Kent based what to do next?

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Kent is not the best county for deer stalking. However, over my lifetime deer have gradually encroached into Kent. West and South West Kent have Fallow, Roe and some Muntjac. But its mostly tied up. You do get the odd pocket else where, Muntjac are in and around some parts of Dover.
Trouble is in Kent, as soon as anything resembling a deer sticks its head up, some one shoots it.

Ashford area has Fallow, but west of this into Canterbury, hardly anything, or nothing to my knowledge. Kings Wood has Fallow, but again the FC and various farms around are shot, they never get a chance to spread.

To get any real stalking you need to go outside Kent. East Sussex, West Sussex have plenty of deer, and north of the Dartford Bridge there are plenty of Fallow and Muntjac.
I would suggest you take the time to visit a pro stalker and pay for a few outings first. Its all very well knocking on doors, nothing wrong with it, but the end results can be disheartening. Its getting to know people first, and making the contacts, something I am sure you will find on here after a while.

If you can wait I will have no problem with your coming up to my areas in Bedfordshire later this winter. Very rarely do things happen overnight in this game. People are rightly cautious, especially me. But I have no issue with offering help, when needed.
 
luca$ said:
Yeah that’s the way forward but it feels a bit malicious trying to befriend people for a sole objective, I understand that if you don’t ask you don’t get but trying to build entire relationships based on trying to get something doesn’t sit right with me 😬
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Me neither, that's not the angle I'm thinking of. If you mix with like-minded souls and they think you're ok and befriend you, they may offer something if they feel inclined to do so...

I could have included a Frankie Boyle joke into this reply, but it may have got me a ban :norty:
 
Bowland blades said:
TBF in woodland stalking muntjac you don't have much opertunity to asses the trophy likewise CWD . Very different if tour on Sika, Red, Fallow etc Roe are actually a bit difficult to take a stab at ( i just had a good roe head and the measure was not a medal ) point is the CIC measurer could not make a guess so how the heck can the client know before the shot ?
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That’s exactly what I mean, imagine going out thinking you’re spending £200-£300 and you shoot something for £400+ lol
 
sikamalc said:
Kent is not the best county for deer stalking. However, over my lifetime deer have gradually encroached into Kent. West and South West Kent have Fallow, Roe and some Muntjac. But its mostly tied up. You do get the odd pocket else where, Muntjac are in and around some parts of Dover.
Trouble is in Kent, as soon as anything resembling a deer sticks its head up, some one shoots it.

Ashford area has Fallow, but west of this into Canterbury, hardly anything, or nothing to my knowledge. Kings Wood has Fallow, but again the FC and various farms around are shot, they never get a chance to spread.

To get any real stalking you need to go outside Kent. East Sussex, West Sussex have plenty of deer, and north of the Dartford Bridge there are plenty of Fallow and Muntjac.
I would suggest you take the time to visit a pro stalker and pay for a few outings first. Its all very well knocking on doors, nothing wrong with it, but the end results can be disheartening. Its getting to know people first, and making the contacts, something I am sure you will find on here after a while.

If you can wait I will have no problem with your coming up to my areas in Bedfordshire later this winter. Very rarely do things happen overnight in this game. People are rightly cautious, especially me. But I have no issue with offering help, when needed.
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Yeah I know, it’s a shame as I grew up around eating venison and moose and when I’m out in the mornings pigeon shooting I always hope to see something that resembles a deer lol closest I’ve got is a hare haha, but eventually once I’ve obtained my fac and dsc2 I’ll venture out into England and try and get a bit more serious with it
I’ll get in touch with you once I’ve got those in order and I appreciate the offer I’m always trying to expand my network within this community 👍
 
luca$ said:
Hi all,

So I’m just trying to work out how it works nowadays with deer stalking.

I’m 27, just received my Sgc and will be going for my fac in the next couple months.
I’m half Swedish so I grew up around family hunting and eating venison for Christmas etc but it seems like it’s a bit harder here in the UK.

I feel like the only way I’m going to be able to stalk deer here is to do paid stalks? Is this the reality for new deer stalkers here?
I just completed my DSC1 as I want to learn as much as possible but I feel like getting any use of out it is a bit far fetched especially being in Kent.

Does it just take time to get permissions? A bit of luck? I sent out 50 emails the other week for pigeon shooting and recieved 5 no’s. This is after also offering services from my construction company aswell but I feel like it’s a bit over the top just for a permission.

Maybe I’m being spoilt, can anyone share their views?

Cheers
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You'll have a bit of a harder time than most in Kent being quite a populous county, but when I was still in the market for permissions I found the best success by giving a phone call at a reasonable time of day, so not at standard mealtimes, too early in the morning or too late at night.

Whenever the phone was picked up, I'd always apologise first for the cold call and then introduce myself and ask if they had any pest control (rabbits, pigeons, corvids, foxes etc) that they might want someone to look at. Some never went beyond pest control but good to cut your teeth on, but a few of them did expand into deer stalking permissions after a bit of time.

Always be polite, remembering your Ps and Qs will get you a long way when dealing with traditional country folk but also don't be disheartened when you do get refused (sometimes by some unsavoury language)
 
JMikeyH said:
You'll have a bit of a harder time than most in Kent being quite a populous county, but when I was still in the market for permissions I found the best success by giving a phone call at a reasonable time of day, so not at standard mealtimes, too early in the morning or too late at night.

Whenever the phone was picked up, I'd always apologise first for the cold call and then introduce myself and ask if they had any pest control (rabbits, pigeons, corvids, foxes etc) that they might want someone to look at. Some never went beyond pest control but good to cut your teeth on, but a few of them did expand into deer stalking permissions after a bit of time.

Always be polite, remembering your Ps and Qs will get you a long way when dealing with traditional country folk but also don't be disheartened when you do get refused (sometimes by some unsavoury language)
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I’m in a strange place where I want to start making phone calls and pushing to get permissions but I can’t offer everything as I haven’t got a FAC yet, but at the same time, I’ve heard it’s harder to get the calibres wanted on your ticket without valid permissions, my feo explained something about everyone having open tickets now under “police approved land” so I’m not entirely sure it’s true or not.
At the moment I’m making sure I’ve covered everything so get the calibres I want (dsc1, gun club with long range shooting, paid stalks etc) but once this is done I’ll be phoning every landowner in a 50 mile radius lol
 
Kent is not the easiest county in which to find shooting. It has a large number of shotgun and firearms owners, plus it is next door to London. There is a lot of development eating into farmland. It is not an easy quest. Perseverance and dedication are required to succeed.
 
old 30-06 said:
Kent is not the easiest county in which to find shooting. It has a large number of shotgun and firearms owners, plus it is next door to London. There is a lot of development eating into farmland. It is not an easy quest. Perseverance and dedication are required to succeed.
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I’m sure I’ll have what I need in a few years time, as with everything it’s frustrating at the start
 
luca$ said:
I’m in a strange place where I want to start making phone calls and pushing to get permissions but I can’t offer everything as I haven’t got a FAC yet, but at the same time, I’ve heard it’s harder to get the calibres wanted on your ticket without valid permissions, my feo explained something about everyone having open tickets now under “police approved land” so I’m not entirely sure it’s true or not.
At the moment I’m making sure I’ve covered everything so get the calibres I want (dsc1, gun club with long range shooting, paid stalks etc) but once this is done I’ll be phoning every landowner in a 50 mile radius lol
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In reality , you should take a few stalks using the "Estate Rifle " rules . This allows a none FAC holder to stalk deer without their own FAC under the control of the stalker , yet you take the shot .
Do this a few times ( maybe with different vendors ) then apply for your own FAC , get onto a level 1 deerstalking course then apply to firearms at your county police HQ when you have another booking into the future .
Building contacts and gaining experience, then do the knocking on doors and such on the farms and estates . Fox and vermin is far easier to get for Nothing
 
Notwithstanding the SD Site Staff take on Kent deer numbers, the Op should, IMHO, seriously consider putting cart before donkey as his best chance of securing a so-called "permission". Point being that unless you're in a position to dispose of multiple deer carcasses from the get-go, shooting the occasional beast for family & friends simply won't cut it.

Put another way, pitch your services as a total deer management package that provides a landowner with the confidence they will see a meaningful reduction in 🦌 numbers..

K
 
Well there's nothing around Ramsgate.............................I lived and worked at the Powell-Cotton Museum for many years, whilst also running an outfitting and guiding business. So there's no chance of seeing anything resembling a deer in Thanet, or planet Thanet as its known.

The nearest population is Fallow, far side of Canterbury near Chilham. But its all tied up to my knowledge, and always has been.

For you to obtain an FAC you will need to prove you have booked stalking or have ground that supports deer that can be cleared for the calibre of rifle you are asking for.

And if you've been asked to pay a £1000 for a Muntjac, your looking in the wrong place already. No one pays that in my book, unless they have won the lottery.
Good luck.
 
Where win Kent are you? Plenty of fallow in West Kent especially near Sussex and into Sussex.

The secret to getting somewhere to shoot is to not overlook smaller places and to mention deer stalking at every opportunity! No matter who you are talking to find a way to drop it into a conversation after a few minutes.

If you approach someone you don't know and want something they'll be inclined to say no. Most people do even if in hindsight they wanted to say yes. However, if you've already broken the ice and have some rapport and trust built up then you have a much better chance of getting a yes.
 
luca$ said:
Based in Ramsgate 😁 no deer here lol
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agree most deer are over Tunbridge Wells, area I am told, however you have plenty of farm land around Ramsgate, that grow brussel sprouts, cabbage, broccoli all of which are good for pigeons and rabbits.
 
sikamalc said:
Well there's nothing around Ramsgate.............................I lived and worked at the Powell-Cotton Museum for many years, whilst also running an outfitting and guiding business. So there's no chance of seeing anything resembling a deer in Thanet, or planet Thanet as its known.

The nearest population is Fallow, far side of Canterbury near Chilham. But its all tied up to my knowledge, and always has been.

For you to obtain an FAC you will need to prove you have booked stalking or have ground that supports deer that can be cleared for the calibre of rifle you are asking for.

And if you've been asked to pay a £1000 for a Muntjac, your looking in the wrong place already. No one pays that in my book, unless they have won the lottery.
Good luck.
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Yeah I’m limited to rabbits, pigeons and foxes at the moment but the deer in Canterbury, are being held by an estate or something?

And yeah I’ve got most of the requirements sorted to get the calibres I want, just need to finish my gun club probationary and I’ll be applying.

And regarding the muntjac, I was being a bit hyperbolic but what I meant was, there’s no way of really knowing what you’re shooting on these paid stalks, bronze, silver, gold, who knows and I wouldn’t be happy to be hit with a massive bill
 
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