Introducing myself, pleasure to meet you all

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Rockfleet141

New Member
Hi everyone, I’m Mike, 30 years old from Wolverhampton. 100% complete novice/beginner. Never even held an air rifle let alone a gun or fired one. But I did grow up in Hednesford, Cannock and spent years on the doorstep to Cannock Chase and was always fascinated by having all that wildlife right there for all to see. 100% honesty and transparency here the last few years I’ve been watching and enjoying the MeatEater show from America on Netflix and YouTube and listen to the podcast and I love it. I don’t know how that’s really viewed in the UK hunter scene so apologies if that’s making you eye-roll. But I find the content so fascinating and have binged all I can. And now I’ve gotten to the point I feel I just have to dip my toes in and actually get involved myself, just watching isn’t enough for me any more. I haven’t really got any of the equipment I probably do need to get but I have no problems in getting whatever you recommend I need to acquire to get started. I don’t have FAC and haven’t completed a DSC1 but I do want and intend to. I would very much like to take part in deer stalking, learning as much as possible, eventually and hopefully getting to the point where I can shoot and process deer myself but I aware that point is probably very far down the line. So I would like to ask you fine people where and how to start.

I’m based in Wolverhampton, West Midlands. So thanks for your time anyone who reads this, apologies for rambling on and if any of what I’ve said is naive or stupid or has been covered before, this is all new to me. Thanks and best wishes to everyone.
 
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Welcome
My best advice to you would be to contact someone local to you, that’s on here and do a paid stalk.
Really is the easiest way to get to see and do the things you are looking to do, no worries about guns, facs etc.
Just get to turn up use the guides equipment, knowledge and get loads of information that would otherwise take years.
I’m based in Devon where luckily there are a load of great guides, unfortunately can’t give you any names of anyone local to you, but sure loads of guys on here will have recommendations.
Good luck and happy hunting
 
sam84 said:
Welcome
My best advice to you would be to contact someone local to you, that’s on here and do a paid stalk.
Really is the easiest way to get to see and do the things you are looking to do, no worries about guns, facs etc.
Just get to turn up use the guides equipment, knowledge and get loads of information that would otherwise take years.
I’m based in Devon where luckily there are a load of great guides, unfortunately can’t give you any names of anyone local to you, but sure loads of guys on here will have recommendations.
Good luck and happy hunting
Click to expand...
Thank you appreciate it
 
Welcome, from suffolk! I suppose I'm not too far ahead of where you are currently. I was introduced to deer stalking by a friend this year, had no real prior gun experience other than having a go with air rifles as a teenager. I've been out stalking a number of times this year now, and it's brilliant.

I chose to purchase an air rifle to familiarise myself with the equipment, which I found helps considerably, even if just to get used to handling a rifle & operating a scope. Not suggesting you do this of course, but it certainly helped me.

I'd absolutely echo what others have suggested, get yourself out on a stalk (edit: even if just to observe), there's some fantastic folk on here who will be willing to help you out I'm sure. You'll quickly discover if it's something you enjoy, and I'd be surprised if it isn't!

Somewhere that I've personally found to be a great resource of information, if you're doing any study - The Deer Initiative | Guides Landing: BASC.

Happy to share anything I've learned, from one newbie to another.
 
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sam84 said:
Welcome
My best advice to you would be to contact someone local to you, that’s on here and do a paid stalk.
Really is the easiest way to get to see and do the things you are looking to do, no worries about guns, facs etc.
Just get to turn up use the guides equipment, knowledge and get loads of information that would otherwise take years.
I’m based in Devon where luckily there are a load of great guides, unfortunately can’t give you any names of anyone local to you, but sure loads of guys on here will have recommendations.
Good luck and happy hunting
Click to expand...
Book at a stalk for 2-3 months’ time. I would add as a start to buy a second hand, full powered (<12ftlbs) air rifle now and make some shooting sticks, find a local air rifle range if you don’t have a suitable garden or home situation (young children etc). You can then practice trigger technique, target acquisition, using sticks, using a telescopic sight to zero and maintain sight picture in recoil cycle etc at very low investment. When you are done sell the air rifle and it will have probably only cost you a tin of pellets.
 
Stalker62 said:
Never mind "Book yourself on a stalk"! Utterly staggering advice.

Before you even think about taking the life of a sentient being, go and learn how to shoot.

You owe it
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Totally agree, my guide was the person who trained me to shoot. Explain your situation and lots of guides will offer shooting practice in real scenarios
But stalker62 is correct don’t pull the trigger on a beast until you are capable of making a safe humane shot
 
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Welcome! When you book a stalk make sure they know you’re new and I’m sure you’ll find someone willing to help you on your way. As has been said, an air rifle makes for good practice.
 
sam84 said:
Totally agree, my guide was the person who trained me to shoot. Explain your situation and lots of guides will offer shooting practice in real scenarios
But stalker62 is correct don’t pull the trigger on a beast until you are capable of making a safe humane shot
Click to expand...
Oh yeah absolutely I fully agree, I wouldn’t dream of shooting at an animal without first gaining some shooting and stalking experience. I’m perfectly happy for my first few stalks to be purely as an observer. Luckily for me today having spoken about this to family my brother-in-law has an air rifle and targets in the loft and he’s pretty much given me full access to practice with it as much as I want, all I have to do is buy the pellets so I’m chuffed with the that. Thank you to everyone for your replies and advice it’s very much appreciated and hopefully the start of a journey. Thanks
 
Welcome to the SD!
I would take 2 lines of approach here:
1. First, as everyone has said, learn (a) safe gun handling - this means learning the rules of gun safety by heart before you even touch a gun, as there is no way ever to "undo" a shot, whether it is your first shot or your millionth one) - and (b) marksmanship, with an air rifle.
2. Alongside this, take every opportunity to become an informed observer of the natural world, of farming and of forestry. This is the environment our quarry lives in 24/7 and that we have the privilege to immerse ourselves in when we are able to pursue it. Stalking forces you to slow down and tune your consciousness to your surroundings: the more you understand them, the richer the experience becomes.
 
Mr. Gain said:
.
2. Alongside this, take every opportunity to become an informed observer of the natural world, of farming and of forestry. This is the environment our quarry lives in 24/7 and that we have the privilege to immerse ourselves in when we are able to pursue it. Stalking forces you to slow down and tune your consciousness to your surroundings: the more you understand them, the richer the experience becomes.
Click to expand...
A very good point made here ^^^
Before you even begin to think about getting a rifle and stalking deer, get yourself a pair of binoculars (they needn't be expensive ones) and take them about with you wherever you go.
 
VSS said:
A very good point made here ^^^
Before you even begin to think about getting a rifle and stalking deer, get yourself a pair of binoculars (they needn't be expensive ones) and take them about with you wherever you go.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Any recommendations for decent budget bino’s?
 
Rockfleet141 said:
Thanks. Any recommendations for decent budget bino’s?
Click to expand...
What's your budget? You could spend thousands on a pair of binos, and if you can afford to do that then good for you. But you don't need to.
I started off with a pair that cost just £25 new.
You'll get something pretty useful for £50 - £80, but personally I think you want to be looking for binos in the £80 - £120 price bracket for general knockabout usage. £150 tops. Unless you really want to spend more, in which case I'm not the right person to advise.

My wife and my mother both have pairs of these for general wildlife watching etc, and I rate them as pretty handy, and small enough to carry about with you on a day-to-day basis:

Olivon PC-3 8×34 Binoculars – Binocular Outlet – Optics You Need to See!

www.binocularoutlet.co.uk www.binocularoutlet.co.uk
 
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