Taking the Mrs out ...

RuralLondoner

Well-Known Member
Hi Team - looking for a bit of advice here please.

My Mrs tolerates my stalking at best. The idea of heading out to the middle of nowhere at sparrows fart to shoot a deer is completely anathema to her. However .... She is now curious as to what I like about it and has asked if she can come along one day.

The challenge is that she likes the finer things in life and, whilst pretty athletic, she isn't a fan of the cold. So I don't think that either a summer Muntie from a high seat or a winter fallow in the woods is going to cut it in terms of helping her understand how great our sport can be.

My conclusion is that it's worth investing in a long weekend break together in the highlands. Stay in a great hotel - not too tweedy and with all mod cons, spa, etc and get her out on the hill for an August stag on a great estate with a brilliant and engaging ghillie with the aim being that she shoots a trophy that will show-up anything I have managed to put on the wall to date (she's also quite competitive!)

Can anyone recommend such a place? Does anyone have any experiences of introducing their other halves to the sport in this way? Any pitfalls I should look out for?

Thanks!
 
Mabie hotel D/G
FOREST ESTATE D/G
stalker Colin Lockerbie solway stalker
i think the stags are booked for this season but there may be a cancelation .
im going to book a few days on the stags there for my 50th and love it there .
i took mrs Norma about 200 yrds from our house for a munty some yrs back which she took with some style I might add that was the first and last outing with a rifle she much prefers shooting them with her camera and of course likes the venison
like our forefathers I prefer hunting with my pals I wouldn't want to be embarrassed by my mrs who is a bit of a dead eyed dick especially with a compound bow !!
Good luck
Norma
 
Take her to Mauritius; sun, sea and stalking galore! Took the family 4 years ago. My wife, who is no stranger to shooting, had never killed a large beast before and had reservations about doing so. However, after meeting our stalker, shooting better than me on the rifle range, she took two stags, 180m and 210m. Both dropped. She loved the experience and now understands my passion. Same with fishing, I taught her to cast a fly and when she started landing bigger fish than me........
 
Hi Team - looking for a bit of advice here please.

My Mrs tolerates my stalking at best. The idea of heading out to the middle of nowhere at sparrows fart to shoot a deer is completely anathema to her. However .... She is now curious as to what I like about it and has asked if she can come along one day.

The challenge is that she likes the finer things in life and, whilst pretty athletic, she isn't a fan of the cold. So I don't think that either a summer Muntie from a high seat or a winter fallow in the woods is going to cut it in terms of helping her understand how great our sport can be.

My conclusion is that it's worth investing in a long weekend break together in the highlands. Stay in a great hotel - not too tweedy and with all mod cons, spa, etc and get her out on the hill for an August stag on a great estate with a brilliant and engaging ghillie with the aim being that she shoots a trophy that will show-up anything I have managed to put on the wall to date (she's also quite competitive!)

Can anyone recommend such a place? Does anyone have any experiences of introducing their other halves to the sport in this way? Any pitfalls I should look out for?

Thanks!

Major pitfall - she will not like you for -: Scotland - August - Hill = lots of midges..... = never EVER coming out with you again!!!!
 
Check on allergies to midge bites. Trips north or west in the summer with my wife have been memorable for the wrong reasons.
 
August Stags tend to be on the top of the hills. The most challenging time to stalk them physically. My Mrs has been on the hill with me on more than a few occasions, but will not entertain the big climbs or the midges in August.

What she loves is the rut. Last week of September or first week of October tend to be bankers. The walk is not long as they are down with the Hinds and you can just sit for hours watching all the goings on and listening to the roaring.

No midges either...well, not many.

The plan is good, just not sure about the timing.
 
Yes, Nigel is right. There are quite a few places offering rut viewing safaris now, which might be worth considering; this would allow you to show what it's all about with majestic sounds & scenery without any of the messy unpleasant stuff. Hotels/spas/hydros should be a bit cheaper then & they might offer a package deal at that time of year. Autumn can be a very beautiful time of year in the highlands.

If you really want to actually take her stalking then I'd take her roe buck stalking when the temperature is likely to be rather more comfortable & you can walk about a pretty wood at a beautiful time of day. Strangely enough, women often seem to be squeamish about shooting does but are much more comfortable with the idea of shooting the male of the species!
 
August Stags tend to be on the top of the hills. The most challenging time to stalk them physically. My Mrs has been on the hill with me on more than a few occasions, but will not entertain the big climbs or the midges in August.

What she loves is the rut. Last week of September or first week of October tend to be bankers. The walk is not long as they are down with the Hinds and you can just sit for hours watching all the goings on and listening to the roaring.

No midges either...well, not many.

The plan is good, just not sure about the timing.


Other than getting a new Mrs.RuralLondoner, this is sound advice. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^




Steve.
 
September, better still October when the rut is on,a spectacle that few can fail to be impressed by, still some good
weather in October and the midges have all but gone, thought there is also the chance of a snow shower by then.
 
Great stuff Sept/Oct actually works better with work and stuff so that's really helpful. Thank you all so much.

Any thoughts on hotels/estates ...?

J
 
Great stuff Sept/Oct actually works better with work and stuff so that's really helpful. Thank you all so much.

Any thoughts on hotels/estates ...?

J

I will have to leave that to our Scottish brethren. We go up to Rosehall in Sutherland. You are going to have to give us a budget for the hotel - lots of variation in accommodation. We don't know if you want to go the full hog with fine wines and great food or if you would be happier on estate, in amongst it.
 
I will have to leave that to our Scottish brethren. We go up to Rosehall in Sutherland. You are going to have to give us a budget for the hotel - lots of variation in accommodation. We don't know if you want to go the full hog with fine wines and great food or if you would be happier on estate, in amongst it.

ha ha! You wouldn't ask that question if you knew my mrs!! Yep - in order to get her up to scotland rather than the Maldives, I'm going to have to go full luxury break. Top end on everything. I'm treating this as a major investment in my future stalking....!
 
Sounds like very large gamble introduce her to a roe in Sussex then should you fall out and travel home separately it wont be to far and you could finish off the weekend stalking first.

first
ha ha! You wouldn't ask that question if you knew my mrs!! Yep - in order to get her up to scotland rather than the Maldives, I'm going to have to go full luxury break. Top end on everything. I'm treating this as a major investment in my future stalking....!
 
Take her to Mauritius; sun, sea and stalking galore! Took the family 4 years ago. My wife, who is no stranger to shooting, had never killed a large beast before and had reservations about doing so. However, after meeting our stalker, shooting better than me on the rifle range, she took two stags, 180m and 210m. Both dropped. She loved the experience and now understands my passion. Same with fishing, I taught her to cast a fly and when she started landing bigger fish than me........
Ooh! I've got relatives on Mauritius, didn't know there was stalking there though, this may require further investigation.
 
ha ha! You wouldn't ask that question if you knew my mrs!! Yep - in order to get her up to scotland rather than the Maldives, I'm going to have to go full luxury break. Top end on everything. I'm treating this as a major investment in my future stalking....!

Alladale Wilderness Reserve

Or you could slum it "on estate" Not sure they have many deer left though, been giving them a bit of a hammering for a few years now. Lodge is lovely though.
 
Ooh! I've got relatives on Mauritius, didn't know there was stalking there though, this may require further investigation.


Rush Deer were here introduced to the island by Dutch settlers. There is also the opportunity to stalk wild boar and if you're really interested, a chance to shoot driven pheasant! Lovely people, wonderful island. Will go back one day.
 
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