First Time Stalking - Any Advice?

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Turnips

Turnips

Well-Known Member
I've never been deer stalking, but I've been offered the opportunity to go out on Roe Bucks this weekend, weather depending. I'll be with an experienced shot, who is a guide (also a friend), so I should be in good hands.

Is there anything I should know, or any etiquette (been around on game bird shoots to know there are certain things you should or shouldn't do) that I ought to be aware of before I go?

I'll not be shooting, so that's one thing less to worry about. I have done my DSC1, and if I enjoy myself then the chap showing me the ropes has offered to mentor/sponsor me with my firearms with a view to getting a centrefire on my FAC.

I'm really looking forward to it, regardless.
 
This is no different than the local dealer offering 'free tasters', to the kids at the school gate.

It is a path (which if you take) can ruin lives, friendships and families.


Unknown-6.jpeg


If someone offers you a 'Free Stalk"...just say no!

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You will have a blast.
I know he is your mate, but take a bottle of his favourite tipple as a thank you.
 
Additionally, and most 'old sweats' will not tell you this - they didn't tell me - and as a consequence I never saw a deer for my first thirty seven outings.

If your other hobby (today's wordle) is Morris Dancing, do remember to change out of your clobber before you go stalking...



hop-hoodening-guests-east-kent-2.jpg
 
Nothing special, usual practical stuff. Don't be late, ask on clothing, (white isn't good as pointed out above), whatever you wear for game bird shooting should be near enough and depending on where you are going ask whether boots or wellies are best, stay behind the man with the rifle close but not too close, stop when he stops, be quiet, try to avoid avoid stepping on twigs etc, listen to guidance/instruction, once you start stalking don't speak loudly (or at all until spoken to), if you end up in a high seat try not to snore, help with the drag/carry, ear protection for the shot is advisable even if the rifle is moderated but don't flap about, avoid sudden movements, take a hat, take binoculars, keep looking as you might spot a deer your friend hasn't. Take a sense of humour as things don't always go to plan. Hope you have a great day.
 
Use ears and mouth in that ratio.
Don’t take the safety off until instructed.
Don’t shoot the wrong deer
If you don’t think the shot is on then don’t take it - better not to shoot than to wound
Always be muzzle aware
Look at what you are treading on - keep off the twigs!
Don’t put any eau de cologne on!
Move smoothly and deliberately.
Breathe when the crosshairs are on it and relax before pulling the trigger (easier than it sounds as I still get the adrenaline buzz when lining up a shot, even after more than a decade of stalking).
Watch the gralloch process carefully and note how it’s done
Offer to carry the beast if you are successful
Buy the coffee /lunch / beers!!
Enjoy yourself!! 🙂
 
I’ve had quite a few people accompany me, almost all with little or no hunting experience. They’ve almost all been great after I explained how things were likely to go and what I wanted them to do. So I’d say the one over riding rule is simply do what the stalker asks you to do.

The one exception was my father in law. He’s been out with me 6-7 times, and has been a nightmare every time. A few examples:

Stalked up a tree line to the top of a big bowl overlooking clear fell, where I knew there were almost always deer out in the open. Got to edge of tree line, and explained to him that there were likely to be deer out in the open down to our left as we came out into the open. I asked him to wait behind the trees while I crawled out to look down the slope. I crawled out. Sure enough, 5-6 deer out in the open 150m below. I crawled to a good shooting position, clear of grass. Deer started to look up, and we’re clearly getting ready to bolt. Couldn’t work out why. Until a shadow fell over me. Father in law was stood just behind me, hands nonchalantly folded behind his back. He’d walked out with me, as I crawled. He bent down. ‘So - those deer - are you planning to shoot one?’. Miraculously, one did actually stand long enough for me to shoot.

Stalked extremely slowly through a small wood, where I knew there to be 2-3 deer. I’d asked him to stay 3 paces behind, and to STOP When I stopped. 15 minutes in, I became aware of a doe peering at us through dense shrubs. She was 30 yards away and very aware of us. I froze, and then extremely slowly inched forward to find a shooting lane. I finally found a hole through the bushes to shoot through, and EXTREMELY slowly started raising the rifle. I got it up and had crosshairs on. Shadow fell over me and scope blurred. I looked up. Father in law has wandered over, and was now standing in front of me. He’d worked out I was lining up on a deer, but couldn’t see it. So had decided the best way to see it was to line his head up with the barrel and sight down it… astonishingly, once again, the deer stood long enough for me to manoeuvre and shoot.
 
Mungo said:
I’ve had quite a few people accompany me, almost all with little or no hunting experience. They’ve almost all been great after I explained how things were likely to go and what I wanted them to do. So I’d say the one over riding rule is simply do what the stalker asks you to do.

The one exception was my father in law. He’s been out with me 6-7 times, and has been a nightmare every time. A few examples:

Stalked up a tree line to the top of a big bowl overlooking clear fell, where I knew there were almost always deer out in the open. Got to edge of tree line, and explained to him that there were likely to be deer out in the open down to our left as we came out into the open. I asked him to wait behind the trees while I crawled out to look down the slope. I crawled out. Sure enough, 5-6 deer out in the open 150m below. I crawled to a good shooting position, clear of grass. Deer started to look up, and we’re clearly getting ready to bolt. Couldn’t work out why. Until a shadow fell over me. Father in law was stood just behind me, hands nonchalantly folded behind his back. He’d walked out with me, as I crawled. He bent down. ‘So - those deer - are you planning to shoot one?’. Miraculously, one did actually stand long enough for me to shoot.

Stalked extremely slowly through a small wood, where I knew there to be 2-3 deer. I’d asked him to stay 3 paces behind, and to STOP When I stopped. 15 minutes in, I became aware of a doe peering at us through dense shrubs. She was 30 yards away and very aware of us. I froze, and then extremely slowly inched forward to find a shooting lane. I finally found a hole through the bushes to shoot through, and EXTREMELY slowly started raising the rifle. I got it up and had crosshairs on. Shadow fell over me and scope blurred. I looked up. Father in law has wandered over, and was now standing in front of me. He’d worked out I was lining up on a deer, but couldn’t see it. So had decided the best way to see it was to line his head up with the barrel and sight down it… astonishingly, once again, the deer stood long enough for me to manoeuvre and shoot.
Click to expand...
:lol:
 
Mungo said:
I’ve had quite a few people accompany me, almost all with little or no hunting experience. They’ve almost all been great after I explained how things were likely to go and what I wanted them to do. So I’d say the one over riding rule is simply do what the stalker asks you to do.

The one exception was my father in law. He’s been out with me 6-7 times, and has been a nightmare every time. A few examples:

Stalked up a tree line to the top of a big bowl overlooking clear fell, where I knew there were almost always deer out in the open. Got to edge of tree line, and explained to him that there were likely to be deer out in the open down to our left as we came out into the open. I asked him to wait behind the trees while I crawled out to look down the slope. I crawled out. Sure enough, 5-6 deer out in the open 150m below. I crawled to a good shooting position, clear of grass. Deer started to look up, and we’re clearly getting ready to bolt. Couldn’t work out why. Until a shadow fell over me. Father in law was stood just behind me, hands nonchalantly folded behind his back. He’d walked out with me, as I crawled. He bent down. ‘So - those deer - are you planning to shoot one?’. Miraculously, one did actually stand long enough for me to shoot.

Stalked extremely slowly through a small wood, where I knew there to be 2-3 deer. I’d asked him to stay 3 paces behind, and to STOP When I stopped. 15 minutes in, I became aware of a doe peering at us through dense shrubs. She was 30 yards away and very aware of us. I froze, and then extremely slowly inched forward to find a shooting lane. I finally found a hole through the bushes to shoot through, and EXTREMELY slowly started raising the rifle. I got it up and had crosshairs on. Shadow fell over me and scope blurred. I looked up. Father in law has wandered over, and was now standing in front of me. He’d worked out I was lining up on a deer, but couldn’t see it. So had decided the best way to see it was to line his head up with the barrel and sight down it… astonishingly, once again, the deer stood long enough for me to manoeuvre and shoot.
Click to expand...
Next time you think of taking the FiL you can give me a shout instead. 😀
 
If you make more noise than your mate he is going to blame you if you don’t get anything. Stay behind him and don’t speak unless spoken to.
 
Reminds me of a night flight where I took someone to a pond I had been feeding up. I knew duck had been coming in every night, so we got into position, him bit around the small pond from me, arcs of fire discussed and we both had a bit of a hill behind us and I explained which way the birds would come in (into the wind). So we settled down as darkness started to descend. Time passed and I thought it strange nothing was happening, until I eventually looked round to see my pal had gone up the hill behind him and was frog marching back and forward along the ridge to see if he could see anything coming in. He was perfectly silhouetted against the sky. Ho-hum, orange sauce not required.

The same feller was in the same pheasant syndicate as me. It was a nightmare having a peg near him. He would randomly urgently mount his gun for no reason, causing everyone to go on high alert for the bird coming that didn't exist. (Just practicing his mount). He also managed to not see birds flying over as he was checking his footing, fiddling with his gun, opening it to see if it was still loaded etc. Shouts of "over" but often all too late. He hardly ever missed though when he saw them. But many of the birds he "hit" managed to fly on. He'd be onto the pickers-up explaining where they'd gone down, creating of course loads of "lost" birds and fruitless searching. Until they twigged. I once sent my dog into some rushes where one of his birds had "fallen" at his behest. The dog came back empty, much to his chagrin. He then asked another feller to send his dog in, who also couldn't find this mortally wounded hide and seek champion pheasant. Annoyed? Moi? Mais non!

I shudder to think what he'd get up to on a stalk.

But he is a jolly nice chap when all's said and done.
 
If you are a game or rough shooter as you stalk there is no need to check the trees and sky ,its an in built habit ,took me a while to realise I was still doing it stalking.
 
Keep calm and enjoy on my only stalk i enjoyed looking at the hares running around and the pheasant's.
Then we started to hunt ten minutes later first roe stag shot. Second one missed but what a great time I had learning from a great guy.
My guide saw a lot more deer than i did so keep scanning all around the area.
 
Last edited:
Get out there and enjoy it, watch, listen and ask questions at the appropriate points. Remember your binos and keep your movements smooth.
 
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