When planning a trip away , one thing I allways forget about is how much I hate being guided!

I have been hunting abroad with friends and that is completely different - great fun. Last year I hunted in France and the guides were exceptional, necessary (dangerous environment) and great fun.

But otherwise I need to remind myself that when all is said and done I would probably more enjoy a spring morning on my own land stalking roe, deciding where I am going and how I'm going to do it than I would being in a foreign land after a new species but looking at the guides back for 3 hours!

Am I alone in this?

Agreed in a way...

I think it all depends on what you want out of your stalk. If the object is the stalk rather than the shot, or just the being out , then being alone with a dog is hands down winner. Personally I just like to be out sand see the deer. I've often passed up shots because it was a nice evening and I'd rather have an hour watching them graze in the sun than havve to gralloch and drag a buck up the hill.

Guides have a value in that if you only get out a half doxen times a year, your chances of success are going to be limited unless you are very lucky. Also it makes the novice/occasional stalker confident in the shot's safety, beast selection etc...

If like many of us on this forum you have access to stalking at your own convinience, then being able to make your own choices is a million times better. Unfortunately most stalkers don't have that luxury so I count myself very lucky in that respect.

So I suppose guides have a place and they are necessary to generate the income estates need to manage the herds, but you are right that going it alomne is when you are stalking as opposed to hitching a ride...

FB

Depends...

When I stalked red deer with George MacDaonald, he was half the fun.