Recreational stalkers; is anyone considering a cheaper hobby?

[Overlay]

I think everyone has to have at least one hobby. We all know of those people who stay in work as long as possible into old age because there's nothing else in their life, then drop dead shortly after having had to retire. Of course it doesn't have to be stalking. There's a vast array of interests that could float your boat. But I think you'll find that there aren't many that don't cost you money. Vintage cars and motorbikes are money pits. Golf (perish the thought) range fees/memberships are extortionate. Stamp collecting even ain't so cheap. As for incessantly going on holidays, well, good luck with that. Spending hours at a time paying good money sitting in an aeroplane seat built for leprechauns isn't my idea of fun, but neither is it cheap.

No, pretty much any worthwhile hobby will cost you a great wedge of any surplus income you might have. And with the cost of living crisis what it is, it's a worry. I have a number of shooting hobbies, ride a motorcycle and like to go to rugby internationals. All an ongoing cost. But I really don't want to give up any of them. So when money is tight, I just cut back. Then when the money tap opens a bit, I can do more. Give up? Nope, I'll do that when the body calls time, not before.

My sentiments as well, whatever your day job is, you need a time out place, my mains are sporting rifle shooting, fly , sea fishing and wildfowling as the seasons depict and turn - Never a dull moment somewhere, but I’m not one to sit around and watch the world go bye I’d rather jump on its back and see where it goes

 

[User00053]

Good luck getting a blowie off your mates…

Post 94 comes close, and not too costly.

 

[angusb1]

What else other than stalking is there to spend your money on?

 

[Nimrod1960]

More stalking less driven birds is the future for me.

A driven day is great for the company and crack but becoming stupid expensive. I also think, as I have observed in others, that I am getting to the point in life of having simply killed enough phaesants.

With stalking I eat what I kill and sitting in a high seat waiting for dawn is such a joy, shot taken or not.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Multi million £££ business here in the U.K.

I would love to spend a day stalking carp with Chris Yates:

He with his Walker split cane and a floating crust and me with my 22 Hornet and 35 grains of copper-coated lead!

K

 

[Overlay]

What else other than stalking is there to spend your money on?

Well there’s the missus, kids , grandkids, teckles these are the known expenses then there are : knifes, foxing, rabbiting, ferreting, wild fowling, pigeon shooting and now sneaking in is black powder rifles and pistols

my expenditure in a nut shell, Hmmm. Some say I may have just found the reason I don’t drink alcohol, smoke or drive fast cars. - no dollar left for such extravagance

 

[VSS]

Good luck getting a blowie off your mates…

A sensible man has a secretary.

 

[Hind and Sika]

They are all a pest here NDS
.22 LR is very good and wandering along head shooting rising carp is quite a past time.
I wont whinge about the cost of three bullets lol.

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Carp fishing was my obsession for years.

I can confirm, if someone shot a carp on one of the circuit waters of England, they'd be beaten to death

You use them for fertiliser over there?

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

Carp fishing was my obsession for years.

I can confirm, if someone shot a carp on one of the circuit waters of England, they'd be beaten to death

You use them for fertiliser over there?

you can’t say things like that, you’re aggravate the chimps in the cage

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

Yes I am cutting back, pretty much sold all my guns or had them cut up!

Done so much of it in years gone by, i have had a gut full.

But cost has not come into it, just lack of time, energy and enthusiasm.

I would rather spend my time fishing or sailing with my wife and daughter.

NDS - I'll make the sacrifice, take one for the team and offer my services to help manage your ground so you can spend more time with family. I'll even use copper

 

[John Gryphon]

I pay for my freedom.to camp n hunt on the ground, if I can't camp.on the ground it's pointless to me , it's part of the reason I enjoy it so much , and ill pay for that freedom tp stalk deer in a wild place , as long as I can afford it

Thats it Kev.

22 Hornet and 35 grains of copper-coated lead!

Too much gun.

A sensible man has a secretary.

I thought they had two.

You use them for fertiliser over there?

Yes that and pet food and 1000`s of tonnes are dumped.

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

I have shot perhaps up to 15 fish in a day strolling along the creek bank in summer among hip high tussocks.... with snake proof chaps on,of course.

What do you do with them afterwards?

 

[John Gryphon]

What do you do with them afterwards?

If angling by law we are required to throw them above the high water mark...if not feeding them to pigs or what evers.
Foxes love them, eagles crows too. For me to eat one it would have to be cooked by Escoffier himself lol.

 

[User00053]

If angling by law we are required to throw them above the high water mark...if not feeding them to pigs or what evers.
Foxes love them, eagles crows too. For me to eat one it would have to be cooked by Escoffier himself lol.

Do use subs jg and wondering given right angle could you get kills at a couple of inches under water or not?
Would imagine a good bit of sport now and again after tea. The chaps sound useful bits of kit.

 

[John Gryphon]

Do use subs jg and wondering given right angle could you get kills at a couple of inches under water or not?
Would imagine a good bit of sport now and again after tea. The chaps sound useful bits of kit.

Full 22 LR rounds mate are the go to and yes they will kill just under the water 2-3 inches.
The chaps I bought from the US as nothing like them is available here (we have snakes too) Anyway the magazine editor rang and asked if I knew of any products worth mentioning and I told him about the chaps.. "send me some pics of them"

Straight into kitchen and grabbed a decent fat length salami, carved a big knob on it, fitted it with my chaps on and got the missus to take pics front and side. They were done on her schitty ph a dozen years ago and were that bad that you couldn't tell the salami from the real thing he believed that "it" was real haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Phone rang " you sick ****"

 

[User00053]

Full 22 LR rounds mate are the go to and yes they will kill just under the water 2-3 inches.
The chaps I bought from the US as nothing like them is available here (we have snakes too) Anyway the magazine editor rang and asked if I knew of any products worth mentioning and I told him about the chaps.. "send me some pics of them"

Straight into kitchen and grabbed a decent fat length salami, carved a big knob on it, fitted it with my chaps on and got the missus to take pics front and side. They were done on her schitty ph a dozen years ago and were that bad that you couldn't tell the salami from the real thing he believed that "it" was real haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Phone rang " you sick ****"

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just keep thinking about Gloria Estefan late eighties Sporting those black lealther chappies, always fancied a pair for recreational purposes, make do though with my black rubber thigh length waders.

 

[Ade8mm]

Recreational stalkers; is anyone considering a cheaper hobby?​

And there's the rub.
Is it a "hobby"?

Whilst many here may claim to be "Deer controllers" what they are, in fact is recreational Deer-Stalkers.
Now't wrong with that per~se
I struggle with the "hobby" aspect.
It is not a hobby.
Golf is a hobby. Killing Deer is not.
In the UK we need more Deer killed, that is clear.
As others have said in this thread - help farmers out with pigeons, foxes, etc you never know what doors will open.
I am like many here who have always had a rural life and I can if I wish shoot Deer from the window (I don't)
To be able to do that is hard won by building relationships over many years with landowners.
Yes I am lucky but my luck is not accidental. I have worked hard with landowners to be where I am.
To debase it to a "hobby" is is wrong. A lifestyle a vocation, a passion maybe.
Like golf, unless you work hard to get invited to be a member of a decent club, be content with "pay and play" - same as killing Deer

I am sure this will rile a few here
So be it.
It is is more than a "hobby got the T shirt" thing

Please don't denegrate what we do to the lcd of a "hobby"
Ade

 

[John Gryphon]

make do though with my black rubber thigh length waders.

eeerrrr! you got a hole cut in the seat of them haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

 

[User00053]

eeerrrr! you got a hole cut in the seat of them haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

. Soo worth it

 

[ColSkywalker]

It's a constant barrage regarding the cost of living, everything from the weekly food shop to the cost of electricity and a suppose the cost of stalking to the recreational shooter.
We've have just had two separate syndicates pull out both stating cost as the reason. Cost of the ground, fuel, ammo, accommodation, and I suppose time.
Only this week I saw primers advertised at £20 per 100 and some loaded ammo (can't remember the brand) at £70 for 20 rounds!
The only recreational shooting I do now is a bit of unofficial target shooting, gave up on clays due to cost, and couldnt justify shooting deer without being paid for it!
So just to gauge mood, is anyone cutting back on stalking trips, giving up ground or perhaps giving up all together?

Hi

The main issue for me is the firearms department. Otherwise , yes thinking twice about using as many rounds on targets . Luckily the best round for my Sauer is a Hornaby