Game by Tim Maddams

Author:Tim Maddams
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781408896563
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2017-03-13T04:00:00+00:00

A muntjac doe

Chinese water deer Hydropotes inermis

NOMENCLATURE Doe (f ); buck (m); fawn (young); herd (group)

CONSERVATION STATUS Sporadic population, mostly in eastern England, where it can be prolific

HABITAT Woodland, farmland, suburban gardens and parks

HUNTING SEASON 1 Nov–31 Mar (England and Wales); none of this species in Scotland or N Ireland

A Chinese water deer looks rather like a cross between a marsupial teddy bear and a vampire. These small, elusive deer tend to be larger at the back than the front, like a kangaroo on all fours, and have very apparent small tusks. They are easily distinguishable from the similarly tusked muntjac, as the males lack antlers and their tusks are longer (the female’s tusks are smaller than the male’s).

Chinese water deer were first kept at London Zoo in 1873, but the wild population started with escapees from Whipsnade Zoo, where they had been introduced in 1929. This population rapidly spread to surrounding areas of friendly habitat, and their numbers are still on the rise, with an estimated wild population of over 2,000 today.

Male Chinese water deer rut in December, using their long tusks to establish a hierarchy and attract the attention of desirable females. The resulting young are born the following June or July. Chinese water deer are very good at breeding and can give birth to up to seven fawns at once, but infant mortality is high, with up to 40% of fawns dying within a fortnight of birth.

In the kitchen

The meat of the Chinese water deer is among the best venison. Requiring only a day or two of hanging (see here), it is sweet and rich, with a distinctive gamey edge that sets it apart from muntjac.

It works well in the following recipes: Venison carpaccio, Venison with marrow pickle, Roast saddle of hare with bay and sumac, Wild boar Holstein, Spicy fajitas and Venison liver persillade. The haunch and neck meat also make excellent kebabs, served with flatbreads, harissa and salad.

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