What to look for on a new permission?

[willie_gunn]

Apart from ascertaining the boundaries, access, suitable back stops and obvious signs of deer, what do you all look for when visiting a new permission?

If there are multiple ways to access your ground then, in line with understanding the prevailing wind, work out the best ways to gain access under different wind conditions so that it works in your favour. Before I visit our ground I check the wind conditions online and use that to determine where I'm going to park/stalk.

Perhaps also start scoping out potential areas for a high seat - factoring in how to get to/from the seat at last light?

For a lot of my stalking I have favourite trees that I'll stand with my back to and wait, looking out over forest rides, etc. and waiting for deer to appear. It's worth having a small, Silky type, folding saw in your pocket to remove branches form these trees and give a clear field of view.

Not sure what your ground is like, but where we stalk there is a lot of public access, so I keep in mind where the nearest car parks are, and from where the general public is most likely to appear.

I'd also want to know of any fields on the ground where any livestock, horses, etc, is likely to be grazing.

 

[Jon P]

Apart from ascertaining the boundaries, access, suitable back stops and obvious signs of deer, what do you all look for when visiting a new permission?

That you are the only one shooting on there.

 

[Stalker62]

 

[NullMac]

Where the neighbours are going to shoot over the fence or passers-by whack them from the road. Get them cleared out if you can to deter interest from outside

 

[Mr. Gain]

On the subject of neighbours. Find out who they are, make contact, and get a number to call so you can liaise with them if things go wrong and you lose a wounded deer onto their ground.

 

[Jon P]

On the subject of neighbours. Find out who they are, make contact, and get a number to call so you can liaise with them if things go wrong and you lose a wounded deer onto their ground.

Very good point- I had a deer run 60 yds, and fell over fence into neighbours woodland, neighbours dispute over who fence it is to fix so they are not really speaking to each other, I had an awkward convo with neighbour next door, I ended up gralloching deer and giving them the whole carcass, but I have now got there phone number if I have to cross boundary for another.

 

[co’den]

Thanks for all the replies. There’s some real gems in there which I’ve taken on board. However, it looks like the main things I need to look out for is poachers and unscrupulous landowners…

 

[Anser anser]

That you are the only one shooting on there.

watch out for the " we just want to shoot pigeon" types too that come knocking on your farmers door. Soon as they get on for crop protection its often the case that the sniffing about the land starts right over to all the boundaries, well away from the "crop protection" and the phone calls to their mates who are stalkers or inland goose shooters perhaps. Not everyone has honour when it comes to fieldsports, there is a strong undercurrent of lies involved with land scouting chancers i have found over the many decades especially when geese or deer are present. If you have a decent farmer my advice is to let him know as often as you can how much you appreciate his letting you on the land and be blunt about what impact others creeping about the land may have on your efforts to control deer.

 

[gelert]

Solid advice from all, especially the above nugget.I'd add dont take any friends out stalking either.
I'd encourage you to get everything down on paper too.

 

[Dave_45]

watch out for the " we just want to shoot pigeon" types too that come knocking on your farmers door. Soon as they get on for crop protection its often the case that the sniffing about the land starts right over to all the boundaries, well away from the "crop protection" and the phone calls to their mates who are stalkers or inland goose shooters perhaps. Not everyone has honour when it comes to fieldsports, there is a strong undercurrent of lies involved with land scouting chancers i have found over the many decades especially when geese or deer are present. If you have a decent farmer my advice is to let him know as often as you can how much you appreciate his letting you on the land and be blunt about what impact others creeping about the land may have on your efforts to control deer.

I’ve landed lucky, my farmer chases anyone sniffing about or says no to door knockers,they are part of shooting I suppose.

I caught a Belgian guest who was let out unaccompanied with no map on my land last year and my farmer told me to ring police right away and why did I not ring them first instead of him.

I also act immediately if he starts saying things about seeing deer or pigeons about the place.

Bottles of wine here and there , a butchered deer , go a long way.

 

[Dave_45]

He had permission on an adjacent farm*

 

[Pete6.5]

I’ve landed lucky, my farmer chases anyone sniffing about or says no to door knockers,they are part of shooting I suppose.

I caught a Belgian guest who was let out unaccompanied with no map on my land last year and my farmer told me to ring police right away and why did I not ring them first instead of him.

I also act immediately if he starts saying things about seeing deer or pigeons about the place.

Bottles of wine here and there , a butchered deer , go a long way.

I wouldn't of called the police on him but I would get the landowner to have a chat with the landowner next door about their stalker.

 

[Dave_45]

I wouldn't have called the police on him but I would get the landowner to have a chat with the landowner next door about their stalker.

I got it fixed out through the neighbouring farmer after a bit of to and fro ing.

 

[Scribbler]

Apart from ascertaining the boundaries, access, suitable back stops and obvious signs of deer, what do you all look for when visiting a new permission?

Depending on the time of year, the location of pheasant pens/drives that, come late summer, will be full of gamebirds. One sure way to p**s off the keeper is to walk his birds away from a drive towards a boundary when he’s spending time dogging-in and trying to keep them at home.

 

[David Barker]

Some of this is very good advice some like access and paths etc are not normally a worry in Scotland. A general risk assessment should cover everything and a few walks round the place in full daylight cover neighbours land.

 

[long_range_rob]

I’ve landed lucky, my farmer chases anyone sniffing about or says no to door knockers,they are part of shooting I suppose.

I caught a Belgian guest who was let out unaccompanied with no map on my land last year and my farmer told me to ring police right away and why did I not ring them first instead of him.

I also act immediately if he starts saying things about seeing deer or pigeons about the place.

Bottles of wine here and there , a butchered deer , go a long way.

Had some land in Dorset and the neighbouring farmer let his arable field to Belgians. We found their high seats erected against our trees straddling the boundary. Swiftly resolved that issue with a chainsaw.

 

[Pete6.5]

Had some land in Dorset and the neighbouring farmer let his arable field to Belgians. We found their high seats erected against our trees straddling the boundary. Swiftly resolved that issue with a chainsaw.

I hope you tried talking to them first before resorting to cutting up their seats with a chainsaw.

 

[Stalker62]

I hope you tried talking to them first before resorting to cutting up their seats with a chainsaw.

Depends on how good his Flemish is...

 

[opticron1]

Depends on how good his Flemish is...

Tssssk......Or French - can cause endless grief in Belgium!

 

[Dav247]

Get cameras up as soon as you can. You'll see what deer are about but more importantly what people are about. I see unauthorized people on cameras surprisingly often. And that's probably the last place you want to be putting a high seat etc if you have a choice.