How to acquire land for deerstalking
By Tom Cackett.
I’M not sure which is more difficult – acquiring your first bit of deerstalking land, or getting your firearms certificate renewed in less than six months (without any mistakes on it). I won’t name the offending police force, but my new certificate has just arrived after seven months and includes permission to buy a new firearm that I didn’t apply for.
When I realised this, I wasn’t sure if I should complain, or if this is how police forces are now apologising for licensing delays? A six-month delay equals automatic permission to buy a new .308?
Joking aside, it is difficult to get started. Landowners and farmers are naturally wary of strangers wearing head-to-toe camouflage who wield high-calibre rifles and generally are only seen at dawn and dusk.
Fellow stalkers are also fiercely territorial beasts who fight off potential intruders; I’m sure David Attenborough is missing a trick by not doing a documentary on us – move aside lion pride, two stalkers are about to squabble over a parcel of land populated by prime roebucks!
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