How do you not get fed up

[Tim.243]

Without being able to see their bodies you cannot even begin to make any kind of worthwhile selection. There is nothing in that photo that enables you to identify a potential "good one" among them.

They all will make x amount of £'s per kg at the dealer as they don't care about the head or hooves

 

[Mike1979]

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe catch a Fallow then you can tow
@Norfolk Deer Search get your cart wheels ready to go Lee.

One of my mates sent me a pic of 25 fallow in a field all bucks and prickets. Hopefully they will be around when I head down in a couple of weeks...sure I ll do my usual and get deer fever and end up not shooting anything lol.....better when its just one or two

 

[GBR66]

I've spent years selectively shooting a few Roe in England, a few Red stags in Scotland plus a couple of "get the numbers up" hind stalking trips. I wasn't prepared for the Irish deer invasion...I stalked on a patch last season where they took over 100 Sika on 1500 acres (next to a largely unshot big piece of ground) having taken the same the year before. I moved here a year ago and put out feelers expecting all stalking to be sewn up, but I have half a dozen farmers within 3 miles who firstly just want numbers down as they are overrun with Fallow and Sika and getting crop and fence damage. The only other local guy wants to lamp under special licence and the landowners dont really like that, but it really is a population reduction job first and foremost and their biggest concern is that I won't just turn up twice a season...the new Deer Management Unit plan here is designed to be able to get stalkers in to help when needed, some politicians are calling for a Army cull!

 

[75]

Without being able to see their bodies you cannot even begin to make any kind of worthwhile selection. There is nothing in that photo that enables you to identify a potential "good one" among them.

I completely agree (so I suppose it was a slightly loaded / provocative question!) but it's not an uncommon scenario in field conditions. Yet folk still insist they can accurately age deer on the hoof or select the best genetics based on a fleeting glimpse of headwear.

For me, one on the left is a bit younger but otherwise not a lot to tell from the photo...

Roll them all over, next door will

And given the opportunity, would be my choice too.

 

[nun_hunter]

Without being able to see their bodies you cannot even begin to make any kind of worthwhile selection. There is nothing in that photo that enables you to identify a potential "good one" among them.

Not to mention possibly clipping the fence wire first and having the landowner come after you for repair costs

 

[VSS]

They all will make x amount of £'s per kg at the dealer as they don't care about the head or hooves

Even if the principal income generating potential of those stags lies in selling their heads on a "per point" basis to paying clients, you'd still want to be able to see their bodies in order to make any kind of selection, to ensure that the "best" headed one looks physically strong enough to be considered as a potential breeder.

 

[devon deer stalker]

This popped up on my FB feed earlier - made me think of this thread and the idea of "leaving the good ones to breed". Which one would to shoot? Appreciate there's no context on the ground but there's a nice selection to choose from there (or to leave to wander off to your neighbours!).

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If I could see the body size....the smallest! Bloody heavy things they are!

 

[Midlandstalker2024]

Many thanks for all the input and advice guys. I’ll start rolling a few over, if I can get them then they don’t stand much of a chance with anyone else

 

[shakey jake]

This popped up on my FB feed earlier - made me think of this thread and the idea of "leaving the good ones to breed". Which one would to shoot? Appreciate there's no context on the ground but there's a nice selection to choose from there (or to leave to wander off to your neighbours!).

View attachment 428865

Arent they all next doors?