Clarkesons Farm on deer stalking

[Heym SR20]

I have n’t yet watched Clarkson’s farm, but there will be awful lot of film footage that is left on the cutting room floor. It’s really a show about the people and their trials and tribulations.

As for deer stalking, sounds like Clarkson is a novice. Once upon a time everyone on this forum was a novice and had never pulled the trigger. Something that is easily taught / learned as a teenager / young adult, is a hell of a lot more difficult as you get older.

I have been helping three new stalkers over the last few months. I know that are all now competent with a rifle on inanimate targets, but when it comes to a live deer it is a much bigger challenge getting them calm and relaxed. And there have been plenty of deer that you or I would have shot, but that a novice, especially on sticks, struggle to get comfortable with.

 

[User100]

No, I don't think so. I think we must drop the whole "we need to kill deer because we've killed all the other things that kill deer" argument, and concentrate instead on the damage caused to fragile ecosystems by excessively high deer numbers, the welfare issues associated with overpopulation, the number of road accidents caused by deer, and the economic loss due to crop damage.

I agree with you on the reasons why deer need to be controlled and that the focus needs to be on those.

But we have a huge percentage of the population who follow the reintroducers etc and support the 'well if we need to reduce the numbers, just bring back the wolf' argument or contraception for example. The majority aren't passionately in favour of these ideas but they are swayed by the passion of the 'influencers' because there are not enough messages getting across that these simple solutions are not that simple.

So I think we should seize any opportunities to convey to a large audience the other side of the coin. It only needs a couple of seconds just to sow the seed.

 

[VSS]

I agree with you on the reasons why deer need to be controlled and that the focus needs to be on those.

But we have a huge percentage of the population who follow the reintroducers etc and support the 'well if we need to reduce the numbers, just bring back the wolf' argument or contraception for example. The majority aren't passionately in favour of these ideas but they are swayed by the passion of the 'influencers' because there are not enough messages getting across that these simple solutions are not that simple.

So I think we should seize any opportunities to convey to a large audience the other side of the coin. It only needs a couple of seconds just to sow the seed.

Sure, but I think you're missing my point.
By us using the "we killed one lot of animals therefore we must kill more" we're playing right into the hands of the reintroduction lobby, as they can use it as a strong argument in favour of predator reintroductions to persuade the fence sitters who aren't awfully keen on people killing things. Their argument is, we upset the balance by killing the predators, therefore we should redress the situation by restoring species that we have destroyed.

Hence why I think we need to drop that argument. It gets used against us.

 

[User100]

Sure, but I think you're missing my point.
By us using the "we killed one lot of animals therefore we must kill more" we're playing right into the hands of the reintroduction lobby, as they can use it as a strong argument in favour of predator reintroductions to persuade the fence sitters who aren't awfully keen on people killing things. Their argument is, we upset the balance by killing the predators, therefore we should redress the situation by restoring species that we have destroyed.

Hence why I think we need to drop that argument. It gets used against us.

I'm not missing your point and I agree with it.

 

[Ruby Tuesday 2]

I think that long time to take the shot was more to do with adding drama to scene than any inexperience . He had already shown us he can shoot a rifle.

 

[Deerkeeper2]

I thought the BDS fella missed an opportunity, it would also have been a good window into how deer become food ..

I haven’t seen this episode but I can tell you that the last two bits of deer filming that we have done for mainstream TV involved long days of busy filming and prep to get a five minute clip for one program and a four minute clip for the other. Literally hours of good content doesn’t get used.

 

[Tim.243]

I agree with you on the reasons why deer need to be controlled and that the focus needs to be on those.

But we have a huge percentage of the population who follow the reintroducers etc and support the 'well if we need to reduce the numbers, just bring back the wolf' argument or contraception for example. The majority aren't passionately in favour of these ideas but they are swayed by the passion of the 'influencers' because there are not enough messages getting across that these simple solutions are not that simple.

So I think we should seize any opportunities to convey to a large audience the other side of the coin. It only needs a couple of seconds just to sow the seed.

Get rid of the caged deer (Jurassic Park) and concentrate on quietly with work at hand where you can say hand on you heart it is natural sustainable food source, that is how a lot of food is marketed.
The "line caught" "hand picked" shell-fish lads have worked that side of it out with their size gauges, a lot of costal areas have salt-marsh grazing.
People have brought into that quite well...
@south-nofolk-stalker

 

[Roebuck9]

Guys the "reintroduce the preditors" argument is only used by those with no brain cells to think "why" did it happen. They have to ask why did they get exterminated by our predecessors?

Because they were causing chaos by killing the livestock and pets that they were trying to raise for their livelyhoods. It is since the 2nd world war when nobody was available and laterly the Covid pandemic that the deer population has exploded. Also timber production has taken priority in Scotlandby the SNP over the traditional countryside eco system.

As anybody with more than a couple of brain cells has already said the "wolves" will take the easiest course to take a meal and take farm stock and pets. Why not the animals are fenced, in the same place everyday, therefore cannot run away and very repeatab;le until they are all eaten. Wolves do not know they are not to be touched they are just the next meal.

Can we not get this message across to those with the inability to think for themselves?

 

[Dickie]

We see nothing but carnage when a couple of dogs go loose in a field of sheep multiply that buy pack of wolves that really know what they’re doing.
The reintroduction to control the deer doesn’t work because when the deer have been controlled by the expanding wolf / predator population how are they controlled and guess what’s next on their menu?
Good that JC got it out there on a very popular program and also got the public eating it at the shop.
Did anyone notice in another episode he was talking about being in autumn but showed a roe that looked in velvet?

 

[Cranhill]

I have n’t yet watched Clarkson’s farm, but there will be awful lot of film footage that is left on the cutting room floor. It’s really a show about the people and their trials and tribulations.

As for deer stalking, sounds like Clarkson is a novice. Once upon a time everyone on this forum was a novice and had never pulled the trigger. Something that is easily taught / learned as a teenager / young adult, is a hell of a lot more difficult as you get older.

I have been helping three new stalkers over the last few months. I know that are all now competent with a rifle on inanimate targets, but when it comes to a live deer it is a much bigger challenge getting them calm and relaxed. And there have been plenty of deer that you or I would have shot, but that a novice, especially on sticks, struggle to get comfortable with.

I'm mentoring some new stalkers (two this year) both good shots on the range but when it's pulling trigger on beast, they freeze. I did when started.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Sure, but I think you're missing my point.
By us using the "we killed one lot of animals therefore we must kill more" we're playing right into the hands of the reintroduction lobby, as they can use it as a strong argument in favour of predator reintroductions to persuade the fence sitters who aren't awfully keen on people killing things. Their argument is, we upset the balance by killing the predators, therefore we should redress the situation by restoring species that we have destroyed.

Hence why I think we need to drop that argument. It gets used against us.

Until “they” acknowledge we have upset the balance far more by man’s wider presence in the landscape and upon it than simply ensuring the demise of many mammals, I wouldn’t be concerned with seeding the argument for reintroduction.

The day the case for reintroduction of apex predators in the UK is accompanied by a coherent breeding plan for Man I’ll take those who advocate such seriously!

K

 

[DavyG]

I have n’t yet watched Clarkson’s farm, but there will be awful lot of film footage that is left on the cutting room floor. It’s really a show about the people and their trials and tribulations.

As for deer stalking, sounds like Clarkson is a novice. Once upon a time everyone on this forum was a novice and had never pulled the trigger. Something that is easily taught / learned as a teenager / young adult, is a hell of a lot more difficult as you get older.

I have been helping three new stalkers over the last few months. I know that are all now competent with a rifle on inanimate targets, but when it comes to a live deer it is a much bigger challenge getting them calm and relaxed. And there have been plenty of deer that you or I would have shot, but that a novice, especially on sticks, struggle to get comfortable with.

For a “novice” he didn’t do half bad at all….
DG

 

[Camelfarm]

They sort of glossed over a huge part of it but it does put the issue in a good light - and the people at the tasting seemed to enjoy what they were given with no one getting all outraged.

I wish he hadn't used the B word though (Bambi) - I really hate that.

 

[tackb]

I was sat on the edge of sofa willing him to take the shot!

I thought the Blazer looked a nice rifle, until I googled cost

i was looking at a blazer on saturday in a gun shop , not the horrid straight pull thing , a lovely break barrel single K95 i think , it had plastic furniture and was delightful until i saw the price ! My vision went a bit and i got a bit giddy but i am sure it said £4800 for it in 6.5 creedmoor !

frankly mad money !

 

[south-nofolk-stalker]

i was looking at a blazer on saturday in a gun shop , not the horrid straight pull thing , a lovely break barrel single K95 i think , it had plastic furniture and was delightful until i saw the price ! My vision went a bit and i got a bit giddy but i am sure it said £4800 for it in 6.5 creedmoor !

frankly mad money !

blaser, wouldn’t touch one if they gave me one

As for clarksons farm, never seen an episode, simply got better things to do

 

[tackb]

blaser, wouldn’t touch one if they gave me one

As for clarksons farm, never seen an episode, simply got better things to do

agreed , i do like the break barrel one just a shame it's made of unobtainium and unicorn horn mixed with mermaid tears , at least thats what i assume they are made off to explain the price!

in other news they had a lovely laminate ruger number 1 in 25-06 for sensible money

 

[south-nofolk-stalker]

in other news they had a lovely laminate ruger number 1 in 25-06 for sensible money

Now you’re talking!

A man’s gun right there

 

[cjm1066]

It isn't perfect. but it's the sort of publicity deer stalking needs.

As for describing a Blaser as a flat pack rifle, that made ke smile.

 

[NullMac]

If wolves were reintroduced they would simply find the easiest food source available and in most places that wouldn't be deer. More likely the wolves would slip into suburbia before the deer. Complete fantasy.

Not to mention we would need 10,000 not 10

 

[kieran222]

Good to see deer stalking covered in such a popular programme even though it is a bit of a taboo subject.
I was surprised by the persistence of the BDS guide saying shoot, shoot so often. I was also surprised that he didn't try and stop the deer on the track with a whistle or a shout. I wouldn't be happy with the guide if I was a novice being taken out for the first time. I felt that him saying shoot, shoot so often would put pressure on the shooter when they might not be ready.