Roe buck stalking description , advice & resources

For the best times to hunt Roe Bucks, follow this link to the Best Times page.

Most Roebuck hunting is done on foot, by walking slowly and silently against or across the wind. It's not easy to generalise, but many guides will walk in the mornings and place the hunter in a high seat or on a vantage point  in the evenings. Most guides in the UK have an aversion to sitting in high seats for any lengths of time and this is the appeal to many overseas hunters who come to hunt here. For this reason, it is important that hunters have practised taking shots whilst standing and also shooting off a stick. You should be able to shoot to a 10 cm circle at 100 metres whilst using a stick. You cannot always count on being able to lean against a stout tree. Bringing a long stick with you is not always easy, so make sure you ask the guide to supply you with one when you arrive. The stick should be at least long enough to be level with your eye when standing straight. The stick is also useful for glassing areas for long periods of time and keeping the binoculars steady when the weather is windy.

Continental hunters often assume we have a lower density of Roe Deer in the UK than compared with say, Poland and Germany. Of  course, it's dangerous to generalise, but we do not have such vast areas of flat land and huge open areas of fields bounded by heavy cover or woods which is so often found in Central Europe. The consequence is that large numbers of Roe are seldom viewable at one time from one viewing position. Our grounds are more hilly and undulating, so it's seldom possible to see the many Roe living in that area in the course of a few outings. The quality of Roe compares well with anywhere else in Europe, with substantial numbers of medal heads being shot. Many areas of the UK have a very high density of Roe deer. Allowing for weather, it's reasonable to expect that 1 hunter with a guide on a 1:1 basis can shoot 4 to 6 bucks (of 4 points or more) in 5 days - on a 2:1 basis where two hunters share a guide with one sitting in a high seat and one walking with the guide, 3-4 bucks per hunter (of 4 points or more) is a reasonable expectation. Every year I receive crazy requests from hunters each asking to shoot 5 or 6 Medal Head bucks in a week - there is nowhere in Europe that I know this can done regularly on a fair chase basis. If hunters only want to shoot medal head bucks, then it may be possible on suitable grounds to shoot 2 or 3 in a week if the weather, wind and time of year is right.  

The best quality heads are to be found in the East and Central parts of the UK, where there is  lower rainfall. Roe in the West of Scotland, the far North of Scotland and on high ground will provide superb and exciting hunting , often in dramatic scenery, but don't expect medal quality heads! There are some areas where you can hunt for roe buck on open hill high ground, which is a really fascinating style of stalking. The milder winters mean that roe have changed their habits and quite happily live on open heather/grass clad hills well up to 800 metres. They only seek shelter in the worst of the weather during the winter.   

When you are planning your hunting trip to the UK, you should check carefully with the estate or agency and ask them what exactly qualifies as a buck which is chargeable. In most areas for example, the Forestry Commission counts all males, of all ages, as bucks - so it's hardly surprising that they may be able to say that shooting 8 to 12 bucks in 5 days is quite possible. This is why the expectation varies so much from one estate to another. Do not be afraid to ask for past bag records. If you receive an evasive answer, then beware. Asking for references is sometime a good idea, but many estates and agencies do not operate any system of asking past clients for references. Many of my clients never return their post- free, pre addressed reply form after a successful hunt - perhaps they want to keep the secret as they still book to return to the same estates! 

Prices vary a huge amount from one area to another. For stalking in areas where the bucks are not particularly heavy, then 5 days stalking on a 1:1 basis may cost around £950 which includes trophy fees. Stalking 2:1 by sharing a guide, may cost £750 to £850. In areas where the bucks are heavier (more than 350 gm.) , then a sliding scale operates for these heavier bucks which maybe medal category and you need to allow an extra £400 to £700 to pay for the trophy fees.