Why Aren’t We All Stalking?

In total, a huge 70% of those responding to the census do not go stalking. The reasons for not going varied, with many people ticking several of the six options available to them, and nearly 500 offering their own answers. These varied from: “I don’t have a Firearms Certificate” to “not sporting”, “not fit enough” and, most commonly, “I haven’t had the opportunity”.

The six options provided an interesting insight into why people don’t go stalking more: more than 1,000 simply answered that they weren’t interested, however that still leaves nearly 2,000 respondents who said they didn’t go stalking. Of those, 500 said they wouldn’t know where to start; just over 450 said they didn’t like the idea of shooting a larger species, with the same number saying it wasn’t as social as driven shooting, with around 250 saying they weren’t sure about the technical aspects and 250 saying they weren’t sure about price.

Myths and truths about stalking

There’s a common misconception about stalking and it’s one that even many game shooters hold: that stalking invariably is done in Scotland. In fact, there is a huge amount of stalking over the rest of the UK, as well – with six species of deer and wild boar and feral goats on offer. So why don’t more people take it up? Perhaps the best way to answer this is to respond to the reasons people gave for not going stalking – which may also intrigue those who say they are not interested or don’t like shooting a bigger species. 

If you don’t know where to start, why not look at the GunsOnPegs website, which offers not only some interesting articles on the subject, but also has a number of stalking guides who can take you out, covering most of the UK. On the social front, true, it isn’t the same as standing in a line with seven friends, however most guides will have an amazing knowledge and insight into the wildlife, history and landscape of the area, and, as you are stalking, you will find you hone your observation skills and your understanding of nature during your outings. As to technical aspects – a good guide or stalker will show and teach you all you need to know, starting with firing a few shots at a target to check that you are proficient, to tracking and gralloching the animal. In terms of price, if you are not interested in trophies, a stalking outing for the females of the various deer species can cost as little as £100 – that’s the equivalent of just three or four pheasants! 

Sporting or not

A large number of the individual answers said they didn’t feel that stalking was sporting, which is perhaps the crux of the case. Stalking is not just incredibly sporting, it is also challenging and one of the most ethical fieldsports. To be able to get close enough to a wild deer, in its own environment, to take a clean, killing shot, is a true challenge, and the more you go stalking, the more skill and craft you will attain and use. It’s true, there is no guarantee of a shot, but you’ll see parts of the countryside that no-one else does, and while you may not get a shot, you will most certainly see plenty of wildlife. It is also true that the challenge rarely lies in the shot itself, but isn’t that a good thing? Isn’t that the very definition of sporting? And to top it all off, you are performing a necessary task: by stalking deer we not only help maintain a balanced population, we also help to protect woodland and, best of all for the 950 people who pick venison as their top game, but don’t stalk it, we provide some of the most delicious meat you can eat. 

Here are some stalking providers on GunsOnPegs to get you started:

Thornhill Deer Management, Dorset

Isle of Rum, Inverness-shire

Anglia Sporting, Suffolk

North Somerset Stalking, Somerset

Athol Estate, Perthshire