I’m well into the roe doe cull now and I always aim to get as much done before Christmas as possible — the days of January until March are so short and always packed with other calls on my time.
For the most part, stalking continues without much interaction with local people and most stalkers are perfectly happy with that state of affairs. However, dawn and dusk are now well aligned with rush hour and peak dog walking times for the villagers around my stalking grounds. This makes it far likelier that the paths of the stalker and members of the public will cross.
Trying our absolute best to make these chance encounters positive is essential for both recreational stalking and deer management on our own patches, as well as across the wider nation.
Knowing your patch intimately, the location of boundaries, farmers, landowners and keeper by both name and vehicle, the route of footpaths both legal and those rather less so is all essential to safe and considerate stalking. Making contact with the local rural beat police officers — if they’re any good the hours kept by a busy stalker will be of obvious interest to them — and a two-way exchange of information has merits for both parties.
Get yourself added to the Farmwatch messaging group or estate WhatsApp; again, these are incredibly useful conduits for local knowledge.
Tensions
Being aware of how our actions and presence looks to the passing public is most important, as they are almost certainly not as comfortable around firearms and dead animals as we are. Remembering to do the simple things, such as removing face coverings and keeping your rifle up vertical on your shoulder reduces tensions and makes us appear friendlier.
Denne historien er fra December 18, 2019-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra December 18, 2019-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside