Stalking is no one’s business

I must sympathise with M Grant’s sentiments (Letters, 13 May) on stalking. Over the past 30 years I have shot or seen shot in excess of

1,000 deer, plus dozens of other large game on three continents.

As a North London lad of immigrant stock, getting into regular stalking was almost impossible. I was fortunate to meet my late friend Gerry Posner, also a North London lad, who unfortunately passed away at the age of 41.

Gerry lived for a while in the countryside and fell in love with deer; although he knew nothing about them, he was fortunate to be a close neighbour of Eric Masters, perhaps Britain’s first professional stalker, who started his education.

Gerry had thousands of acres of stalking in Wiltshire, West Sussex and Dorset.

Most of what I know I learnt in those few years with Gerry, including roe calling, which he learnt off Richard Prior.

One thing that I was taught is that you cannot run stalking as a business. In fact, my late friend viewed trying to make a profit out of stalking as tantamount to an act of madness.

Currently, I have very little stalking. We were severely outbid on an estate where we had a presence for more than 30 years.

There have been people past and present who attempt to run stalking as a business, some masquerading under the banner of major shooting organisations. It does not work, it is not in the interest of the deer or the sport.

By way of example, I know of small estates in Southern England where no fee is paid; I know of massive estates where the stalkers pay less than £1 an acre; and I know of situations where an 150acre, doe-only beat is costing £2,000 per annum.

I wonder which ones are best run with the healthiest managed deer populations? Savvas Toufexis, London