Favorite Stalking Terrain?

[Dhindes]

Good question.
I love open hill in Scotland but that is much more of an expedition and spot and stalk around the mountain - love it. But for me mixed Forestry and farmland has to be tops. You are never sure what you will find, lots of slow walking, scoping and keeping alert - I love it !.
The one which is far from favorite is high seats - I can see the use / effectiveness but am never as keen on waiting rather than trying to actively find the beasties - For me stalking in mixed wood is the best. Much better than driven game I must do where I hunt in France.

 

[Lancaster]

May I suggest an amendment:

• Open Hill​

• Forestry​

• Woodland​

• Farmland​

• Creedmoor Country​

K

The poll is about stalking, not mincing about looking for deer

 

[hoodwink]

Armchair. You dont get wet or cold, tea is to be had at reasonable rates, you dont have to clean the gun afterwards, no traveling so cost effective especially at todays petrol prices. The Dog behaves perfectly, and you can read and write bxll—s alll day long

Sunday night TV

 

[NickJ]

@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£

I personally think £350 is a fair price and it's where estates need to try to get back to, to...lose less money then they have been to date. Think about the costs - salary, cottage, truck, argocat..

 

[Gsd99]

@NickJ Fair enough if youre happy to pay it but bare in mind 2 things: you could shoot stags for not alot more pre pandemic (when hinds were 200£ a day) and secondly how do you get youngsters into the sport at that price

 

[Lancaster]

@NickJ Fair enough if youre happy to pay it but bare in mind 2 things: you could shoot stags for not alot more pre pandemic (when hinds were 200£ a day) and secondly how do you get youngsters into the sport at that price

Well, guests could shoot A cull stag for not a lot more pre pandemic, but land rich and cash poor estates are trying to keep afloat.
They have had so many cancellations at the last minute, far fewer bookings, far less income.
The stalker still has to be paid, the cottage is still there, truck needs keeping on the road, and B&B on and around the estates have been hit hard.
If the stalker is on their game and guests get a couple of hinds and followers then it is still a pretty good day out.

 

[Gsd99]

@Lancaster i understand how the estates work but unfortunately its the same as most industries, alot of people have lost out. Fair enough if people are happy to pay it but youre not far off double the price, peoples wages havent doubled and if anything alot of peoples disposable income is significantly lower... theres no golden solution unfortunately but im not sure 350£ a day is the answer imo.
Josh

 

[willie_gunn]

With all this talk of the cost of stags vs hinds, do any Scottish estates actually make a profit from the deer stalking?

I always believed the old anecdote:
Q: “How do you amass a small fortune?”
A: “Start with a large fortune and buy a Scottish sporting estate.”

 

[Lancaster]

@Lancaster i understand how the estates work but unfortunately its the same as most industries, alot of people have lost out. Fair enough if people are happy to pay it but youre not far off double the price, peoples wages havent doubled and if anything alot of peoples disposable income is significantly lower... theres no golden solution unfortunately but im not sure 350£ a day is the answer imo.
Josh

Fair points, but stalkers pay and estate overheads haven't changed despite far less income, the old family estates are digging into reserves that some don't have much of just to keep going.

 

[foxdropper]

Enjoy it all in equal amounts

 

[Sako75Hunter]

For me the most important factor is topography: I don't like shooting on flat ground. Having plenty of contours not only makes it more interesting, if you're in a raised spot looking down you've a better chance of spotting a deer, and are more likely to have a good backstop for the shot.

Luckily where I live the terrain is mostly all pretty up and down.

 

[Blair]

Open hill ground would be a favourite of mine, out in that scenic environment with a real challenge on you hands. Farmland just seems to be a struggle every time you get there theres cows out, another shooter on the ground, poachers found from the night before. Randomer's cutting down a tree in the farm wood that the farmer said they can go and cut up whenever they like. Got a small amount of my own forestry ground bordered by estate farmland which has its own challenges. extraction is normally easier with forest tracks akthough you have the added challenge of being on top of the deer and the sheer amount of undergrowth in places! With a busy business aside from being out its just nice to get out under any opportunity available.

 

[deeangeo]

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.

I know & understand this perfectly... I'd like to keep getting older & out though

 

[pop1]

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.....

Anyone that complains about the horse has never had a bad drag

 

[pop1]

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

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.

Having worked with ponies for a long time, one observation I would make regarding their continued use is the pressure put on estates to cull more deer. You can only put one stag on the horse, you can load an argo to the gunnels!!
Give me the horse and the long walk home any day!!!!

 

[John Gryphon]

carrying, loading and lining up the rifle before the guest is allowed to take over, something that does not interest me in the slightest.

Does that really happen? and people PAY for that?

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.

These prices do my head in especially when in comparison to freely available hunting in Victoria.

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

That looks a challenging stalking spot that would take a fair amount of 'off feet' work to get in for a shot.

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£

Even the thought of 250£ a day chokes me.

 

[User00040]

Does that really happen? and people PAY for that?

These prices do my head in especially when in comparison to freely available hunting in Victoria.

That looks a challenging stalking spot that would take a fair amount of 'off feet' work to get in for a shot.

Even the thought of 250£ a day chokes me.

Yup, welcome to the UK where stalking is a commodity.

Deer not guaranteed either.

 

[John Gryphon]

Yup, welcome to the UK where stalking is a commodity.

One of our biggest problem`s is the "ah where will I go today for a hunt"
True as and with no dough involved it is terrible to read of the prices you lot have on your plate.
I still cannot believe how people pay to shoot a deer and the deer carcase doesnt go home with them or that they may have an option to buy it.

 

[Mike_E]

That said heading out on your own into the Aussie bush on crown land for a hunt Vs a day on a Scottish Highland estate with at least 2 staff supporting you is apples and oranges for a days experience. Each have their pros and cons, some people will love one and hate the other and equally vice versa.

I've never paid for shooting back in aus as e know farmers who need a job doing but I wonder how much you would have to pay to go shooting with a commercial aussie guide who supplies the 4x4, camp etc? Probably find it's not too dissimilar but I am just guessing.

 

[Bowland blades]

I would once have said proper woodland stalking ( as in on foot in woodland) no high seat etc . Perhaps thats still the case when there's just me and no need to shoot one or multiples ? But I suspect I would now say it's proper hill stalking when in a pair , the crack is better and it's less work when there's two and an argo with a winch . Humping out fallow , sika etc or more than one roe without such equipment on your own can be hard work without transport