Russ
Some random thoughts on top of the other comments above:
1. Has the ground been managed for deer in the past?
2. If yes, how many deer were taken off the ground in the last year/2 years/5 years?
3. What is the mix between arable/woodland/moor etc?
4. The cull is for roe, but what other species are evident now/likely to appear?
5. Do you have the stalking and shooting rights, or just the stalking?
6. If the shooting rights are separate, is there an established shoot on the ground?
7. If there is, what restrictions are likely on your stalking? Is there a keeper?
8. Can you take clients?
9. What happens to the carcases? Are they yours, do they stay with the estate or is there some other deal?
10. How far away is it?
11. If a long way from where you live, is there accomodation on site or nearby?
12. If the land has been shot in the past, what calibre has it been cleared for?
13. Who owns the land surrounding your ground and what deer management policy do they follow? How many deer do they shoot per year?
14. Is there a local Deer Management Group? If so, does your ground form part of it?
15. How many (if any) footpaths/bridleways/roads cross the ground? How heavily are they used?
16. What houses/buildings exist on the ground?
17. What is the terrain? If it's hilly/flat, what restrictions (if any) is this likely to place on the ability to take a safe shot? If it's hilly, how fit are you?
18. Are there any highseats on the ground? If not, are there any possible sites to install them? Are there any restrictions on using highseats?
As I mention, just some random thoughts. I do remember hearing Dominic Griffith mention that, if professional deer stalking is your full time job, you can't afford to pay more than 50p per acre and still make a living (but that was a good few years ago now
)
All the best
willie_gunn