I returned from Scotland a couple of weeks ago and had great hunt and overall trip. I reached out to Mike Taylor Sporting and he hooked my wife and I up with a great outfit and we had an exceptional two days hunting the Highlands in central Scotland. I was able to get two nice animals, a sika stag and a red stag. The two days were somewhat different experiences, with definitely different weather each day. The first day was absolutely beautiful with much surprising sunny weather and very little rain. The second day I think was a little more typical of Scottish weather….lots of rain.

We were too early for the stag rut, but the sika’s were starting to rut and we were able to hear their calls, which was a very cool experience. To be honest the whole thing was a very cool experience and something I thought was never a possibility. We saw lots of red deer and only a few of the more reclusive sika, but their was no shortage of them.

If anyone has any interest in a phenomenal hunt for true free range stags in beautiful Scotland, I highly recommend you reach out to MIke. I would like to say it was a once in a lifetime experience, but I will be headed back again in a couple of years. And by the way Scotland was the most beautiful place I have ever been to.

Congrats on the fine trophies and thanks for posting. This is a hunt I really want to do in the near future.

My wife isn't much of a traveler but we raise Highland cattle and she would like to see them in Scotland someday. Seems like a good way to sneak a hunt in as well.

What was the cost of something like this? I'd like to do it if within my means.

Nice work…the Scottish Highlands are indeed an incredible place. I have never hunted there but did see stag running around in the hills near Durness.

I’d love to hunt it but their season always coincides with too much of my American hunting which is why all of my overseas hunts are in spring, either for critters that have spring ruts, or in the Southern Hemisphere where the stag rut during our springs. Great experiences.

Gotta love your experience though, no doubt.

Mike Taylor is a first rate hunting agent and he organizes great hunting trip to good areas with first rate guides.

My wife fell in love with the Highland Cows, we spent a significant amount of time trying to find them. She wants us to get some here.

I do not want to speak for the specific costs of the hunt as my understanding is it can change somewhat, but costs for management stags is around $600- $800. The hunt IMO was very affordable. The red stag I giot was not a management stag, but the sikas are the same price no matter what and my sika was somewhat average. Mike has some good pictures of representative animals on accuraterealoading.com

Congratulations ajf55, sounds like a great trip!

If anyone has any interest in a phenomenal hunt for true free range stags in beautiful Scotland, I highly recommend you reach out to MIke. I would like to say it was a once in a lifetime experience, but I will be headed back again in a couple of years. And by the way Scotland was the most beautiful place I have ever been to.


Who is "Mike" and how do I contact him?

Mike
Mike Taylor Sporting
Hunting, Fishing & Photographic Safaris Worldwide
+44 7930 524 097
[email protected]
Instagram - miketaylorsporting

What shells were you hunting with?

They provided a Tikka in 270 and I believe it was a 110 or 120 mono bullet. Shots were taken from 120 and 180 yards and the bullet performed well.

I spent a week traveling through Scotland over spring break, saw quite a few stag and had only wished I had planned a hunt while I was there. Very nice!

Does anyone know how the free-range Sika bucks in Scotland compare to the free-range Sika bucks in New Zealand for size etc?

Is bringing your own firearms an option?

My understanding is yes.

How did your wife get to go on a stag hunt?