer are a hoot to hunt. I have mine full body mounted standing in wheat stubble like the field where we found him. I had my taxidermist make a casting of the teeth for the life size mount and then we mounted the skull with real fangs on a plaque and have it on the wall above the life size. When I hunted in England the outfitter said Reeves Munjac would be no problem - it was the only one of 5 species hunted I was not sucessful on and all were fair chase no fenced park hunts involved, unless you count the 120,000 acre estate of the Duke of Northumberland, which has a 8' stone wall with many sections fallen to the ground level for game to pass at their will.