Stag parties are meant to be fun. Let’s face it, most people only have one of their own and that means the best man has a single chance to make it into a memorable occasion.

If you are looking for stag do ideas in Bristol, you might think the sky is the limit, although it’s pretty unlikely they’ll let you bungee jump off the Clifton Bridge. However, there is a point where it would be wise for you to think about where to draw the line.

True, you might want to play a few pranks on your stag and if he has to try to somehow make his way home in his underpants at the end of the night he won’t be the first. But what you don’t want is your event to end in disaster.

Ideally, you can have a great day clay pigeon shooting or riding quad bikes, without anything calamitous happening, before having a few drinks and then heading home (or gaffer-taping the stag to a lamp post, putting lipstick on him and shaving his eyebrows, if you insist).

The wisdom of having an organised group activity like this can be seen by the fact that many ambitious ideas some folk have put in place for stag parties have led to those involved biting off more than they can chew, especially once some alcohol has become involved. Indeed, there have been some epic calamities in stag party history.

For example, there was a case in May 2022 where a party hired three canal boats in Worcestershire to sail down the Droitwich Canal. Whether alcohol was a factor or not, they were evidently not up to the task of navigating the course, getting through locks, or passing other boats safely.

Quite apart from a collision with another boat user – who rang the police – they ended up sinking one and leaving another abandoned before making off in the last boat. The Canals and Rivers Trust were not best pleased.

Even the Stag Weekends website has its own list of stag-do disasters. Among its tales of woe was a paintballing expedition when the stag was shot somewhat lower on the anatomy than was conducive to a happy wedding night, leading to emergency surgery for a ruptured testicle. It is always wise to wear a box when paintballing, and especially so this time.  

Another case was that of a Dorset man who was dressed up as a giant male member, something that led to the taxi driver refusing the let him get in the cab. When his friends interjected and tried to get the police to help, they got tasered. That led to the boys in blue getting a rap over the knuckles from a judge, but it didn’t make it hurt any less.

It all goes to show that it makes sense to work with a specialist in stag parties when planning the event. When you shoot clay pigeons and not the stag, and ride quad bikes without them ending up sinking, you can enjoy an epic day without making epic tabloid headlines.