Deer stalking in Cumbria / Northumberland

[Charlie_Cong]

I've been deer stalking in the Highlands in the past while serving, and have a clutch of mates I would absolutely love to introduce to it. We're all now stinking civilians but still enjoy getting out into the hills and doing stuff which is tough but fun.

My immediate thought is to put something together in Scotland. However, although flights to Inverness are quite cheap, its quite a flog to get up there and it might be hard for all of us to get a pink-chit covering a Thursday to Sunday.

So - I would be grateful to hear your thoughts on stalking in Cumbria & Northumberland. To me the advantages are that a couple of the guys I have in mind live reasonably close, the fells can be awesome and the (hopefully) lower cost leaves more cash for general mischief.

I'd like to have a cracking weekend with the boys - head out in the pissing rain amongst awesome scenery, enjoy the challenge of the stalk, drag a carcass, and come back exhausted to enjoy some banter.

What does the collective wisdom and experience of the forum say?

Cheers!

( Think I should probably @Ravers in this one )

 

[MrShanklysboots]

Gah. I thought i was going to get tips on surprise sexing a tart in Aspatria.


Standing down.

 

[BugsyIV]

Ravers said

Get orf my land peasant

 

[oscar1whisky]

Forestry Commission in Cumbria are the people to contact. They used to have 3 rangers that took stalkers out, after a check on the zeroing range.

If the shooters were accurate they were taken stalking, if not they were led on a long walk in the countryside, and kept well away from deer.

 

[Charlie_Cong]

Cheers, Oscar, I'll look into it - and also thanks to Ravers for his PM.

 

[ugly]

Forestry Commission in Cumbria are the people to contact. They used to have 3 rangers that took stalkers out, after a check on the zeroing range.

If the shooters were accurate they were taken stalking, if not they were led on a long walk in the countryside, and kept well away from deer.

FC tend not to do novice stalking, for the hill experience you can buy a day on red hinds for about £100 usually 2 rifles and one ghillie. I have a mate who stalks in Northumberland and Durham but he even thinks Blairgowrie is a bit far!
Pussy, drive in a day, two days stalking drive back on sunday.

 

[Charlie_Cong]

FC tend not to do novice stalking, for the hill experience you can buy a day on red hinds for about £100 usually 2 rifles and one ghillie.

Cheers, Ugly - assuming its not an FC standard thing, could you possibly point me to the website?

 

[ugly]

nope just what I've been told. Better off looking on stalking directory or Facebook deer stalking pages

 

[marty870]

You could try these guys,
Deer Stalking and Hunting in the UK

 

[Oddbod]

The FC requires at least DSC1 to be held for stalking on land it controls, with stalkers expected to move up to DSC2.

There's a place somewhere near Hawick that I visited with a mate a time or two that has roe, sika & the odd red.
I can't remember the details offhand but I'll ask my mate if it's still on the go - was £70 for the day but that must have been 10 years back.

 

[CptDanjou]

Try Guns on Pegs , mainly game bird shooting but they do offer stalking as well or you can create a wanted add , otherwise its one for @Ravers

GunsOnPegs

You could also ask on the www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk site , but be warned the site is run by sensitive bellend types, Ive only been banned three times and no longer frequent the site , full of tossers.

 

[Charlie_Cong]

Cheers for the further pointers.

Am I right in thinking that only stalking of Red deer is predominantly hill rather than forestry based?

 

[marty870]

Cheers for the further pointers.

Am I right in thinking that only stalking of Red deer is predominantly hill rather than forestry based?

No

 

[CptDanjou]

Cheers for the further pointers.

Am I right in thinking that only stalking of Red deer is predominantly hill rather than forestry based?

Red deer

 

[Charlie_Cong]

Just to round this off - I highly recommend stalking on the Lonsdale estate.

In all honesty, as you'd expect, heading out on the fells lacks some of the beauty & scale of the Scottish Highlands. But if you spend a day out in the Northern Lakes in decent weather and aren't gobsmacked by the scenery then you need to have a stiff word with yourself. Your bank account will also thank you.

The only downside for me is that cruising around in an ATV is much more sedentary than the entirely foot-stalking I've done before. But equally, I've done stretcher races that were easier than the ATV-less hind culls I did with the Army so its all good.

Pete Jagger is the Head Stalker, and you could not hope to spend a day on the hill with a better man. My mates and I were out to cull small stags, not take down imperials, but got the full service nonetheless.

While gralloching a stag my wedding ring slipped off and is currently beneath a pile of shit & decomposing intestines on the Haweswater Fell. I didn't realise this until we were in the pick up on the way back.

Despite my plea not to go out of his way, Pete is currently heading out to locate the exact spot and sift through the remains of the gralloch to find it, having refused any gift or money in return. Who could ask more than that?

Some teetotal zipper-head Matelot w.nker also invited us to play with his guns & stroke his cars on the Sunday as well, so all was good.

Cheers @Ravers for the initial recommendation and top hosting.

 

[Ravers]

Just to round this off - I highly recommend stalking on the Lonsdale estate.

In all honesty, as you'd expect, heading out on the fells lacks some of the beauty & scale of the Scottish Highlands. But if you spend a day out in the Northern Lakes in decent weather and aren't gobsmacked by the scenery then you need to have a stiff word with yourself. Your bank account will also thank you.

The only downside for me is that cruising around in an ATV is much more sedentary than the entirely foot-stalking I've done before. But equally, I've done stretcher races that were easier than the ATV-less hind culls I did with the Army so its all good.

Pete Jagger is the Head Stalker, and you could not hope to spend a day on the hill with a better man. My mates and I were out to cull small stags, not take down imperials, but got the full service nonetheless.

While gralloching a stag my wedding ring slipped off and is currently beneath a pile of shit & decomposing intestines on the Haweswater Fell. I didn't realise this until we were in the pick up on the way back.

Despite my plea not to go out of his way, Pete is currently out to find the exact spot and sift through the remains of the gralloch to find it, having refused any gift or money in return. Who could ask more than that?

Some teetotal zipper-head Matelot w.nker also invited us to play with his guns & stroke his cars on the Sunday as well, so all was good.

Cheers @Ravers for the initial recommendation and top hosting.

Great to meet you and the chaps. Gimme a shout next time you’re in this neck of the woods.