OK guys,
I'm moving to London in September and would love to find a patch to stalk.....long shot I know, but someone must know a guy who knows a guy?!

I have the rifles/insurance/DSC1/references and a decent amount of experience and am willing to drive stupid distances.

Hi, have you tried www.shooting.sh ? They advertise in Shooting Times and have opportunities all over the country. But stalking here in the soft south is VERY hard to come by, so don't burn any bridges up north!

I considered shooting.sh but have read several reports from people claiming they were a ripoff...

http://www.shooting.sh/news_stalking_blocks.shtml

any experiences?

If you're willing to travel I would reckon that 2 weekends of door knocking in Hertfordshire would yield results.

Start with something along the lines of:-

"Hullo I've just moved from Edinburgh and am now living in Pirbright............"

Seriously there aren't the syndicates down here that are so popular in Scotland on forestry blocks but the good news is that if you're willing to put a substantial amount of work in stalking can still be had for free.

quote:

Originally posted by Boghossian:
I considered shooting.sh but have read several reports from people claiming they were a ripoff...

http://www.shooting.sh/news_stalking_blocks.shtml

any experiences?

I would suggest 'AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE' !!

The Landowner on the site near Sherbourne was complaining to me that he had not been paid in a year, neither had the adjacent farmer he had introduced to S-SH. Was also of the opinion that the Roe were being hammered and numbers were obviously down.

The land is up for grabs should you be interested in contacting the landowner! Good rough shooting and the potential to make a nice little shoot is there.

Rgds Ian

Gabe,

Stalking in our part of the world is very difficult to come by, and unfortunately I don't know of any stalking that has come up in recent times that hasn't gone through reccomendation.

You may do well to book some guided hunts with someone. It'll probably cost you as much as letting your own land without the hassel of extracting deer, and processing etc and most of the guide I know let you have the odd carcass if you have booked a number of outings.

A lot of roe stalking in Surrey/Wilts/Herts area is let to syndicates of belgians, and you might do well asking if you can contribute to the sydicate for some doe stalking, as most land owners complain that the focus is on the bucks.

The bit of land that Ian is talking about may suit you even if it is a long way off. You could easily make a weekend trip out of it, if you have a good plan for using carcasses.

Good luck either way, and let's hook up for a beer when you get down here.

Rgds,
FB

Sounds good FB, will keep on trying.

I am lucky enough to go on several guided trips a year and really would like to go it alone when at home...

Maybe I will have to join a shooting syndicate for a year or two to make some more shooting contacts and lose the City boy image.

It's a real shame but it does help to be "in the fold". I've just picked up a peice that the landowner has turned down 3 applicants for in the last 6 mnths. She has a real deer problem and wants something done, but just isn't willing to open it up to cold callers. I happen to stalk the and next door so she is a little more ameinable. She is typical of the 3-4 new landowners my freinds cull for in the last 12 months.

If you get out you will pick stuff up in time, but it might take a while. There's a lot of competition for stalking land out there in the suburbs.

You could also try looking for a DIY pheasant syndicate to join. By offering to go out and shoot some foxes for them, in exchange for te odd deer you could well pick up a bit of stalking that way. A number of syndicates only have shotgunners on them, so the deerstalking cqn be negotiated later.

Rgds,
FB

FB talks a lot of sense. Start small, get a (good) reputation and keep at it.

I was serious about Hertfordshire. Basicaly avoid any areas where there are serious numbers of roe - it's them that push up the value.

It should be possible to get land with fallow and muntjac on it for nout.

quote:

Originally posted by 1894mk2:
FB talks a lot of sense. Start small, get a (good) reputation and keep at it.

1894, can you tell my missus that please!!

What - that FB started small!!??!!

Rgds Mod