Shoot more Deer !

[baguio]

Is that the one where stalkers are expected to donate carcases for free, but the participating game dealer retains the haunches and loins?
If so, I think we should all be having a word with them...

People wonder why Game Dealers don't pay us much and now I hear that people are giving them the best bits for free. If the Game dealer wants to give me some free fuel, bullets, tyres and vehicles, I will give them some free carcasses. If not, I will feed the local wildlife with venison which I did only last night!

 

[JTO]

Yes first you pay for a walk in the woods followed by a pay to take a shot charge then you pay to on top take the deer home, seems a silly system to me.

SHUSSSSS!

 

[JTO]

Do the modern housewife's job and make everything into sausages, burgers and mince, then try to keep up with demand.

 

[75]

Do the modern housewife's job

Ey up, the 1970s have been on the phone and want their stereotypes back.

 

[south-nofolk-stalker]

Do the modern housewife's job and make everything into sausages, burgers and mince, then try to keep up with demand.

Too much like hard work, personally I would rather give it away

 

[sikamalc]

Hmm your beginning to sound like someone familiar.

 

[Heym SR20]

The government and the country side agencies tell us to shoot more Deer . I have just heard off the Game dealer he will only be buying Roe for the the foreseeable future due to high stocks ! How do we dispose of the Muntjac and Fallow ?Its a sad state of affairs when a premium product like Venison doesn't command a price . Before people say eat them yourself ,we shoot 200 deer a year so cant eat them all at home.

Chill

When did anybody actually listen to Government sound bites.

The current bunch in the lunatic asylum have told us that:

1) Brexit would result in huge opportunities and a thriving economy

2) Covid - keep alert and keep your distance and we are doing everything to protect the elderly

3) Immigration would be under control now that we have control of our borders

4) Smart motorways

5) record spending on the NHS, yet longest waiting times ever and people dying needlessly in ambulances and in waiting rooms.

6) the countryside

Etc etc etc. all their policies are based on some so called expert opininion and then a whole load of spin, political self flagilation and pandering to whoever has written the last cheque, so the end result completely misses the point and we end up with yet more legislation and political soundbites.

I think many will agree.

So why should we believe what government spouts about deer.

 

[willie_gunn]

Because the cover gets up and it's hard to see them. Therefore, most are shot in the winter and spring.

Just had a look at our statistics.

Averaged over the past 23 years we have shot 39% of our muntjac in Feb/Mar/Apr, 39% between May and October, and 22% in Nov/Dec/Jan.

These numbers are influenced by the fact that there's traditionally been a large shoot on the same ground (40+ days per season), which has sometimes limited stalking access between October and the end of January.

This also means we have to keep shooting muntjac over the Summer - and I see that, over the last three years, we have shot up to 44% of our annual cull of muntjac in that same May to October period.

Keep in mind also that a lot of the ground we stalk is Amenity woodland, with heavy public access, meaning that it is far easier to get out and cull deer uninterrupted in the wee hours of a Summer morning than it is during the Winter.

Basically we can't afford to take the Summer off, and the landowner and farmers would likely take a dim view of it if we did. Personally with muntjac over the Summer I think it becomes more a question of picking your spots where you can intercept them. So far as antlers, our muntjac policy is to shoot on sight, so it matters little whether they are carrying headgear or not.

 

[VSS]

Hmm your beginning to sound like someone familiar.

Tits in the sink?

 

[Ollie-m]

personally i think a large issue atleast in my area is that as farms have expanded, one farmer now has 600 acres instead of 100 acres, sharing land is difficult for convenience and safety reasons/ more hassle than most people/hobby stalkers want so directly off of that where previously old chum who shot 4 deer a year on the 100 acres was keeping population averaged, should now be shooting atleast 20 a year probably more. most hobby stalkers are always after more land so that when they balls up the stalk on a herd they can drive a couple mile over and start again.

imo too many stalkers are selfish in the amount of land that they take on

if the gov would subsidize a deer management scheme for every farm with a deer quota to hit, it can then be passed onto the stalker who gets two options - either hit the quota or loose a -proportion of the land to another stalker so that instead of 600 acres the farm has two stalkers with each covering 300 acres, split in such a way that it is safe.
theres enough people out there wanting even a couple of fields to stalk just so they can fill the freezer a couple times a year for free to in my opinion make it viable

 

[NullMac]

Yes we have to many deer but that is not my or your problem its a government one and it is one of there own making.

We have too many deer because recreational stalkers want to shoot a couple of nice heads so run a zoo to make sure they are guaranteed a head. They just need to flatten them.

Same can be said of the DMG's in the Highlands, they just don't need that number of stags to provide shooting for their clients. Have a look at the Nature Scot density maps before you start shouting.

 

[devon deer stalker]

@devon deer stalker I think lads that attended the advertised stalk in Hereford this March got the perms costs covered...from what Bill said, 5 blokes, £100 a pop, not a shot fired.

No deer on the land plus income....winner.

Not sure why you tagged me?
I must be missing something.

 

[south-nofolk-stalker]

I have given this subject a lot of thought, one has to think are the deer to blame or the expansion of the human race into the deers territory, either way almost 100 animals have gone through my larder since august and I have given or traded the whole lot away, I’ve not take a penny towards my costs.

If everyone did the same instead of thinking about money and covering cost, then maybe we would be in a better place with controlling deer numbers.

 

[Overlay]

personally i think a large issue atleast in my area is that as farms have expanded, one farmer now has 600 acres instead of 100 acres, sharing land is difficult for convenience and safety reasons/ more hassle than most people/hobby stalkers want so directly off of that where previously old chum who shot 4 deer a year on the 100 acres was keeping population averaged, should now be shooting atleast 20 a year probably more. most hobby stalkers are always after more land so that when they balls up the stalk on a herd they can drive a couple mile over and start again.

imo too many stalkers are selfish in the amount of land that they take on

if the gov would subsidize a deer management scheme for every farm with a deer quota to hit, it can then be passed onto the stalker who gets two options - either hit the quota or loose a -proportion of the land to another stalker so that instead of 600 acres the farm has two stalkers with each covering 300 acres, split in such a way that it is safe.
theres enough people out there wanting even a couple of fields to stalk just so they can fill the freezer a couple times a year for free to in my opinion make it viable

Sounds like the old FC stance on deer leases, don’t make the required annual cull you get the old black spot, never get to shoot on fc ground again and when you do they put it up again for the next year or so
Someone wins the other loses

During Covid there was a lot of stalkers not allowed out or unable to travel to their stalking ground from county to another county and also covid knocked the steam out of stalking for a while - absence off some ground / areas was
Very noticeable, lots of minuses in some quarters

 

[Morkai]

Not sure why you tagged me?
I must be missing something.

Sorry, it was to do with the comment of covering your costs with regards to stalking.

 

[Ollie-m]

Sounds like the old FC stance on deer leases, don’t make the required annual cull you get the old black spot, never get to shoot on fc ground again and when you do they put it up again for the next year or so
Someone wins the other loses

never knew that too be honest, no fc land anywhere near me. sounds a bit harsh but if you arent hitting quota then providing theyve got people lined up and waiting then i think its only fair to move them considering the obvious issue with not hitting quota, however downright banning them doesnt seem great

 

[nun_hunter]

personally i think a large issue atleast in my area is that as farms have expanded, one farmer now has 600 acres instead of 100 acres, sharing land is difficult for convenience and safety reasons/ more hassle than most people/hobby stalkers want so directly off of that where previously old chum who shot 4 deer a year on the 100 acres was keeping population averaged, should now be shooting atleast 20 a year probably more. most hobby stalkers are always after more land so that when they balls up the stalk on a herd they can drive a couple mile over and start again.

imo too many stalkers are selfish in the amount of land that they take on

if the gov would subsidize a deer management scheme for every farm with a deer quota to hit, it can then be passed onto the stalker who gets two options - either hit the quota or loose a -proportion of the land to another stalker so that instead of 600 acres the farm has two stalkers with each covering 300 acres, split in such a way that it is safe.
theres enough people out there wanting even a couple of fields to stalk just so they can fill the freezer a couple times a year for free to in my opinion make it viable

Everywhere I shoot is shared amongst a few stalkers and the farmer himself who shoots. It's not onerous or unreasonable to text the farmer "hey can I come up stalking on Friday?" and either get told yes or not Friday as someone else is out but any other day is fine. Keeps it safe and easy to manage. Issue is when people want exclusivity without being the landowner themselves or aren't willing to compensate the landowner sufficiently.

 

[devon deer stalker]

Sorry, it was to do with the comment of covering your costs with regards to stalking.

Its ok, I thought you were associating me to the experience those unfortunate clients experienced, lost in translation.

 

[baguio]

Just had a look at our statistics.

Averaged over the past 23 years we have shot 39% of our muntjac in Feb/Mar/Apr, 39% between May and October, and 22% in Nov/Dec/Jan.

These numbers are influenced by the fact that there's traditionally been a large shoot on the same ground (40+ days per season), which has sometimes limited stalking access between October and the end of January.

This also means we have to keep shooting muntjac over the summer - and I see that, over the last three years, we have shot up to 44% of our annual cull of muntjac in that same May to October period.

Keep in mind also that a lot of the ground we stalk is Amenity woodland, with heavy public access, meaning that it is far easier to get out and cull deer uninterrupted in the wee hours of a Summer morning than it is during the Winter.

Basically we can't afford to take the summer off, and the landowner and farmers would likely take a dim view of it if we did. Personally with muntjac over the Summer I think it becomes more a question of picking your spots where you can intercept them. So far as antlers, our muntjac policy is to shoot on sight, so it matters little whether they are carrying headgear or not.

So you should 39% in the 6 warm months and 61% in the 6 cold months. Looks pretty conclusive to me that winter is a lot more productive. Add in that you're probably out for much longer on the summer stalks than winter ones the culls/hr spent stalking would go further in favour of winter stalking.

 

[tim@tcs]

Foxes are shot and disposed of without a second thought.

A neighbour of ours paid off his mortgage on his farm with fox pelts in the sixties!
Everything has a value to someone even if it’s the absence of that thing!