Did anyone hear how the stags are going on Arran this year? In the past we've had lots of reports but I've heard nothing this year at all. I know they had reduced the number of weeks so maybe they haven't started yet or similar.

I heard from a friend who went last week, not much shot maybe 4/5, he thought that there wouldn't be much going in the way of hinds this time, I'm sure Griff will post when he gets five minutes

Here we go again!
week 1. weather absolutely abyssmal, low cloud and drizzle. 2 shot 5 missed.
week 2. weather abyssmal,thurday morning only day we actually saw the trees, 7 shot 2 missed.

Rut in full swing,all beats reporting stags roaring, unfortunately visibility very poor.
Lots of hinds seen, which is encouraging for the hind weeks.

Most staggies were weighing in @ 100kgs, one of 120kgs which was a 12 pointer was a fine specimen indeed, huge tines and crown and very thick in the beam.

regards
griff

Thanks for the update Griff, sounds like it is going pretty well in view of the conditions. I really must try to make the time to give it a try.

Wow that's a lot of missing! Out of interest how do you verify it's a miss and not a wound and what were the reasons given for missing?

Week 3 of the stags was always my favourite. Just heard from Alan McCormick of a trophy beast shot this week. Any truth in his claim Griff ??????

quote:

1894mk2
one of us
Posted 05 October 2009 16:26 Hide Post
Wow that's a lot of missing! Out of interest how do you verify it's a miss and not a wound and what were the reasons given for missing?

I suspect Griff means a "missed opportunity" and not a bullet gone awry. ie we didn't shoot any but we saw some!

Cohannon, There are mutterings from Arran of a rather stunning beast

Spoke to Bob Logan, the Arran ranger, this morning. Bob claims it's a mighty fine 16 pointer with serious proportions. Maybe Griff will post some pix ....

could be quite an event!

As posting pictures is a problem for me I will ask Jon2 to post on my behalf.


regards
griff

Here you go folks

They make for some great viewing (please see below):-

Just about worth firing a shot

What a great head. Weidmannsheil to the skillful and fortunate hunter!
- mike

Speechless...........

Fuk me, thats' the beast of a lifetime!

That's a great head, and in fact if you look a couple of the other heads out there there are a couple that you would be quite pleased with I'm sure, but they all just look small in comparison!!

FB

Kiri's right, there are 3 other very nice heads there that I would be delighted with. However, that monster just dwarfs them.

Stag of a lifetime no doubt.

Congratulations to whoever shot it.

Who is the expert on reds here

Are there sub species or hybrids of red in scotland?

The width of the skull seems narrower as compared to Red stags I have encountered

Does anybod go into this distinction ?

I believe Arran has one of the few remaining pure red strains - no sika on the island.

Ask Griff when he pops in.

What a fantastic week of results and congratulations all round especially to the smiling assassin who grassed the monster

Islay is another island that has pure blood line.

I am sure there are other Western Isles that do too.

It is great to see such good results, I really must make the effort to get to Arran as it is a great opportunity.

In terms of pure blood lines I know that Lewis and Harris are supposed to have pure blood lines. However, I also know some very knowledgable people who have their doubts. I suspect that they have information or rumours relating to some "bucket biology" on the part of some, perhaps in the distant past.

There are no sika out there and I would guess the bucket biology probably took place before sika became common in Scotland so there may be no sika genes on the islands but I suspect that the deer out there haven't remained entirely isolated since the last ice age.

Hi all

I hope you can help.
I see many of you have taken advantage of this scheme over the years, and I have been thinking about trying to book up for one of the hind stalking weeks. But as I would be going alone I'm not sure how that works.
Reading the BASC web site there is an opportunity to obtain evidence towards the Deer Stalking Certificate Level 2 whilst you are there. Has anyone done this and if you have how do you make the arrangements and were you successfull?

Thanks TM

Hello Tom, I have been on the Arran stalking scheme quite a lot since the Galloway one finished,If you travel up as a singleton you will be paired up with another like stalker, with some regard to your build fitness etc, (as far as is practicable), as to gaining L2 evidence, the B.A.S.C. co ordinator , Griff, and the FC ranger Bob, are normally way too busy to be used in this way, but you might get the odd notation if you are lucky enough to be left as an odd man out, & tag along with one or the other of them, as to Hind stalking,It has been looking a bit light on numbers of beasts of late, but things change, you would need to hear from someone a bit higher up the food chain.Steve.

Dam fine Red

Hello Steve

Thanks for your comments, and advice. So the bit on the BASC web page regarding the possibility of some limited opportunity to obtain evidence towards the Deer Stalking Certificate Level 2 is a bit of a red herring.
By someone a bit higher up the food chain presumably you mean Griff as I don't recall ever seeing anyone from BASC posting here. Although they occasional do on another deer stalking forum, but not of late. Its usually been when some mud has been slung in their direction over some issue or other.

TM

quote:

Originally posted by Tom Mix:
Hello Steve

Thanks for your comments, and advice. So the bit on the BASC web page regarding the possibility of some limited opportunity to obtain evidence towards the Deer Stalking Certificate Level 2 is a bit of a red herring.
By someone a bit higher up the food chain presumably you mean Griff as I don't recall ever seeing anyone from BASC posting here. Although they occasional do on another deer stalking forum, but not of late. Its usually been when some mud has been slung in their direction over some issue or other.

TM

Tom,

I'm not Griff and have only been on the scheme a couple of times, but I'd say the only really practical way to get a witnessed stalk in is if your partner stalking partner happens to be an AW...

You could certainly do part of the Level 2 by offering to do gralloch's and carcass inspections on beasts brought into the larder, but I don't think Griff or Rab have the time to do a number of fully accompanied stalks but I'm sure Griff will chime in...

Regards,

Peter

TM,
There is limited dsc2.
We can fill in your portfolio on several PC's
You could be fortunate in that we are in the immediate vicinity and can fill in your portfolio regarding the gralloch.
Arran is 27,000 acres and we could be at one end of the Island dealing with someone else when we get a call from yourself,while we try to accommodate everyone we cannot be in two places at once..
If you need more info then do not hesitate to contact me.

regards
griff

Peter
Do AW actually take part in the BASC Arran Scheme as paying stalkers? If they do I suppose that would be one solution, providing I could arrange to get teamed up with them. Food for thought perhaps.

Griff

Thanks for the explanation, regarding the limitationsof the scheme.
Whilst I appreciate no one can say with 100% certainty regarding possible numbers of hinds on the various beats, which of the currently available weeks would you estimate as giving the greatest chance of grassing a couple of beasts. Assuming Steves earlier comment that so far they have proved rather elusive is correct.

TM,
no week is any better than any other,everything is weather dependant!
Good weather = good stalking.
Pissing rain = Pissed of stalkers.

regards
griff

quote:

Originally posted by Tom Mix:
Peter
Do AW actually take part in the BASC Arran Scheme as paying stalkers? If they do I suppose that would be one solution, providing I could arrange to get teamed up with them. Food for thought perhaps.

Tom,

Both times I visted, there were one or two AW's booked in as paying stalkers, same as any other BASC member on the scheme.

Failing that, theres a list of AW's in a thread at the top of the forum (myself included) so depending where you are, and the circumstances, you might be able to set-up a witnessed stalk through a member here...

Regards,

Peter

THanks Pete

I give it all some more thought and see if I can pull it together.
Is there any way of taking the pot luck out of whether theres an AW on the stalking list for any particular week, Apart from checking with BASC to see who's booked on and whether they are AW's,or not.
I can't see a lot of point in spending the money on travel, accommodation, and stalking in the rain and not getting the portfolio filled in as that has to be my priority. I'd do better to spend the money on Jelams Ebay offer and do the 3 stalks with them and get the dsc2 out the way in one hit.

Its never easy is it

TM

quote:

Originally posted by griff:
TM,
no week is any better than any other,everything is weather dependant!
Good weather = good stalking.
Pissing rain = Pissed of stalkers.

regards
griff

A lot of pissed off stalkers these last few weeks then?

Whereabouts in England are you mate?

Depending on where you are I might know a few guys who might be able to help?

Well then, where are we at with Arran then? Anyone for a comment on numbers?

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Latham:
Well then, where are we at with Arran then? Anyone for a comment on numbers?

Numbers seen, numbers shot at, numbers recovered...???

It would be handy to be able to work out the number of hours spent per beast.

I know the FC have their own productivity formula that they use.

Some are saying the Arran lease could well make £10PA

Widely publicising the demise of medal stags due to the see it, shot it, kill it management policy could well turn out be a mixed blessing.

A lot of well trodden acres there too! with a few types on the fencelines reportedly having "Happy time" as the deer move away from disturbance.

Steve

What else would you expect? Put a continually changing stream of blokes on to a patch of ground every six days and you're going to get massive disturbance and opportunities for others to take advantage of the constant disturbance it causes.

A select few make a few quid! Some blokes get luck and drop on the beast of a lifetime! Some blokes get sweet FA! Only the deer suffer!