A question for professional deerstalkers/ Hunting guides?

[www.yorkshireroestalking.]

I think the one that gets me the most is "scoping" the horizon or some movement.

Second 1 that unimpresses me is putting 1 round in the mag and answering my puzzlement with "I only want to shoot 1

Thirdly, some folks are just plain LOUD!

 

[re'M'ington]

My lamping mate is the worst,he learn to whisper in a helicopter

 

[willie_gunn]

1. Too much moving, not enough looking
2. Too much sound, not enough silence
3. Too much rushing, not enough patience

willie_gunn

 

[JC275]

There are obviously many things that a recreational, paying guest won't do as well as a professional Stalker would, most of these are simply down to experience.

One thing that I would say is, what happens on a stalk stays on a stalk, its very bad form for a Stalker to openly comment on his guests.

In the past, the relationship between Stalker and guest was quite an unusual one, this seems to have changed a bit in recent years due, no doubt, to the rise in popularity of recreational stalking. Not saying that the average guest today is any better or worse than ten years ago, just a little different.

Think about it, when was the last time that you met a complete stranger for the first time and then proceeded to spend the next eight hours within a couple of feet of him?

JC

 

[IanF]

One thing that I would say is, what happens on a stalk stays on a stalk, its very bad form for a Stalker to openly comment on his guests.
JC

Certainly, do not identify the Client - but that is not what this thread is about.


I want you to bring a rifle for stalking - not a bull barrelled, bipod mounted, sniping tool - we shoot out to an absolute maximum of 300m & standard profile barrels will do just fine. You are not strong enough to handle a fourteen pound rifle without excessive effort, stalking rifles evolved to meet a need that has not changed.

I want you to keep your magnification no more than 8x while stalking, preferably 4-6x. When on the shot you probably don't actually NEED to wind it up further than 10x.....ever! These are big animals and losing peripheral vision, while wasting time adjusting parallax or focus is not a good trade off.

I want you to be right behind me & do as I do. Standing there with the sticks ready, looking at the buck, while the shooter wanders forward from thirty foot back can get tad frustrating.

If I ask you to do something, please, do it - not what you think you should do. It may be that on this occasion, you do not know better.

I want you to get out of the car quietly & ease the doors shut - the deer may only be forty metres away. Keep your kit minimal but adequate. Clothing should be quiet, water resistant and dull colours. Wear a hat & gloves you can shoot with - and understand that a face veil is not just for Islam!

Bring a soft rifle case for when we go out stalking, your NBC approved Peli case is a bit awkward to transport. Bring a small pack for the car, and keep ALL your kit either in it, or on your person. Try not to leave a trail of gloves, ammunition boxes and FAC wallets through the car - it will be black when we arrive or depart!

Bring a head torch. Yes, I know it is currently 10am, but this evening when we get to gralloch or search for your buck - it won't be!

Bring your telephone & its charger. Know how to operate it, how to put it to vibrate & silent. Keep it next to your body so it stays warm, working and you recognise when I am trying to check on your welfare. I may have assigned you a beat & I worry about you when you don't respond to texts and calls.

Most of all - be honest & show you are enjoying being out hunting. I like it when a shooter is open about the adrenaline rush he gets from a tough stalk and a successful shot, when he comments on how nice the ground is etc.

NO reaction doesn't impress me and please, NEVER treat my deer as just furry targets. Nudging the carcass with your boot and asking 'how many more will we get this morning' makes it easy for me to ensure we never see each other again.

Rgds

Ian

 

[bogtrotter]

Certainly, do not identify the Client - but that is not what this thread is about.


I want you to bring a rifle for stalking - not a bull barrelled, bipod mounted, sniping tool - we shoot out to an absolute maximum of 300m & standard profile barrels will do just fine. You are not strong enough to handle a fourteen pound rifle without excessive effort, stalking rifles evolved to meet a need that has not changed.

I want you to keep your magnification no more than 8x while stalking, preferably 4-6x. When on the shot you probably don't actually NEED to wind it up further than 10x.....ever! These are big animals and losing peripheral vision, while wasting time adjusting parallax or focus is not a good trade off.

I want you to be right behind me & do as I do. Standing there with the sticks ready, looking at the buck, while the shooter wanders forward from thirty foot back can get tad frustrating.

If I ask you to do something, please, do it - not what you think you should do. It may be that on this occasion, you do not know better.

I want you to get out of the car quietly & ease the doors shut - the deer may only be forty metres away. Keep your kit minimal but adequate. Clothing should be quiet, water resistant and dull colours. Wear a hat & gloves you can shoot with - and understand that a face veil is not just for Islam!

Bring a soft rifle case for when we go out stalking, your NBC approved Peli case is a bit awkward to transport. Bring a small pack for the car, and keep ALL your kit either in it, or on your person. Try not to leave a trail of gloves, ammunition boxes and FAC wallets through the car - it will be black when we arrive or depart!

Bring a head torch. Yes, I know it is currently 10am, but this evening when we get to gralloch or search for your buck - it won't be!

Bring your telephone & its charger. Know how to operate it, how to put it to vibrate & silent. Keep it next to your body so it stays warm, working and you recognise when I am trying to check on your welfare. I may have assigned you a beat & I worry about you when you don't respond to texts and calls.

Most of all - be honest & show your are enjoying being out hunting. I like it when a shooter is open about the adrenaline rush he gets from a tough stalk and a successful shot, when he comments on how nice the ground is etc.

NO reaction doesn't impress me and please, NEVER treat my deer as just furry targets. Nudging the carcass with your boot and asking 'how many more will we get this morning' makes it easy for me to ensure we never see each other again.

Rgds

Ian

I could not have put it any better

 

[HME]

Certainly, do not identify the Client - but that is not what this thread is about.


I want you to bring a rifle for stalking - not a bull barrelled, bipod mounted, sniping tool - we shoot out to an absolute maximum of 300m & standard profile barrels will do just fine. You are not strong enough to handle a fourteen pound rifle without excessive effort, stalking rifles evolved to meet a need that has not changed.

I want you to keep your magnification no more than 8x while stalking, preferably 4-6x. When on the shot you probably don't actually NEED to wind it up further than 10x.....ever! These are big animals and losing peripheral vision, while wasting time adjusting parallax or focus is not a good trade off.

I want you to be right behind me & do as I do. Standing there with the sticks ready, looking at the buck, while the shooter wanders forward from thirty foot back can get tad frustrating.

If I ask you to do something, please, do it - not what you think you should do. It may be that on this occasion, you do not know better.

I want you to get out of the car quietly & ease the doors shut - the deer may only be forty metres away. Keep your kit minimal but adequate. Clothing should be quiet, water resistant and dull colours. Wear a hat & gloves you can shoot with - and understand that a face veil is not just for Islam!

Bring a soft rifle case for when we go out stalking, your NBC approved Peli case is a bit awkward to transport. Bring a small pack for the car, and keep ALL your kit either in it, or on your person. Try not to leave a trail of gloves, ammunition boxes and FAC wallets through the car - it will be black when we arrive or depart!

Bring a head torch. Yes, I know it is currently 10am, but this evening when we get to gralloch or search for your buck - it won't be!

Bring your telephone & its charger. Know how to operate it, how to put it to vibrate & silent. Keep it next to your body so it stays warm, working and you recognise when I am trying to check on your welfare. I may have assigned you a beat & I worry about you when you don't respond to texts and calls.

Most of all - be honest & show your are enjoying being out hunting. I like it when a shooter is open about the adrenaline rush he gets from a tough stalk and a successful shot, when he comments on how nice the ground is etc.

NO reaction doesn't impress me and please, NEVER treat my deer as just furry targets. Nudging the carcass with your boot and asking 'how many more will we get this morning' makes it easy for me to ensure we never see each other again.

Rgds

Ian

Nail on head!

 

[HME]

Ian, on reflection you have missed one!

"When the large fallow that we have patiently stalked onto and carefully dispatched has run off and expired in a difficult place for extraction and a lengthy drag out is necessary, I will not be offended in the slightest if you offer to help."

HME

 

[Glendine]

Great post I suppose people are trying the maximize there monies worth!

 

[finnbear270]

Certainly, do not identify the Client - but that is not what this thread is about.


I want you to bring a rifle for stalking - not a bull barrelled, bipod mounted, sniping tool - we shoot out to an absolute maximum of 300m & standard profile barrels will do just fine. You are not strong enough to handle a fourteen pound rifle without excessive effort, stalking rifles evolved to meet a need that has not changed.

I want you to keep your magnification no more than 8x while stalking, preferably 4-6x. When on the shot you probably don't actually NEED to wind it up further than 10x.....ever! These are big animals and losing peripheral vision, while wasting time adjusting parallax or focus is not a good trade off.

I want you to be right behind me & do as I do. Standing there with the sticks ready, looking at the buck, while the shooter wanders forward from thirty foot back can get tad frustrating.

If I ask you to do something, please, do it - not what you think you should do. It may be that on this occasion, you do not know better.

I want you to get out of the car quietly & ease the doors shut - the deer may only be forty metres away. Keep your kit minimal but adequate. Clothing should be quiet, water resistant and dull colours. Wear a hat & gloves you can shoot with - and understand that a face veil is not just for Islam!

Bring a soft rifle case for when we go out stalking, your NBC approved Peli case is a bit awkward to transport. Bring a small pack for the car, and keep ALL your kit either in it, or on your person. Try not to leave a trail of gloves, ammunition boxes and FAC wallets through the car - it will be black when we arrive or depart!

Bring a head torch. Yes, I know it is currently 10am, but this evening when we get to gralloch or search for your buck - it won't be!

Bring your telephone & its charger. Know how to operate it, how to put it to vibrate & silent. Keep it next to your body so it stays warm, working and you recognise when I am trying to check on your welfare. I may have assigned you a beat & I worry about you when you don't respond to texts and calls.

Most of all - be honest & show your are enjoying being out hunting. I like it when a shooter is open about the adrenaline rush he gets from a tough stalk and a successful shot, when he comments on how nice the ground is etc.

NO reaction doesn't impress me and please, NEVER treat my deer as just furry targets. Nudging the carcass with your boot and asking 'how many more will we get this morning' makes it easy for me to ensure we never see each other again.

Rgds

Ian

OH How I have learned,!......... Ian, it could not have been put any more simply!.

 

[sikadog]

Walking down the forest road, client with rifle over shoulder walking behind me, deer walkes out of forest at 50yds I stop he bumps into me I say would you like to shoot the buck standing on the road at 50yds, He says, what buck ,I say the one standing on the road chewing a bush, Where, There, OH, he puts up rifle clattered sticks on road.
The buck must have been deaf and blind because it was still chewing the bush.
I whisper shot it behind the front leg, He did the bullet hit the road right behind its front leg.

Same guy,we were driving through the forest to get to the starting point, on the edge of the road not 20yds from the road is a buck,we drive past go around the corner and stopand I say to him we will get out walk back and shoot the buck standing on the edge of the road, his answer WHAT BUCK.

Same guy We are sitting in the truck at lunch time glassing a sunny bank when about 60 yds in front of us probably the same blind deaf buck walked out of the forest and stood on the road and started to chew the grass on the edge.
So I say to him get out slowly put the rifle on the door edge and shoot it so he opened the door cycled the rifle and pulled the trigger, this is about the time that the deers hearing started to work because there was a click, ( NO ammo in rifle ) and no deer.

Same guy we were glassing a ride and there was a Sika hind standing at about 200yds so I say how close do you nead to get to shoot it, He says about 100yds so I stalk him into about 120yds and say work your way down the edge of the wood until you are happy to take the shoot, at 20yds from the deer he stopped and tried to put up his sticks GONE.

I had him out another four times and he never did get his deer.

I meant to add this guy shoots around 100 foxes a year

 

[highseat6.5]

Sikadog ...Sounds like he should have gone to specsavers.....!...On a serious note is he not an accident waiting to happen ?

 

[sikadog]

No he was never unsafe just clueless.

 

[willie_gunn]

Ah-ha! Feckless not reckless

willie_gunn

 

[stratts]

Certainly, do not identify the Client - but that is not what this thread is about.


I want you to bring a rifle for stalking - not a bull barrelled, bipod mounted, sniping tool - we shoot out to an absolute maximum of 300m & standard profile barrels will do just fine. You are not strong enough to handle a fourteen pound rifle without excessive effort, stalking rifles evolved to meet a need that has not changed.

I want you to keep your magnification no more than 8x while stalking, preferably 4-6x. When on the shot you probably don't actually NEED to wind it up further than 10x.....ever! These are big animals and losing peripheral vision, while wasting time adjusting parallax or focus is not a good trade off.

I want you to be right behind me & do as I do. Standing there with the sticks ready, looking at the buck, while the shooter wanders forward from thirty foot back can get tad frustrating.

If I ask you to do something, please, do it - not what you think you should do. It may be that on this occasion, you do not know better.

I want you to get out of the car quietly & ease the doors shut - the deer may only be forty metres away. Keep your kit minimal but adequate. Clothing should be quiet, water resistant and dull colours. Wear a hat & gloves you can shoot with - and understand that a face veil is not just for Islam!

Bring a soft rifle case for when we go out stalking, your NBC approved Peli case is a bit awkward to transport. Bring a small pack for the car, and keep ALL your kit either in it, or on your person. Try not to leave a trail of gloves, ammunition boxes and FAC wallets through the car - it will be black when we arrive or depart!

Bring a head torch. Yes, I know it is currently 10am, but this evening when we get to gralloch or search for your buck - it won't be!

Bring your telephone & its charger. Know how to operate it, how to put it to vibrate & silent. Keep it next to your body so it stays warm, working and you recognise when I am trying to check on your welfare. I may have assigned you a beat & I worry about you when you don't respond to texts and calls.

Most of all - be honest & show you are enjoying being out hunting. I like it when a shooter is open about the adrenaline rush he gets from a tough stalk and a successful shot, when he comments on how nice the ground is etc.

NO reaction doesn't impress me and please, NEVER treat my deer as just furry targets. Nudging the carcass with your boot and asking 'how many more will we get this morning' makes it easy for me to ensure we never see each other again.

Rgds

Ian

I like this post alot they're just the sort of common sense things I need to know (and mostly what I would do anyway) before I go on my 1st Roe stalk with Malc

Cheers

 

[sikamalc]

Over the years I have had many different occurences, I have had clients cry, pray, shake with excitment to the point they cannot shoot straight, drop a rifle from a high seat and break it in half, be as noisy when stalking as possible, stop for a fag every few minutes, bring their gay partner with them, bring their wife with them and even one bring their mother in law with them!

But what annoys me most is after all the hard work and bad weather you get in on a deer and they fanny around sooooooooooo much that they just dont get the shot off in time, and in that time I could have shot the beast 10 times over. I rarely say anything (honestly) but if you are up against it the chances are not easy to come by it can be a lot of hard work for nothing.

ATB

Sikamalc

 

[j0e_bl0ggs]

Yeah the bringing the wife / girlfriend and being too slow to get a shot off on reds / munties... sheesh, then having the gall to say 'that was an expensive walk...'

 

[Acm]

Over the years I have had many different occurences, I have had clients cry, pray, shake with excitment to the point they cannot shoot straight, drop a rifle from a high seat and break it in half, be as noisy when stalking as possible, stop for a fag every few minutes, bring their gay partner with them, bring their wife with them and even one bring their mother in law with them!

But what annoys me most is after all the hard work and bad weather you get in on a deer and they fanny around sooooooooooo much that they just dont get the shot off in time, and in that time I could have shot the beast 10 times over. I rarely say anything (honestly) but if you are up against it the chances are not easy to come by it can be a lot of hard work for nothing.

ATB

Sikamalc

what about mine malc " the client that wanted to shoot the pricket as soon as it showed its head from the rest of them " sorry mate ! Ha ha ha I do learn - honest !

 

[sikamalc]

Patience young man patience it always pays to wait sometimes.

 

[andymarsh]

I think most pro's have had most if not all of the above.

My pet hate is clients spotting deer on a plateau at 2500 ft and continuing to ask me why we aren't going after them, to the same answer every time "coz it will take 6 to 8 hours to drag it trough 2 miles of bolders up hill.

Shots at running deer: I had one client who missed a stag at 120 yards then opend up at 280 and took it's back left hoof off I spent the next 4 hours catching up and dispatching the poor animal miles from the first shot, he then stood and watched me drag it though a river and all the way home.

Slow to take the shot: Had a Danish client who spent so long counting the points on a stag at 150 yards it got up and walked away!!!!

Dangerous: A client who after I had asked him if his rifle was unloaded comming down from a high seat accidently blew a hole in the seat!!!

an acidental discharge while walking up to a stag into a rock infront of us filling my legs with stone shrapnell

Telling the truth: I had asked the client if he had any health issues that woud be relevant to me he replied none, 3 hours later while pushing up a fairly steep hill he stoped me and explained that he needed to sit down for a while as his PACEMAKER couldnt keep up, he was as white as a sheet and shaking for 20 mins, needless to say we went and found some easier ground.

I must say that the majority of my clients are safe and know the score but once or twice a year I seem to get a complete nutter who has no idea, from a saftey point of view the two gentelmen mention above do not stalk here anymore.


Andy