UK deer stalking

09 November 2001, 23:27

<PCH>

UK deer stalking

I'm interested in deer stalking in the UK. Could anybody help me with contacts to appropriate organisations, land owners, prices etc?? Anything would be interesting. Any ideas on what the best/most exciting stalking is?? I have an idea that highland red deer stalking would be fun, but I really don't know.

A moose hunt in northern Sweden could perhaps be arranged in exchange for UK deer stalking.

10 November 2001, 00:27

Saeed

PCH,

CMS Hunting advertising in SCI Safari magazine:

www.cms-hunting.co.uk

We have no personal knowledge of them, but thought you might be able to get some idea from them.

------------------
saeed@ emirates.net.ae

www.accuratereloading.com

10 November 2001, 04:26

1894

It's a varied lot. You should decide if you like creeping around woods or walking up hills and crawling through the heather.

I only do and have done the creepy bit. You have a choice of (in increasing size) muntjac, roe, fallow sika and reds.

Most stalking in woodlands is done within 3 hours of dawn and dusk, either on foot or from a high seat or mixing the two together. Shots are stationary and generaly straightforward angles. Safety can be an issue ie you might not be able to take a shot and quality scope and binos essential.

I very rarely go out with a professional, I find it restrictive. I would suggest you try and ensure that whoever you go out with is a member of the UK Association of Professional Deer Managers who have code of conduct or with our Forestry Commission or from a reccomendation from someone who you know who has been out with them.

Check with them how they stalk, I once spent 6 mornings and evenings up a high seat overlooking forest tracks......

Muntjac are great fun indeed. Challenging to stalk and generally plentifull. If you have some Alg for 2002 season, I'll swop you some! I'll be in Stockholm/Karlsdad Nov 30th-Dec 8th.

Oh and allthough I haven't done it I reckon the Red or Sika rut must be the most exciting - Mid September.

10 November 2001, 04:34

<Sika>

What ddo these types off hunts usually cost? I couldn't find pricing on their website. Do you pay daily, and then trophy fees, or is it more of a total fee, regardless of success?
Also, does anybody know where the hog deer are native to?

10 November 2001, 04:45

Deerdogs

PCH,

Here is a link that will give you a back ground of the deer species and a feel for the deer stalking philosophy in the UK www.deer-uk.com .

Stalking Scottish red deer on the open hill ï¿½ hill stalking is quite different from woodland deer stalking for red , fallow, sika, roe, muntjac and Chinese water deer. Woodland deer stalking with commercial deer stalkers in this country has always seemed to me to be a bit of a rip off. Other than with the Forestry Commission ï¿½ particularly in the Lake District National Park.

There are many different sporting agencies who offer both woodland and hill stalking. Costs are roughly ï¿½300 for a hill stag and say ï¿½150 for an average woodland roe buck. If you want trophies then if you are lucky allow ï¿½500 for a big headed stag or gold medal roebuck.

It all depends what you want. I would recommend a week on the hill stags as being outstanding value. Say 5 stags over 5 days costs about ï¿½2000. The stag is carried off the mountains by a pony, the sound of bagpipes curling up up the hill to greet you after a long day, plenty of whiskey. What could be better?

What are you looking for? Hill or Woodland? Species? Trophy or not?

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Regards

Richard

10 November 2001, 09:02

<PCH>

Thanks!
I have this idea that hill stalking would be more interesting. Mainly because all my hunting in Sweden is in forests. But on the other hand itï¿½s not the same forests in SWeden and UK so itï¿½d be different anyway.

I travel to southern Sweden once or twice a year for roebuck stalking so all the other deer species, and mainly reds, are more interesting to me. Is there anyway to combine red deer with some of the other species?

Trophies aren't really interesting, any decent head would make me happy. Hind/doe stalking would also be interesting. Do you consider hind/does a lesser challenge or?? The main objective for me is exciting stalking!

I've heard about the Forestry commission before. What can they offer?

12 November 2001, 23:16

1894

Not many estates offer hind stalking as this is the main body of the management plan and the stalkers will be wanting to shoot a number of hinds/calves out of the various parcels. Identification and quick and accurate shooting are required. It may be the case that an estate will let you cull hinds after they have seen you at work on the Stags. If you go with Forest Enterprise you should be able to stalk both Sika and Red. It might be an idea to say do a weeks Sika stalking in the Rut in the woods followed by a weeks hill stalking in the hills. It would be a hell of a holiday.

13 November 2001, 05:04

Deerdogs

Here is a link to the Forestry Commission Homepage. A good chap to talk to is John Cubby at the FC office in Grizedale, Cumbria, (NW England). He controls the red and roe stalking in some stunning country.

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/

North West England Forest District
Hawkshead
Grizedale
Ambleside
Cumbria
LA22 0Q1

Tel : 01229 860373
Fax : 01229 860273

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Regards

Richard

13 November 2001, 05:11

Deerdogs

quote:
Originally posted by Saeed:
PCH,
CMS Hunting advertising in SCI Safari magazine:
www.cms-hunting.co.uk
We have no personal knowledge of them, but thought you might be able to get some idea from them.

This chap has had a bad press in the UK due to reports of "canned" hunting.

I have no personal knowlege but many of the species he offers are found only in deer parks and are certainly not wild.

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Regards

Richard