Hind Stalking Prices (Highlands)

[Stew1803]

OK more experienced than most maybe but I was a mountain rescue member for twenty five and unfortunately have seen the results of treating the Scottish mountains with lack of respect.

Yes I've seen my share of I'll equipped people on the hills, and like to think I know my limitations well, but things happen hence the safety equipment.

But I'm just musing my thoughts on here as even though it's new to me I've come to really enjoy shooting and stalking and would hate to see it dissappear, so throwing out ideas that might help for the future

 

[Mungo]

And I obviously have zero experience of running an estate so don't see the behind the scenes stuff that goes on. I just know I wish we had more freedom to shoot in Scotland similar to what they have in the US.

We have much, much more ‘freedom’ in Scotland.

We can shoot any day of the year. We have no bag limits. For the species/sexes that are in season, there are no size or age restrictions. We can do what we want with the meat. We don’t have to draw tags. We don’t have to share ground with people we know nothing about.

I have looked into hunting in Arizona, Colorado, Virginia and Illinois (where I either have family or spent time working). It was fearsomely complicated, and the restrictions on time, place, application procedure and overall requirements were so varied and beaurocratic that I gave up.

 

[Tazz]

Diesel is also circa £1.50 a litre and we have channel 5 now as well.

I hear rumours we will be getting toilets indoors as well.



Everything costs more at the minute,including our luxury hobbies.

Next it will be pavements and a local shop

 

[Tazz]

It's abit like calling a pest controller to remove a wasps nest and the pest controller paying the client for the privilege of doing the job lol

And he client keeps the wasps

 

[User00040]

I've sugguested this to the upper echelons at Great Glen House:

Allow shooting from helicopters.

Chopper Boys from the Southern Hemisphere will do the hind cull of not only the estate, an entire DMG, in one month.

So full access across the DMG to tackle the herd as a whole. Drop off at larders coordinated, people waiting on the ground to process.

Speed and efficiency (all headshots, or forward of shoulders) means better carcass quality (better shot and heavier weights vs. a prolonged cull across winter, all done 'within season' late October).



Estates pay into the pot which will consitute the chopper fee.

Costs for one of the larger DMG's will probably be £200k.

If the estate has a half-decent accountant, they will realise it is cheaper to pay into this scheme and get the cull done vs. have people fannying about on the ground.

Get estate staff to do actually the winter jobs that usually get neglected or boged, i.e fence and estate maintenance vs. taking 'guests' out.

It's a saving that makes sense, better for everyone bar the guests and stalker's tip.

Industry needs to change with the times, get the professionals to do the job!

 

[JackDavis]

Just got back from Skye
£250 for the day split between 2 of us. 2 hinds down. Could have tried for more but had to work for those. Quality stalking

info on who you used? Interested in going to Skye myself so looking for recommendations

Thanks
Jack

 

[Husky]

I've sugguested this to the upper echelons at Great Glen House:

Allow shooting from helicopters.

Chopper Boys from the Southern Hemisphere will do the hind cull of not only the estate, an entire DMG, in one month.

So full access across the DMG to tackle the herd as a whole. Drop off at larders coordinated, people waiting on the ground to process.

Speed and efficiency (all headshots, or forward of shoulders) means better carcass quality (better shot and heavier weights vs. a prolonged cull across winter, all done 'within season' late October).



Estates pay into the pot which will consitute the chopper fee.

Costs for one of the larger DMG's will probably be £200k.

If the estate has a half-decent accountant, they will realise it is cheaper to pay into this scheme and get the cull done vs. have people fannying about on the ground.

Get estate staff to do actually the winter jobs that usually get neglected or boged, i.e fence and estate maintenance vs. taking 'guests' out.

It's a saving that makes sense, better for everyone bar the guests and stalker's tip.

Industry needs to change with the times, get the professionals to do the job!

What did the upper echelons think/say about your suggestion ?

 

[gixer1]

I've sugguested this to the upper echelons at Great Glen House:

Allow shooting from helicopters.

Chopper Boys from the Southern Hemisphere will do the hind cull of not only the estate, an entire DMG, in one month.

So full access across the DMG to tackle the herd as a whole. Drop off at larders coordinated, people waiting on the ground to process.

Speed and efficiency (all headshots, or forward of shoulders) means better carcass quality (better shot and heavier weights vs. a prolonged cull across winter, all done 'within season' late October).



Estates pay into the pot which will consitute the chopper fee.

Costs for one of the larger DMG's will probably be £200k.

If the estate has a half-decent accountant, they will realise it is cheaper to pay into this scheme and get the cull done vs. have people fannying about on the ground.

Get estate staff to do actually the winter jobs that usually get neglected or boged, i.e fence and estate maintenance vs. taking 'guests' out.

It's a saving that makes sense, better for everyone bar the guests and stalker's tip.

Industry needs to change with the times, get the professionals to do the job!

Never going to work @caberslash, the video is extremely selective. And as for “better quality carcasses”…..no, many of these are shot wherever. You will notice that the pilot is always aligned behind the springbok (similar to shooting a clay going away from you - makes it far easier as there is no lead to consider)the pilot is the real talent here, and although it would possibly get the job done, it wouldn’t be “cleaner carcasses”….it would be a pile of dead deer.

Also, flying along a flat piece of ground in sunny S.A is going to be considerably different to conditions in Scotland where reds need culled!

If this is De Aar or Limpopo….Ask me how I know next time I see you.

Regards,
Gixer

 

[John Gryphon]

and clients out on their own is a serious risk.

What is the serious risk?

I have looked into hunting in Arizona, Colorado, Virginia and Illinois (where I either have family or spent time working). It was fearsomely complicated, and the restrictions on time, place, application procedure and overall requirements were so varied and beaurocratic that I gave up.

For circa 30 Pommy Quid you can have access to 18 million acres of deer country in Victoria. (yes million) Shoot as many of any sex/size/age/stags/hinds/calves.
A few outings at the UK 300 quid a year would go a long way towards a ticket....and the tickets are cheaper in winter here as its the off season.

 

[Stew1803]

What is the serious risk?

For circa 30 Pommy Quid you can have access to 18 million acres of deer country in Victoria. (yes million) Shoot as many of any sex/size/age/stags/hinds/calves.
A few outings at the UK 300 quid a year would go a long way towards a ticket....and the tickets are cheaper in winter here as its the off season.

I'd imagine the serious risk he's referring to would be the fact that it's quite a small area, and because it's not part of the culture many folk wouldn't be used to being alone on the hills (not able to navigate or react in an emergency).

As for the shooting side, someone with DSC and perhaps a competency test would cover it I'd imagine.

 

[norma 308]

£360 a day can be split so stalking a 2/1 but we see it as a holiday after pheasants are done plus fuel 3 tanks of juice plus hotel£100 /night plus food drink and tips arr well seems expensive when you tot it all up but we love it and look forward to it . Just been unaccompanied in borders which was a great laugh and even as experienced stalkers we learnt a lot about sika ( &£@?ers) that was £200 a day but again we loved it
Norma

 

[User00040]

What did the upper echelons think/say about your suggestion ?

 

[User00040]

Also, flying along a flat piece of ground in sunny S.A is going to be considerably different to conditions in Scotland where reds need culled!

They do this in NZ as well, Fiordland. Ben Nevis would just be a wee hill there!

Cullers here talk up doing 1k deer a year, there it would be 10-100k!

 

[sikamalc]

There is a risk where ever you go. But in the highlands the risk is higher, in my opinion. People get lost and die in the highlands every year. Not knowing the ground is the first issue. Peat bogs, some big enough to swallow a truck, break a leg and your in trouble, sprain your ankle and you are in trouble. In the autumn and winter you can get all 4 seasons in an hour. Its not unusual for people to get lost, and every year there are fatalities.
Many stalkers from the south, have no idea what to expect when stalking the highlands. The biggest area I have managed was over 40,000 acres with 3 Munroe's.
I used to take people off this site for Level 2, and or the highland experience on a lease I had in the highlands. But after having one guy get lost within an hour of being there, after being told, to stay where he was, and we would be back in 10 minutes, and another slicing his finger off with paracord, 4 miles out in the hills, I decided to pack it in.

Remember the BASC scheme on Arron, some years back? Dropped a single client off, on his own. They found his body 3 days later. I admit there was little anyone could do to help him, but if he had been with another stalker it would have saved a lot of time, money and more importantly grief for the family.

Any estate who lets a complete novice out on their own in the highlands in asking for trouble, in my opinion.

 

[gixer1]

They do this in NZ as well, Fiordland. Ben Nevis would just be a wee hill there!

Cullers here talk up doing 1k deer a year, there it would be 10-100k!

Again though - different conditions…I have nice spoke to a pilot on a rig and he was saying that the U.K. can be some of the most challenging conditions and it’s why many pilots like it here.

And I’m sure they get the numbers but to say they are cleaner shot would not be accurate.

 

[gixer1]

There is a risk where ever you go. But in the highlands the risk is higher, in my opinion. People get lost and die in the highlands every year. Not knowing the ground is the first issue. Peat bogs, some big enough to swallow a truck, break a leg and your in trouble, sprain your ankle and you are in trouble. In the autumn and winter you can get all 4 seasons in an hour. Its not unusual for people to get lost, and every year there are fatalities.
Many stalkers from the south, have no idea what to expect when stalking the highlands. The biggest area I have managed was over 40,000 acres with 3 Munroe's.
I used to take people off this site for Level 2, and or the highland experience on a lease I had in the highlands. But after having one guy get lost within an hour of being there, after being told, to stay where he was, and we would be back in 10 minutes, and another slicing his finger off with paracord, 4 miles out in the hills, I decided to pack it in.

Remember the BASC scheme on Arron, some years back? Dropped a single client off, on his own. They found his body 3 days later. I admit there was little anyone could do to help him, but if he had been with another stalker it would have saved a lot of time, money and more importantly grief for the family.

Any estate who lets a complete novice out on their own in the highlands in asking for trouble, in my opinion.

We see it up here all the time. Myself and my wife were coming down off Lochnagar last year and at the bottom the weather was not too bad but at the top had been sleet and driving rain, near the bottom we bumped into an Indian family, there were 11 of them…ranging from about 5 to 50 I would say, we spoke to them and they said they were heading for the top, we told them not to bother as they had light clothing, open toed shoes and nothing else…..and Lochnagar isn’t remote and commonly walked…but people just don’t realise.

 

[Dave_45]

Firearms
Helicopters
Shooting deer

Sounds like a HSE nightmare.


Was this not done during the 'deer wars'
In the trossachs?

Or was that recovery only

 

[slider]

Again though - different conditions…I have nice spoke to a pilot on a rig and he was saying that the U.K. can be some of the most challenging conditions and it’s why many pilots like it here.

And I’m sure they get the numbers but to say they are cleaner shot would not be accurate.

My brother had an Aussie pilot staying in his b&b a few years ago. He was ferrying clients from a hotel to the Open golf.

I got chatting to him about hunting with helicopters and he said he had no friends that did this. They were all dead .........

 

[coire lochan]

I am appalled at such a suggestion “using helicopters to shoot deer!” On the open range, to my knowledge there’s not an issue in with deer density on the open range in many parts of the highlands, same couldn’t be said 15-20 years ago mind, but most estates have reduced numbers to a level to allow regeneration to occur, what’s wrong with fences?, there is a problem however in forestry plantations with deer density! You’d think with all the mod cons of technology FLS staff would be able to assess and work accordingly!, that’s a ridiculous suggestion “the use of helicopters and shooting them from helicopters “!, there’s got to be welfare issues there!, I usually stay very quiet on this site, not an outspoken person! But this particular individual who keeps sticking his knock out caught me in the wrong frame of mind to be listening to anymore ****!, I tend to use this site in a positive manner and find it very interesting listening to others experiences and knowledge, but somebody has to tell this caberslash geezer to shut up!, what a name to give one’s self! Stag slasher!, sounds like a proper w****r!, anyhow have a nice Xmas and new year guys and gals.

 

[slider]

@coire lochan , if you had been a member of the site for a while you would realise there is a (large) element of sarcasm and pot stirring from certain members