Stalking and Age

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old 30-06

Well-Known Member
Hi everyone. I have read a lot of varying posts in this forum lately, and there seems to be a common theme. Some forum members seem to think that older stalkers only go out occasionally, and are not up to controlling deer numbers sufficiently. The presumption is that 70 year old men are cannot cut the mustard !

Obviously I fall into this category (age). However, I am retired. My time is my own. I have time. I have no rush to do anything. I can go shooting whenever I like, and as often as I like,. and for as long as I like. I do not have to be a taxi and collect children from school, watch children play sport, take them to McDonald's. Neither do I have to work, or be at work early next day. Yes, I am 70, but there are lots of advantages to it.

Please do not dismiss us, we can be very useful (in our own way).
 
I like to call myself forty, twenty six 😂 & like the OP my times my own, I do enjoy family time & collect the grandkids from school once a week which I think helps to keep me a bit younger, just listening to them + trying to get onto their wavelength 😂. Have only been stalking a couple of times but I’m out foxing or rabbiting at least 3 times a week, I do all the feeding on our little shoot when that time comes around, trap a few rabbits when needed, walk the dogs etc etc. I do find it harder since being on immunotherapy as it really wears me out, but it’s nice just to be able to go at a leisurely pace and please my self when I go out & when I come home, I certainly wouldn’t write myself off & yes there’s endless advantages to it.
 
BEEN doing school runs for over forty five years now and the kids keep me going grand daughter lives with us age 10 yrs with AUTISUM and a 6ft 14yr old with AUTISUM who we fostered from birth . Then local Authority wanted to place her in a home when she reached two years old. So we took them to crown court to adopt her plus our own four kids and over 46 foster children
Christ i should feel like a teenager if they keep you young. :rofl:
 
My own boss, kids all grown up, left long time ago. Unlike some of the younger members on here, I am still stalking in my 60's. I can go when I like, where I like, and with whom I like. I have had some permissions in the highlands of over 40,000 acres, and some I have personally leased of 13,000 acres, with penalty clauses.

Iv'e learnt over the years to keep away from liars, bull sh.ters, back stabbers and generally dangerous individuals with firearms, of which there are far to many in this game. Those that know me well, will tell you I don't suffer fools gladly. There are a lot of older far more experienced stalkers on here, than some give it credit for. No doubt about that, many on here have guided and shot more deer than many on here will ever do, or dream of.
 
68 years old; 19 years retired; fit, happy & healthy.

As long as l can “put ‘em where I’m looking”, recover a big fat roe buck to a suitable tree and lift him into it on a gambrel, I’ll be going out.

My only natural adversary is [expletive deleted] politicians.

maximus otter
 
old 30-06 said:
Some forum members seem to think that older stalkers only go out occasionally, and are not up to controlling deer numbers sufficiently. The presumption is that 70 year old men are cannot cut the mustard !
Click to expand...

If this is in response to my comments, then I apologize if I caused widespread offence.

I was trying to make two points that got mixed up and possibly misinterpreted. But I was suggesting both were reasons why we should be looking out for younger people to encourage and mentor, rather than leave it to them to try and work out how to get into deer management.

The first was not a general point but refers specifically to my area, where fallow are out of control and where there are a number of 70+ stalkers who aren't doing a good enough job, either because they won't take enough does or because they create safe zones on wet/steep ground because of the difficulty of extraction (or both). So this is not a general criticism of 70+ stalkers. The point is that if stalkers in this particular situation were to mentor/foster a younger enthusiast, then they could carry on enjoying what they do (and possibly more so) and also do a better deer management job.

The other point is a little less palatable. We know that that the age demography of deer stalkers is skewed to older people and for all the reasons you and others have said, in terms of time, experience, knowledge, good practice, respect etc, this is all good. But in 10-20 years time, it's likely that there's going to be a fair number no longer going after deer. So, as experienced, knowledgeable established stalkers, there should be a general presumption of trying to get more of the next generation of enthusiastic deer managers mentored and in a good position to carry on the work. It worries me that without it, there will be a massive skills gap, that the environment and deer populations can't afford to suffer.

Many of you have described what you do towards this aim and that's brilliant - not that you need my acknowledgement or validation. But you do need to know that I am not criticizing you, I am trying to encourage more people to do the same.

Nevertheless, I am sure I'll have offended someone again - it's not been my intention!
 
Oh Gawd!
A big roundy birthday in December after which I’ll officially be on borrowed time.
I still love stalking but the pleasure of crawling out of bed at 0330 is wearing very thin.
Same with long drags and shitty weather, I don’t have to do it, there’s always another day so I wait till things improve.
I didn’t get out much last season for various reasons, if that carries on this year I will consider my options.
I’m not ready to hang up my binoculars just yet, but maybe a cut back to a smaller permission is on the cards.
 
Racking up 70 this year myself, extracting fallow in numbers over 2 now make me ache, thinking the times here to hand them over to my son and concentrate on the wee deer including more foxing and rabbits, hell might even get a couple of pugs to fill the gaps

One of the recurring thoughts that keeps coming back after a few years is to “avoid shooting anything bigger than a Roe “ downhill from your extraction point 🤣🤣🤣 you might larf🥺

Plagued with a trapped sciatic nerve at the moment which come on just after finishing on the fallow, having the summer off and re structure

Problem is your brain says just do it, your body statement says NO always decisions 🤣🤣🤣 when your in it up to your eyebrows doing exactly what you want to do when you want and loving every minute, the people you know in the same job or hobby all good friends it will be some adjusting I guess, but I ain’t finished yet 🤣🤣🤣
 
Well I am in my 81st year or is that 18 or is it 10, or is that my shoe size , that is the trouble these days memory is not quite as good as it was.

But I had two muntjac last week and a fox the week before and went out Friday evening, blanked, I am going out tonight glad that the Fallow season has finished though.

So just keep soldering on do your own thing and take no notice and keep on trucking!
 
I have to say, my losing of energy and diminishing interest in self torture, I solely blame on Brexit. I still manage to get the numbers with less pain, I think experience tells you where to find the deer at most times of day and in certain weather. Just back from a drive around in the misty rain, saw plenty of deer around 2pm. If I had the rifle, and they were actually my permissions ( 😂), could have had 3 roe just in my lunch break.
 
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