How should stalkers get paid?

[rem284]

There are so many variables in deer management/stalking. The first one being the objectives and priorities. For example is it to grow a crop with little or no tolerance for numbers of deer to remain on the ground. Hectares:- is there enough to warrant an employee. Will their costs be worth the reduction in damage to a crop. There is the time old thing where someone will either pay to shoot deer or do it free of charge. There is a vast difference between doing it as a profession and doing it recreationally.

There is one thing. On the whole, nation wide, the deer numbers are getting higher so we are doing something wrong. The good thing about this is there should be more opportunities for people to be involved in deer control. I am a fond believer that people should get some reward for efforts. You don't get many people willing to pay to use a chainsaw or sweep the streets.

 

[Borntofarm84]

With the introduction of WS1 revenue payments for Countryside Stewardship (England only I think), should stalkers expect to be paid by the landowner if they're working to achieve a target as opposed to paying the landowner for the privilege of doing the odd recreational stalk?
As the payment rate is not insignificant (£105 / Ha) I'd like to know people's thoughts on:
1) How much should the stalker be charging a Ha?
2) How is the payment calculated / evidence collected? (e.g. number of visits per year, cull records / game dealer records / results evidenced in restock or habitat impact surveys)

Thanks,

Alex

Hi
If you are looking at taking on,or ‘tendering’ for stalking on a parcel of land which is applying for ws1, I would think the place to start would be to talk to a land agent. They will undoubtedly be assisting larger estates and land holdings with the applications for these grants. They will have costed everything out and would be able to give you an idea of the going rate for a stalker carrying out the culling I would imagine. As well as what responsibilities lay with whom.