Priced out of stalking

Talking of expensive, has anyone else experienced a serious increase in the price of birds for the 2022/23 season. One well known Devon shoot I have been to the last few years has just quoted me £65 per bird and said they will no longer do 200 bird days, minimum 250. Might as well go Grouse Shooting at that price!
If you can afford that, even at the old price, I can see why you don’t think 7.5% at the cheap end of the stalking scale isn’t much. For some people it is.
 
If you can afford that, even at the old price, I can see why you don’t think 7.5% at the cheap end of the stalking scale isn’t much. For some people it is.
Depends on the value you put on the stalker and his service. If prices his prices have gone up by 7.5%, yet you do not think he is worth the 7.5% pay increase, then you think he is over pricing his service. I fully appreciate a professional stalker has costs and when they go up, so will his fees. As such, I am more than willing to meat any justifiable cost increase, it is only fair.
 
Depends on the value you put on the stalker and his service. If prices his prices have gone up by 7.5%, yet you do not think he is worth the 7.5% pay increase, then you think he is over pricing his service. I fully appreciate a professional stalker has costs and when they go up, so will his fees. As such, I am more than willing to meat any justifiable cost increase, it is only fair.
No, it doesn’t.

If you can afford 200 bird days at £50 a bird you’re doing ok and of course it won’t be an issue to you.

Some people may see that it is still good value but not be able to justify to themselves or simply afford the additional cost.

Step outside your own box for 2 mins and think about it as someone who makes £30K a year with 2 or 3 kids to feed…….

(That’s not me by the way 😜)
 
No, it doesn’t.

If you can afford 200 bird days at £50 a bird you’re doing ok and of course it won’t be an issue to you.

Some people may see that it is still good value but not be able to justify to themselves or simply afford the additional cost.

Step outside your own box for 2 mins and think about it as someone who makes £30K a year with 2 or 3 kids to feed…….

(That’s not me by the way 😜)
Whether one can or cannot afford the service does not change the stalkers right to charge a reasonable amount Its not a charity, its a business. If someone cannot afford to stalk as often due to the increase then that is a shame for them, but not a reason for the stalker to operate at a loss to accommodate them.
 
Whether one can or cannot afford the service does not change the stalkers right to charge a reasonable amount Its not a charity, its a business. If someone cannot afford to stalk as often due to the increase then that is a shame for them, but not a reason for the stalker to operate at a loss to accommodate them.
I didn’t say the stalker should.

My point was you were being dismissive because your for you the increase was of no consequence, for others it may be prohibitive, which was, in part, the Op’s point.
 
Most game shoots I have spoken too have been justified in putting up their prices by around £5 per bird for the forthcoming season due to increases in costs - especially gas/fuel and feed, this was before the Ukraine crisis so might seem to be too conservative an increase with the way the aforementioned commodities are trending.

I think any sensible client would understand if the cost of guided stalking increases this year.
 
I think modest increases will be absorbed by the punters though .We see ammo rising almost weekly but that dosnt put us off buying it, or heads if you reload it’s all increased .
Those that are dedicated to the way of life just get on with it ,making ends meet and affording the things that feed our passion .
 
oh but plenty are. Many people keep a sorf top or other sports car for weekend fun and problems 90% of sports bikes are simply weekend toys
That's more like spending £50/hr on a riflesmith to keep your stalking hobby going.

Spending money on a track day is like going stalking, maintenance costs and rebatrels could be seen as necessary 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
Rising prices in stalking may be a good thing, getting rid of the guides who think 3 stalks to 1 deer is fair, with rising prices people will be more inclined to do there homework, this may free up more land
3-1 is about the average for guided stalking has veen for years.

In fact if you do in less than 3 to one yeah you’re guide is doing bloody well!

I am personally sit in at 2 to 1 that’s two outings to one animal for an average on the ground I’ve got
 
3-1 is about the average for guided stalking has veen for years.

In fact if you do in less than 3 to one yeah you’re guide is doing bloody well!

I am personally sit in at 2 to 1 that’s two outings to one animal for an average on the ground I’ve got
And thats if the clients with all the talk don't crumble or clatter their sticks about when its time for the shot :lol:
 
And thats if the clients with all the talk don't crumble or clatter their sticks about when its time for the shot :lol:
How very true.

Like many I take all sorts of stalkers with various abilities. Many novices, which I have no issues with at all. However when you start guiding professionally you will be amazed at the various abilities out there.
Setting up quad sticks, when you have 20 odd Fallow looking at you with some clients, its similar to hanging washing out. Sticks everywhere, barrel in the air, adjust the legs of the sticks, try and find the deer in the scope, that you can see, and they cant. But as a guide you have to be patient, which can be difficult at times. Some deer are less than 40yds, and could easily be shot free hand, but people rely on sticks too much at times.

We had two clients from London recently, the shooting was appaling, using our rifles. One shot the back leg off a Fallow at less than 40yds. My guide Jason, managed to dispatch it before it ran off.

On average we achieve a deer every two outings. But then we may go several outings and take deer everytime. My last visit to my lease in Bedfordshire produced 4 Muntjac in one morning outing with me guiding one client. Dosnt happen everytime, but occassionally one gets lucky. Its deer stalking, and if people expect a result everytime, I suggest you take up train spotting or stamp collecting.
 
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