Heaviest red stag shot in the UK

[Herne]

Does anyone know why Arran grows such enormous stags?

The largest I have shot was 130kg hill weight, it was fora DSC2 stalk, and had run into thick boondocks, after locating it the AW had somewhere to be and left me to extract it it was 250 metres into a plantation and he told me to call him later when I had it at the larder, he waited nearly three hours for a call and the drive was 10 minutes.

From the same property, which had been neglected for years and become a bit of a nursery/retirement home for hinds, I regularly shot extremely large mature hinds, one hind was almost the size a pony and weighed just under 100kg hill weight.

A few years later, a friend placed me above a ravine about 60 m deep with 45 degree slopes covered in pine and fir leading into it, there was some attractive grass and a deer trail right through the bottom of it. he told me that deer would regularly appear in the evening in the ravine bottom, with an hour of light a very large stag appeared. When my friend arrived at last light he asked if I had seen anything? “No - not a thing” I said .

 

[baguio]

I'm always a bit sceptical about claims of nearly 20 year old stags

Why? A stag calf was found as a new born on a farm near me and tagged by the farmer. He stayed around the farm and even lived amongst the cattle at times for 18 1/2 years but was never captive. A friend was called to shoot him when he went down hill fast. His teeth were worn out and rotten. He was basically starving which is no great surprise to any of us really.

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

I am proud of the fact i’ve shot an old stag going back, estimated 10-12 years, 172kg or 27st on the dealers hook.

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

Surely someone has shot one of the Thetford monsters!

Ive seen with my own eyes, stags that would make a grown man sh1t a brick!

Antlers with beams thicker than a grown mans wrist and bases you cant get your hands around.

 

[Sheamus]

For clarity I never actually said a carcass could lose 12 kg in 24 hours.
All carcasses will lose weight hanging how much is variables most weight is lost in the first twenty four hours but they will continue to lose weight for a time after that.
Another think that influences weight loss is the conditions when the beast was shot or even handled a beast shot in wet conditions will weigh more than shot and handled in dry and consequently lose more weight as it dries out.
Sometimes though it's something we tried to avoid but in rare occassions a beast had to be left on the hill overnight
standard practice was to add Ilb per stone for weight loss that had occured overnight it's not an exact science and it will
vary but as a rule of thumb its not far off.
As to my remark of a 20st stag being possibly closer to 18st when collected by the Gamedealer some dealers collect twice a week some once a week some when you call them to tell them you need a collection.
A stag that weighed into the larder at 20st could indeed be getting close to 18st when weighed a week later.

So in simple terms it's just guess work until they hit then hooks at the game dealers?

 

[JH83]

Two beasties from the same estate taken years ago as a client, both around 20 stone post rut. Big lads, both well past prime. I walk past the heads every day and appreciate them, great memories.

 

[wytonpjs]

Does anyone know why Arran grows such enormous stags?

From the same property, which had been neglected for years and become a bit of a nursery/retirement home for hinds, I regularly shot extremely large mature hinds, one hind was almost the size a pony and weighed just under 100kg hill weight.

Shot a 96 kg larder weight hind on Arran - the drag nearly killed my colleague and I!

 

[Deutsch - Drahthaar]

17 pointer off Arran 27st.
12 pointer biggest head in Scotland(Garroch) since records began 132kg larder weight.Donated it to head office of BASC Scotland. Believe its now just been beaten.

Hi Griff,

I think the stag that that BL shot a in Galloway in 2017 was the Scottish Record. This was it

 

[bfltd0]

It was. The right hand picture. You heard of him, obviously. And know Colin too. A great guy. He shot his first Sika with me. View attachment 222065

Hey, that's my rifle! Apart from the fact I have the original intermediate eye relief scope on it........

 

[deerstalker.308]

Surely someone has shot one of the Thetford monsters!

See post 58

 

[Tikka 270]

28.5 stone Hill weight, shot by a client, argyll.
Heaviest I've shot myself is 21 stone dealers weight

 

[deerstalker.308]

View attachment 222174
28.5 stone Hill weight, shot by a client, argyll.
Heaviest I've shot myself is 21 stone dealers weight

To be clear hill weight is gralloched but head and feet on?

 

[Tikka 270]

To be clear hill weight is gralloched but head and feet on?

Correct, gralloched but with pluck in, head and feet on

 

[deerstalker.308]

Correct, gralloched but with pluck in, head and feet on

Any idea what the larder weight would be then?

 

[Tikka 270]

Any idea what the larder weight would be then?

He was 24.5 stone dealer weight

 

[deerstalker.308]

I had one dressed @ 111kg which after 3 days was 108kg when I called in to pick up my money...

That’s just Rigby having you over

 

[Tim.243]

That’s just Rigby having you over

@3.00 a kg then it was 9 quid, these days it is not enough for chips on the way home

 

[Rafter]

The biggest I ever sold was 134kg on the hook. Head and hocks off, fully gutted. It took me 8 hours to carry it to the car, about 1600m away in a straight line.

I was younger and stronger then, nowadays I'd just take the backsteaks and back legs and call it good.

 

[NickJ]

Does anyone know why Arran grows such enormous stags?

The largest I have shot was 130kg hill weight, it was fora DSC2 stalk, and had run into thick boondocks, after locating it the AW had somewhere to be and left me to extract it it was 250 metres into a plantation and he told me to call him later when I had it at the larder, he waited nearly three hours for a call and the drive was 10 minutes.

From the same property, which had been neglected for years and become a bit of a nursery/retirement home for hinds, I regularly shot extremely large mature hinds, one hind was almost the size a pony and weighed just under 100kg hill weight.

A few years later, a friend placed me above a ravine about 60 m deep with 45 degree slopes covered in pine and fir leading into it, there was some attractive grass and a deer trail right through the bottom of it. he told me that deer would regularly appear in the evening in the ravine bottom, with an hour of light a very large stag appeared. When my friend arrived at last light he asked if I had seen anything? “No - not a thing” I said .

I would say the main reason it returns good carcass weights is that it is surrounded by the Gulf stream which keeps it mild and means the grass growing season is generally longer than further east (like many of the southern Hebrides/peninsulars.)

To a much lesser extent there might be a 'good genes' angle, many forests were, of course 'improved' with English park or German blood.

 

[cyberstag]

This morning I took in a 16 year old stag, 155.4 kgs on the scales. Has been my best breeding stag ever. Cost me £5,000 but earned back many times that in progeny sales and increased carcass weights. Maybe should have gone last year but couldn't bring myself to do it. Opened the garden gate yesterday, he wandered in and started eating apples under the tree. Bullet in the back of the head from 6 feet. At his prime he weighed 340 kgs live.