So, how did you get into stalking?

[Border]

Myself, although no-one in the family shot I had a granddad and uncle that went beating on a local farm. I was a mad keen birdwatcher from a very early age and despite numerous pleas was not allowed to accompany them beating.
They thought it would upset me , even though I devoured his old copies of Shooting Times.
Fast forward a couple of years and I was suddenly old enough to buy an air rifle. After several models, springer and pcp's, and numerous rabbits, pigeons, squirrels and plenty of diverse quarry the next step was shotguns.
My old boss was into clay shooting so I started there, gradually getting my own permissions for rabbits, pigeons and finally joining a small pheasant syndicate.
Great days and an enjoyable learning curve.
I then moved to Norway and carried on with shotguns but bought my first rimfire. This soon blossommed into centrefires and both range and gameshooting plus reloading.
I still shoot more at the range than in the field, discounting winter foxing.
I had a few unsuccessful outings for deer in the beginning, both in the UK and here, it took me 3-4 yrs before shooting my first roebuck(not many outings)They were always the wrong sex or wrong side of the boundary, or, when the planets aligned, I faffed about too long taking the shot....
This all changed 12 or 13 yrs ago after answering Jagares offer of a roebuck in Sweden, although it took a while .
I have made some fantastic friends through stalking and this website, and hope to be stalking for many years to come.
So how did you start? Are you the only one who shoots or stalks in the family? What are your thoughts regarding youngsters that want to start shooting.
Atb and have as good an easter as is possible atm.

 

[Kjf]

I've shot since 9 year old ,( born Feb 1974)

I went pitlochery, in my early 20s shooting reds with my old man's mate and loved it but then along came married life and not much coin for other stuff apart from shooting on my perms ( no deer on my perms)

I've had a gun in my hands since 9 and have shot most quarry , but didn't get back into stalking seriously untill 6 year ago , with a bit more coin in my pocket I hit it head on

Never looked back , it was just a progression when time and funds allowed

No stopping me now lol ,

Kjf

 

[Stalker62]

When an old girlfriend dumped me and would not return the hundreds of calls I made to her....oh wait...I may have misunderstood the question...

 

[Cottis]

Probably like most, I grew up in the country and was never far away from air pistols and bows as a kid before moving on to air rifles and shotguns. Part of my family have a farm and friends parents also farmed when I was younger, so there were plenty of opportunities to hunt and use guns.

I did not even consider hunting deer until a friend (who was not a previous hunter or shooter whatsoever) randomly took it up about 12yrs or so ago. He nagged me about getting rifles suitable for deer but I just wasn't bothered as I was doing other things but I did go out with him over the years here and there. Eventually I did get a deer cartridge added and really only shoot muntjac as we do not have an issue with the Roe and only very rarely see any Fallow.

I wouldn't say I dislike shooting deer but it is certainly for food at present and not for the sport if that makes sense. I personally find much more fulfilment from shooting smaller targets rather than the relatively easy targets that deer present. My shooting is almost primarily a functional extension of farming in terms of pest control. My efforts tend to be elsewhere as we do not have issues with deer in terms of excess numbers. If we did, I would certainly be shooting more of them.

I don't pursue them elsewhere apart from helping a mate out sometimes on his permissions but that might change later in life if/when I have more time.

 

[Stalker62]

Actually, reminds me of my favourite cartoon by Keith Reynolds from the Shooting Times...

 

[levigsp]

I was taken under the wing so to speak by a lady that spent her entire life hunting anything and everything. She had stalking in various counties of England and Scotland. My first deer was a Fallow Buck shot on Chatsworth estate under her guidance.

 

[reloader54]

I was taken under the wing so to speak by a lady that spent her entire life hunting anything and everything. She had stalking in various counties of England and Scotland. My first deer was a Fallow Buck shot on Chatsworth estate under her guidance.

so did you marry her,,

 

[Hoof burner]

I would say it was a natural progression. Being fortunate to grow up in the countryside and having a father who hunted,I was given a pony and an air rifle from an early age. At the age of 14 I decided I was better off underneath the pony’s than on them and that putting shoes on them could fund all sorts of shooting adventures. I had a S.G.C and F.A.C from when I was 14,if I can remember that far back!

I brought a .22 LR with my first months apprentaship wage and a scope and mod with the next months. A .222 Sako came next for foxing.
Always had a few fallow knocking around at home and on some friends farms that I was doing the fixing on so at the midland game fair I got myself booked on. DSC L1 course in Hampshire and unfortunately fought the bug big time and the rest they say is history.

 

[levigsp]

so did you marry her,,

Considering that she was a good number of years my senior, it never entered my head.

 

[User00025]

Shot, (poached) first one at 14, duly castigated by grandad as the keeper who caught me was a mate of his.
Shot 2nd and 3rd, left and right with Grand prix 5's at 15, never stopped after that. Using .22rf or .22 Hornet (borrowed) until got Grandad's 7 x 57 when he died and a week after I had bought 6.5 x 54 MS. I was 20 then but never had time for a few years. Started again at 28, none stop since.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

You never entered her head?
LoL

 

[paul o']

Food , As Stalking was still what the long greymac brigade did around the public toilets did as far as I was told as a kid ! Dinner back then was found in the open fields ! no lead or rope around its neck it was ours to take ,
.303 with ball ammo nowt posh back then pmsl

 

[reloader54]

Considering that she was a good number of years my senior, it never entered my head.

when I was 22 I had a girlfriend who was 44, she looked a similar age as I was, the last time I saw her long after we split she was over 70 and still looked remarkable. she had a voice like Eartha Kitt. both gone many years now.

 

[VSS]

Through this site.
Been shooting since a nipper, shotguns and air rifles, but joined this site for advice when applying for my first FAC for 22lr. Won a day stalking with an SD member in an impromptu prize draw. Didn't see any deer, but was hooked from that day onwards.

 

[Dalua]

I am a townie, but I had used airguns since a very tender age, and got my SGC at 15.
Some 18 years ago, I was a member of a DIY pheasant syndicate. We had a fox problem, compounded by the local fox-man's seldom being available to play on our unimpressive patch.
Anyhow I volunteered to apply for FAC for a suitable rifle, with the blessing of the shoot captain. Another Gun, a stalker as well as a shooter, suggested I get at least a .243 so that I could come stalking with him. After some discussion, the police agreed with this dual-use plan.

So it was that I carried a .243 with a 24" heavy barrel up the hill after hinds: and I've been to Scotland at least once every season since then - though never again with the monster-weight .243.

 

[levigsp]

when I was 22 I had a girlfriend who was 44, she looked a similar age as I was, the last time I saw her long after we split she was over 70 and still looked remarkable. she had a voice like Eartha Kitt. both gone many years now.

Patricia was some 40 years my senior and happily married, I would have got my chance when she lost her husband in her 50s!.
I was happier receiving her husbands game shooting for a couple of years.

 

[VSS]

Helen
Patricia was some 40 years my senior and happily married, I would have got my chance when she lost her husband in her 50s!.
I was happier receiving her husbands game shooting for a couple of years.

Helen or Patricia? Which was it then?

 

[levigsp]

Helen or Patricia? Which was it then?

Patricia, I wrote Helen as I was just writing about Helen Hamilton on another site and my compute is playing tricks on me! adding previous sentences etc!!.

 

[Jagare]

Bought my first shotgun, a Webley and Scott bolt action .410 when i was 15. Thats 56 years ago, how time fly's I carried that gun backs and forwards to work on my bike when i worked on a farm. Pigeon , vermin and beaters days with a 12bore. 1971 i bought my first rifle and shot my first deer. My bosses Bil was a game keeper on a large lump of Cowdrey estate and i stalked that for quite a few years. travelled many a mile to go stalking in my Reliant three wheeler super van. I had another piece of ground i stalked for over 25 years till i moved to Sweden. Having shot more than my fair share of deer i like to watch them now and take one if i need meat for the freezer. As Border said he shot his first roe on my ground and his first boar. A couple of 6 pointers about this year waiting for Borders yearly visit in August. Thats unless we go into lock down and i have to eat them.

 

[Klenchblaize]

I would love to say c/o my local BDS Officer but that would be a little naughty and telling fibbs so I'll be 100% truthfull:

A Forestry Commission Scotland Senior Manager/Conservator very kindly and trustingly wrote me an open letter that stated were I to be granted a FAC for the .243 I wished to purchase (from Dave Lowery of the Otford Gun Room) he would ensure I would be permitted to stalk deer in the Highlands as part of the FCS culling programme.

I only wish I could find that letter and thank the man as I cannot recall his name. Even a note to his Family would make me feel better if he's since past on which is very likely.

K
Ps: Judging by the size of my FAC file as carried by the FEO when he last visited for a 'wee chat' I'm guessing said letter is still in there somewhere?)