Current deer stalking prices

MJ75

Well-Known Member
So I fancied a bit of stalking somewhere different with a friend. We've been quoted £100 per outing plus a cull fee of £50. It was made clear that this would be for 'followers' not mature does next february. Needless to say, I've declined the offer.

But not before doing some 'fag packet maths'. I recently paid £2780 for a 7 day, 8 night, 14 animal cull package in South Africa, that includes trip, flight, airport parking and travel etc.

So, the price of my proposed roe kid stalking trip would be, based on an equivalent package :-

Outing fees 14 @ £100 = £1400
Cull fees 14 @ £50 = £700
B&B 8 nights @ £40 = £320
Meals 8 days @ £20 = £160
Fuel @ £140

Total £2720 So for just £60 I can go for Africa and shoot kudu cows, wildebeest cows, warthog and other plains game instead of roe followers for £60 more. Now I know I'm comparing apples with oranges, I'm sure people are finding many flaws in this comparison, but hopefully some will get the point I'm making.

I think it's time to scour the classifieds on here and see if there's anyone who can accomodate us both who charges more 'realistic prices' than the outing and cull fees mentioned. Or, in all seriousness, do I just stop deer stalking and head off abroad because the deals look much better value for money to me sometimes.
 
So I fancied a bit of stalking somewhere different with a friend. We've been quoted £100 per outing plus a cull fee of £50. It was made clear that this would be for 'followers' not mature does next february. Needless to say, I've declined the offer.

But not before doing some 'fag packet maths'. I recently paid £2780 for a 7 day, 8 night, 14 animal cull package in South Africa, that includes trip, flight, airport parking and travel etc.

So, the price of my proposed roe kid stalking trip would be, based on an equivalent package :-

Outing fees 14 @ £100 = £1400
Cull fees 14 @ £50 = £700
B&B 8 nights @ £40 = £320
Meals 8 days @ £20 = £160
Fuel @ £140

Total £2720 So for just £60 I can go for Africa and shoot kudu cows, wildebeest cows, warthog and other plains game instead of roe followers for £60 more. Now I know I'm comparing apples with oranges, I'm sure people are finding many flaws in this comparison, but hopefully some will get the point I'm making.

I think it's time to scour the classifieds on here and see if there's anyone who can accomodate us both who charges more 'realistic prices' than the outing and cull fees mentioned. Or, in all seriousness, do I just stop deer stalking and head off abroad because the deals look much better value for money to me sometimes.


You have a serious point here but there are plenty of better deals around in the UK. There are lots of stalkers offering stalking at less than £100 per outing and no cull fee, I almost never pay as much as £100 and never go where there's a cull/success fee unless it is for a trophy buck/stag. Try jamross65 (sika-Borders), jim@dgvm (red, roe, fallow and muntie- Cambs) and elmer fudd (fallow, roe and muntie - S.Wales and Bristol) all on here and all cheaper for outings (last time I went with them) and either no or sensible success fees, unless it's a decent trophy. None of the stalking is just for followers, it is for prickets or better and adult females according to season and management needs. I have also been out with Mike at Carlton Moor Range (reds) in Derbyshire for less but it was a couple of years ago. All of them are first rate and have good ground with plenty of deer - I'd happily recommend them to anyone and there are plenty of others offering similar deals.
 
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So I fancied a bit of stalking somewhere different with a friend. We've been quoted £100 per outing plus a cull fee of £50. It was made clear that this would be for 'followers' not mature does next february. Needless to say, I've declined the offer.

But not before doing some 'fag packet maths'. I recently paid £2780 for a 7 day, 8 night, 14 animal cull package in South Africa, that includes trip, flight, airport parking and travel etc.

So, the price of my proposed roe kid stalking trip would be, based on an equivalent package :-

Outing fees 14 @ £100 = £1400
Cull fees 14 @ £50 = £700
B&B 8 nights @ £40 = £320
Meals 8 days @ £20 = £160
Fuel @ £140

Total £2720 So for just £60 I can go for Africa and shoot kudu cows, wildebeest cows, warthog and other plains game instead of roe followers for £60 more. Now I know I'm comparing apples with oranges, I'm sure people are finding many flaws in this comparison, but hopefully some will get the point I'm making.

I think it's time to scour the classifieds on here and see if there's anyone who can accomodate us both who charges more 'realistic prices' than the outing and cull fees mentioned. Or, in all seriousness, do I just stop deer stalking and head off abroad because the deals look much better value for money to me sometimes.

Well overheads in Africa are probably not as expensive as they are here, besides labour costs out there for local people will be peanuts I don't doubt.

Having hunted Africa a few times myself I can say in SA it has changed over the last 20 years, and there is a huge amount of farmed game on offer behind wire. In many instances the prices are low and some good deals to be had, but I think the UK also offers good value compared to the near continent and in some parts of the States as well.

Based on your figures and requirements above:
14 outing fees @ £75 each £1050
No kill fees applied £0
BB twin room each 8 nights £240
Meals 8 days £20 £160
Fuel £140

Total £1590.00 no limit on Fallow does/prickets /sorrels

That's my prices, but I am booked solid from September through to late January. However I have some space in mid Feb and late March.

Scotland: One week, in a lodge on my lease, all meals, pick up and return to Inverness, guiding, fuel, wines at dinner, capeing out of trophies, 2 stags (red and sika, or 2 sika) even medal heads no extra charge.

£1500.00 EACH But there has to be 4 rifles for the week.

Again I am fully booked for this year, and half booked for next year and even have a week sold for 2016!

Let me know if I can help, and best of luck with your search.

ATB
Sikamalc
 
I think the key to this is to ask how much YOU are willing to work for.

I'm far from being rich but I also have to accept that someone talking me stalking should have a reasonable expectation of earning at least as much as I do for a day. It is also necessary to factor in overheads including the cost of the ground, insurance, running a truck and so on.

With all this in mind and considering what you earn per day how much would you have to charge for stalking to keep your current income?
 
Gents

Thanks for all of the info above. Malc, your trips always look very good, we will have to meet soon. I'll contact my friend and see what we can work out.


I think the key to this is to ask how much YOU are willing to work for.

I'm far from being rich but I also have to accept that someone talking me stalking should have a reasonable expectation of earning at least as much as I do for a day. It is also necessary to factor in overheads including the cost of the ground, insurance, running a truck and so on.

With all this in mind and considering what you earn per day how much would you have to charge for stalking to keep your current income?

I disagree with the point you're making, but will address it anyway.

It's not for me to tell anyone what to charge. The point I'm making though is that if you pro rata some rates, you can hunt in a more exotic location for quarry I personally perceive as more valuabale than roe followers, and thus achieve much better 'bang for your buck' (pun not intended). With this in mind I am genuinely considering spending more time in Africa and less time in the UK.

If my friend and I were successful on every outing on the proposed trip, that would mean the individual is earning £600 per day, the prices I quoted are per person. I do not earn that amount, if I did I'd be in Tanzania right now hunting in the Sealous, not writing this! :D

If we were on stags and bucks my opinion would of course be very different. I just won't pay a cull fee for roe kids. This is very much a personal choice and if others want to do so or if others charge for them, then that is very much their business and not mine. Remember the thread is there to highlight the comparable costs of UK vs elsewhere, not to specify what a pro deer stalker can charge.
 
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Gents

Thanks for all of the info above. Malc, your trips always look very good, we will have to meet soon. I'll contact my friend and see what we can work out.

I disagree with the point you're making, but will address it anyway.

It's not for me to tell anyone what to charge. The point I'm making though is that if you pro rata some rates, you can hunt in a more exotic location for quarry I personally perceive as more valuabale than roe followers, and thus achieve much better 'bang for your buck' (pun not intended). With this in mind I am genuinely considering spending more time in Africa and less time in the UK.

If my friend and I were successful on every outing on the proposed trip, that would mean the individual is earning £600 per day, the prices I quoted are per person. I do not earn that amount, if I did I'd be in Tanzania right now hunting in the Sealous, not writing this! :D

If we were on stags and bucks my opinion would of course be very different. I just won't pay a cull fee for roe kids. This is very much a personal choice and if others want to do so or if others charge for them, then that is very much their business and not mine. Remember the thread is there to highlight the comparable costs of UK vs elsewhere, not to specify what a pro deer stalker can charge.

OK, but then consider the other side - what is the average they will earn over a year (taking account of weather, conditions, the number of other factors that make it a less that certain income)? the fact that they might be self employed - no paid holidays, sick leave etc. I'd be surprised if you could net more than £150/ day / 30K a year on average. That's more than the national average wage, but for someone who might otherwise be in a profession or trade its not great and certainly must be done, in part, for the love of it. When you think that a trade professional is probably making twice that in the SE with guaranteed work every day, I don't think its unreasonable.
 
A very interesting thread and I myself have considered the original comparison myself. Without getting into the complicated and somewhat fraught issue of the cost of UK stalking I do think that in many cases other countries can and do offer very good value hunting trips.
This is achieved in a number of ways from where I look.
Firstly they are huge countries with less dense human populations than hear in the uk. Large tracts of land are managed by few people who then have the natural resources available for their gain. In the case of Africa I doubt there is a heavy demand from native residents.
Our currency is far more valuable than theirs so importing hunters from more wealthy places allows for the land to provide a good return without hunting it dry.
However the same thing is not true of a large country like the US or Canada. Yes they are big places but since every man and his dog likes to go hunting a few times a year and that amounts to millions of trips game is limited both by natural ability to replenish as well as government restriction. The only advantage to their system is money can not always buy up the hunting as tags are assigned to each hunter and not saleable.
This is where value for money and equal ability to hunt goes out the window here in the uk. There are many wealthy people who are prepared to spend their wealth to gain the best of anything they want. Perfectly normal human nature. But since there is NO open land where the general population can hunt without paying and all land is owned the limited game is available to the highest bidder. We all know this, but what I do often consider is that with the ever increasing demand on resourses and for those who earn their living from providing stalking services, they themselves find the need to pay higher and higher prices for the rights of land. This has to be returned and was done so by selling trophy hunts. However more and more I find people charging for what we call cull animals. We presume they are of less worth than a trophy, but are they? Are they any less worthy, do they provide less of a challenge?
Only you can answer that. But if the provider has had to pay big money for the ground and wants to maintain a healthy herd with trophies available each year then I doubt enough return could be found from them alone and so other fees are levied on the "lesser" animals.
I think eventually it will be a self regulating market. As those who earn a living will have to find wealthy clients who want guaranteed results and nice animals and prepared to pay. Others will have to be satisfied with the cull animals on land where deer numbers are to be kept low to avoid damage.
In the mean time like you I find I just have to go to work earn some dosh and then get the best value I can for my £.
I think Africa will be on my list very soon. But I can't stave off my addiction with a trip once every few years so have to stump up and get out here in old blighty. Where I must say we are lucky to have some great hunting.
 
Another thought I've mulled over is why is it that the FC (publicly owned and funded) only put their dregs of ground up for tender?
I've looked at many parcels of ground with inflated cull figures and for which large amounts of money are bid. This ground is only put to tender as it takes to much time for fc employees to manage. They put their effort into the decent ground where they can go out and shoot a few animals with fair certainty. There's no way they are going to spend 3 days shooting 2 animals and go back to the office and justify their worth. Far better to let some daft sod pay loads of money and do it for them.
So I ask why is all fc deer management not put up for tender? The fc could put in their own price, but have to compete with other suitably qualified and competent people. After all the ground and the deer on it belong to us the tax payer. Are we getting value for money from fc when it costs us to pay them to shoot all the easy ground when we (tax payer) could be getting paid for hunters to do the job. Again if to many come forward for the job, just issue tags at a fixed price to hunters thus taking out the money peoples advantage.
Just a thought.
 
Another thought I've mulled over is why is it that the FC (publicly owned and funded) only put their dregs of ground up for tender?
I've looked at many parcels of ground with inflated cull figures and for which large amounts of money are bid. This ground is only put to tender as it takes to much time for fc employees to manage. They put their effort into the decent ground where they can go out and shoot a few animals with fair certainty. There's no way they are going to spend 3 days shooting 2 animals and go back to the office and justify their worth. Far better to let some daft sod pay loads of money and do it for them.
So I ask why is all fc deer management not put up for tender? The fc could put in their own price, but have to compete with other suitably qualified and competent people. After all the ground and the deer on it belong to us the tax payer. Are we getting value for money from fc when it costs us to pay them to shoot all the easy ground when we (tax payer) could be getting paid for hunters to do the job. Again if to many come forward for the job, just issue tags at a fixed price to hunters thus taking out the money peoples advantage.
Just a thought.

Because recreational stalkers are simply that.Too managed all the FC ground there would be a lot of people having to quit there job to make sure the cull was done.Sounds a great idea when you put it like that, but when you are out on the hill in middle of winter getting ****ing wet through day after day it wont be that appealing.
 
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PH I realise that the individual fc employees do a very good job and are out there every day and sensibly shoot the areas where there are the most deer causing a problem. Now I don't know how many full time fc deer managers there are but since there are thousands of recreational stalkers all paying to shoot deer on a regular basis I doubt there would be a lack of people willing to go out come rain or shine to achieve the cull. I myself travel 5 hours or so to my ground. And when I get there I don't care if it's raining or not I'm going out to try and find deer. Yes it's harder but I still enjoy it. FC guys have to get out both to do the job but also because it is the job. I'm not putting FC rangers down, far from it. I just believe that there should be a more open and inclusive system for our national forests.
I don't really see how one can make the claim that recreational stalkers are simple or indeed any less suitable to do the job. After all fc rangers were not born with a gun in their hand and an intrinsic knowledge of deer management. I'm sure there are many very competent stalkers out there that choose to earn their living in highly skilled jobs. And if were led to believe those of us who have bothered to show our ability through the recognised dsc channel can claim to be competent.
 
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The prices are going up but then so is the cost of living, the recreational like my self inc would love to have their own bit of green but that cost is way out of some lads reach, i do wish there were more groups around the uk that were willing to share the ground and form a group of like minded folks who are willing to pay into the cost of buying the rights to shoot, iam sure it is happening but its more like dead mans shoes having 10 in a group paying a fee by dd every month would bring in some nice cash . there also could be a no shooting of good heads this also would benefit by an extra influx of extra cash so the one who owns the rights can still go about and earn extra without losing out by having others on the team.
sorry not a rant but thinking out loud or wishing it were true :tiphat:



Because recreational stalkers are simple that.Too managed all the FC ground there would be a lot of people having to quit there job to make sure the cull was done.Sounds a great idea when you put it like that, but when you are out on the hill in middle of winter getting ****ing wet through day after day it wont be that appealing.
 
A very interesting thread and I myself have considered the original comparison myself. Without getting into the complicated and somewhat fraught issue of the cost of UK stalking I do think that in many cases other countries can and do offer very good value hunting trips.
This is achieved in a number of ways from where I look.
Firstly they are huge countries with less dense human populations than hear in the uk. Large tracts of land are managed by few people who then have the natural resources available for their gain. In the case of Africa I doubt there is a heavy demand from native residents.

Prices are maintained by foreign hunters. Don't get me wrong, hunting in Africa can be very costly. Just check the prices of a dangerous game hunt in Tanzania for example. Prices are kept in check in South Africa due to the huge amount of game ranching done there. This is not a bad thing, not only does it make hunting affordable to many but it also helps secure the future of many species. This link was posted by another member recently and is worth a read.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-...otal_matches":0,"is_search":false,"items":[]}



Our currency is far more valuable than theirs so importing hunters from more wealthy places allows for the land to provide a good return without hunting it dry.
However the same thing is not true of a large country like the US or Canada. Yes they are big places but since every man and his dog likes to go hunting a few times a year and that amounts to millions of trips game is limited both by natural ability to replenish as well as government restriction. The only advantage to their system is money can not always buy up the hunting as tags are assigned to each hunter and not saleable.
This is where value for money and equal ability to hunt goes out the window here in the uk. There are many wealthy people who are prepared to spend their wealth to gain the best of anything they want. Perfectly normal human nature. But since there is NO open land where the general population can hunt without paying and all land is owned the limited game is available to the highest bidder. We all know this, but what I do often consider is that with the ever increasing demand on resourses and for those who earn their living from providing stalking services, they themselves find the need to pay higher and higher prices for the rights of land. This has to be returned and was done so by selling trophy hunts. However more and more I find people charging for what we call cull animals. We presume they are of less worth than a trophy, but are they? Are they any less worthy, do they provide less of a challenge?
Only you can answer that. But if the provider has had to pay big money for the ground and wants to maintain a healthy herd with trophies available each year then I doubt enough return could be found from them alone and so other fees are levied on the "lesser" animals.

I visit Florida every Christmas to fish in the Everglades and Keys. We also visit Big Cypress National Preserve during hunting season. I confess I'm always envious of the locals who for the token cost of a residents hunting permit can take two white tails and a feral hog for peanuts. On the flip side, I'd love to hunt in Alaska or the Canadian Rockies, but the costs for foreigners there are very, very high.

Are cull animals less worthy? That warrants an entire thread in its own right. They certainly can be depending on species and situation.

I think eventually it will be a self regulating market. As those who earn a living will have to find wealthy clients who want guaranteed results and nice animals and prepared to pay. Others will have to be satisfied with the cull animals on land where deer numbers are to be kept low to avoid damage.
In the mean time like you I find I just have to go to work earn some dosh and then get the best value I can for my £.
I think Africa will be on my list very soon. But I can't stave off my addiction with a trip once every few years so have to stump up and get out here in old blighty. Where I must say we are lucky to have some great hunting.

To be honest I think we already have a self regulating market. In the seven or eight years I've been stalking I've seen the cost of leases, outings, syndicate rifles and cull fees increase well beyond inflation with some stalking providers. That's just market forces and life. I'm sure others can provide examples of the opposite, but overall I do believe the market is already self regulating.

As I've said before, budget cull hunts in SA offer more bang for your buck than anything else, though they certainly will not be for everybody! But try it anyway, you'll only know if its for you once you've been. :)
 
PH I realise that the individual fc employees do a very good job and are out there every day and sensibly shoot the areas where there are the most deer causing a problem. Now I don't know how many full time fc deer managers there are but since there are thousands of recreational stalkers all paying to shoot deer on a regular basis I doubt there would be a lack of people willing to go out come rain or shine to achieve the cull. I myself travel 5 hours or so to my ground. And when I get there I don't care if it's raining or not I'm going out to try and find deer. Yes it's harder but I still enjoy it. FC guys have to get out both to do the job but also because it is the job. I'm not putting FC rangers down, far from it. I just believe that there should be a more open and inclusive system for our national forests.
I don't really see how one can make the claim that recreational stalkers are simple or indeed any less suitable to do the job. After all fc rangers were not born with a gun in their hand and an intrinsic knowledge of deer management. I'm sure there are many very competent stalkers out there that choose to earn their living in highly skilled jobs. And if were led to believe those of us who have bothered to show our ability through the recognised dsc channel can claim to be competent.

Im not saying there wouldn't be a lack of people willing to have a go.Which i think is the problem you would be better off with a few so they could spend time getting to know the ground,what deer you got,where they go at what times of the year,etc. And you only get this from being out everyday.Didn't call anybody SIMPLE you have miss read.I was saying that professional stalker are going to better because there doing everyday compared to the recreational stalker who gets out once or twice a month.
 
Game ranch costs include, game capture, gamefences, disease control, predator control, water, feeding and reproductive management. Can the same be said of deer managers/lease holders, charging for time, charging for shot, charging for carcass, charging for trophy?

 
PH. I now see your intended comment. However I took it in the context it was written. The change of the wording from simple to simply makes all the difference. I agree with you that someone on the ground full time is likely to have a higher chance of success, through knowledge of deer movement and their use of said ground. However how is then ok for some ground to be put out for say 4 or 5 guns to manage but not for other bits? Which may only receive the attention of a ranger from time to time. Down here in the south one ranger has to cover a number of woods and I suspect are pushed for time to meet the cull. I very much doubt they have an easy life and can just wander about enjoying the scenery.
So I think it would be entirely feasible for ALL fc ground to be managed by us mere recreational stalkers under the overall control of the FC. I know this would not be popular with those who would lose their job potentially, but they to pay taxes and expect to get value for their hard earned cash.
 
PH the success is not because the FC rangers learn were and when the deer will be its because they Lamp more than 50%. While we all know lamping is not legal with a pat on the back from SNH you can wipe out every shinny eye you see (Its called deer management up here )Or you can down load a bit of paper and shoot deer out of season. Its not really hard if you do the maths. Cost of Killing deer cheap as chips cost of real stalking and deer management now that's different.
 
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PH. I now see your intended comment. However I took it in the context it was written. The change of the wording from simple to simply makes all the difference. I agree with you that someone on the ground full time is likely to have a higher chance of success, through knowledge of deer movement and their use of said ground. However how is then ok for some ground to be put out for say 4 or 5 guns to manage but not for other bits? Which may only receive the attention of a ranger from time to time. Down here in the south one ranger has to cover a number of woods and I suspect are pushed for time to meet the cull. I very much doubt they have an easy life and can just wander about enjoying the scenery.
So I think it would be entirely feasible for ALL fc ground to be managed by us mere recreational stalkers under the overall control of the FC. I know this would not be popular with those who would lose their job potentially, but they to pay taxes and expect to get value for their hard earned cash.

Never going to happen sadly,they would have to employ more people to manage all the stalkers. Than they do rangers already .It will have took that ranger near you years to get to know his beat if it's that big going out everyday imagine how long it would take people who were just going once every now and then, because remember if you have all these people with access you wont be able to get a vacancy very often to go stalking.
 
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