why oh why?

[Tom102938]

With the recent news of there being a shortage of venison and the need for more culling etc

why is it so hard to find a staking area? Is it a case a land hoarders, people pushing syndicates etc.

I'm sure I am in the same boat as many a stalker but I am youngish bloke, keen as mustard and qualified yet I can not find/gain anything at all.

It really does frustrate me. I know near enough every stalker has been in this same position but Christ, how can they demand more deer to be shot when people who are able and willing to go out in any weather/conditions not be given the chance too! Yet you will have some old boy who has sat on the same piece of ground for 40 years who takes one or two deer a year or a bloke who is leasing every inch of land he can get to then lease it out in his own rights as a syndicate.

rant over....i think

 

[Bo Diddley]

It is always thus.

A farmer in the pub says he is overrun with rabbits.... but probably will see his corn nibbled to nothing rather than let a "Stranger" shoot them... same as woodies

Don't despair. Something will turn up

 

[Tom102938]

It is always thus.

A farmer in the pub says he is overrun with rabbits.... but probably will see his corn nibbled to nothing rather than let a "Stranger" shoot them... same as woodies

Don't despair. Something will turn up

Yeah exactly this. It baffles me.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Possibly because many Landowners have zero interest in the woes of the "venison market" and even less in allowing anyone on their land to shoot deer.

That said, I note you're based in the land of marbles so perhaps your frustration has greater validity than someone given of the same frustration South of the Great Wall.

K

 

[Dickie]

It is always thus.

A farmer in the pub says he is overrun with rabbits.... but probably will see his corn nibbled to nothing rather than let a "Stranger" shoot them... same as woodies

Don't despair. Something will turn up

Back when I was younger and we had rabbits if a farmer said there were 200 rabbits you divided it by 10 took off 5 and you were near the real amount which the lamp often proved.
Not saying this is the same with deer numbers but with transient species it’s here today gone this afternoon.

Or is this just another moan about getting permission on a patch?

 

[JackDavis]

Round me it’s land hoarders. People with thousands of acres and turn up once a year.

Even got syndicates online offering “subsidised” shooting in my area as part of there package.

 

[Bo Diddley]

Back when I was younger and we had rabbits if a farmer said there were 200 rabbits you divided it by 10 took off 5 and you were near the real amount which the lamp often proved.
Not saying this is the same with deer numbers but with transient species it’s here today gone this afternoon.

Or is this just another moan about getting permission on a patch?

Well...
When I was a reckless redneck youngster, and got knockbacks from the local farmers and their gamekeeper, I just got myself a cur-bred lurcher and went out lamping with the motorcycle battery & blueeye lamp.... I needed to hunt. It didn't take long before Charlie the keeper decided to take me under his wing and bring me into the fold. I'm still pals with his sons, the oldest, Ronnie, is 92 years young, and still doing stop duties on shoot days .
You just have to keep pushing. I've got plenty of shooting, but I still make sure I put myself about. Having good working dogs has always helped me to get accepted.
I owe old Charlie plenty of thanks, he's long gone I'm sad to say, an old skool country gent

 

[kieran222]

why is it so hard to find a staking area? Is it a case a land hoarders, people pushing syndicates etc.

If you have asked around and have been refused then either they are happy with their current situation or they didn't feel you were the right person for the job.

I'm sure I am in the same boat as many a stalker but I am youngish bloke, keen as mustard and qualified yet I can not find/gain anything at all.

Do you have any experience, how much?

Yet you will have some old boy who has sat on the same piece of ground for 40 years who takes one or two deer a year

If the land owner isn't happy with the old boy only taking one or two deer a year then they will get rid of him, so you can assume they are.

 

[Tom102938]

If you have asked around and have been refused then either they are happy with their current situation or they didn't feel you were the right person for the job.


Do you have any experience, how much?



If the land owner isn't happy with the old boy only taking one or two deer a year then they will get rid of him, so you can assume they are.

I have asked around plenty. 90% of the farms up here (local within a 15 mile radius) are taken by a company who go in and do most of the farming contracts, they have their own team of guns who do everything and they are not keen to take on new people. I believe it is a bunch of friends who are close knit.

I have experience yes. Not alot in years but I have helped estates meet there cull requirements, and managed ground and been on sydnicates previously. Currently helping an estate now meet their cull with the reds.

A few of the owners I have spoken to arent very happy that the old boys arent doing what they need but are loyal to them and keep them. I do fully respect that as loyallty isnt around much these days, but it is frustrating to see deer grazing on the crops and not being given the chance due to the loyalty if that makes sense.

 

[ashray]

i was very luck that for many years i controlled the deer on four farms/estate ,10 years ago i dropped down to just one as i could cope with deer numbers.8 years on some "pest controllers came in to deal with the rabbits and foxes, the deer numbers dropped to zero in the few months they controlled the vermin! i felt i was wasting my time so left them to it, from the trail camera footage that was left on the ground i saw night vision/thermal doing its work and i was shown the same vehicle dropping off deer carcases at first light when the game dealer opened !! a lot of chancers out there who just want the money for dead deer and dont care about the season or the law. a lot of farmers are happy to see the deer gone and dont care where or how they have gone. a lot of estates dont want a stalker on the ground because the deer are no longer seen as a problem . its they way thermal/night vision/lamping has turned the deer into profit. i wish you good luck but it will be an uphill struggle.

 

[barbel]

There are a few valid reasons, one is not knowing or trusting someone throwing a bullet about and what if something happens, hence they pass on it, if they knew you had some ferrets not a problem, shotguns depends what crop they have and have it sorted with people.

 

[timbrayford]

Perhaps more could be done to allow qualified stalkers controlled access to public land?

 

[TringSaint]

Maybe try to befriend the old boys taking 1 or 2 a year.
Offer to carry for them, help out etc and see if you can get in that way.
Sometimes it’s dead men’s shoes when looking for permissions, so try your luck with one of them - you have nothing to lose, and you may even find a new shooting pal.

 

[Camdig]

Its not about qualifications, a landowner would rather have an unqualified person he knows and trusts than a qualified person he doesn't know.
Building relationships with landowners is the only way, that might be down the pub, beating, jobbing on farm etc.
Most of my permission is because I do jobs on farms, concrete, drainage, machine operation i will always jump if they need a hand, going today to hang a few gates in a cattle pen I concreted last week.

 

[takbok]

Currently helping an estate now meet their cull with the reds.

So what's the problem? Enjoy it, gain experience, help people and be patient.

It's not easy to find stalking but over time you'll meet people and things might work out.

 

[Tim.243]

With the recent news of there being a shortage of venison and the need for more culling etc

why is it so hard to find a staking area? Is it a case a land hoarders, people pushing syndicates etc.

I'm sure I am in the same boat as many a stalker but I am youngish bloke, keen as mustard and qualified yet I can not find/gain anything at all.

It really does frustrate me. I know near enough every stalker has been in this same position but Christ, how can they demand more deer to be shot when people who are able and willing to go out in any weather/conditions not be given the chance too! Yet you will have some old boy who has sat on the same piece of ground for 40 years who takes one or two deer a year or a bloke who is leasing every inch of land he can get to then lease it out in his own rights as a syndicate.

rant over....i think

All my staking is from the hard yards/years of foxing and pigeon/crow shooting before I ever was given the nod for deer.

and with the foxing you gain valuable field craft, you won't learn any field craft moaning on SD

yesterday afternoon saw 6 Fallow bucks over the boundary 1 muntjac no back stop, but carried on after dark and whacked a fox as the farmer asked me to

made a plan to shoot these

 

[Malxwal]

Perhaps more could be done to allow qualified stalkers controlled access to public land?

Never going to happen.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

A small island with 70 million folk on it equals land envy.

 

[steve19]

Round my way it's 100% land hoarders.
The people i know look after huge areas of land that they do everything on it, from deer to pigeons and everything inbetween.
The 2 I know very well both work full time and need help, but wont have anyone out with them incase they take their permissions, they don't even help each other!

One farmer we know very well asked us to come over and shoot some rats in the barns as it was getting out of hand. The night we were going down I had a txt saying don't bother as he'd mentioned to the chap with the permission we were going to be there and he kicked off about it.

 

[slider]

Lots of big landowners and contract farming round your area - always going to make it difficult to find an opening