Minsterley Deer Stalking Club

Steve29

Well-Known Member
I've had to put my stalking on hold for a while recently due to moving. Now i'm settled i'm desperate to get started again and have been looking for stalking in and around Shropshire. Minsterley ranges deer stalking club keeps cropping up - they seem a decent set up and competetively priced. However, i'm a bit concerned about the mixed reviews I have read and heard not just on this forum but elsewhere, particularly about the stalker. Most of the comments are dated so does anyone have recent experience of Minsterley, particularly the stalking club, that they would be happy to share before I part with my £195 for a years membership?

Thanks

Steve
 
I've heard they've shot everything that looks like a deer and are loosing members hand-over-fist because their land is nearly all shot-out.

Also I heard they were selling days so cheap awhile back, and not keeping tabs on what was being shot, that people were shooting deer all day and declaring one or two that they had arranged.

It's such a shame too as that area held a good few Red not just Roe (amongst the odd fallow escapees!)


My information came from FC guys -
T
 
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Dont go there !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Full stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Stay well clear. I have taken a couple of guys from the SD out and they were not impressed with it. Not only that minstery ranges has gone to the dogs.
 
I've heard they've shot everything that looks like a deer and are loosing members hand-over-fist because their land is nearly all shot-out.

Also I heard they were selling days so cheap awhile back, and not keeping tabs on what was being shot, that people were shooting deer all day and declaring one or two that they had arranged.

It's such a shame too as that area held a good few Red not just Roe (amongst the odd fallow escapees!)


My information came from FC guys -
T
Not sure how creditable your info is
But the whole area is affected not just their ground
And you mention the FC guys came out with this
Sorry but the FC hav been organising a lot more than the syndicate ground at Minsterly hav been shooting
Then you hav the rest of the scum bags shooting every thing that moves day and night
Also on top of this you hav the poachers
The whole area for miles around hav been affected by the amount of deer taken to reduce the numbers
Even their fallow ground where they used to offer long haired fallow has been raped of it's numbers
Not defending the Minsterly syndicate here but I feel there are other issue's that add to this that count
 
Not sure how creditable your info is
But the whole area is affected not just their ground
And you mention the FC guys came out with this
Sorry but the FC hav been organising a lot more than the syndicate ground at Minsterly hav been shooting
Then you hav the rest of the scum bags shooting every thing that moves day and night
Also on top of this you hav the poachers
The whole area for miles around hav been affected by the amount of deer taken to reduce the numbers
Even their fallow ground where they used to offer long haired fallow has been raped of it's numbers
Not defending the Minsterly syndicate here but I feel there are other issue's that add to this that count

Stone,

As I said my info came from FC guys, they were not going to be completely honest if they are partially to blame are they!!

Bottom line is though that we agree - despite who's responsible !

T
 
As far as I know the FC still have a "shoot on sight" policy for roe and muntjac in Wales and this might extend over the border to Shropshire. The exception to this might be the Forest of Dean/SE Wales area where according to a response to my FOI request they said that they are only shooting muntjac on sight and are managing the roe (and red). It may not be all Minsterley's fault that the local deer have been hammered because as well as the FC hitting them hard, lamping is popular in the area, both legal and illegal, and if a lamper catches a deer in the beam, on a lot of occasions it's going to be hard to resist the temptation. Roe were starting to get into North Wales and quite a few were reported in my area of NE Wales in 2007/8 but they seem to have disappeared now and many have pointed the finger at the lampers.
 
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Dont go there !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Full stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

+1 I'm not 100% sure but i think that they have lost the Fallow deer shoot in South Shropshire only what i here on the grapevine.

Jimbo
 
Thanks for the comments, more of the same really - it's a real shame as it would have been ideal for me.
 
Known fact in Wales, and most other places come to that. Fc dont manage the deer in their woods they just shoot everything they see. :eek:
 
Having been a member of Minsterley DSC since it began and still a regular stalker over the ground I think a few misconceptions posted here.

Firstly I have been out on the ground on the last 3 weeks saw 12 fallow took 1 along with Brian the stalker.
Secondly I have stalked with Phil, who was a great mate, and Brian and have never been pressured into any shot.
Thirdly I have never had the stalker take the shot while out with me on the ground.

There is a lot of poaching going on just now especially around the Much Wenlock area. Police not really interested, out one night saw poachers rang the police, they sent a WPC on her own and the poachers were armed. If that had been an anti ringing up there would have been armed response and helicopters Ooops there is my little rant!

Deer numbers have dropped over the last 8 years around the estate but there are still plenty of them there. It's called stalking as that's what you have to do find them then stalk to get your shot.

Can I just also say in all the years I have stalked there there has never been a red shot on the ground. When Phil Lynch and Dave Madley were the stalkers there was other ground covered which had park reds on it!

Every one will find that they have their own opinion of each stalker they go out with. I think a lot also depends on you as the stalker and your capabilities.

However I do believe if you have had such a bad experience with any employee of any company that you do have the recourse to complain to their employer. i.e. David Ryan at the ranges, before you go bad mouthing individuals on the net. This as you can now be done for it and also it could be used as a thing called intemperate behaviour and be used against any individual when renewing or applying for a FAC or SGC as one of my fellow members found out.

Anyway glad tidings to all
 
No experience of Minsterly stalking or range, but do shoot over 2.500 acres near church stretton and not that far from them. I can confirm that a lot of deer are being taken by poachers on our land and surrounding areas, usually at night. The police are beginning to get involved now though, (we were boxed into a field by them a few weeks ago after a patrol car spotted us lamping one night).
sinbad
 
Not a positive experience here either. Had a couple of outings and neither did I enjoy myself or get into a deer any of the times. Great ranges though...
 
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