Clearing the air

New Avon Arms
I must say that I have looked at your adverts for stalking availability/syndicate places and always felt that they were very clear and appeared good value. Keep at it as the syndicate prices are pitched at a level that people can afford. There are a lot of people who want stalking but couldn't put a syndicate together or get the land in the first place. There are a lot of posts on here that will tell you a lot about people, I think most of them are in the "Off Topic" area which I rarely now bother to read (this was my first visit in a while).
 
I will open the gates for sfa,just to get out there and away from the ****ing incessant noise from the schitt box (telly)
 
Wish you were closer I would be your new best pest , keep it up your doing a grand job for guys that are closer to you :tiphat:we down here would love to have a 3rd of the grounds you offer for that day rate :D but as you know you can lead a horse to water :cuckoo::doh:
Atvb
Paul
 
I don't know you from Adam, but your seem to be honest and forthright and your rant is well founded.

I am a member of an organization that coordinates free outdoor events (hunting, fishing, trapping, horseback rides, etc....) for veterans. We normally assume veterans to be at least slightly more reliable and honest than the average soul - but even we get screwed from time to time. We have often had people selected for a free event, often valued at $500-1000, and then they back out at the last minute with some worthless excuses (I forgot, it's my week ended to shave the dogs balls) or no excuse at all, just a no show.

My advice would be to keep trying to do good and just expect a small percentage will continue to disappoint. Those that do take you up may experience something wonderful, and that wonder may pour over onto you. I just recently took a wounded vet out to teach her trapping and she became completely hooked. Her PTSD requires she stay active, and the furs she harvested then fleshed then tanned, and now being sewn into projects has helped her immensely .

By the way, next time I'm in the UK I'll gladly come lamping with you, and would be happy to open gates, hold lamps, be a retriever, and never even shoot. I'm all about new experiences in new places.
 
Well said and thanks for looking after the Vets , the UK could lean more than a bit from the USA on how to treat our Vets as we just toss most of them aside over here like used sweet wrappers ?
 
Tulloch said:
I think a little venting is in order,

I am not one to shy away from a good rant so bare with me as I am hoping as I am starting this thread that my rant will not take too long.

Over the years I have spent a lot of time watching this Forum and other social media platforms and almost daily there are people asking for shooting.

I know there is not a lot of land going about and what land there is can be costly to the average shooter.

Likewise I have been criticised publicly and behind closed doors for the amount of stalking I have for sale each year, frankly to be honest not my doing just the job I am tasked to do.

So because of the stalking I sell and the individuals who think it is wrong that we have so much ground that we Let it out, I try to equal the balance a little by offering shooting on my own grounds for free.

Recently I have noticed my posts being deleted on social media (NOT HERE) amongst some groups, when offering such free days, almost making it look like that the only posts I do are to sell syndicate places.

Recently however, I have managed to offer 3 or 4 free stalks with me throughout the year so I have posted them up and they have not been deleted, along with this I offered both on here and elsewhere the chance to do some foxing with me with the chance to take a couple of deer from time to time.

What has surprised me over these last months is the constant posts by people asking for stalking or places to shoot but NOONE and I mean NOONE has taken me up on any of the offers I have put up for some FREE shooting, what gives?

I am not a selfish person, I usually go a long way to help people out sacrificing my own time and money in the process and I am willing to do a favour for anyone, but these recent offers have got me thinking is it even worth offering at all ?

Really what gives, and if anybody has any insight into this then tell me why?

I understand regarding the foxing , I get it , the idea of shooting foxes and being out on the ground at night sounds exciting and lamping and driving around, I get it, I don't even ask people to open the gates for me anymore as I heard one complaint "the only reason he wants people along is so he has someone to open the gates" so after hearing that I don't even ask my lamping buddies to get the gates.

It has been hard work recently, I am not complaining but much of my grounds I have I never actually got for myself, but in a way I cannot complain that I have been left to do things on my own as I understand people have lives that do not include driving from farm to farm hoping to see signs of a fox. The other thing about foxing is that people see on social media the 100's of foxes that seem to be shot a night in the south of England where you are almost guaranteed to see one a night, the Highlands are not that exciting fox wise.

So I get the reason why noone wants to come foxing but the the free stalks, that is the one that baffled me the most.

I have actually stopped replying to people who are looking for shooting now, even when something is offered for free the people can be so difficult and fussy, everything has to be on someone elses terms, even when its free. By god get a grip, so I have stopped offering and I am no longer offering personal stalking from me where I take guests out on my own grounds.

I spent 2 days watching one of my stalk offers being ripped apart so I am just gonna keep all the deer on my own grounds to myself, apparently £80 for 4 hours stalking is "too cheap" and "there must be no deer" and various other comments, but one of the guys who commented was selling buck stalking for £200 a day with lots of hidden trophy fees etc. I never commented. God the amount of times I have to bite my tongue these days.

What I am gonna say is that, not all offers that seem good are bad specially the free ones. I am not a bad guy who is trying to rip anyone off or have any hidden agenda, I spend a lot of time giving people I don't know advice on various things from firearms, scopes to computers all of it I do for free with no return, I should charge for that but I wouldn't. As far as I am concerned £80 for a 4-5 hour stalk for the chance of a buck is not expensive when you take into account £30 for fuel, the cost of my time and the equipment I have, really works out for me to be around £5 per hour for my time in the end, which many wont even bother getting out of bed at 9am for nevermind 3am sometimes earlier.

Do me a favour if your thinking of putting a post or a thread up looking for shooting just decide whether you actually want shooting or not and before you start telling the world that you never get offered shooting and complaining about it just think whether you are willing to sacrifice your precious time to in fact go shooting and in the end do you really need a firearm or is it that you like the fact you you have a gun in your cabinet ???

rant over
Click to expand...
I’d quite happily jump on a ferry for the chance....
 
I do miss the routine noticement of home county when reading posts since the "upgrade" to the forum. Oh, as well as the number of posts a person has made...
 
There is another side to this , what I think is even worse are those who take up your offer and quickly become your best friend never off your doorstep phone you day and night .
When a change in circumstance means you suddenly don't have as much freebies to offer them they disappear like snow in a heatwave.
No names no pack drill but you know who you are.
Me bitter not really but a valuable lesson learned.
 
Well it made me laugh. I have people who live near me who are, cough, reliable, keen, dedicated, want to come out shooting. And when it comes to it everything goes quiet.. I think they expect me to collect them from the pub, take then 5 minutes up the road and then drop them back off again.

I mean when people took me out I would be out opening the gate as I thought I should be contributing.
 
I look forward to the day when I'm in a position to offer stalks for free. I've received so much help of one sort and another, including a few outings, via this site and I really value that. One day, hopefully, I'll be able to start giving back.

Hats off to all those who've climbed the ladder before me, and given a helping hand to the folk coming up behind them :tiphat:
 
A lot of the people on forums like the idea of being a stalker, owning a rifle and offering advice to everyone else but do not actually get out and stalk anything. They cannot be bothered to go out looking for their own stalking and don't want to pay for it either. They then sit at home on the keyboard getting jealous of people that do have some stalking and snipe at them online.
I have only spoken to David a couple of times by PM but he has been very helpful. The opportunities that he offers people seem to me to be a good deal for what you are getting. It would be a shame if he stopped just because of a few bitter trolls.
 
Dave, those who are stalkers will appreciate and know what you are offering, as for the others you can't educate pork :).

When I lived up there I used to sell stalking to site members for £80 a day, unaccompanied, no limit, no trophy fees only extra was for the meat if they wanted it. The vast majority appreciated and enjoyed it, others complained about the distance, fuel price etc. and told me how they would come if it were cheaper to offset the cost of fuel and accommodation. To which I readily agreed, as you can imagine! When dealing with people and offering some sort of service you have to treat them as if you are handling hedgehogs, ignore the pricks :)

John
 
JAYB said:
Dave, those who are stalkers will appreciate and know what you are offering, as for the others you can't educate pork :).

When I lived up there I used to sell stalking to site members for £80 a day, unaccompanied, no limit, no trophy fees only extra was for the meat if they wanted it. The vast majority appreciated and enjoyed it, others complained about the distance, fuel price etc. and told me how they would come if it were cheaper to offset the cost of fuel and accommodation. To which I readily agreed, as you can imagine! When dealing with people and offering some sort of service you have to treat them as if you are handling hedgehogs, ignore the pricks :)

John
Click to expand...
JAYBE , I so love your analysis of things and you are so true , I guess you have to laugh, I am in a so much more calmer mood today, which surprises me as I have just literally got home from a night sitting in fields , Bonnie night though.

Hope your doing well :) and not missing up here too much
 
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