Hello - Swap Help for help.

[jeffsingh]

Hi Guys,

Just a quick intro about myself.
Having spent many years in Ireland when I was younger with my uncle in the country I developed a love for the outdoors.
He would take me fishing and hunting from a very young age.
Living in London put a stop to that and working away on the road didn't help.
I've spent around 20 years working away involved with live entertainment.
While this is very rewarding I never had the time to give to the wild life I spent so much time around.

Im now in a position to take that up again and have decided to pursue my love for deer and take up deer management.
I spent some good time hunting for the table and pest control in Ireland. Farmers land and a Monastery were always rewarding.

So a farmer friend suggested I try this site.

Please forgive me for being forward.

I'm writing to you on a farmer friend's suggestion to approach other farmers / woodland owner's in the UK and offer deer/pest control in exchange for deer shooting to gain as much experience as possible. I do some deer/pest control for my farmer friend in Bodmin, Cornwall. I also help my uncle with deer control in Ireland as he looks after a lot of farms over the water but it's not something I have the chance to do often. I would only cull anything on the land that I have come to an agreement with the land owner, and I would like to bring to your attention that no deer are wasted as it's all brought to the table.

I am working towards my Deer Management Qualification BDS level 1 in September, and am trying to gain as much experience of deer in their natural environment. Living in London, land is very limited to me.

Any advice, pointers or experience offered along with opportunities to shoot will be most appreciated.



Thanks & regards,
Jeff Singh

[oldclaypaws]

Deer management is very necessary and requires a skilled marksman. I'm in favour of deer control and annoyed when they nibble my saplings. There are undoubtedly too many of them, and most tree / wildlife organisations would agree they need controlling. Can you just clarify one apparent contradiction please, if you 'love' deer so much, why are you so eager to shoot them? I find it a frequent statement among hunters that they love wildlife and are into conservation, but apparently prefer to see it in the crosshairs of a rifle. Prince Philip is a prime example, he's Chair of the WWF, but loves shooting things. An interesting paradox. Personally, I like to see them, I know they do damage, but couldn't bring myself to kill one. I do love them with a juniper sauce, and in burgers.

We are now, incidentally, in the traditional previous closed season for all but Muntjac, so wouldn't expect any females to be shot until the end of October.

[Dexter's Shed]

so what calibre rifles do you own?
do you have an open or closed firearms license ?



OCP, I've said it before, and I'll say it again, there is no closed season on any deer for woodland owners/protection of saplings

[oldclaypaws]

there is no closed season on any deer for woodland owners/protection of saplings

.....If you have no conscience and don't mind seeing a bamby orphan starve to death.

[Dexter's Shed]

there is no closed season on any deer for woodland owners/protection of saplings

.....If you have no conscience and don't mind seeing a bamby orphan starve to death.

that's not the point I'm making, simply that there is no closed season, bucks could be shot all year round

[jeffsingh]

Hi, Oldclaypaws

Thanks for the comments, yes, deer management is essential. i would never take a shot if not confident of a humane kill.

im not to sure if its a contradiction or not. i do love to go out with the glass and watch the deer as i find them very beautiful to watch in there natural habitat.. i have spent many a hour shooting deer with a camera. first i have never paid to stalk, it's only something i have done for control and have been asked to do by farmers and land owners. i shot 3 deer on the farm in Cornwall last year, one was lame due to a dog attack. also, deer can starve due to the way they chew the grass and by grinding the teeth down, when older they cant eat as they have no teeth left. i have shot more rabbit on request as they burrow into the stone walls sounding land & this causes the walls to collapse.

Im sure that animal farmers have a love for the sheep / cattle they rear but at the end of the day they go to slaughter for our tables.
Im not out shooting every deer I see.

i'm not on here to upset anyone and cause debate. i'm just trying to find the rite way to increase my knowledge.

i also would not leave a young fawn without its mother. by law, if you shoot mother you are told to take the fawn first. This is something that is up to the individual and not for me....
i dont go shooting in Africa for sport either as the royals....

i am a keen cook and anything shot will always be taken to the table.

i hope this makes you feel more comfortable.

for your info i have added the open / closed season for the uk deer species.

Species Sex
Close Season
England and Wales

Close Season
Scotland
Red Deer Male 1 May - 31 Jul 21 Oct - 30 Jun
Female 1 Apr - 31 Oct 16 Feb - 20 Oct
Red/Sika
Hybrids Male 1 May - 31 Jul 21 Oct - 30 Jun
Female 1 Apr - 31 Oct 16 Feb - 20 Oct
Sika Deer Male 1 May - 31 Jul 21 Oct - 30 Jun
Female 1 Apr - 31 Oct 16 Feb - 20 Oct
Fallow Deer Male 1 May - 31 Jul 1 May - 31 Jul
Female 1 Apr - 31 Oct 16 Feb - 20 Oct
Roe Deer Male 1 Nov - 31 Mar 21 Oct - 31 Mar
Female 1 Apr - 31 Oct 1 April - 20 Oct
Chinese
Water Deer Male &
Female 1 Apr - 31 Oct 1 April - 20 Oct
Muntjac Male &
Female No Close Season No Close Season


Dexter's Shed,

I have a .22 Bruno with mod for Rabbit
Tikka T3 .243 with mod for Fox & Deer up to roe
.308 with mod for the larger Deer

x 2 shotguns.

As long as I have written permission from the land owner to shoot I'm granted permission.
As I outlined Ive only been shooting in the UK since I stopped touring around 3/4 years ago.

I have never the less been shooting most of my life in Ireland.

[jeffsingh]

so what calibre rifles do you own?
do you have an open or closed firearms license ?



OCP, I've said it before, and I'll say it again, there is no closed season on any deer for woodland owners/protection of saplings

Dexter's Shed,

I have a .22 Bruno with mod for Rabbit
Tikka T3 .243 with mod for Fox & Deer up to roe
.308 with mod for the larger Deer

x 2 shotguns.

As long as I have written permission from the land owner to shoot I'm granted permission.
As I outlined Ive only been shooting in the UK since I stopped touring around 3/4 years ago.

I have never the less been shooting most of my life in Ireland.

jeffsingh

Posts: 2
Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 8:42 am

[ballibeg]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, there is no closed season on any deer for woodland owners/protection of saplings

Not the case in Scotland where the law changed two years ago.

'Changes to the Deer Scotland Act (1996) mean deer can no longer be culled during the close season without authorisation from SNH.

The shooting of all deer during the close season now requires a license, even when it takes place to prevent damage to farmland and woodland.

To make this change as straightforward as possible, SNH plans to issue general annual licences to allow culling to prevent damage, so landowners won't have to apply each time deer are damaging crops or trees, but the license will specifically restrict the shooting of females at certain times of the year.'


Dave

[Dexter's Shed]

**** Moderator edited to correct quoting ****

Not the case in Scotland where the law changed two years ago.

'Changes to the Deer Scotland Act (1996) mean deer can no longer be culled during the close season without authorisation from SNH.

The shooting of all deer during the close season now requires a license, even when it takes place to prevent damage to farmland and woodland.

To make this change as straightforward as possible, SNH plans to issue general annual licences to allow culling to prevent damage, so landowners won't have to apply each time deer are damaging crops or trees, but the license will specifically restrict the shooting of females at certain times of the year.'


Dave

which basically sounds the same as in England, you wouldn't intentionally shoot females in breeding season

so you need authorisation from SNH
but to save time, its inc in a general license
meaning no one needs apply for anything special
if it's for protection of trees

[ballibeg]

No.

Lots of your posts on shooting are off the mark particularly with regard to Scotland. The shooting of females out of season is not on the general license. An application has to be made. You need to show you have tried other control methods such fencing. If you have exhausted all other methods a license may be granted for control of females but it will be only for someone on the fit and competent register of stalkers
SNH hold.