Favorite Stalking Terrain?

What is your preferred type of deer stalking terrain in the UK?


  • Total voters
    95

User00040

Well-Known Member
Interested to hear what and why, both positive and negative aspects.

Personal preference is open hill (montane environment) where rocky outcrops are numerous and far above any nasty peat hags :p

Challenging angles to shoot from and the lack of cover means a prone shot is usually the way to go, ranges can also be longer.

Wind is probably the most challenging aspect of such stalks as a bad wind direction means either abandoning a stalk to try a different area or taking the long way round.

Unfortunately such terrain is usually found (in Scotland) on private estates or NGO/QUANGO owned land and access is either pricey or unavailable to the public and often mandates their own guide/stalker to hold your hand when going round, sometimes to the extent of carrying, loading and lining up the rifle before the guest is allowed to take over, something that does not interest me in the slightest.

I would rather lead a pony round to pick the deer up than do that, so you know what I would say to using an Argo!

Unfortunately, the 'eco-friendly' aspect of using ponies is on the decline (and has been for many years) for a number of reasons, chief among them cost (lairds pockets not so deep after all), path maintenance and pony upkeep, not to mention lazy stalkers and guests.

Discuss.
 
Love being out on the hill, often a long day walking miles and never going far! Loads of sights and nature to see and occasionally a deer or two. Would like to try with a Garron at some stage in the future, but was warned off "horrible, bitey things" as one keeper was apt to describe them as...... something about the smell and the noise of the Argo at the end of a long day is almost therapeutic!
Woodland/farmland is great for different reasons, but the open hill takes first place.....
 
I had a day stalking roe on the hill last week in Glen Tanar with Colin Espie the estate stalker. This was a first for me I'm usually in woodland. After a long stalk in snow, bog and wind to get close and down wind I got a doe off sticks thanks largely to Colin's eyesight and stalking skill.... a memorable day and I'll do it again. The carcass was butchered on the kitchen table and is n in the freezer. The estate has leased roe stalking in the woodland and farmland to a syndicate so the only choice now is the woodland margins on the hill. A pity because the remnant of ancient pine forest is the second largest in Scotland and really beautiful.
 
Love being out on the hill, often a long day walking miles and never going far! Loads of sights and nature to see and occasionally a deer or two. Would like to try with a Garron at some stage in the future, but was warned off "horrible, bitey things" as one keeper was apt to describe them as...... something about the smell and the noise of the Argo at the end of a long day is almost therapeutic!
Woodland/farmland is great for different reasons, but the open hill takes first place.....

If the chain snaps, brakes fail or engine catches fire it will soon change your mind on Argo's!
 
I can confirm I absolutely hate mounded ground in new plantations….shot a follower on Friday, after taking the shot at around 100 yards the doe and other follower ran away but the doe stopped, this was at last light - she was barking but it looked like she might come back…I waited for a good half hour watching her in the thermal to see if her and the follower would walk back down - she did not, however by this point it was dark, I walked up the plantation and spent the next hour an a half searching for the shot follower - could not find it or see it on the thermal, I was just getting ready to head home and deploy the hound so I walked down the plantation with my phone torch on and just happened to stumble in n the below - the light from the flash on the camera does not do the darkness justice at that point and due to its position I could not see it in the thermal when scanning.

182DFBA3-763E-4029-85B3-D201BE4DE6BB.jpeg

Bast*rd moundings! More that a few times I’ve stepped into hidden ones and gone ar*e over t*t!

Hill stalking - as nice as it is is knackering in heather and can be a miserable day when raining and blowing a hoolie!
 
My vote is based on the permission I stalk on. It's mixture of woodland, pasturage and open hill. The woodland is dense, no hope of finding a deer unless they're senile, blind and deaf, no matter how quite one tries to be quiet, always making too much noise. The open hill is not favoured by any deer, I'm stalking Sika and my observation is that they bed down in the woodlands during the day and only appear as the light is going. They don't bother with the hill because the fodder in the pastures is no doubt vastly more satisfying. Which is an aggravation and a frustration for the land owner, he's trying to make a few bob and the fruits of his labours are undermined by the deer. Still west Kerry is a beautifully scenic area and I enjoy every day I get out on the ground, whether I'm successful or not!:old:
 
Open hill for me. Compared to woodland I like the spot and plan a stalk rather that the spot and shoot that is typical of woodland. As Caberslash has already mentioned the longer range and angled shots make that aspect more interesting.
 
Used to love the high hill, but age and total infirmity regarding long walks has finally snookered that one. Creep a couple of hundred yards now or sit in a seat.
 
Open hill for me. But that was for work, now recreational stalking is more woodland and slightly easier on the knees. But anywhere with a rifle is a bonus.
 
I used to really enjoy taking guests out on the hill, having the mist roll in around you whilst surrounded by rutting stags is one of the best experiences, hearing the sound of clattering antlers and roaring all around whilst waiting on the mist clearing is pure magic.

That said, recreationally I love the challenge of forestry, especially if it contains Sika.
 
I love all stalking environments and enjoy the variety but the open hill takes the pick. Hill reds in the Highlands is quite unique.

I would not call circa £350 per day for unlimited hinds on the hill in Scotland expensive compared to what large mammal hunting costs elsewhere in the world.

Extraction by pony is the icing on the cake, it's just magical to come off the hill walking alongside the pony with just the sound of the soft clop of their hooves on the track or the odd grind of their bit...rather than bouncing around on some screaming argo or quad.

I would say the decline in using garrons is directly related to the cost of labour. Having worked with them in my youth I know horses are a lot of work and too much work to just 'tag on' to most stalkers duties, you need at least a dedicated member of seasonal staff. I think most of the estates that still use them do so because the owners are willing to subsidise their use to maintain a tradition and I salute them for that. I hope stalking guests would also be prepared to pay the premium to have a stag (or hinds on some forests) extracted by pony - as I think it's well worth the investment.

The below photo from a fortnight ago on the hinds in East Perthshire.

view west.jpg
 
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@NickJ Slightly off topic but 350£ for a day on hinds is rather expensive. Hopefully post the covid price nonsense many estates can stay sub 250£
 
We used to hand-scythe an acre to acre and a half plus of rye (not so readily found in Scotland then) and hand bind it into sheaves, thereafter transporting the sheaves home to dry, for re-stuffing the following year’s deer saddle repairs…. not a lot of people are really interested in such niceties these days. Cost of the day out with the scythe wasn’t really factored into the cost of repair either, come to think of it, but I digress.

Stalking the hill roe is great sport, but equally, making an unseen approach in woodland takes a bit of beating. All good really!
 
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