Well guys. Been away for a few days with no internet so have not kept upto date on this. Great to read the views shared and that it has in the whole stayed on topic and positive. Although starting this thread purely out of interest myself. I myself have no stalking of my own other than some land that I am lucky enough to shoot both rifles and shotgun since I was a boy. There are a few muntjac but that's it in my area of the country. So as others I would have loved for there to be a 'club' accessible to me.
I currently pay per stalk for my days out and have enjoyed all the days I have had with a number of different guys. Cost is always a consideration and if I could stalk more for the same money, well I'd be out there. However as you I have a budget and that constrains my outings. I am confident that given time some ground will come my way, once I am confident with my abilities both with the rifle as well as all the other (and equally important) aspects of providing humane and effective service to land owner while enhancing the deer population. However this i feel may take some time and while providing me with the much desired opportunity to get out on my own when I wish could also take away some of the valuable aspects of being with skilled hunters. So reading all the views has shown how difficult it would be to set something like this up even if I already had the ground and wanted to start a 'club' in the true sense, as a means of providing an accessible route for individuals in my current position to get involved in what we all agree is a great outdoor experience. (I refrained from calling it sport/hunting/etc to avoid another discussion). I guess it would be far easier to take the route of either a syndicate or just allowing "mates" to help. However I was trying to look beyond that and try understand the complexity of such a venture. You might say that originally I was trying to look at a best case, purist, idealistic view. Really getting anything going at present would only be achievable if land were to be found which was either available for lease/buy of a sufficient size as to preclude a small friendly syndicate from funding the purchase but which a much larger group could take on. Or a small group be formed pooling any existing ground to help one another with the management whilst actively seeking more ground which once obtained would allow for further members to join. This I know really is a syndicate but think this really is the most likely route which would allow for a group to grow in an organic way.
So if anyone has got ground and is brave enough to allow some new comers (experienced/inexperienced) to help with the management you are in a prime position to start something which may well prove to give as much satisfaction or more than keeping it hidden.
Or if there are any estates who would be interested in selling blocks of days at a agreed rate that may be a way to get some guys together and enjoy some good company stalking different areas whilst furthering the thought process.
If so get in touch. In the mean while there are some very decent guys out there who do provide a service at reasonable cost and who are prepared to go that extra mile to give you a great experience whilst passing on their knowledge. So don't undervalue them or think a club could be the answer to all as I believe many of us perhaps would not enjoy stalking anymore just by going more. Some times although I myself get frustrated that there are periods which are too long between stalks it makes me look forward to the next one that bit more.
I currently pay per stalk for my days out and have enjoyed all the days I have had with a number of different guys. Cost is always a consideration and if I could stalk more for the same money, well I'd be out there. However as you I have a budget and that constrains my outings. I am confident that given time some ground will come my way, once I am confident with my abilities both with the rifle as well as all the other (and equally important) aspects of providing humane and effective service to land owner while enhancing the deer population. However this i feel may take some time and while providing me with the much desired opportunity to get out on my own when I wish could also take away some of the valuable aspects of being with skilled hunters. So reading all the views has shown how difficult it would be to set something like this up even if I already had the ground and wanted to start a 'club' in the true sense, as a means of providing an accessible route for individuals in my current position to get involved in what we all agree is a great outdoor experience. (I refrained from calling it sport/hunting/etc to avoid another discussion). I guess it would be far easier to take the route of either a syndicate or just allowing "mates" to help. However I was trying to look beyond that and try understand the complexity of such a venture. You might say that originally I was trying to look at a best case, purist, idealistic view. Really getting anything going at present would only be achievable if land were to be found which was either available for lease/buy of a sufficient size as to preclude a small friendly syndicate from funding the purchase but which a much larger group could take on. Or a small group be formed pooling any existing ground to help one another with the management whilst actively seeking more ground which once obtained would allow for further members to join. This I know really is a syndicate but think this really is the most likely route which would allow for a group to grow in an organic way.
So if anyone has got ground and is brave enough to allow some new comers (experienced/inexperienced) to help with the management you are in a prime position to start something which may well prove to give as much satisfaction or more than keeping it hidden.
Or if there are any estates who would be interested in selling blocks of days at a agreed rate that may be a way to get some guys together and enjoy some good company stalking different areas whilst furthering the thought process.
If so get in touch. In the mean while there are some very decent guys out there who do provide a service at reasonable cost and who are prepared to go that extra mile to give you a great experience whilst passing on their knowledge. So don't undervalue them or think a club could be the answer to all as I believe many of us perhaps would not enjoy stalking anymore just by going more. Some times although I myself get frustrated that there are periods which are too long between stalks it makes me look forward to the next one that bit more.
