I've been wanting to do this free range stag hunt in the highlands of Scotland for several years but the hunt taking place in September which is the best time to be hunting in Alaska where I used to live had made me put it on the back burner. As soon as I knew I was moving to Wyoming I got in touch with Mike and made a plan for Sadie and I to hunt the second week of Sept. '06.

On our way back from RSA we spent a couple of days in London and then went onto Inverness for the hunt. Richard Whitely met us at Heathrow and handled our guns for us while in London. He is new in the courier business and does a great job at reasonable prices. Mike met us at the Inverness Airport, we collected our luggage and were off for a 1.5 hour drive to the lodge through some of the most beautiful countryside I've ever seen dotted with old ruins, old farms and little towns that have existed for hundreds of years. Really neat stuff!

The lodge itself is over 150 years old but very well maintained with a minimum of modern conveniences other than showers and appliances. It was very comfortable with a great deal of character just not found in a modern place.

There were 5 couples in our group which made for lively evenings when a little single malt was added to the mix.

This adveture really is designed for a couple as Mitch a tour guide is available each day to take any and all that want to visit points of interest or do shopping in the surrounding area. He had a 9 passenger Mercedes van that was very nice to do the tours in and he did a great job with trips to Loch Ness, castles, ruins and of course shopping.

The hunt itself is conducted the "Proper" way in all respects from the sight-in of the rifles all the way to the actual shot. Everything has rules and I found it very entertaining as I knew it would be that way and I just relaxed and enjoyed the show. The stalkers (guides) do a great job and are very talented in their own way of hunting.

Your hunting day starts out with a leisurely breakfast at the very civilized hour of 8 and your stalker with Land Rover and Argo in tow shows up about 9:30 and your off to the hills. The point of the late start is they want the deer to be settled down for the day in the hills thus allowing you to make a "Proper" stalk.

The Argo is the part of the whole scenario that allows this hunt to be so much fun without being a real grunt. The hills are steep reaching 2500-4000 feet and a daily climb to the deer would not only be physically demanding but very time consuming with most of your time being used for climbing rather than hunting. Anyway once a group of red deer with a promising stag is locate from the valley you take the Argo to the top which can often be a butt puckering experience if you are not familiar with what one of these machines can do. Once on top you start walking and you may walk several miles but no real climbing.

When you locate a stag that is a shooter meaning he is no longer a factor in the breeding because of his age you make the stalk. This involves all the duck walking, crawling and laying in water you could ever want. They want you to make a perfect shot and they take great pains to set it up for you. No shooting beyond 200 yarrds max, no shooting at a laying down animal in fact they want an almost perfect broadside presentation before they let you shoot and only from a rested prone position. It has to be "Proper".

I took 2 stags with one coming on the first day and the second on the third. The first animal was pretty much a crawl up and shoot with him going 20 yards before dropping. The second was about an hour of stalking since they were in the open and then a full hour of laying in the soaking peat waiting for the stag to stand. When he did stand a double lung shot did the trick but only when he turned offering the "Proper" angle.

The hunts are 6 full days so Sadie and I went touring with the group for 2 days and actually just took the last day off to relax. The rest of the 5 shooters in the group were offered an extra stag and chose to take one more each at a very reasonable additional trophy fee so our total group bag for the hunt was 13 stags in 6 days.

You might think that with that kind of success that it is not much of a hunt or the deer are quite tame. Not true. The fact is there are 400,000 free range stags in Scotland and this estate we hunted was 35,000 acres with a resident herd of 2,000 deer. I found the red deer to be as weary as anyother deer and much more so than caribou even though the hunting reminded me much of caribou hunting on the tundra in Alaska. The deer are just so numerous that if you blow one stalk there will be another and another. Also because they are not shooting trophy stags (you have to understand up front that the best stags are for breeding only) score is irrelevant and a stag is a shooter as long as he is in that older age class.

The whole experience was unique and we enjoyed it greatly. The price is about equal to an average elk hunt and includes everything from pick up in Invernes to airport drop off. The only extras are hard liquor as wine and beer are provided and a third stag or sika deer if you have time or desire to hunt them. The observer fee is stiff because your observer can tag along on the hunt or go touring every day which is not a casual thing as Mitch is a licensed tour guide, has an itineray of interesting places and things to show you up to 100 miles from the lodge and this is a full day of touring everyday.

Mike only books one year out so if you'd like to go let me know and we'll arrange something for next fall.

Weidmannsheil on a job well done!
- mike

You hunted north of Inverness, did you hunt anywhere near Tain or Lairg? You must make the Proper stalk or there is no reason for the hunt,eh. The harvesting of the beast is secondary to whole deal.

Very nice report, Mark, nice stag too. I've always wanted to hunt with a guy in a kilt and will do that one day!

Great report, Mark. Looks like a fun hunt to take the wife on!

Great report and nice stag, thanks for sharing ..

Congratulations on that satisfactory hunt !

Hello Mark

Congratulations and thank you for your very interesting report.

Regards
Aziz

Great report Mark. I've thought that kind of hunt would be a lot of fun. Almost had my wife talked into that a few years ago when we went to England and Italy. Didn't quite make it though.

quote:

I found the red deer to be as weary as any other deer

You'd be weary too if you had to run up and down hills all day...

Nice report, Mark; congrats.

Question: what's the story with bringing back meat? Possible or not? How about trophy care stuff--did you opt to bring it, or have it done there? Other?

Thanks,

KG

Kamo Gari

The meat is the property of the estate. In fact we never even had it for dinner. So shipping it home is out of the question and I'm positive it would be prohibitively expensive plus there would be all kind of issues on this end from Agriculture.

As for trophy care I had europeans done of my stags and could have brought them home with me as extra baggage and a couple of the guys did that with no problem. I was continuing to tour in the UK following the hunt so I chose to have mine shipped and 3 us chose to do that. One guy had an import license so all the trophies will go to him and he will distribute them after the fact.

Taxidermy charges:

Prep of cape for shipment $250

Euro mount $100

Shipping will depend on the crate size. For one person it might run $1000 but split 3 ways it is not too bad.

If you are going straight home from Scotland the extra baggage option is definitely the way to go.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Kamo Gari

The meat is the property of the estate. In fact we never even had it for dinner. So shipping it home is out of the question and I'm positive it would be prohibitively expensive plus there would be all kind of issues on this end from Agriculture.

As for trophy care I had europeans done of my stags and could have brought them home with me as extra baggage and a couple of the guys did that with no problem. I was continuing to tour in the UK following the hunt so I chose to have mine shipped and 3 us chose to do that. One guy had an import license so all the trophies will go to him and he will distribute them after the fact.

Taxidermy charges:

Prep of cape for shipment $250

Euro mount $100

Shipping will depend on the crate size. For one person it might run $1000 but split 3 ways it is not too bad.

If you are going straight home from Scotland the extra baggage option is definitely the way to go.

Mark

Ta for the info, Mark. A wee bit disappointed in the lack of even a filet off your beasties for dinner, but I guess it is what it is.

I do appreciate the knowledge.

KG

I went on a hill stag hunt in 2002. it was 400 bucks per day with one stag per day. I got to shoot 2 as culls for no additional charge. Really a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone who has done Africa, Alaska, NZ, et al.

Hey Mark,

Congrats on a great weeks Stalking. The highlands really are an experience to be taken as is, just like you did.

I didn't know you were meeting Rick at the airport. He's a great mate, and I have added his website to my tag. I would have come along for the ride to say hi and buy you a beer if I was in the country. Hopefully we can do that next time you are over this way.

Best Regards and conngrats again,
FB

Not to stir but I would hunt the UK before NZ. Which would include England, for Water Deer and Reeve Munjac along with fallow and sika. I really enjoyed the pubs that were a couple of hundred yrs old. The single malts and a visit to the distilleries.

Die Ou Jagter,

I believe that AnotherAZWriter was making the point that Scotalnd was one of those half dozen hunting destinations that should be visited if at all possible not that one is better than the other. There just MUST see places.

Mark

FB,

I'd look forward to meeting you anytime. I do have a foggy plan to come back for fallow and roe deer which Richard may be able to arrange. Didn't realize Richard was a friend of yours.
Small world!

Mark

Hey Mark,

Yes Rick is a close freind. If you do come back for the Roe and Fallow then you couldn't be in better hands. He has access to some exceptional Fallow stalking not far from me.

We might even get out shooting together. Depending on the season and your schedule we might organise some winngshooting for you between outings. Tell him you know me Kiri from here, he'll probably sigh or groan wearily!!!

Rgds,
FB

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Die Ou Jagter,

I believe that AnotherAZWriter was making the point that Scotalnd was one of those half dozen hunting destinations that should be visited if at all possible not that one is better than the other. There just MUST see places.

Mark

That is exactly what I meant. I passed on red stags in NZ since I had hunted in Scotland the year before - the total experience was just superb. Everyone should go - bringing guns into the UK is a piece of cake, so don't let that scare you.

AnotherAZWriter, I did the same this year in NZ re Red Stag. I wasn't stiring the pot just boosting Scotland. I enjoyed NZ but would retrun to Scotland many times before returning to NZ. Just one mans opinion.

The stags on the hill don't compare to the fenced stags in NZ but hunting the hills of northern Scotland is almost as good as Africa.

Not ALL fenced in New Zealand...

Thanks for the great report Mark!
MG

Matt, diddn't mean to imply all Red Stag were behind high fences, but as I understand the majority of the HUGH ones are and the free ranging are still nice stags.

You got that right!
Actually I would go as far as to say that all the real monsters are taken behind wire or recently released.

Cheers
MG

One of the interesting things about our NZ stags is that in my area,Otago, the wild stags are of Sottish origin. Given the improved habitat and climate these stags have over the last 130 yrs produced trophies that are far larger than there Scottish cousins.
Other areas were subject to liberations from English stock namely Woburn Abbey, Warnham park and Richmond stags, all have there own unique characteristics and cross over within the deer range has seen a general mixing of the blood types that have lead to distintive NZ stags.
Still plenty of nice wild stags about. The majority of which are on private land and enjoy better feed and management than those on government land.
The is no question that the huge stags are farm raised. What does blur things is that some stags have little regard for fences and have begun to spread there superoir genetics back into the wild herds. It is a very rare occasion if a wild stag over 350 inches is taken here, indeed any stag over 300 is a real trophy.

Mark,
Can you post contact information for the outfit you hunted with, or do you book for them? Sounds interesting!

Fantastic! another fucking booking agent in Wyoming.

Good luck in Cody!

I'd like t echo some of the above. As a hunting experience, I would rate Scotland stags as high as anything I have done. No, the trophy size is not what you would get in NZ, but the whole experience is first rate in Scotland.

NZ is a been there done that hunt. Scotland is something I will definately do again, and again.

Guys,

have any of you tried the hind stalking in the highlands as a comparison to the stags?

I have been a couple of times and although stag stalking is spectacular, the Hind stalking has a certain charm of its own.

FB

quote:

Originally posted by AK Hunter:
I'd like t echo some of the above. As a hunting experience, I would rate Scotland stags as high as anything I have done. No, the trophy size is not what you would get in NZ, but the whole experience is first rate in Scotland.

NZ is a been there done that hunt. Scotland is something I will definately do again, and again.

New Zealand is a spectacularly beautiful place. And some hunting is free range, but then again, a lot of chamois and tahr are shot after landing nearby in helicopter. To each his own, but when I hear someone used a helicopter, I write that off as a "shooting" expedition, not hunting.

One of my best hunts in NZ was flying in a helicopter. Got dropped off in the middle of a park and walked through total wilderness to the other side. Didn't shoot a thing, but it was fun.

Great report

I love exotics of all shapes and sizes

Sounds like a really nice hunt. Would be cool to research one's Scottish ancestry. LDK

quote:

AnotherAZWriter:
New Zealand is a spectacularly beautiful place. And some hunting is free range, but then again, a lot of chamois and tahr are shot after landing nearby in helicopter. To each his own, but when I hear someone used a helicopter, I write that off as a "shooting" expedition, not hunting.

Perhaps it is a shooting "expedition," but then almost all hunting in most of South Africa, Namibia, and New Zealand, are shooting "expeditions," to name jiust three countries that come to mind. One might call them "collecting." And with regard to "landing nearby in a helicopter, a good deal of our US big game hunting is completed after "landing nearby" on a horse, jeep, truck, boat or some other type of transportation.

When I took my Tahr in NZ it was dead of winter, snow starting at the base of Mt Hood and getting worse as you went up. There was no way to get to the "hunting" area except by helicopter. Once dropped off (literally - it was not possible to land) a stalk had to be made in a very steep mountainous area, with one to two feet of snow to hike through, and with a slip finding you dead at the bottom, and with no assurance the Tahr would be there when you got to where you thought they were. Expedition - maybe, fun - exceptional. And in reality no less a hunt than many of our U.S. based hunts.



My Tahr was taken near the top of the mountain in the background. Retrieved by rope from the helicopter and ferried down to this flat spot for photos. My daughter was with me, but did not "jump" out of the helicopter for the stalk and kill.

Glad you added some personal perspective to the outing; thanks and congrats. Nice animal, and great looking country!

Cool hunt and proof that the trophy isn't found in the inches. There is a part of me that wants to experience many of these places around the world. Thanks for the report.

In defense of my own back yard I see there are 2 distinct lines of thought on NZ hunting.

For those that are fit enough, stubborn enough and just plain tough enough there is very good free range fair chase hunting here in NZ.

But it all comes down to personnal choice. The big thing about NZ is that it is able to offer that choice.And huge varitions of choice.

As some one that is a full time outfitter and guide i have, over the years morphed into alot of hunting that at one time or another i once had a totally different opinion about. Being in a service industry you have to be able to provide what the client wants and I've yet to meet 2 clients that think the same, let alone one that thinks the same as me! Thankfully.

There are very few overseas hunters that can adapt quickly to the NZ wild hunting conditions. Coupled with a domestic hunter preciption this can lead to some very interesting comments about the overseas hunter.

Its all down to choose and the way people precieve things, and man can that lead to some interesting opinions, which are just that opinions.

Having hunted both Scotland and NZ for stags its not even fair to begin to compare the hunts, the only thing in common is the animal. Oranges and apples.

Folks,

Mike McCrave has an opening 2-9 Sept for a highland stag hunt for one hunter and one companion.

The price is $4700 for the shooter and $2700 companion.

Full details of the hunt are printed above.

If your looking for a very nice holiday with your wife or significant other this is a great trip and Scotalnd is just terrific.

Contact me anytime if you have any interest.

Mark

Hey folks, this is the same week I'll be hunting with Mike in Scotland! Come join me and the Missus!

quote:

Originally posted by bwanamrm:
Hey folks, this is the same week I'll be hunting with Mike in Scotland! Come join me and the Missus!

Bwanamrm,
Sure would love to join you on a highland stalk.
Unfortunately the timing is not right.

A free range North Island Red taken with a 30/06 HEYM.

Ozhunter,
A shame. Something tells me I'd enjoy spending time in a camp swapping hunting stories with you! Excellent stag BTW.

bwanamrm,

We are going to miss each other by two weeks. Thanks to Mark and Mike, I will be there after stag from the 16th through the 23rd.

I love the highlands, and I'm sure I will even more with a rifle in my hands and free range red stag as my quarry!

Good luck, bwana, and save me a couple, will you?

ozhunter, that is a nice stag. What's the story?

MR,
Double darn! You will be there in the peak of the roar, should have a great hunt! Timing wasn't right for me later in September so Cindy and I are looking forward to spending Labor Day in Scotland...