having to pay for meat damage

long shot

Well-Known Member
OK here goes to see how this debate will turn out,there has been a thread regarding BT bullets and meat damage. and people saying they will not allow them to be used on there patch,that fair enough,there ground there rules,but as any person who shoots enough deer will have experienced meat damage of some sort even with there favourite bullet
Any my point is when you have paid for a day stalking which we know isnt cheap anymore and you damage the meat through no fault of your own "should you be charged for it" even though you have paid for the privilage to shoot it in the first place,and if your lucky enough to conect with a beast,the beast is then a bonus for your guide no matter what the damage is it still can be sold
so "do you agree to this practice or not"
 
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Absolutely not. You are there to shoot and kill a deer. If the host says "boiler-room" and you hit a shoulder, tough on him - that is part of the business, I don't think any paying punter should be charged for that.

Now if you shoot a muntie in the guts with a 7wsm and a 140gr BT, then you should pay for the ruined carcass. I don't think it is unreasonable to pay for a gut shot deer.

If a host asks the client to head or neck shoot a deer, all and any cockups should be at that host's own risk.
 
If prior to commencing stalking the terms are agreed then yes I think a stalker should have to pay for damage greater than expected to the carcass. If a shot is taken and a clear miss to the green areas is made then yes again, stalker pays. Otherwise i think its quite subjective and I would hope a gentleman's agreement would be reached without embarrassment for either of those concerned.
The cost of stalking may be increasing but its based on not only the cost of land etc but also some return from selling the carcass, if thats removed from the equation the cost inevitably increase further.
Maybe we should turn the tables and expect to pay for every beast shot but have a reduction in price if the carcass is in good order can be sold.
 
I wouldn't charge for meat damage as it is factored into the price although I have in only a couple of occassions charged extra as the client did not follow instruction, in fact blatantly ignored it. However this must be written into your contract and agreed before venturing out.

I haven't had much trouble with UK clients , as they tend to know the score regarding bullet placement and respect it, European [very generalised here] tend to be worse especially if they are used to shooting driven game, these guys tend to use larger cal. as well [generally].

You should always have rifle caliber/other kit info before people arrive and if your not happy with it , then tell them before they arrive.

BUT as a stalker it is your job to explain where you want the animal shot and why [ I have diagrams and even a toy stag to illustraight this if there is a language barrier], and give guidance accordingly, many clients get the blame for a stalker incompetance
 
What do you mean "you damage the meat through no fault of your own." Who pulled the trigger then, you or someone else?
You are responsible for your own actions. Without actually giving you an answer on whether your host should charge for meat damage, remember that venison revenue, however small, goes some way to paying for the facilities you are enjoying and for the man's time. If you say the beast is a bonus for your guide are you saying that normally a client would not expect to shoot one?
 
The issue here is that there is a reduced price from the venison dealer if the meat is damaged, i tell my clients that badly shot beasts need to either be purchased at venison dealer rates or the reduced income from the carcass be made up, its not about making money from the client its about protecting the income from venison, a beast can only be shot once. This is discussed BEFORE going out to stalk.
 
to add

You also have the client on the target before any stalking progresses, if he can't kill paper, he can't kill deer!

How many stick to this rule ??????????

You also gauge the client as well as his kit and can quickly see how comfortable they are with it.

If they or on target with 4 rounds and have a flier whith the 5th and them out for their first stag, you can be comfortable at them shooting at a broadside stag at 75 -80 yards with a comfortable shooting position, however you wouldn't ask them to shoot it in the neck at 200, it would be the stalker at fault not the client.
 
I aggree with Bambislayer.

I have been out a number of times with guides who do not bother. I make a point of checking my zero in advance of any stalking trip - the shots with the guide are merely confirmation of my ability to put holes in paper (or an apple in one case).

I think that it should be up to the stalker per each individual shot - bad shooting, luck, calibre all come into play.

Sam
 
The answer to this question is "Whatever that is agreed between the parties beforehand"

I can see arguments for and against, what might be churlish in respect of a Muntjac might be an economic reality in respect of a large Red.

I personally buy carcasses I damage as I usually buy carcasses anyway and know people with dogs, I do insist on paying the going gamedealers rate however and would take a dim view of attempts at profiteering, In my view if a stalker has a client who consistently shoots deer through the shoulders despite being informed of the stalker's circumstances; that stalker needs to find a new client or grin and bear it if he cannot.

This is all assuming ruined shoulders, any arse that shoots a deer through the hams, or by his conduct forces the stalker to do so in order to recover the beast, should pay the man for the beast and consider it a lesson learned.
 
What do you mean "you damage the meat through no fault of your own." Who pulled the trigger then, you or someone else?
You are responsible for your own actions. Without actually giving you an answer on whether your host should charge for meat damage, remember that venison revenue, however small, goes some way to paying for the facilities you are enjoying and for the man's time. If you say the beast is a bonus for your guide are you saying that normally a client would not expect to shoot one?
"no fault of your own"
its simple really,as we all know the beast can move which means the bullet can go elsewhere,also how many of us has shot a beast with out favourite bullet and its been perfect,then the next shot its hit and has been deflected to create meat damage,this is as i said "no fault of out own" it does happen
as to the meat sale,if your paying to stalk for a day you have no guarantees of a shot so if your conect the meat is a "bonus" the guide still gets paid if you conect or you dont
 
Quiet intresting points of veiw been put across, for my money if and only if you ruined the carcass due to gut stot and not recovering it quickly shattering its back etc then yp pay a fixed fee, but if you are not happy with the shot dont take it.
We all have taken shots where the beast is not tx book square on broard side hmmm do they stand that way............... bullets get bounced around off bone and end up in strange places.
listen to your guide and ask the question before hand
Amberdog
 
I am never likely to be the "guest" or "client", but if i was and I was asked to take a shoulder shot and I put it in the engine room and it ruined the carcass then tough, thats life.

On the other hand, if I was asked to take a shoulder shot, made an arse of it and shot it saddle/haunch then yes, iI would expect to pay for the damage.

It a real grey area though.
 
When i take some one out i know what calibre and type of bullets they will be using .If they shoot a deer bad because they got to excited or just wanted the beast down then they pay me for the beast if the bullet hits a shoulder or exits a shoulder as part of a normal shot then i take the hit.
 
longshot - Is there a specific incident that you have been involved in that has prompted this thread? If so, can you share the details? I agree broadly with the comments that the person pulling the trigger takes responsibility for his actions. Saying all that, it's a brave guest that declines an invitation to shoot. Rgds JCS
 
A/ you pay £100 to take a go kart around a track for the day!!!,if you crash and destroy the kart so what you only pay £100. B/ you pay £20 to take a go kart around the track for the day!! if you crash it,you pay for the damage!! B= an affordable day for someone that wants to go karting/will look after the kart/treat it with respect!!! A= someone that thinks trash it!!!!..... and so translated into deer stalking,B= less meat damage,more humane approach,respect for the deer,no waste of meat,someone gets to enjoy,(use) the deer (meat!!) after you've had your fun with it!!! win,win,win,win, situation i think!
 
If I caused damage to a carcass due to a mistake on my part I would expect to be asked to pay for it. In fact I wouldn't wait to be asked, I'd offer to pay for it. By the same token, if the shot was fine and the damage was caused by some fluke, bullet behaving strangely etc then I wouldn't expect the stalker to ask for additional payment.

Just good faith on both sides really.... or am I being naive?... :-|

Alex
 
Never charged for broken shoulder/ front leg,
Soft points usually minimise damage anyway.
WILL insist on them taking the deer or charging them for ruined beast if shot in the saddle, gut or haunch.
 
Will someone explain to me how much of a knock your gamedealer is making on a carcass dammaged in the shoulders /front legs.Is it enough to hassle one of your clients over? Mine only deducts anything if hit in the haunch or saddle.
It sounds as if some gamedealers out there might be the ones profeteering. Fussy game dealers also seem to be the driving force behind some of the forced neck shooting business anyway I'm going a bit off thread now.
 
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