books

russ91

Well-Known Member
can any one rocomend any good books pleas im looking at

Deer Watch: A Field Guide by Richard Prior
The Deer Stalking Handbook by Graham Downing
Roe Deer: Management and Stalking by Richard Prior

are these any good???
 
Yes .......

Much depends on what you are reading for. Tips & tricks, deer behaviour, deer recognition, relevant legal info etc etc. There's any amount of info out there. Most of the obvious stuff tends to be repeated - what deer can be shot with which calibre, seasons, kit lists etc.

Obviously you need to be careful about some of the legal stuff if you buy second hand as the law has changed.

If you fancy a really in depth read about deer (as opposed to stalking) I can recommend Deer of the World - Their Evolution, Behaviour & Ecology by Dr Valerius Geist. Very few pictures, but if you want to know why deer are the way they are this book will tell you.
 
I recommend Rory Putman's 'The Natural History of Deer' if you can get hold of it. It's out of print but there are plenty of 2nd hand copies out there (try Amazon). Does what it says on the tin!

There's been a lot written about deer - as BC says is there anything specific you're looking for?
 
The three you've mentioned are all excellent - read Deer Watch for a complete overview of the British deer species, then take your pick of the other two. The Prior book is full of roe-specific info much of which applies to wider stalking anyway. Downing looks a bit wider and will be more up to date (providing it's the 2nd edition) on laws and more modern practices.
Enjoy!
Mole
 
What about the Muntjac book 'Managing an alien species' by Charles Smith-Jones? Not just about Muntjac, but a good beginners guide to stalking overall. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned it yet. ;)
 
bok

Monkey Spanker said:
What about the Muntjac book 'Managing an alien species' by Charles Smith-Jones? Not just about Muntjac, but a good beginners guide to stalking overall. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned it yet. ;)

Got to agree with you MS, I got it about a month ago its a great book,very intersesting & helpful
Andy
 
Russ

If you want more on the practical side of stalking, I'd also strongly suggest you subscribe to the Best Practice Guidance:

Scotland: http://www.bestpracticeguides.org.uk/
England & Wales: http://www.thedeerinitiative.co.uk/html/bestpractice.htm

You can download the UK ones and print them out or pay £15 and get hardcopies of the Scotland ones - I'd suggest the latter. Each guide is laminated and part of an A4 ring binder. You get free updates in the first year. It's the best £15 you'll spend and I wish they'd been around when I started stalking ;)

willie_gunn
 
willie_gunn said:
Russ

You can download the UK ones and print them out or pay £15 and get hardcopies of the Scotland ones - I'd suggest the latter.

Latest news from the DI regarding England/Wales versions of the BP as of yesterday is;

"There has been no formal announcement as yet, but we are in the process of producing hard copies of our Best Practice Guides. The details have not been finalised – which is why there is no information on our website – but we expect them to be available in approx 5-6 weeks time for sale through a distributor.

There will be more information on our website in due course".


What remains to be seen though is if they can produce them for the same £15 subscription as the DCS do. ;)
 
Yes, that's the price of the subscription with the DCS - download the application form from the link Willie Gunn gave and send your cheque in with it if you want the Scottish version.

The DI haven't set a price for the England/Wales version yet by the look of it but I can't see how they could justify being any more expensive when they do release them.
 
russ91,

I downloaded the Scottish BPG and will also be ordering a hard copy when I get the chance.

To re-inforce the comments above, for a novice stalker like myself, it is a superb resource and for £15 you simply can't go wrong.

Rigboot
 
Orion:

The DI haven't set a price for the England/Wales version yet by the look of it but I can't see how they could justify being any more expensive when they do release them.

I agree, but I think it will depend upon whether the DI can get the production/distribution of the guides subsidised in a similar way to, and to a comparative level as, the DCS. If they can't then I think most people will vote with their wallets and stick with the DCS version.

willie_gunn
 
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