Stalk - kill shot - Head - carcase

[Overlay]

Guys
I know this thread has been beat to death in the past

but is it ( or how normal is it now ) to pay for a stalk at say £85.00 to stalk / grass a cull deer
( with no representative head ) add on a £50.00 kill charge and venison at above dealer rates with another £30.00 for the head uncleaned

Would that be a normal cost ??? say you had 2 stalks AM/PM grassed a cull deer on each stalk and wanted to keep the heads

combined with a night in a hotel with a meal total cost with your fuel circa all in would be around

£425.00 it just seems an expensive day out without any venison to take home

what are your thoughts.

 

[davidm]

Does taste just the same and depending who you go with roe can be £80 per outing and venison at game dealers rates approx £30. So that’s £220 with 2 full deer to take home. With the added bonus that you don’t need to get up as early as it’ll be winter months.
Ask around if your not happy with pricing structure go somewhere else. £425 can get you a syndicate spot for a year may not contain as many deer as somewhere that takes out clients but you can come and go as you please and get to keep the deer.

 

[rem284]

£120 to sit on a hard seat to watch a game of rugby, travel, meals accommodation at extra cost. A client of mines pointed out for the sum he pays to stalk he gets a personal assistant, pickup, bike etc so all in all he said its a good deal. If you dont want to pay dont book

 

[bogtrotter]

Shop around prices vary quite a bit , but face it stalking is not cheap and will only become more expensive, except tht or take up another hobby.

 

[Overlay]

Guys

The question wasn’t from something I went to, I’ve got plenty of stalking of my own and work and only on an odd occasion would I pay for stalking as a fill in between seasons if I fancied a change

The guy I took out on my own ground pre his DSC1 a few weeks ago to get him some hands on experience, Mentioned to me what he was doing / stroke paying for stalking

Im not really interested in the stalker outfit or stalker fees as I don’t take out paying guests, but it just seemed a lot of dollar for one days stalking when you round it up

cheers

phil

 

[sikamalc]

As long as all the fees are shown or discussed up front its up to you the individual to make your mind up and book. If you don't like it walk away, so I see little need to discuss all this again on here.

Overheads have to be paid, and being a full time Deer stalker is not a walk in the park as some seem to think.

 

[Malxwal]

I think this question will always incite a defensive answer from those whose occupation it is to take people out deer stalking. Whilst it is very true that it's up to you (not you Phillip) as the customer to decide what you are willing to pay to shoot a deer, remember to take into account the added value of a day/half day in the company of a professional.
I wonder if, since the question has been asked, could the pros explain the breakdown of charges, the purpose of separating the charges for stalking and actually shooting?
The trophy fees/heid boiling obviously incurs an extra cost in my mind, as it entails extra hours, and the obvious market for trophy heads that could earn a lot more from a certain type of client. The cost for a bad shot is also obvious too, lost revenue (offer to buy the badly shot carcass perhaps), and possibly additional hours with dog tracking.

 

[Overlay]

Hi Malc

it wasn’t a moan

I just wondered what was the norm, after a guy told me what he paid

no need for any statements of walk away blah blah blah

The thread was just asking

Cheers

phil

 

[Lateral]

I've never been asked, or expected to pay for a "cull" head, it has no intrinsic value.

Personally, I stick to an agreed stalking fee, and meat if I want. I won't pay extra for a shot fee, I'll go elsewhere.

 

[sikamalc]

I think this question will always incite a defensive answer from those whose occupation it is to take people out deer stalking. Whilst it is very true that it's up to you (not you Phillip) as the customer to decide what you are willing to pay to shoot a deer, remember to take into account the added value of a day/half day in the company of a professional.
I wonder if, since the question has been asked, could the pros explain the breakdown of charges, the purpose of separating the charges for stalking and actually shooting?
The trophy fees/heid boiling obviously incurs an extra cost in my mind, as it entails extra hours, and the obvious market for trophy heads that could earn a lot more from a certain type of client. The cost for a bad shot is also obvious too, lost revenue (offer to buy the badly shot carcass perhaps), and possibly additional hours with dog tracking.

Cost of the lease/leases as I have all 6 species to manage.
Just spent a further 5+k fitting out larder and chiller/drains/water supply/electrics.
Vehicle, tax and insurance, maintenance.
Clothing
High seats and maintenance.
Commercial insurance on the business and the vehicles.
Scotland Lodge rents.
Payment for other guides
Accountant fees
Bed and Breakfast fees when away from home in Bedfordshire on my CWD/Muntjac areas (twin room for me and guide £90)
Phone bills etc, etc.

Plus a lot of ancillary bits and pieces as many clients use my rifles, so I load all my own, about 200 rounds a year gone.

What a lot of people should also realise is the TIMEWASTERS that you also occasionally get, who cancel on you the day before or come up with some lame excuse, when you have not the time to replace them and you have travelled all that way to realise you have LOST money. £85 is not a great deal of money when you realise that most garages are charging £50+ an hour.

Besides Phillip as a pest controller you have rate you charge I am sure, and if you are not making money you wont last long in business. No offence taken

 

[rem284]

If you divide the day charge by the hours put in by your guide it probably works out very cheap compared to getting anything done by other skilled persons such as tradesmen, garages etc. I know a guy who is pretty good at fixing electronic high tech stuff and he has charged £120/hour.

 

[Overlay]

all was asked was a honest general question on the rate a guy has been paying, no under currents, no finger pointing and nothing else, no explanations or breakdowns required. Just a general purpose yeh or neh or yep that’s about the right costing would have been sufficient

I had a couple of very genuine PM replies and thank you for those

 

[nun_hunter]

There is a big difference between a truly professional deer stalker who is doing it full time and nothing else vs someone who is looking to make some money back on a lease or just what seems like easy mo ey on a free permission. Just in the same way you take your Audi to be serviced by Audi vs getting Mick from work to change the oil with bits he bought down at Euro car parts. Both may get the job done but one will have full amenities and insurance if it goes wrong and the other wont. All it takes is a few quotes to work out what is a reasonable price for what service.

 

[Tis1979]

Cost of the lease/leases as I have all 6 species to manage.
Just spent a further 5+k fitting out larder and chiller/drains/water supply/electrics.
Vehicle, tax and insurance, maintenance.
Clothing
High seats and maintenance.
Commercial insurance on the business and the vehicles.
Scotland Lodge rents.
Payment for other guides
Accountant fees
Bed and Breakfast fees when away from home in Bedfordshire on my CWD/Muntjac areas (twin room for me and guide £90)
Phone bills etc, etc.

Plus a lot of ancillary bits and pieces as many clients use my rifles, so I load all my own, about 200 rounds a year gone.

What a lot of people should also realise is the TIMEWASTERS that you also occasionally get, who cancel on you the day before or come up with some lame excuse, when you have not the time to replace them and you have travelled all that way to realise you have LOST money. £85 is not a great deal of money when you realise that most garages are charging £50+ an hour.

Besides Phillip as a pest controller you have rate you charge I am sure, and if you are not making money you wont last long in business. No offence taken

Malc, just out of interest your a professional stalker how does the insurance work with using your rifle and your home load cartridges?

I only ask as I take friends out and I home load from time to time they may be someone that will use my rifle.

 

[Freeforester]

Malc, some need to walk a mile or two in your boots before they will comprehend what is involved. If either party is not happy, best not to be involved, simple.

The best dont give it away for buttons in any profession: to thine own self be true.

To those looking to find cheaper stalking, go ahead and fill your boots while you can, and if you get a "too good to be true" deal that works for you that's great, everyone is happy, but once again I refer you to Ruskin on the matter....

 

[bogtrotter]

Malc, just out of interest your a professional stalker how does the insurance work with using your rifle and your home load cartridges? I only ask as I take friends out and I home load from time to time they may be someone that will use my rifle.

Should not be a problem but be sure to discuss with your insurance provider, will you be making money from this?if so the insurance cover provided be being a member of a shooting society is unlikely to cover you,you will need commercial cover costing several hundred pounds per annum.

 

[sikamalc]

Phillip chill mate. No one is having a dig at you. Its like all businesses. Look around and choose the right guide or outfitter for you.
Just the same as looking for a quote for repairs to your car, house or whatever.
I think in many cases because stalking is the hobby of the majority some people don't realise that as a business it's a different kettle if fish.

 

[sikamalc]

Malc, just out of interest your a professional stalker how does the insurance work with using your rifle and your home load cartridges?

I only ask as I take friends out and I home load from time to time they may be someone that will use my rifle.

As Bogtrotter replied I don't see an issue. I am commercially insured for all my clients, and guides that work with me. My truck is also insured for business. As I have mentioned before if you are paying to be taken out stalking, its the guide/outfitter that needs to be insured NOT YOU. It is commercial stalking and your insurance will not cover it as such.

 

[Tis1979]

As Bogtrotter replied I don't see an issue. I am commercially insured for all my clients, and guides that work with me. My truck is also insured for business. As I have mentioned before if you are paying to be taken out stalking, its the guide/outfitter that needs to be insured NOT YOU. It is commercial stalking and your insurance will not cover it as such.

yes that’s what I thought, I don’t take money when I take them out so don’t think there’s an issue, they have there own insurance too. It was just the home loads as there’s no quality control and insurance company’s in there very nature would look at anything to get out of paying.

 

[palmer_mike]

To answer the OP:

the figures quoted do not seem excessive, although I’d not expect to pay for the head unless it was a trophy beast (and then it would likely be a lot more the £30, lol)

To be honest though, just ask the outfitter how much the charges will be in advance and decide if its for you or not in advance. Much simpler that way. Even better if you can get it in an email or text to avoid any confusion when calculating what you owe