3
MUNTJAC OF THE KINGS FOREST
Many members will be aware of the "Muntjac" study being carried out in the "Kings Forest",
part of Thetford Forest. Indeed several members have helped with the catches necessary to
mark animals for positive identification. The whole project is teamwork, lead by Norma
Chapman, Kathie & Mick Claydon, and Stephen Harris. Here is an account of the "Catch"
meeting on Saturday 24th October 1992.
The day starts with the collection of all the nets and poles plus the wooden boxes which will
hold any animals that are caught while they are transported to the so called process area.
Here they will be checked by a vet and then be given ear tags, a collar or both, sometimes
even a radio collar.
At 8.30 am people meet at a point to the south west of the study area. Here they are
organised into "netting and poling parties"who will erect the nets and "watchers" who will be
positioned to watch over a length of netting that has been erected, just in case an animal
gets caught in the net before all is completed. It then remains for the nets to be laid out
along the rides around the block of woodland that is selected as the site for that day. This is
done similarly to the fishing nets over the rear of a boat, except that a van is used and the
nets spill out of their sacks as the van pulls away. The block of wood chosen for this catch
was 203A, a deciduous block with lots of Oak and Sweet Chestnut, there is a good crop of
tree fruits and so there is a likelyhood of several animals in the block. As we went round
laying out the nets a female Muntjac and two Roe does moved out of 203 A heading north, a
bit of a disappointment but cannot be helped. By the time we had laid all the nets out and
reached the corner at which we sstarted, quite a lot of netting had been erected and watchers
were in place.
In the meantime our "Controller" had organised "catchers" from helpers who had arrived a
little later and these were allocated to a team leader and directed to a given side of the
block. I was team leader on side 3, the eastern side, about 200 metres in length and I ahd
three additional catchers with me. Two of these catchers had previous experience with
Muntjac catching, the others had not and so I positioned myself at the centre of the side, the
two experienced people on the ends and the inexperienced inbetween. Once all the netting
is up and all catchers are in position and ready, a line of "beaters" lead by Norma Chapman,
spread out along one side of the block. They then proceed to beat through the block,
flushing out the deer, into the net with luck. The beaters line up along side land beat
eastwards towards side 3.
All team leaders and Norma have CB radios and we are in contact with the "controller", who
has a base set in his car. I heard the controller give Norma the okay to start beating and so I
alerted all my team on side 3 and awaited with anticipation, from side 1 to side 3 is almost
400 metres but within seconds of the start of beating a Muntjac doe ran into net 3 near to
one of the inexperienced catchers. Fortunately he reacted quite well and restrained the
animal as I had instructed him, allowing me time to get over the animal and for a third
catcher to fetch a box which had been strategically placed. We then disentangled the animal
from the net and placed it in the box. Quickly as possible the nets were re-erected and the
boxed animal placed to one side, ready for the forest ranger with his van to collect and
transport it to Stephen and the vet.
When the animal first ran into the net I had radioed for the beating to stop, now the netting
had been replaced I called central and reported all was ready again. Normarestarted beating
and very shortly there were animals in nets 2 and 4. Stop beating!!
I went into the net on side 2, the north side, very near to the corner with 3. I knew there
were two inexperienced catchers at that point and so I ran to assist. This time it was a