Urban /suburban Deer Managment

What Qualificatons would be needed to manage truly urban Deer


  • Total voters
    0

6pointer

Well-Known Member
Urban deer are now high priority they tick all the boxes to present the public with reasons for control and present a future opportunity for deer management. But with that opportunity comes problems built up areas safe shots public revolution police involvement the list goes on what qualifications or experience should a deer manager have before he undertakes this type of management.
 
Never mind qualifications probably a bit of luck!!

Having spoken to a firearms dealer last weekend who was telling me of his latest trip out where he was greeted with the police helicopter overhead and the armed response ordering him to get his hands in the air.... This despite informing the Police via fone of his location and he would be out on his premission..

From the above i guess urban deer management will always bring to light the opportunities of greater conflict

More chance of being challenged whilst holding a rifle in your hands, more probability of being seen by the public extracting... the list could be endless
 
Davie,

I have been lucky enough to stalk your ground and seen some very impressive roe indeed, I take it you are referring to stalking ground like yours? If that is the case then I would say that as much experience as you can possibly get, remember qualifications do not equal experience. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to put a qualification level to qualify you to stalk deer in the urban environment. Having a level 1 on it's own does not add up to a lot as that can be obtained without ever shooting a deer, level 2 means that you have stalked/gralloched/lardered three beasts whilst demonstrating a knowledge of glands/hygiene etc but I would suggest that the level of safety awareness is heightened in the urban environment. You are much more likely to bump into pedestrians here than you are on the hill or in a wood, sitting in a high seat with your back to a main road, motorway, fields bordered by housing, 75% of the land being unshootable because of lack of backstop etc. It is not the environment for the novice, inexperienced or those without patience.

I personally do not think that qualifications alone will stand you in good stead for this type of stalking, I think that experience is the main ingredient, the qualifications will also come with experience, but mostly it needs the stalker to assess themselves, ultimately they know if or not they are up to job.

John
 
Davie,

I have been lucky enough to stalk your ground and seen some very impressive roe indeed, I take it you are referring to stalking ground like yours? If that is the case then I would say that as much experience as you can possibly get, remember qualifications do not equal experience. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to put a qualification level to qualify you to stalk deer in the urban environment. Having a level 1 on it's own does not add up to a lot as that can be obtained without ever shooting a deer, level 2 means that you have stalked/gralloched/lardered three beasts whilst demonstrating a knowledge of glands/hygiene etc but I would suggest that the level of safety awareness is heightened in the urban environment. You are much more likely to bump into pedestrians here than you are on the hill or in a wood, sitting in a high seat with your back to a main road, motorway, fields bordered by housing, 75% of the land being unshootable because of lack of backstop etc. It is not the environment for the novice, inexperienced or those without patience.

I personally do not think that qualifications alone will stand you in good stead for this type of stalking, I think that experience is the main ingredient, the qualifications will also come with experience, but mostly it needs the stalker to assess themselves, ultimately they know if or not they are up to job.

John

Totally agree.
 
It amuses me that deer stalking in the peri/sub- urban environment raises much discussion and harrumphing over education, qualification and licensing......yet boys with lamps and rifles are out shooting these same areas night and day for foxes/rabbits/crows.

I suspect yet again the target quarry is the one that motivates much of the emotion in those that find stalking in these areas abhorrent or something that should be legislated/licensed.

Personally I think anyone who is not expecting and thinking of anything untoward including a rambler walking into frame when choosing a moment to pull the trigger is not thinking hard enough.

But a safe shot is a safe shot.
 
BEWSHER A SAFE SHOT IS NOT ALWAYS A SUITABLE SHOT GO TO THE BACK OF THE CLASS YOU WILL NOT BE ALOWED TO PLAY :rofl:
 
It amuses me that deer stalking in the peri/sub- urban environment raises much discussion and harrumphing over education, qualification and licensing......yet boys with lamps and rifles are out shooting these same areas night and day for foxes/rabbits/crows.

I suspect yet again the target quarry is the one that motivates much of the emotion in those that find stalking in these areas abhorrent or something that should be legislated/licensed.

Personally I think anyone who is not expecting and thinking of anything untoward including a rambler walking into frame when choosing a moment to pull the trigger is not thinking hard enough.

But a safe shot is a safe shot.
Having done it for nearly 20 years I find it nothing special, but those who hav just started in this part of the field find it quite a daunting task and TBH any help in this area has to be appreciated from those in the know
If Davie is talking about his area then we are predominantly talking Roe, not the hardest of deer to control by any means , but none the less daunting
As for qualifacations means nothing over experience
Learn about the area , the public that use it , the deer and the deer's timetable the rest will become easy
 
Davie

Contact Burberry and get them to do a line of clothing in blaze orange so the wee s****s dodging about these areas are safe...

Joking aside, I assume there are far more occasions where you want to take a shot at the right beast but because of members of the public close by, or the proximity to a dwelling you have to let it pass. So I would suggest a very important attribute leaving qualifications or experience aside is restraint!

Not something a few folk with rifles have in abundance!!
 
Ive shot deer in the grounds of Magdalen college oxford , google it , they dont come much more built up than that . We didnt have moderators then either . Ive also been called to shoot a roe inside RAF Brize Norton , i had to use a shot gun for that one . I would say any legal firearm/ammo , plenty of experience and insurance is more important than qualifications , but i do have levels 1 and 2
 
Last edited:
I shoot on the boundary of what was the largest social housing estates in Europe, lamping can be fun if you see one red eye it's a pushbike dumped in the field, not a fox winking at you. I was called to catch a deer a the marines barracks on southsea sea front once, the idiot from the RSPCA told the press it had swam over from the IOW.
 
Geordie it was not meant to be a catch 22 but like all things you wish some time to explain better but experience can be gained by going out with some one who already is very experienced.That's the way i would suggest if you are quite new to stalking . Lev 1 in my opinion is useless in the practical sense and lev 2 as long as you have had proper guidance will be easy this will not give you the full knowledge of deer/people interaction needed in the Urban environment. just my opinion.
 
Geordie it was not meant to be a catch 22 but like all things you wish some time to explain better but experience can be gained by going out with some one who already is very experienced.That's the way i would suggest if you are quite new to stalking . Lev 1 in my opinion is useless in the practical sense and lev 2 as long as you have had proper guidance will be easy this will not give you the full knowledge of deer/people interaction needed in the Urban environment. just my opinion.
I understand that it wasn't ment to be a catch 22. I feel that shooting and stalking are in danger of being over regulated as it is. No matter what qualifications people have the crunch comes as you take up the pressure on the trigger and have to decide if it is a safe shot to take, the final responsibility rests with the shooter. I think that qualifications mean nothing with out experience, but who is to make that decision, the Police, BASC, or the land owner? in urban areas the police have to be involved at some point even if just to let them know that you're not a nutter on the rampage. Like most things it has the potential of being a thorny issue.
 
Sika on a lawn.
HWH.

DSC_0101-1.jpg
 
I see this subject becoming increasingly important in the coming years as the interaction and conflict between deer and the general urban population increases. Further to troubles post, I've already seen deer well within the city limits of Oxford on a number of occasions. It will only be for so long that the authorities put up with the perceived dangers of urban deer before seeking a solution.

Personally, I can't see that controlling deer in this type of situation is going to be a job for the average recreational stalker, and I don't see the regular qualifications as being of great relevance either. I'd want to avoid any new piece of paperwork, but perhaps a register similar to the one used for call-outs in response to deer RTA's is an idea? Or, dare I suggest it, a register of competent persons?

I fear that the process of controlling would actually be the easy bit, certainly when compared to the potential minefield of public relations when it comes to dealing with Joe Public.

willie_gunn
 
Ive shot deer in the grounds of Magdalen college oxford , google it , they dont come much more built up than that . We didnt have moderators then either . Ive also been called to shoot a roe inside RAF Brize Norton , i had to use a shot gun for that one . I would say any legal firearm/ammo , plenty of experience and insurance is more important than qualifications , but i do have levels 1 and 2
level 1&2 make no difference to any ones abilities there only bits of paper expereince is something you gain throught time and practice .

Option 4 is a catch 22, how do you get urban shooting experience without shooting in urban areas?

Get the rifle out in the back door ,come on . what do you think.
Have a bit of ground in or around a built up area would be a start .

Theres no difference in the shooting or the methods the best practice remains the exact same, safety, safety, safety, just as if you were on the hill or forest if you don't know you dont shoot, if you cant see you cant shoot ,theres no change in anything the hazards of the population are more likely to be the biggest problem ,but at the times the deer management is carried out the problem is not huge.
 
Anybody can say they've shoot deer before but how do you confirm their experience?. Least level 1 & 2 are proof that you have received some sort of training which was why they were brought in. As stated in this thread already if this situation arose where deer needed to be controlled in urban areas it would never be done by the recreational stalker whether they had level 1&2 anyway.
 
Last edited:
For sub urban deer stalking I suggest the biggest requirement is lots of patience and no pressure. You have to pass up a lot of potential shots etc. I shoot close to suburban areas and I average one deer every six or Seven outings if that ( I don't count). Use of thing like high seats are also difficult - they either get knocked, broken or somebody plays in them despite warnings. And dress appropriately. Head to toe camouflage raises eyebrows.

Most important qualification is tact and diplomacy and ability to bite ones Tongue as a courting couple walk into the coppice you are trying to stalk at 3 am on a summer morning
 
Back
Top