Reeves's muntjac

Scientific name: Muntiacus reevesi

How weight is recorded: Carcass weight

Field notes

Appearance

Small, stocky deer with a hunched posture; males stand 45–55 cm at shoulder with a dark chestnut coat, females lighter brown. Males possess short, sharp antlers (7–9 cm) and elongated canine teeth; both sexes have a distinctive dark facial stripe running from eye to nose.

Size and weight

Males 12–16 kg, females 10–13 kg; body length 70–80 cm.

Habitat

Reeves's muntjac inhabits dense woodland, scrub, and thickets from lowland areas up to 2,000 m elevation. They favour mixed deciduous and evergreen forests with thick understorey cover and access to open glades.

Distribution

Native to central and southern China (Yangtze River basin); now established as feral populations in parts of Europe, particularly southern England and France, where they occupy similar wooded habitats.

Diet

Primarily browse on leaves, shoots, and bark; also consume fallen fruit, fungi, and low herbaceous growth; diet shifts seasonally toward fruit in autumn.

Behaviour

Crepuscular and nocturnal, most active at dawn and dusk; solitary or in pairs, highly territorial and vocal with characteristic barking alarm calls; move through dense cover with quick, darting movements.

Hunting tips

Look for slots (tracks) along game trails and near bedding areas in dense thickets; droppings are small, dark pellets often found in clusters. Approach upwind through heavy cover at first and last light; move slowly and pause frequently to listen for alarm barks or movement. Muntjac are alert but skittish; use terrain folds and vegetation to close distance, then wait for them to feed into open patches.

Carcass weight

This species is logged by carcass weight — the animal weighed dressed, the way hunting teams normally report it.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 3 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.