Does anyone have any experience about hunting Red Stag or Sika deer in Scotland?

One hunting outfitter has exclusive hunting opportunities on a private estate in the Scottish Highlands consisting of 400,000 acres. Now that represents some old money!

We are considering a trip to Scotland for hunting, fishing, and enjoying the countryside. Yes, it sounds outrageously expensive, but airfare, hunting, fishing, lodging, and meals are much lower priced than most hunts in the western USA or Canada. Plus, it would be cool to stay in a modernized section of a castle. I am beginning the research about it for a trip in 2020.

Feel free to email me at [email protected]

Thanks for any information!

I don’t believe bow hunting is legal in the UK. Truly ironic, but there it is…

And don’t get me wrong… It seems like it would be a real gas! (I wonder if they require you to hunt in a kilt?)

Hi Matt, back in 2003 I hunted the highlands for the rut of the Roe deer in May. The antlers were hard on the Roe buck but the Red stag were still in early velvet high on the Glens. Would be quite the challenge hunting them above timberline with bow I thought. The King's deer. Spend an extra week touring . Go! 1968 Super Kodiak

They are working on legalizing bow hunting in Scotland - but as far as I know, its gun hunting only right now. Lots of red deer though.

JW

I would wear a kilt and carry a slingshot for that opportunity. >>>>-----> Ken

Might be a bit drafty with the kilt !!

I forgot to mention the preface to this Scotland adventure. A visit to Nottingham, and absolutely I will be shooting an arrow in that old forest even if I learn it is prohibited. However I will not try to poach the King’s (now Queen’s) deer. I will get in touch with Ye Olde Archers who I believe is the local club.

While in Nottingham could I wear a Woolrich plaid shirt instead of camo while shooting with a glove tab release a Hill style reflex-deflex long recurve 4 piece self bow under 40 pounds with the wrong spine wood aluminum carbon arrow that weighs 3 grains per pound with a 27 strand string carried in what type of case while hating compound bows and crossguns?

Does that make it all good? So if you don’t want to play, you don’t have to.

I definitely will not be wearing a kilt. No need to risk offending those folks and creating international enemies. However I will be watching for the local attractions.

Thanks to those who are interested. The cost is much lower than we expected.

Hi Mark,

Wow, you have been there and done it! I am excited to learn more suggestions if you have any. Did you drive around there? Special driver’s license and insurance? Special health insurance?

We are planning on October 7-21 so we can hit the Red Stag rut for the roaring. Wife insists that we mix in a bit of fishing as well. I want to add either the Sika deer or some grouse / pheasant shooting. We do want to get in plenty of sightseeing. Maybe we can look up Dr. John H. Watson’s home town or see what remains of James Bond’s boyhood home.

I am eager to learn more. Best wishes.

Bow hunting has been illegal in Scotland and all of the UK since 1969.

However, I believe it is still legal to shoot a Scotsman with a bow if he is sighted within the environs of Nottingham. Us limeys have some wierd customs :)

The locals would appreciate it if you made the effort to wear a kilt though. You could actually get a tartan in your family name. Though I would caution against wearing the kilt of the McDonalds or the Campbells!!! They of the Glen Coe massacre, circa 1692, long memories here :)

you may want to look at france they have bow hunting. or austria maybe

“I would wear a kilt and carry a slingshot for that opportunity. >”

Just so you’re not wearing the slingshot under the kilt!!

A couple of thoughts on this; Nope at this time no bowhunting in the UK, hopefully that'll change someday. Apparently the officials have done their research and are aware that most hunting archers couldn't reliably hit a barn wall from the inside. There is Red Stag hunting at Glen Affric Estate, I've seen them. It's a beautiful area where my my ancestors lived, the stay and hunting there is un-Godly expensive so its not on my list at all. If I hit the lottery then I'll definitely go back and boom-stick one since thats all that is curently allowed. Lastly although there is currently no bow hunting in the UK, the possibilityof it one day is being discussed here therefore making this an archery related thread. So I'm a little put out by any pompous horse's arse that would swoop on any thread and make the command decision for everybody demanding that a thread be closed. We have a moderator for that who does an excellent and largely thankless job. Some of you should be thrilled that it is not me as my tolerance for petulent childish BS is way low. You are always free to not click on a topic if you don't like it, if everybody took it upon themselves to decide what was and was not pertinent then this place would be a blank page. ;)

I want to here more about hunting Stags in Scotland. Keep it coming..Dreams do come true.

When i was a boy i used to love to hike with my gr father in the hills above the River Spey. Butned in my memory forever is the sight of a great Red against the skyline. Sandy

I was going to say..'silhouetted, but i couldn't spell it.!

To smell the North Sea in the wet fog while stalking with a good keeper in tweeds.To smell a peat fire and Scotch at a warm hearth in the evenings after a long wet day on the hill...

Yeah I imagine one could hunt imported Red deer just about anywhere now, but it will never be true Scottish hill Stag experience.

If you are taking your wife Matt, you both will fall in love with each other all over again.

“Unless it is with a bow, I'd rather sit it out.”

So does that mean that you’re going to petition Phil to kill the thread???

I’m sure I’d enjoy myself something crazy on a trip like that.... But I have to wonder what rifle I would want to take. I clearly do not own anything that would not be woefully out of place with pipes droning in the distance!

Maybe a fine, antique singleshot in some obscure chambering....

Even though this is a controversial topic, I enjoy everyone’s comments.

I am aware that there are red stags in NZ and maybe Australia. That too would be an adventure. Hopefully maybe someday in the future we may be able go there. However, wifey and I have both been interested in Scotland and all it offers. Also wife is 1/2 British so she is interested in heading that direction.

We definitely don’t live an extravagant lifestyle. We have made travel a priority and saved for trips when we could.

Braco - the Scots may not be keen on issuing a tartan pattern for my name which is Austrian / Swiss. Great comment about sending an arrow to a Scot in Nottingham! We love history and literature. Maybe we can drop by at 221B Baker Street.

Bighorn - I did look at hunting in Austria. Way too expensive! Although the ultimate Austria visit would be for Christmas Eve in Vienna listening to the symphony play Silent Night. Someday I hope.

Elderly - in this fine group I expected that a few guys would have contacts with Scotland. Are you a naturally great golfer? Long ago I learned to stay away from golf.

David - I have found that some areas have much higher prices for example around Loch Ness. No lottery here, just putting away a little on a regular plan. And no other adventure in a loooong time. Since I don’t smoke all of my cigarette money can go in the fund. I hope you can get there too.

B.T. - good encouragement, thanks. Dreams and goals are important!

Sandy - great memories with your grandfather! I look forward to seeing that as well. We need to get there while I still have a bit of hearing left. How are you doing?

1968 SK - thanks for the preview of the grand adventure with the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of Scotland. This will be very different from any other adventure. Wifey and I have shared a strong sense of adventure, curiosity, and have chased the wilderness from coonhunting behind the barn to the north Maine woods, Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico, and other great places. At this time we aren’t waiting for anything or putting off longer than necessary. This past summer, 5 days after a dental procedure a blood clot caused a heart attack and cardiac arrest. I saved her and kept her alive. No brain damage from loss of blood flow / oxygen and only minimal heart damage after clot was removed. So, yes we will be going together on a new adventure. We plan to divide the time between hunting, fishing, and sightseeing. It has been too long since I last caught an Atlantic salmon.

GF - after reading about the nature of the hunt including the guide wearing tweed and a necktie in respect for the animal and the gentlemanly hunt, I thought the same thing about a rifle. Unfortunately I sold my Ruger #1 single shot. That is the only rifle that seems suitable. However the estate we are looking at the hunt includes the use of a rifle to simplify travel. I definitely won’t be wearing camo.

To everyone, and especially Phil and any other moderators, Wifey and I thank you for your tolerance, interest, and contributions. Best wishes.

Will - I have no idea what you imply. But I am suspicious about your intent.

I have researched the topic at hand thoroughly. I had nothing more in mind than exactly what I have written here. And yes, I included my email address in case anyone preferred to communicate more directly. As a collective group, the people on this website have a very close, helpful, and supportive attitude. Many folks here have become good friends and do communicate away from this website. Countless generous and helpful people on this website, including me, have written a great many replies to assist others on a multitude of topics.

I have been involved on this website for approximately 20 years. So if you have something to say, spit it out and get to the point either here or contact me by email.

Best wishes.

QUOTE " I will be shooting an arrow in that old forest even if I learn it is prohibited."

I wouldn't if I were you... announcing you're going to a foreign country and breaking their laws is going to get you into a whole heap of trouble.

If you make it over there be sure to stop by Border archery for a tour. I think they have an archery course also.

My Scotland home town is Kingussie, Inverness Shire. Fifty years after leaving as a nine year old i went back in 2000 with my wife. While roaming these same hills i was surprised to see a man riding an atv with a rifle on his back. Passing a farm house i asked a lady who was gardening about that, " oh! She said, that is my husband, he's out culling the deer". A couple of days earlier we had come upon the carcasses of a doe and twin fauns... Culling ??

Sandy

Phil - warning appreciated and accepted. I will only shoot an arrow where specifically permitted. Archery is permitted in Sherwood Forest. They have a range at the activity center. Also they that a Sherwood Robin Hood Festival with plenty of shooting. Thank you.

cch - I will add them to the list. It will be very easy to pack a takedown longbow and a few arrows. Thanks.

Sandy - it is great that you went back and took your wife. Interesting about the culling and not good wasting them.

Elderly - it seems that some folks have broad meanings for many concepts.

Fisher

How about trying to coincide your visit with one of the Roving archery societies (F.R.A.S. fraternity of St George, Shire Bowman etc etc) That way you can a real feel of British archery

Good luck Brother

Hi Matt, Sounds like an adventure, but for bowhunting. Argentina has some great free range Red stag hunting. Prices are reasonable too.

Bow or not, that hunt would be a heck of an experience!

Here is my clan Stewart marker on the field of Culloden. I'd love to see it in person.

Thanks for the additional suggestions. We hope to get in as much as possible on this adventure. So right now we are adding every suggestion to a master list and then we will try to organize the list.

Red - what does that mean?

Thanks and best wishes.

Reddogge, that is amazing... I have always wanted to visit that glen - but have no known family connections. What a terrible and haunting place. This is the glen where the Jacobite rebellion was broken in 1746, the Stewart Clan was defeated and some 1200 highlanders were killed outright - as many were wounded in the fight against the British army, and Duke of Cumberland, known as the "Butcher" as he ordered the execution of all prisoners and wounded - several thousand. There were no bows or arrows on this battlefield, in fact the British army had superior field artillery which was used with devastating effect on the Highland army. This battle effectively broke he Scottish rebellion and ushered in a new age of persecution and cultural extinction... The Brits banned the wearing of the tartan, and dispossessed thousands in the Scottish Highlands. This was a blow to the Highland Scottish culture and land ownership. Sadly, even today, if you go hunt there, you will probably hunt on an estate that is owned by wealthy interests outside of Scotland. Its a place where many with Scots heritage have had to struggle to hang on to there own land. Hence the Scottish diaspora and so many who fled to the States, and Canada after the dark age of British tyranny. I hope you get there some day Reddogge... My guess is that your people had to leave in the tough ages that followed Culloden. What a place and History. JW

If you have already registered, please

sign in now

For new registrations

Click Here