When I started stalking some 11 years ago I was warned not to be too generous with information and access to my permission.
Bitter experience has now taught me that was the correct advice.
- Most Stalkers I have taken on my land enjoyed my hospitality: Coffee, food, a beer afterwards... and promised to reciprocate my invite, but haven't.
- Most Stalkers I have taken by the hand and guided on my permissions to shoot a deer with my rifle, and then shown a week later how to skin and butcher, and given them the entire carcass to take home, all with no money changing hands, have not even had the courtesy to get back to me later on saying something about how they enjoyed the venison or likewise. Just nothing. Are they expecting me to invite them again? Did I hear from them again? No.
- And some Stalkers who I have helped to get their own permission with an agreement for me to still have some access to that permission have quickly broken that Gentleman's Agreement by bringing in their own people and then excluding me and others who were part of that agreement.
- Most of the Gents who I have added to my License as 'Authorised Persons' on land where I am contracted as a Licensee turned out to be 'permission collectors' and may only put in one or two appearances each year, and a few of them have managed not to show up for several years, but every year again are very keen on their permission being renewed.
- Most Stalkers who made arrangements to collect a good head (I am not into trophies myself, but am happy to give them away) haven't turned up on the agreed date and time, and can't be bothered to send you a message.
- I have passed on a few permissions to other Stalkers who had no land, or insufficient land. So an introduction and recommendation to the landowner, papers sorted, and time spent on a walk-over and tips and hints, maps, etc. etc. Several years later those landowners come back to you and tell you that Jo Bloggs has only ever been once or twice, and after that they never heard from them again. 'And can you please come back Erik'. One even had the nerve to demand a site meeting with me after just ONE stalk on which occasion he/she didn't see any deer, asking me aggressively 'where all the deer are', as he/she 'hadn't seen any'. He/she never returned to that land (400 Acres of Prime Cotswolds mixed farm land/coppice/spinneys/brooks) and didn't have the courtesy to inform the landowner.
- The last person I helped to a permission in a friend's woodland was made clear it was on the condition he would visit once a fortnight. He did keep this up for 6 months, then disappeared off the radar. This particular landowner has now got four Stalkers, three of whom never stalk, and just one who does.
No wonder the UK has a big problem with too many deer and insufficient attention to population control by focussing on the female species. Is that because in Winter it is often cold and wet?
In my life I have been involved with all kinds of sports and clubs doing Judo, Mixed Martial Arts, windsurfing, sailing, swimming and beach Life-guard duties, and course-fishing. My kids have played football, rugby and cricket. In all those sports and hobbies there is a strong culture of looking after the youth and nurturing new talent, sharing and tutoring and mentoring and coaching and learning. Sadly that it not so much the case in deer stalking, which is dominated by permission-collectors, jealousy, envy, hatred, and secrecy.
Finishing on a positive note, I said '
most' and '
some' and not 'all'. There are some excellent and reliable people out there as well and with them you form a long and good relationship and often friendship, based on sharing, trust and reliability. The rewards and pay-offs of knowing those people are mutual.
Sorry
