Wanted: Like many of us out here im looking for stalking land.

[Man-o-woods]

Hello. Im sure this has been asked before but no harm in asking.
I live north Hampshire close to the Surrey and Berkshire borders and not too far from West Sussex. Im looking for land opportunities for stalking. this could be land owners needing vermin and deer control or someone with permission that they are not getting too anymore or someone thinking of calling it a day and want to pass their permission on to a small time stalker that shoots for the table rather than it fall into the hands of a commercial syndicate / shooter.
Any leads greatly recieved
TIA

 

[Dickie]

Unless the landowner knows who’s gaining permission I think you’ve more chance of the lottery and buying your own land than being gifted a permission.
Good luck.

 

[Man-o-woods]

I’m not necessarily looking to be gifted land. I am fully aware of how difficult it is to get

 

[Dickie]

I’m not necessarily looking to be gifted land. I am fully aware of how difficult it is to get

That’s the way your post read to me.

 

[Brad93]

Knock on doors, drink in the local pub, talk to people at the farmers market.

 

[Pedro]

Go to local pheasant shoots and offer your services as a beater, so you can get to know folk in the right circles and build trust. Offer your services to assist in game-keeping tasks. And even this is unlikely to be a short term solution. Persistence will eventually (not going to define how long "eventually" is) pay dividends given some luck. Because the number of landowners letting someone they don't know roam over their property with a gun is very, very small.

 

[Bo Diddley]

I see you are 63 years old and live in an area of some degree of wealth.
All the advice of going beating on game shoots, buy the local farmers a pint in the local pub, and knocking on doors/writing letters won't get you anywhere in rural Norfolk, so I doubt they will get you very far in your neck of the woods.
But I will be interested to know how you fare, I hope you find even a small patch of suitable stalking land, keep trying.
Miracles happen.
Good luck.
Atb BD

 

[TringSaint]

I would target homes with big gardens.
I used to have a perm in Oxford which was a 10ac back garden which cracked on to shotover park. Was teeming with deer and the owner was fed up with them eating all his plants.

 

[75]

Well I can’t speak for Norfolk but beating has got me stalking permission on land in several other counties.

Very occasionally door knocking has worked, but only when I was vaguely known to the landowner in the first place - it’s not an approach I’m personally comfortable with.

All the rest has come from building trust with farmers in one way or another and personal recommendations (I.e. farmer A talks to farmer B and tells them I’m a decent sort etc).

 

[Tim.243]

Hello. Im sure this has been asked before but no harm in asking.
I live north Hampshire close to the Surrey and Berkshire borders and not too far from West Sussex. Im looking for land opportunities for stalking. this could be land owners needing vermin and deer control or someone with permission that they are not getting too anymore or someone thinking of calling it a day and want to pass their permission on to a small time stalker that shoots for the table rather than it fall into the hands of a commercial syndicate / shooter.
Any leads greatly recieved
TIA

Simon,
There are a number of things Farmers don't like depending on what/how they farm, tbh a game shoot will have people attached to it for the shooting, but often I have seen corners of crops eaten by rabbits.
They don't like pigeons/corvids/rabbits/foxes, this time of year the rape is away but peas & lucerne also the clover are growing,
Make sure you use fibre wad as lucerne buyers around here want those used.
Geese feeding on drilled spring wheat raises their blood pressure as the birds make more mess walking over it than eating it, but they do eat it. Greylag geese can be shot year-round under specific circumstances outlined in General Licence 02/2025.
BUT do your homework!
Everyone wants to shoot the Kings deer and swerve the above so think out the box and the deer will come at some point.

 

[TringSaint]

Simon,
There are a number of things Farmers don't like depending on what/how they farm, tbh a game shoot will have people attached to it for the shooting, but often I have seen corners of crops eaten by rabbits.
They don't like pigeons/corvids/rabbits/foxes, this time of year the rape is away but peas & lucerne also the clover are growing,
Make sure you use fibre wad as lucerne buyers around here want those used.
Geese feeding on drilled spring wheat raises their blood pressure as the birds make more mess walking over it than eating it, but they do eat it. Greylag geese can be shot year-round under specific circumstances outlined in General Licence 02/2025.
BUT do your homework!
Everyone wants to shoot the Kings deer and swerve the above so think out the box and the deer will come at some point.

I got my first deer perm on the basis of shooting geese that were crapping all over the Farmer’s silage crop. Once a few of them had been given a headache they disappeared and I picked up all of the shooting, including the deer stalking.
He subsequently then recommended me to another farmer with a much bigger acreage and a lot more deer and he has just recommended me to another farmer in the area who is having trouble.

Acorns into oaks!!

 

[Liveonce]

Unless the landowner knows who’s gaining permission I think you’ve more chance of the lottery and buying your own land than being gifted a permission.
Good luck.

It does happen, I was recently been gifted some land for rabbits, fox etc by a friend who was moving away, my friend introduced me to the farmer and permission paper work was completed. The farmer simply said if recommended by xxx then that’s good enough for me.

OP good luck in your search, hope you find what you are looking for.

 

[timbrayford]

Hello. Im sure this has been asked before but no harm in asking.
I live north Hampshire close to the Surrey and Berkshire borders and not too far from West Sussex. Im looking for land opportunities for stalking. this could be land owners needing vermin and deer control or someone with permission that they are not getting too anymore or someone thinking of calling it a day and want to pass their permission on to a small time stalker that shoots for the table rather than it fall into the hands of a commercial syndicate / shooter.
Any leads greatly recieved
TIA

Beating on driven shoots and helping out game keepers can be useful unless you have very deep pockets. Don't expect landowners to welcome you as a total stranger.

 

[75]

The other thing to mention is can you deal with what the landowner wants? What I mean is if they are plagued by big herds of fallow are you able to put the time in to thin numbers and deal with carcasses? Or are you just looking for “one for the pot” stalking?

Something to consider when asking around…

 

[Brad93]

Have you got your DSC1?

 

[Man-o-woods]

The other thing to mention is can you deal with what the landowner wants? What I mean is if they are plagued by big herds of fallow are you able to put the time in to thin numbers and deal with carcasses? Or are you just looking for “one for the pot” stalking?

Something to consider when asking around…

Just one for the pot.
But good point.

Have you got your DSC1?

not yet but it’s on the cards.

 

[Man-o-woods]

I got my first deer perm on the basis of shooting geese that were crapping all over the Farmer’s silage crop. Once a few of them had been given a headache they disappeared and I picked up all of the shooting, including the deer stalking.
He subsequently then recommended me to another farmer with a much bigger acreage and a lot more deer and he has just recommended me to another farmer in the area who is having trouble.

Acorns into oaks!!

I’m not sure geese are a real problem around here other than Brent on the south coast.
We don’t get pinks, white fronts or greylag in big numbers.

 

[TringSaint]

I’m not sure geese are a real problem around here other than Brent on the south coast.
We don’t get pinks, white fronts or greylag in big numbers.

It wasn’t the geese that was the importsnt bit, it was providing a service to a farmer who had a problem and that opened doors.

 

[Dickie]

It does happen, I was recently been gifted some land for rabbits, fox etc by a friend who was moving away, my friend introduced me to the farmer and permission paper work was completed. The farmer simply said if recommended by xxx then that’s good enough for me.

OP good luck in your search, hope you find what you are looking for.

You were gifted by a friend that the farmer took at his word.
The OP isn’t your friend or anyone else’s he’s asking “I’ll be your friend “.

 

[Old Pultney]

I think beating/ helping out on a shoot can be a good way of people getting to know you , maybe offer free pest control for rats, feral pigeons etc too. Large gardens/ houses with a few acres and muntjac could be a niche market to tap into.

Keep at it ! Persistence does pay off but it can take a while. Good luck with your search.