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Membership Rules
1. Members are entitled to unlimited stalking outings during the respective seasons between the hours of dawn and dusk for Deer a
2. Members must communicate with either Head Ranger or Syndicate operators prior to going out. Members must have confirmation and agreed when and where to go prior to going out on the estate.
3. Only UK deer legal calibres to be used, the projectile construction must be expanding and approved for hunting in UK and be of a weight and muzzle velocity that’s meets the UK minimum energy requirement of 1700 ft/lbs.
4. All members to have a minimum of DSC1 stalking qualifications, hold a valid FAC and hold valid third party public liability insurance (shooting and stalking related).
5. Recognising both food safety and the environment, all members to only use LEAD FREE projectiles. Members also observe the safety and correct usage of such projectiles in terms of backstop, ricochet and impact velocities that deliver effective terminal performance.
6. No shots to be taken over 250m
7. A non-shooting guest may accompany you however you must get permission from the Head Ranger/Syndicate Operator prior to going out. Stalkers cannot bring guests to shoot under any circumstances – this voids membership.
8. Members to observe and adhere to UK deer seasons and only cull deer that are in season. Members also to observe species, sex and age class regulations specific to their membership.
9. Members to understand they are ambassadors for the estate. Good courteous conduct and quite calm manners must be observed at all times. In the event of being challenge by anyone please ensure your firearm is unloaded and out of site. Firearms are not to be left unattended or visible in parked vehicles.
10. Members to ensure that they have studied estate maps and are fully comfortable with boundaries and stalking areas. It is the members responsibility that they are stalking in an area that they have permission.
Estate Security/Conduct Guidance
1. Use the estate WhatsApp group to notify in advance of going out and also when leaving the estate. The group is for stalkers and other users of the estate including forestry teams, workers and estate horse riders. They will all post when using a particular area of the estate and so we need to adjust plans and work around them. They will also offer this courtesy to the stalking team.
2. Please immediately report any evidence of poaching to us - we will pass it on to the Police and investigate. Take photos and mark location.
3. Report incidents with the public immediately on the group WhattsApp or contact the head ranger. Be polite.
4. Close gates and make sure padlocks are correctly done up. i.e – both forestry lock and deer lock are interconnected.
5. DO NOT drive on grass rides, set aside or field margins – sledge deer to vehicle – if in doubt contact head ranger and discuss options.
6. Report gunshots and vehicles to us immediately on the group WhattsApp – you are part of the estate security.
7. Please park your vehicle in an appropriate place and ensure that all stalking equipment is safely locked away and out of sight.
LINKENHOLT ESTATE STALKING SYNDICATE 01-02-2024 TO 30-12-2024
DEERBOX LTD
Stalking Guidance
1. Stick to the area that you have agreed to stalk and in the time frames you have agreed – this is for your safety and others on the estate.
2. It is recommended that stalkers stalk on foot in the mornings and stalk to a high seat to sit in a high seat for the final two hours of the evening. High seats have been placed in key areas to aid successful and safe culling and more will be added in due course.
3. Due to the nature of the woodland, stalkers should aim for high neck, neck and clean body shots (deer must be fully broadside and do not pin deer through the shoulders).
4. From September through to December, we recommend the use of high seats only for afternoon / evening outings as there are lots of birds and you end up disturbing more than its worth. Please avoid walking around roosting areas after dark.
5. SAFE SHOTS ONLY! Please ensure that all shots have a good solid and safe backstop. Be aware of the area and only shoot if you are 100% sure of your quarry and that there are no people in the vicinity.
6. Observe the shot reaction - In the event of a miss – the area must be checked and re checked for evidence of wounding (blood, pins etc)
7. In the event of an injured deer, mark the pins / blood with ribbon or something that can be re-found. DO NOT go looking for it if you think it is injured – phone the head ranger to discuss a plan.
8. After successful shot bleed animal within 5 minutes and perform suspended gralloch to ensure clean and tidy carcass. Do not bleed or gralloch your deer near frequently accessed areas by the public or on tracks where someone may see the blood. In the event you leave the deer in the woods to organise recovery of the carcass, please leave in a conspicuous place where it is least likely to be found by a member of the public.
9. Stalkers are expected to extract the deer/boar they shoot themselves.
10. Please use a drag bag, sled to extract your deer, DO NOT DRAG YOUR DEER ON THE GROUND AS IT CONTAMINATES THE CARCASS. Once the animal is harvested it is entering the food chain and as such must be respected as such.
11. Leave heads and legs attached until you get back to the larder to then remove and place in plastic tub for the team to dispose of.
12. Gralloch may be left on the estate however please hide / place a minimum of 200m away from any public areas / footpaths. If in doubt bring back and place in plastic tub, seal lid and leave in chiller.
13. All deer must be tagged at the larder with ALL details being clearly and correctly filled out and submitted in a clean and tidy state fit for the food chain (Carcass’s need to be clean of field debris, mud and contamination from gut / faecal contamination) Carcass’s that do not meet this standard will be charged for at £2.50 / KG for deer.
14. ALL carcass’s to remain the property of the syndicate operators. However, you are more than welcome to take deer home when needed for the pot. Please just inform operators when doing so.
It is possible to stalk throughout the year however please recognise that there is a very active pheasant shoot from September through to December with no stalking in January. Maximum number of syndicate members 5.
The current and ongoing status for the syndicate is to cover its costs and therefore getting good clean carcasses into the larder which can be utilised is very important as submitting good carcasses keeps the syndicate membership costs as low as possible. If an animal is badly shot or lardered in a condition not suitable to enter the food chain, the stalker will be asked to take the animal home either as his FOC animal or if already taken, to pay at the appropriate rate.