deer stalking rights / shooting rights

jas

Member
hi been looking into leasing ground but in the agreement it only says shooting rights and was wondering are shooting rights the same as stalking rights. just want to be sure as this is a 5 year agreement and dont want to be tied up just to shooting pigeon on it any advise would be great thanks in advance jas
 
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I would have thought that in the absence of further clarification that deer should be included. However it is a bit vague and should be clarified in writing. Also important is who retains ownership of the carcass after it is shot
 
To save potential problems it might be best to clarify that the shooting rights include deer, game & vermin and use of shotguns & rifles as appropriate. atb Tim
 
My understanding is shooting/sporting rights are pheasant, etc etc and stalking rights cover deer, and the two are different things. Better to clarify with the chaps who hold the rights and check if you can shoot deer and if not can you get them added. Worst thing you could do here is assume either way.
 
+1 Make it quite clear in the agreement that deer stalking is included with the shooting rights. More importantly make sure that the person leasing you the rights actually own those rights.
 
+1 Make it quite clear in the agreement that deer stalking is included with the shooting rights. More importantly make sure that the person leasing you the rights actually own those rights.
Good point, it is not unknown for tenant farmers to try to extend their vermin shooting rights to deer. atb Tim
 
thanks for all the replies went up to day with the dog for a look about saw no sing of deer any where or anything eles got talking to a old fella in round the area he has lived there for over 60 years and never saw any deer about it between that and the dog finding nothing i think it might just be another fell trying to make a quick buck
 
thanks for all the replies went up to day with the dog for a look about saw no sing of deer any where or anything eles got talking to a old fella in round the area he has lived there for over 60 years and never saw any deer about it between that and the dog finding nothing i think it might just be another fell trying to make a quick buck

Theres plenty of them around that's for sure.....
 
Good point, it is not unknown for tenant farmers to try to extend their vermin shooting rights to deer. atb Tim

Quite so.
Also it is not unknown for members of a game shooting syndicate to try and extend their rights on to the deer.
A syndicate on one of my deer leases had to be sent a letter by the estates agent at my behest.

HWH.
 
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Another thing to watch for is shooting rights may not include the vermin rights so a tennent farmer can in theory let boys on to shoot rabbits, crows pigeon or foxes even thou u have the 'shoooting rights' as i'm guessing may only cover game
 
Following the post form COUNTRRYBOY.

FWIW I believe that the Ground Game Act 1880 remains in force? And that was enacted to deal with the problem where a holder of shooting rights sought to prevent a tenant form shooting rabbits. It gives a tenant or occupier of land an inalienable right to shoot rabbits AND HARES.

But it is so drafted to stop that tenant farmer profiting from that right by allowing "paying punters" to shoot those rabbits and hares in being very tighly drafted as to any third party that may do so on the farmer's behalf to stop abuse of the right.
 
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I believe it is one person nominated in writing or something like that.

Yes, either the tenant/occupier and or ONE other...to indeed stop abuse of the right. I wonder if it applies to land held by the RSPB and LACS? I assume that it MUST do as the Act pre-dates both?
 
Hey Jas I know what you are on about, is it the forestry service ground they are leasing out by any chance? It means shooting and not deer, so don't although you may have fantastic woodcock ground it sure would be a quick way of loosing the rifle if you happen to have a run in with the plod.

Are you shooting at the moment, with a rifle, or is it the DSC1 a working progress?

I am going to give you some advic that was given to me and I can only give that person a thousand thank your for the advice.......never ever pay a landowner to stalk. If you do your homework and have the calibre for foxes or even just offer to help control rabbits and pigeons there are huge areas for shooting deer in NI. When you get that stalking ground and happen to find someone else has also been given rights don't worry, NI is a small place so it won't take long before one stalker is also permitted onto another Stalkers patch.
 
hey ronan thanks for the advise wasn't that ground but had saw it and thought i would stay clear of it as wouldn't really want to be shooting on ground that has public access.
 
Jas, so many times I have walked onto ground with farmers who have lived there since birth for over 60 years telling me they never see deer on their land. I then go down for a look and the place has signs of deer to high stink. I call it the fox theory.

When was the last time you saw a fox on the ground you shoot that wasn't picked up on the lamp. I am on a small farm where the signs of foxes and badger are everywhere, definitely evident with a bit of snow............but unless I go out at 12 at night with a lamp and red filter I never see them.

In fact over the past 6 months I have pushed that fox out of cover with the dogs, he took a deer head on me a month back, and even opened up a new den on one of the nearby hills but this fox must be a relative of Houdini!

On saying that, I have the privilege of being a member for a club with 1000acres on the Lough Neagh shore line and I can say hand on my heart there are absolutely no deer present. Plenty of badgers and foxes that are decimating the ducks but no deer. I have stalked all that cover for the past 20 years as a child with a .410 to present with the rifle and not one deer to be seen.

Seeing deer on ground known as good for stalking is hard enough, but to be in the right place at the right time for transient deer is so much harder!
 
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