Why do we stalk?

[Wilkesy]

Put it this way: imagine a scenario where someone offers the opportunity to stalk deer exactly as you would with a rifle. But, at the end, you take a photo rather shooting. The deer is marked, and shot by someone else. You are then presented with the carcass. Everything is exactly as normal, except you are not the person who kills the deer. Would you do it? And if not, why not?

This is a very interesting question! I have spoken to a couple of people that guide hunts and I have asked them whether they prefer to guide or hunt themselves. And I've received similar answers every time, they said they get just as much enjoyment and satisfaction out of guiding someone onto an animal. This would lead me to think that its more the experience of the stalk, spending time with like minded individuals and an all round collective enjoyment of the hunt, at least for those that I've spoken too.
Having myself been in the position where I was on a guided stalk with the guide and my cousin, I can attest to the fact that I got nearly the same level of enjoyment when my cousin got a deer as I did when I got one! 'Nearly' being the key word there as the feeling I get when the stalk is over, the adrenaline of the shot is fading and you're holding the animal you've just killed is something very special.

 

[Sako6.5x55]

This is a very interesting question! I have spoken to a couple of people that guide hunts and I have asked them whether they prefer to guide or hunt themselves. And I've received similar answers every time, they said they get just as much enjoyment and satisfaction out of guiding someone onto an animal. This would lead me to think that its more the experience of the stalk, spending time with like minded individuals and an all round collective enjoyment of the hunt, at least for those that I've spoken too.
Having myself been in the position where I was on a guided stalk with the guide and my cousin, I can attest to the fact that I got nearly the same level of enjoyment when my cousin got a deer as I did when I got one! 'Nearly' being the key word there as the feeling I get when the stalk is over, the adrenaline of the shot is fading and you're holding the animal you've just killed is something very special.

I agree that it’s an interesting question and yes I also agree that I get a buzz out of seeing someone feel that same sensation we all feel when we’ve completed a stalk. What really concerns me about this post is the comments from the people that just want to kill and that is their only enjoyment. I am of an age whereas I don’t have many more years stalking in me but I am fortunate enough to have had many years. I probably won‘t be affected by the results of the self proclaimed psychopaths who just want to kill and their blatant proclamations of the enjoyment of killing. When the anti’s have their way and with the support of the psychopathic killers among us and the demise of shooting sports comes about I will have had fulfilment from my stalking but there will be generations of people after me who will be robbed of that opportunity because of the ammunition fed to the anti field sports community by those self proclaimed killers. If you’ve lost your way and forgotten what stalking is about or maybe didn’t know in the first place give a little bit of consideration to the rest of the stalking community whose rewards are achieved from so much more than a kill.

 

[Sol]

One of my favourite stalks was last year on a little group of bachelor youngsters no shot taken as they were all on the skyline (village under the hill, over a main road) but It was first time I was that close to a wild red on foot.
Probably no more than 100 yards away, we got pretty close all things considered for having three people here.

We popped around a week later and tried by going up the hill but nothing showed (though a week later was very much red pre-rut so to be expected)

 

[User00047]

. What really concerns me about this post is the comments from the people that just want to kill and that is their only enjoyment.

. I probably won‘t be affected by the results of the self proclaimed psychopaths

Looks like you’ve misread the entire thread.

 

[Bo Diddley]

I hunt therefore I am.

Did you forget the fore Nimrod

 

[Stalker62]

Why do we stalk?

I have been sat in a tree since 0430, trying to catch up with a “problem” deer.

It is blowing a hoolie. The TI has picked up hares, pheasants and a deer couched up away off to my left.

Have eaten half of my sandwich, one slice of cake and had a mouthful of flask coffee.

Why do we stalk?

I sometimes wonder…


Will give it until about 0800 hours and then roll onto the farm to feed the birds.

I will also take the rifle with me on my rounds, just in case…

 

[Bo Diddley]

We are all the "Sum total of our lives so far" So I guess we will all have slightly differing reasons, and derive different feelings from a stalk, given that we have all lived different lives.

Even my brother and I have different outlooks on stalking. His working life has been in the meat industry and full-time gamekeeping, he is a machine when it comes to culling, with at times I think little compassion, I'm a little more of a soulful hunter.

 

[Ruby Tuesday 2]

Well if avoids me having to drag this off the shagging hill, then me, I would be delighted...

View attachment 342633

I always find it easier to drag if I remove my gimp mask...

 

[Jon P]

Why do we stalk?

I have been sat in a tree since 0430, trying to catch up with a “problem” deer.

It is blowing a hoolie. The TI has picked up hares, pheasants and a deer couched up away off to my left.

Why do we stalk?

I sometimes wonder…

I was questioning my sanity last Monday TBH. Sat in a hay barn waiting for Wild Boar from 10 pm to 8 am Tuesday morning. It was again smashing it down with rain and blowing a gail. The boar had more sense than I did. I will be doing it again over Xmas, but at least I won’t be working in the days too then.

 

[Mungo]

What really concerns me about this post is the comments from the people that just want to kill and that is their only enjoyment.

I’m not sure there’s anyone who’s said that.

And it does us no good at all to deny killing is part of it. Otherwise it’s very easy for opponents to say ‘well, if it has nothing to do with killing, then you won’t mind if we ban that part.’

Which brings us back to the core question: if you could do every part of it, and even still go home with a carcass, but just couldn’t do the actual killing, would you still do it?

 

[25 Sharps]

I agree that it’s an interesting question and yes I also agree that I get a buzz out of seeing someone feel that same sensation we all feel when we’ve completed a stalk. What really concerns me about this post is the comments from the people that just want to kill and that is their only enjoyment. I am of an age whereas I don’t have many more years stalking in me but I am fortunate enough to have had many years. I probably won‘t be affected by the results of the self proclaimed psychopaths who just want to kill and their blatant proclamations of the enjoyment of killing. When the anti’s have their way and with the support of the psychopathic killers among us and the demise of shooting sports comes about I will have had fulfilment from my stalking but there will be generations of people after me who will be robbed of that opportunity because of the ammunition fed to the anti field sports community by those self proclaimed killers. If you’ve lost your way and forgotten what stalking is about or maybe didn’t know in the first place give a little bit of consideration to the rest of the stalking community whose rewards are achieved from so much more than a kill.

Could you please quote the posts where people have said that the killing element is their only enjoyment?

The fact remains without the killing element of the hunt it is not a hunt, the act of killing defines what we do. If you didn’t want to kill you would not hunt. If you cannot see that then you are in denial.

 

[Heym SR20]

I’m not sure there’s anyone who’s said that.

And it does us no good at all to deny killing is part of it. Otherwise it’s very easy for opponents to say ‘well, if it has nothing to do with killing, then you won’t mind if we ban that part.’

Which brings us back to the core question: if you could do every part of it, and even still go home with a carcass, but just couldn’t do the actual killing, would you still do it?

Yes I would go home with the carcass. This is pretty much what you do when you are guiding somebody or just going stalking with a friend or family.

I have helped a number of people get into stalking or at least taken them out for the experience of what I do.

But equally making a good clean shot, whether its with a rifle or a shotgun gives a lot of satisfaction.

I have competed in sport at a pretty high level. Yes lots say its the taking part that counts, but you have invested blood sweat and tears over many months winning is what matters. But as life develops and you no longer have the physical ability, passing on your skills is another whole different experience. It’s not the sharp and high burst of emotion, but its satisfaction of helping others achieve this and the frustrations when they do not.

 

[Mungo]

Yes I would go home with the carcass.

I don’t mean would you take the carcass - I mean would you continue to stalk if you were not the person who pulled the trigger. If every time, always, you did all the things EXCEPT shoot.

Would you still do it?

 

[Heym SR20]

I don’t mean would you take the carcass - I mean would you continue to stalk if you were not the person who pulled the trigger. If every time, always, you did all the things EXCEPT shoot.

Would you still do it?

Yes I would.

 

[Ratel]

Why do we stalk?

I have been sat in a tree since 0430, trying to catch up with a “problem” deer.

It is blowing a hoolie. The TI has picked up hares, pheasants and a deer couched up away off to my left.

Have eaten half of my sandwich, one slice of cake and had a mouthful of flask coffee.

Why do we stalk?

I sometimes wonder…


Will give it until about 0800 hours and then roll onto the farm to feed the birds.

I will also take the rifle with me on my rounds, just in case…

It also makes me wonder about you. 0430 sat in a tree, didn't anyone tell you it doesn't get shootable light until 3 hours after that.

 

[Mungo]

Yes I would.

So why do you pull the trigger?

 

[Heym SR20]

Yes I would.

But let me qualify this further. It would depend on who is pulling the trigger.

I would not want to accompany Mr “I have a ****ing great rifle, I am a killer and I want to shoot every deer that moves and I am paying you lots of money so expect a massive great stag but I am carrying a huge expense account around my waist so cannot get anywhere near a deer but I can easily shoot at 500m in a howling gale from the argo cat or pickup”

I would happily accompany a good friend, family member or somebody who shares my ethics.

Having to pander to idiots is the principal reason why I didn’t go into the Safari business. Instead I have my professional life trying to avoid, and use my stalking as a means of escape.

 

[Dunwaters]

I stalk because I enjoy hunting, it takes me on journeys to places I wouldn’t normally access.
Part of the deal is the shot, the skill of stalking is to put yourself into position to take a shot.
Part of the enjoyment of the day is making an effective shot.
I enjoy doing a clean tidy job with the guts and leaving a nice tidy carcass.
I enjoy the drag out ( provided it’s not too strenuous) because it means I can continue to delude myself that I can still do it at my age.
Even if all the above goes horribly wrong and it pishes down all day besides, I enjoy it because I’ll learn something, see something and will have got up off my hole and done something most people haven’t got the skillset to achieve.
Finally, I enjoy reminiscing over an adult beverage at the end of the day, even when what I’m reminiscing about happened decades ago.
No single part of the day is more important than any other, no single event on its own makes or mars the experience.
Each day stands alone.
This is what motivates ME, your motivation is your own business.

Thats just me and stalking, ask about bird shooting and the dogs come into it, that might take a bit longer to explain..

 

[Bowland blades]

So why do you ever pull the trigger?

If the best memories come from spending time with your daughter and getting as close as you can, do you actually need to shoot? Why not just leave the rifle behind?

I completely understand everything you say - and many of my most memorable stalks have been nearly identical to what you describe. But I still find myself compelled to actually shoot.

If it was about companionship while getting as close as possible to a deer, why don’t we go out with sticks and challenge ourselves to poke the deer?

Because UK law does not even allow us to hunt with a Bow ! I also the greatest part of my deer shooting I am there to take serious numbers via landowners withes

 

[devon deer stalker]

It also makes me wonder about you. 0430 sat in a tree, didn't anyone tell you it doesn't get shootable light until 3 hours after that.

Probably has a night licence, if not why would you sit in a tree at 0430 this time of year?