STAG STALKING GLENLYON

greville1689

Well-Known Member
I've had a cracking day in Glen Lyon 2 years ago. Great place.

Edited to say that temptation has got the better of me and I will be out on Monday!
 
Was up on the Inerwick Estate last Monday. Roaring all over the place. Wind was shifting 180 degrees all day. I drew the short straw and my mate was up for first shot. He got a stag going over with bad antlers at 1300 hrs. I spent the next four hours fighting the wind.

On Tuesday we were up around Schehallion in perfect conditions. Too mant deer though, eyes everywhere. Every approach was rumbled by yet another herd showing up. Eventually got in position on the only herd we could. About 100 hinds with a 16 pointer holding them!!!! Stalker phoned the landowner to clear the shot. Waited over an hour for the stag to get up after his afternoon siesta. Plenty of roaring going on but nothing was moving in on this guy. Took the shot and he trotted off uphill only to lay down after 20 paces and keel over.

The hinds slowly moved off and after 30 minutes we stalked up to him as my mate still wanted a go on the other stags that were still strutting their stuff. Got to my beastie to count 20 points!!!!

Size of the beast indicated that he must have escaped from a farm in his youth. Both farms in the area mark their deer but this one had no marks.
On getting him off the mountain we called around but no one had (or had lost) a 20 pointer.

Bloody great grin on my face for the rest of the week when after Sika in the borders.

Stan
 
Glad to read the report of stalking in Glenlyon. I am there for the last two days next week and very much looking forward to it. Last year I had a wonderful time.

Any other SD stalker experienced this glen if so I am sure we would like to hear of their experiences. I would like to see the photograph of the 20 pointer

Donsider
 
Well done on the 20 pointer would not mind seeing a photo myself
I have been up innerwick 10 years ago stalking with the last keeper very good day out but hill walkers spoiled my 2 stalks for the day.
Have been out on north chesthill a couple of time good stalking qwite open on the tops thow good fun thow.
I shot my first stag between innerwick and north chesthill i lyed and waited for 2 hours so he stood up i thougth it was not very sporting to shoot my first stag lying down 16 stone he was i remember the drag 3 hours and i nearly lost my rifle it took 30 mins to find it ,it was a ruger with a dark comp stock whitch blinded in a bit to well with the back ground and many after good fun when i was 18 .
Its good to hear SD Members have had good stalks in glenlyon.
Looking forward to monday hopfully it will be my first stag off southchesthill.

Lyon
 
Okay, now then this is going to sound critical, and its not meant to be honest, and I expect to be shot down for this.....but I cannot understand the thinking of shooting a top quality stag (20 pointer!!) on the verge of passing on his genes to 100 hinds. Surely there were other quality stags available so that the very best could be left?
 
Mudman,

In my own case I found that day a very hard one as there were too many herds around. Plenty of 12, 14 pointers around and we saw many confrontations. Only one where a smaller stag pushed off a bigger one. Even saw two 12 pointers box.

We stalked onto only the one herd we could after four hours to find that the stag showed five point cups. The stalker phoned the landowner to point this out etc. The stalker and landowner allowed this to be "shot". £350, same as my mate shot the previous day with a gone over head of 4 plus points, same price.

Stag of a lifetime and the landowner and stalker were content, better deer managers than I.

256 metres from below. Closest we could get to any deer those two days, too many hinds, too many stags with the rut in full roar.

It was offered, I chose not to decline.

Stan
 
Lyon,

Current stalker is Dave Pirrie.

They're putting in Micro Hydro at the moment so some footpaths are diverted. A bit disconcerting when you finish check zero, stand up and two hikers walk past the target....

Not too bad, they were still alive and only following the track over to Rannoch.

The 180 degree windshift buggered up Monday. Found myself stalking downhill at one point into Glen Lyon and looking at the backstop, not! Other side of the hill was more comfortable.

My first time with the rut in full roar, awsome.

Again, too many deer to stalk normally. Plan A turned to B and we were happy there were 26 letters in the alphabet...

I only got onto one stag in eight hours of "my time" in two days. Spent one hour on shot waiting, 45 minutes after shot to allow the other deer to move off and then approach the stag, gralloch and then move off after my mates next (he didn't get one after two hours across a steep face).

Stan
 
If I was in the same position as yourself I would have done the same, animal of a lifetime. My query I suppose was why would the stalker & landowner, who as you said are responsible for the herd, want it shot? Maybe they have so many very good stags on the ground that the loss of one, albeit particularly exceptional, animal was acceptable to them.
 
Mudman,

The rut was awsome. Glassing the hill from the start showed over a dozen Imperials. We moved where we could but were constrained by the movement of additional herds coming over the top. We were only able to stalk onto one "Roar' and the rest is history.

I believe that my stag was new to this part of the hill as neither the stalker/landowner or any of the March Estates were aware of the beast, we called round afterwards.

Imperials aplenty on the hill with the chance that they might be 16. My gut feeling is that the "deer management" did the honourable thing and allowed me to shoot the biggest animal on the hill as was directed, just not what turned out to be what they thought was there.

Lucky me.

I had an hour gathering my breath, pondering the decision and then taking the shot.

Stan

Stan
 
Although I don't shoot for heads , I am more of a" How much meat's on the back end of that Hind ?" I can admire these beasts & you certainly did what I would have done in the same situation, sounds like a memory to last a lifetime Stan.
 
I'm envious of you guys fortunate enough to stalk Glen Lyon. Some years ago my wife and I used to visit Perthshire, always at this time of year. Glen Lyon became something of a pilgrimage. The music of the rut would echo around us, often the deer would be no more than a couple of hundred yards from the road,(where we stayed with our car) entertaining us as we had our lunch.
It's a magical place, good luck and good stalking to anyone fortunate enough to go there.
Best wishes, Pete.
 
Glen Lyon is a cracking area, have been lucky enough to stalk on Garth and Meggernie. Recommend the Ailean Chraggan near Aberfeldy as a great place to stay, excellent food and beer with bar always full of gamekeepers and stalkers.

Enjoy it, wish I was there!

Eric
 
I glad SD mebers have good memories and of stalking up glen lyon, I was up this morning working and stags were right beside road doing there stuff no big ones thow 8 pointers pritty black now ,
Look forward to tuesday bloody weather does not look good thow.

lyon
 
I am out tomorrow on Chesthill. The forecast is very wet. Not to worry as I am sure it will be a cracking day all the same.
 
stags stalking in Glenlyon

I'm out on Roro for the last two days Monday and Tuesday and yes the weather does not look to promising. That is, according to the BBC web site. As I compose this thread in my study here in Aberdeen the morning sum shines through the window and the Autumn colours in the garden will test any artist palette. The drive to Cushiville will be somewhat trying given the rain which has been forcast however, the scenery will be stunning.

I have fond memeries of the Glen with my first visit there well over twenty years ago with the writer and broadcaster Tom Weir when filming Weirs way for STV. I made a return visit there a few years later when I was with Grampian and I recall being introduced to a retired stalker who lived at the head of the glen. I think his name was Bob Bisset and he made shoes and fiddles. He was a very colourful charachter and it was a pleasure to meet him..
If I remember my camera I shall take a pictures of my visit and post them on my return.

Glenlyon - Scotland's longest, lonliest and lovliest glenover. Can't wait to be there.

Donsider
 
What a fantastic day. The weather forcast was grim but the heavy rain had passed through on Sunday night and it was reasonably dry until late in the day.

After a shot at the target it was up on the Loch Tay side of the the estate, by Argo for the last bit. At the top of the hill what little wind there was was all over the place. Lots of roaring in the Corrie and a couple of travelling stags showing a litte interest. With the forecast saying that the wind would become westerly we moved east below the ridge to see what there was. After a sortish distance we came accross a stag and hihds on a bump and whichever way an approach would have n#been made it would be a skyline shot with every chance of Fortingall or Fearnan taking the bullet! By good chance we wrere able to move past this group as the wind changed allowing us ro keep downwind throughout. A couple of other groups in tricky positions witha truer wind meant that we headed back into the corrie. What a sight with lots of groups of stags and hinds all accross the face. A couple of fights between well matched stags and lots of activity of all deer made it a spectacular sight that will last for a long time in the memory.

With the way the deer were we headed up and around the top of the corrie and stalked into one of the top groups but with a difficult rounded face it meant a shot of about 220 yards. The shot was a little low (7x57mm) and it required a second shot when we got close.

Many thanks to Hamish Rae for a cracking day (including a tutorial for gralloching and larder work as practice for DSC2).

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I too had a wonderful day in Glenlyon and similar to you Greville, the wind was not constant at all. In fact the weather we experienced was totally the opposite from what the BBC forcast and at one time, around 11am the sun came out making it very pleasant experience indeed. The colours, when looking down the glen, were magnificent.

Meeting up with Grant the stalker, at the lodge at 0930, stags with hinds could be seen with the naked eye which put the "excitement" factor up a few notches. However, we planned to go further out on the estate by way of the landrover up the track. I have to say walking it would have been easier on the old limbs as it was a real bone shaker of a ride. Leaving the landrover and after having a spy, we set off heading into what little wind there was. We saw plenty of deer, some very nice stags with hinds all of wich were roaring away. Unfortunately, because of the wind situation, out of reach of us.

However, we did not have to wait to long as we came accross a couple of herds each with a shootable stag holding hinds. We spied them for a while whilst Grant took time out for a smoke. Which one should we go for I asked? The answer was given by the sight of a hill walker in his bright yellow waterproof. He stood out so much that even a stalker on planet Mars would have seen him. Unfortunately he moved one of the herds which, as you would expect, started to move others in their path. If only.......

All was not lost however, as a good stag on the face of Meal a Choire Leath together with his hinds, most of which were lying down and settled, gave us the opportunity of a stalk. The climb up was, surprisingly, not to strenuous given that this was my first day on on the hill for a while. Either that, or Grant was being kind to me stopping now and again for a breather and a wee spy.

With eyes like a hawk Grant picked out the ears of a hind in the heather confirming our proximity and from this point we crawled for about thirty yards and up on to a grassy knoll. The excitment was now beyond the X Factor. The stag was chasing a hind about 120 yards out as Grant ushered me forward to take the shot. The Mannlichar was out of the slip, loaded and I eased into a shooting position. As I did so did the stag not at this moment decide to lie down. "Bugger". I thought as all I could now see was the top of his head and a good one too. Sadly the grass was a bit long to ease my way comfortably for a possible neck shot and as I tried one of the hinds twigged me. Then another, and another, and another, resulting in all of them beginning to stand up. I slid the safety catch forward as I knew I would not have long now and as I did the stag stood up and, thankfully, broadside on. "Bang" went the Mannlichar and the .243 reload did the rest hitting him a little behind the shoulder. He ran with his hinds for fifty yards befor keeling over dead. Phew.......... A job well done and the climax of a graet day with a nine pointer on the grass. And I had another day on the morrow.

I helped Grant get the stag down the hill and into the larder followed by a quick cup of coffee before heading off to the Cushiville and a hot bath.

Sadly, day two was not to be as on my arrival at the hotel was a message demanding my immediate return to Aberdeen. The Memsahib had become seriously ill and was taken to hospital.

Fortunately all is well at home now with the Memsahab making a full recovery. Next year, God willing, I may come accross the stag I should have got on day two. Good luck to him.

One wonderful day in Glenlyon


Donsider.
 
Thanks to ash243 here is a picture of my day in Glenlyon

2009_1019_134301.jpg


The usual view of the stalker from the rifle's point of view. This is Grant the stalker dragging the stag down to the Landrover, and yes, I did take my turn helping.

Now I know how to upload pictures thanks to SD.

Donsider
 
I had really good day on tuesday got up to chesthill at 9 waited for the other gun to appear at 9.20 , Went to target had a couple of shoot at target hamish was happy so off we went. We went over to the north side of loch tay and went up boreland wood , no rain and a slight breeze when we got up to argo and went up to the ridge above a corrie for a spy and seen about 7 groups of hinds with stags with them there was a group of stags hanging around waiting for the chance to to get in to a hind when the stag holding the hinds was busy chasing other stags away he seem to be doing this alot very funny to watch. We headed round the ridge and down the burn till the base of corrie and spyed to stags heading our way so we stayed low and worked down the burn and lost site of them the burn got steeper as we went down qwite tricky walking at points and had a few more spys as we headed down some groups were coming down the face so hamish said we got to mouth of the corrie after some crawling for 200 yrds and we heard a stag roaring 300 yrds away so we headed up on our bellys crawing up 160yrds great fun getting wet knees i forgot how much fun this is :lol: . I knew we were close when hamish took rifle out sling i thought we were about 150 yrds away still he put rifle on top of a wee knoll and signaled me to come up i went up and the stag was 30 yrds away i put cross hair on heart and i think he was getting curious and walked along looking at us he stopped again and was head on i was away to pull trigger and he turned broadside lined up again and pulled trigger thump i heard as the bullet hit him he walked away a bit i was away to chamber another round told by hamish iwas getting worried but down he went a nice old hill stag long brow points head going back a good one to get ,a few battle scars 5 pointer. The other heards were still totally unaware what happend so we gralloched him and i sat and watched what was happing around it was fantastic to watch its been 10 years since i have went stag stalking. I sat there watching the stags rutting some locking anterlers for 30 mins while bryan the ghillie came and got us with the argo .
What a good day and it was only 1pm so we went back to the deer larder the stag was 13 stone so not bad.
Many thanks to Hamish Rae and Bryan a most enjoyable day out very impressed with everything a well oiled machine . I have booked a couple of days later with Hamish at the hinds.

Lyon
 
Mudman,
I know the area well. The 20 pointer was a 20 pointer because he must have had extra good feeding - not necessarily because he had good genes (although this would have had some part to play). You just do not get 20 pointers on any open hill area in Scotland unless they have had supplementary feeding and/or access to first class shelter during the winter months - especially January to April .
 
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