The Ultimate Stalking Handbook - 4th Edition, 2021

STALKING ■ FOXING ■ PEST CONTROL

T H E U LT I M AT E S TA L K I N G H A N D B O O K : FO U R T H E D I T I O N FROM THE MAKERS OF

Digital THE THRILL OF THE STALK FOXES AND RABBITS THE FOOD OF KINGS
FOURTH Edition
You. A forest. Your quarry. Help out with pest control Stunning venison recipes
EDITION





INTRODUCTION

HELLO AND WELCOME Future PLC Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA

I t’s a pleasure to present since you were eight years old – Bookazine Editorial
the fourth edition of this anyone can get into rifle shooting, Editor Steve Faragher
handbook, which celebrates and though it may initially seem Deputy Editor Ollie Harvey
rifle sports in all their forms: daunting, there is a welcoming Art Editor Nicola Jones
in Britain and abroad; foxing and community of some of the Production Di Cross, Sarah Potts, Nicola Jane Swinney,
stalking; professional or pastime; for friendliest individuals I have ever Senior Art Editor Andy Downes
the beginner unsure of how to get met, ready to help you along Head of Art & Design Greg Whitaker
into the sport to the expert looking your journey.Ambassadors are Editorial Director Jon White
for a few extra tips. Crucially, it certainly important – in the age of
covers the sport in its modern form social media, we must be beyond Sporting Gun Editorial
as it is today, with all the technology scrutiny, represent ourselves and Editor Matt Clark
and resources available to us. those of similar creeds who love
and respect the countryside and Deputy Editor Philip Reynolds
And it is not solely a hunting her denizens therein.You can find
compendium, either – there is a selection of those ambassadors Contributors
plenty of advice on getting started, and their knowledge distilled Sam Carlisle, Mark Ripley, Paul Childerley,
technique and kit that will apply within the covers of this book, Tim Maddams, José Souto, Will O’Meara, Megan Rowland, Mike Powell,
to rifle shooters of all forms, and a which has been fully updated for Patrick Laurie, Graham Downing, Cai ap Bryn, Diggory Hadoke, Barry Stoffell,
few culinary suggestions as well. this fourth edition. Chris Dalton, Rose Prince, Simon Garnham, Dr Al Gabriel, Steven Lamb

In the shooting world, we talk I hope both amateur and Cover images
about how to attract the next experienced rifle shooting Alamy, Andrew Sydenham
generation to the sport – and aficionados will find lots to All copyrights and trademarks are recognised and respected
that’s what this handbook is about. interest them.You can share the
I take a wide view of ‘newcomers’, successes and failures of others in Advertising
to mean not just youngsters being the pursuit of British rifle sport, Media packs are available on request
taken out for their first shots by and that’s the next best thing to
Dad but also adults who may be hiring a guide or accompanying a Commercial Director Clare Dove
getting into shooting through professional stalker about his work.
friends or by sheer chance, and are Rifle shooting is one of the UK’s International
looking for some guidance. greatest fieldsports – enjoy it but Head of Print Licensing Rachel Shaw
be safe out there. USH
The point is this: you don’t [email protected]
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Part of the

bookazine series

Duncan Ireland

4



CONTENTS

26

FEATURES

Photography: Alamy; Andrew Sydenham 8 Welcome 36 Extraction tips: Getting your
quarry off the hill
11 Need to know: Licences,
permissions, species… 40 Waiting game: Separating the
stag from his harem
16 Professional stalker: What’s
it like to do this for a living? 45 First time foxing: What to
look for in your first rifle
23 Long-range foxing: Mark
Ripley lines up his top 10 48 Recipe: Glazed venison ribs

26 Return of the buck: 50 The man who stares at
Paul Childerley stalks roe goats: Stalking wild goats
in Wiltshire in Galloway

30 Recipe: Venison and wild 55 Cull before the storm:
mushroom stuffed squash Graham Downing asks if we
can keep up with the increase
32 The best possible taste in deer numbers
Why British venison is the best

6

CONTENTS

36

101
58

48 Getty; Andrew Sydenham; Carl Armitzbo; Johner Images

58 Recipe: Venison Philly 80 Reaching the heights: 96 One tech beyond: Al Gabriel
cheesesteak sandwich Stalking muntjac in the wonders if thermal imagers go
plum orchard too far
60 The deer rifle: Its evolution
84 Recipe: Venison tataki with 98 Recipe: The world’s best
64 The perfect high seat: How brocolli salad braised venison shanks
to make your own
86 Keeping a cool head: Why 101 Great stalking kit: From
66 Recipe: Coconut rabbit curry ‘trophy’ measurements matter spotters to roe sacks and more

69 Gralloching kit: The tools of 88 Stalk or stay put?: The 104 Going under grand:
the trade – key things to take dilemmas of deer stalking Reasonably priced optics
with you
92 Recipe: Nachos topped with 106 Recipe: Venison biltong
73 Heart of the matter: pulled venison 108 Stalk talk: Find your next
Delicious treats with
venison offal 94 The best by a length: sporting rifle
A roundup of the top
76 Crossing the line: A look at waterproof trousers 112 Ask the experts: Your
the popular 6.5 Creedmoor stalking queries answered

7

WELCOME

8

WELCOME

MAJESTIC

As dawn breaks, a red stag crunches
through the frost, his breath clouding the
air. He is suspicious of you. Will he offer
a shot or turn suddenly and run? These
are the moments stalking is made for.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTY IMAGES

9



THE KNOWLEDGE

NEED TO KNOW

Stalking and shooting can be difficult worlds to get into, so here we outline
the key steps to take and tell you what you need to know to get involved

QUARRY GETTING A
FIREARMS
There are six different kinds of deer in the In addition we have provided information for LICENCE
UK, all with different seasons and requiring foxes, rabbits and wild boar.
different calibres of ammunition to be hunted. You need a firearms
certificate (FAC) issued by
RED DEER SPECIES SEX CLOSE SEASON ENGLAND, CLOSE SEASON the police to possess, buy
or acquire a rifle. You must
Britain’s largest land WALES & N IRELAND SCOTLAND also have a certificate to
mammal, a fully grown buy ammunition.
red stag can weigh up Red deer Male 1 May - 31 Jul 21 Oct - 30 Jul
to 190kg and stand 1.37m Female 1 Apr - 31 Oct 16 Feb - 20 Oct HOW TO APPLY
tall at the shoulder.
Alamy They are a distinctive Minimum calibre (England & Wales) .240 You can get a firearm
rusty-red colour in the or shotgun certificate
summer and turn brown application form from the
in the winter. You find firearms licensing unit of
them in pockets all over your local police force.
the UK, but the largest
population is in Scotland. YOU MUST:
Red deer prefer woodland.
n Complete an application
form

n Provide one passport
photograph

n Have two referees for
a firearm certificate
(or one referee for
shotgun certificate)

n Pay the fee for the
certificate you are
applying for

The fee amounts can
be found from the firearms
licensing unit of your local
police force. You must
also prove to the chief
officer of police that you’re
allowed to hold a firearms
certificate and pose no
danger to public safety or
to the peace. An FAC lasts
five years from the date it
was issued or renewed.

11

THE KNOWLEDGE

Fallow are commonly
sighted at parks and
stately homes

FALLOW but patchy in Scotland. Bucks can
be up to 90cm tall at the shoulder
Brought to England by the Romans, and weigh 93kg. They like the
elegant fallow are the ones margins between woods and open
you’re most likely to clock in a agricultural land where they graze.
park or stately home. They are
widespread in England and Wales

SPECIES SEX CLOSE SEASON ENGLAND, CLOSE SEASON

WALES & N IRELAND SCOTLAND

Male 1 May - 31 Jul 1 May - 31 Jul Sika do look superficially
Fallow Deer 1 Apr - 31 Oct 16 Feb - 20 Oct like fallow and are most
plentiful in Scotland
Female

Minimum calibre (England & Wales) .240

BRITISH Along with red, roe
DEER are Britain’s only
SOCIETY other native deer

bds.org.uk ROE SPECIES SEX CLOSE SEASON ENGLAND, CLOSE SEASON
The BDS is a charity that Roe deer WALES & N IRELAND SCOTLAND
promotes best practice Medium-sized deer,
in deer conservation and grown roes can be up to
management in the UK two-thirds of a metre tall
and is a definite must-join and weigh just 25kg. They
for anyone serious about can be identified by their
deer stalking. In addition to prominent white rump
support and events, the BDS and no visible tail. The roe
offers a range of course is the other native deer
from ‘An Introduction to of the UK, alongside the
Deer Stalking’ all the way red. You’ll find them in
up to Deer Stalking woodland primarily, but
Certificates (DSC) 1 and 2, they are also venturing
which offer comprehensive more into urban areas.
guides to deer management
and stalking.

Male 1 Nov - 31 Mar 21 Oct - 31 Mar

Female 1 Apr - 31 Oct 1 April - 20 Oct

Alamy Minimum calibre (England & Wales) .240

12

THE KNOWLEDGE

SIKA elsewhere, and sika prefer BASC
coniferous woodlands and
Reaching nearly a metre in heaths on acidic soils. They basc.org.uk
height, sika — like muntjac look superficially similar to We heartily recommend
and Chinese water deer — fallow deer, but have three joining BASC (British
were imported from Asia distinctive white strips on Association for Shooting
into parks and subsequently their rump. and Conservation). Not
escaped into the wild. There only does BASC lobby for
are more in Scotland than the rights of shooters,
and provide legal advice
SPECIES SEX CLOSE SEASON ENGLAND, CLOSE SEASON if you should need it, but
your BASC membership
WALES & N IRELAND SCOTLAND also provides you with
firearms insurance.
Sika deer Male 1 May - 31 Jul 21 Oct - 30 Jun Firearms insurance is not
Female 1 Apr - 31 Oct 16 Feb - 20 Oct a legal obligation, but it
is a very good idea and
many landowners and
businesses will not let
you shoot without it.

Minimum calibre (England & Wales) .240

MUNTJAC to Woburn Park in Bedfordshire in There’s a reason this
the early 20th century. A century why species is known
Small but stocky, to the uninitiated later they are widespread in
muntjac may look like sheep or England and Wales. Muntjac like as a water deer
goats. The males’ stripy face is deciduous or coniferous forests
distinctive. They don’t much taller but are also happy in scrub or
than half a metre tall and weigh up overgrown urban areas.
to 18kg. They are said to be sweet
in flavour. They came from China

SPECIES SEX CLOSE SEASON ENGLAND, CLOSE SEASON
Muntjac WALES & N IRELAND SCOTLAND

Deer Male & CHINESE WATER DEER
Female
No close Season No close Season Distinguished by their tusks beds, riverbanks, woodlands
— they don’t grow antlers and fields provide them with
Minimum calibre (England & Wales) .220 — the Chinese water deer ideal habitat; there’s a reason
first escaped into the wild in they’re known as ‘water’ deer.
the UK from Whipsnade Zoo They grow up to half a metre
in 1929. They’re still fairly tall and make good eating –
rare and limited largely to their meat is fattier than most
Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire venison and that’s no bad
and Norfolk where the reed thing some chefs believe.

SPECIES SEX CLOSE SEASON ENGLAND, CLOSE SEASON

WALES & N IRELAND SCOTLAND

Muntjac venison is Chinese Male 1 April - 31 Oct NA
sweeter than most Water Deer Female 1 April - 31 Oct NA
other deer species
Minimum calibre (England & Wales) .220

13

THE KNOWLEDGE

GAINING PERMISSIONS There is no
close season
You must either own the land If you also intend to make for foxes
you shoot on or have written money from the enterprise
permission from the landowner by taking out paying guests, FOXES
where you are planning to matters are somewhat
shoot. Some places will also different and you will need to Foxes can be shot all year
let you shoot over land on have a suitable agreement with using a suitable firearm
a fee-paying basis. the landowner — perhaps that and ammunition.
you take the stalking fee and
How much money should he receives the trophy fee.
you pay for stalking if you have
a private permission? Is it down Under such circumstances,
to how many deer need to be the landowner may simply
culled or is it done on acreage? want a fixed annual return and
you will have to decide just
If the landowner wants his what it is worth to you.
deer controlled and you want
some stalking, a fair system Much depends on how far
would be based on sharing you have to travel to and from
the venison or its value on a your stalking; how many deer
50-50 basis. If you take all the will or might need to be culled
venison, you pay the landowner and an estimate of the value
half its value. of the venison.

They are mostly managed
to protect rural interests
such as farms.

TERMINOLOGY

SPECIES MALE FEMALE YOUNG

RED Stag Hind Calf
Hind Calf
SIKA Stag Doe Kid
Doe Fawn
ROE Buck Doe Fawn
Doe Fawn
MUNTJAC Buck Vixen Cubs
Sow Piglets
FALLOW Buck/ Pricket Doe Kit

CHINESE WATER DEER Buck

FOX Dog

WILD BOAR Boar

Like farmed pigs, RABBIT Buck
wild boar will eat
almost anything

Alamy WILD BOAR including eggs from nests, so they RABBITS
are unlikely to be tolerated near
SEASON: There is no designated game shooting interests. They can Rabbits pose a serious
season for wild boar, but breeding be dangerous if wounded. Main agricultural threat and can
sows sould not be shot when colonies are in Kent/East Sussex, be shot with a landowner’s
they are lactating or have Dorset/Devon and the Forest of permission. They can be
dependent young Dean in Gloucestershire, with shot with air rifles, small-
MINIMUM CALIBRE: BASC regular reports of further releases bore rifles or even using
recommends at least a .270 and sightings which have included shotguns if they are being
areas of Wales and Scotland. driven towards you. USH
Like their domesticated cousins,
wild boar will eat almost anything,

14



DEERSTALKING

What it means to be a

PROFESSIONAL

Sam Carlisle prepares to take the shot
under the eye of stalker Chris Rogers

16

DEERSTALKING

Out in all weathers, learning
the lay of the land with

STALKER yourhandslargelytied
behind your back by politics
and legislation, being a
professional stalker is a labour
of love, says Sam Carlisle
WRITTEN BY SAM CARLISLE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALLUM MCINERNEY-RILEY

17

DEERSTALKING

Iam stalking on the edge Sam and Chris are using .243 growing root crops and supporting the
of the Breckland at calibre ammunition estate, the deer management of today has a
Euston Estate and different ethos to all those years ago.“During
following estate Inspecting the my career the industry has changed hugely,”
stalker Chris shot roe doe muses Chris.“When I began, there weren’t
Rogers in pursuit many professional deer management jobs in
of roe and muntjac.The a muntjac.As we walk past more old oak England, only some contract culling.There
two roe we are watching trees, Chris points out that they form an are even fewer now.
are almost hidden by old avenue, heading to the wood.“Being
the scrub.With their the stalker at Euston feels like being part of “Deerstalking has become tremendously
heads down, the cover a long tradition of managing deer. Deer have popular and farmers realise that enthusiasts
also hides us from them been an essential part of this landscape for will pay them a decent rent for permission.
and we quietly close the 1,000 years,” he says.“The big wood was A couple of decades ago, it was farmers
distance to 100 yards. mentioned in Domesday and during the paying someone to control the deer.The
medieval era it was a royal hunting ground. picture has completely changed and for
The rifle rests on the sticks Five hundred years later, a park of about anyone looking to get into professional deer
and we are ready to take our 2,000 acres was enclosed for deer hunting, management it is an increasingly crowded
chance when a clear shot presents with the wood preserved increasingly for sphere. Scotland still employs a lot of stalkers
itself. Chris points out the older of the two. commercial timber. and in some ways I wish I’d spent a season
I follow it in the crosshairs.The younger deer or two up there in the hills.
gives us an opportunity, but the older one “While priorities have changed, deer
always seems to pause with brash obscuring remain a central part of this landscape’s
its shoulder. identity. I’m just one person in a long list
of those charged with their stewardship.”
“Take your head off the stock. Rest a bit,”
Chris advises.A career of watching guests get Looking at these fields, once parkland
overanxious waiting for the shot means he exclusively for hunting and now vital for
knows the signs.You can become fatigued
staring down a scope, tension building while
you wait to fire.There is no rush; the scrub is
dense.Wait for the sun to rise a little further
and the deer will make their way out of this
area and into the open.

Chris has been the professional
deerstalker at Euston for 16 years, managing
the four species that roam these 10,500
acres of Suffolk. He originally trained as
a gamekeeper, but on a placement year
during his time at college, he worked in
deer management in Herefordshire.“It was
something to add to my CV,” he says.“I’d
done plenty of work on shoots and rearing
fields, so this seemed like a good addition.
In the end, I found working with deer
considerably more interesting.”

Time vanishing

A gentle nod in the direction of the deer
tells me that they are moving out of the
scrub.The older deer steps tentatively on
to the track and stares in our direction,
confused by the new shapes on its horizon.
When a deer looks at you, there is a sense
of time vanishing. I rest the crosshairs just
behind her shoulder and squeeze the trigger.
The .243 barks, she stumbles forward, sways
and collapses.

The morning is still early and we decide
to move from the open fields into a large
block of ancient woodland in search of

18

DEERSTALKING

but the modern deer manager is sitting at
an impossible political crossroads. On one
hand they grapple with educating the public
that control is necessary in the first place;
that killing deer is critical for the wider
ecosystem to thrive. On the other they must
convince policymakers that deer have a
central place as part of our fauna; that living
landscapes can thrive alongside them. Chris,
the local representative for the National
Gamekeepers’ Organisation, is more active
in this advocacy than most, but he recognises
it is a Herculean task.

The red deer lazily trot off.We creep
silently down the ride, peering cautiously
round corners.We spot a few muntjac but
mostly as they’re bouncing away from us.
Woodland stalking for muntjac, which
constantly move as they browse, is like close
combat – you need to be quick and decisive.

As we veer off the ride into a thicket of
hazel coppice, our pace slows further. Pausing
under the canopy of a large oak, Chris spots

“ANYONE WHO
STALKS ENOUGH

DEER CAN
RELATE TO THE
SINKING FEELING

OF A SHOT
GONE AWRY”

“But if I had it to do over, I’d look towards a herd of red deer or fallow on your land a young buck and doe, with just enough
Canada or the US. Not only are they huge, means that you have to tolerate the woodland space to thread a shot cleanly through the
with very varied hunting, but the industry is or agricultural damage. Understandably, most trees.As we set the sticks, one of them is
just a different scale.There are more jobs and farmers around here aren’t able to do that.Yet quartering away slightly with its head turned
more opportunities.” if you ask a member of the public what the to look over its back. I squeeze the trigger.
most iconic bit of wildlife in the Brecks is,
Professional deerstalker I’m sure a large number would say ‘red deer’. The deer spins round and teeters before
sinking to the ground. Having seen thousands
Reaching the wood, Chris lowers his voice. “The situation is worse politically as well. of deer react to shots, Chris is less than
Slowly we round the corner to gaze down It seems the answer to all our environmental convinced this one is fatal.Anyone who has
a wide ride, hoping to see a muntjac grazing problems is to simply kill more deer.There is stalked enough deer can relate to the sinking
along an edge. Instead, we see a small herd no nuance or recognition of the role they’ve feeling of a shot gone awry. Chris does his
of red deer, unfazed by our presence as played, environmentally and culturally, in best to reassure me, keeping me calm in case
they congregate at the far end.We stand a landscape like this for centuries.” a follow-up shot is required.We settle in for
and watch them for a while, hoping they’ll the obligatory 10-minute wait. Scanning the
move off gently without spooking the With an ambitious tree-planting regime area carefully, Chris spots the deer, its head
surrounding area. proposed by the Government, there’s no and neck just visible, clearly wounded but
doubt that the habitat available for deer sadly still alive.
“Another thing about North America,” will boom over the coming years. It will be
Chris picks up where he left off,“is that they vital to have a sensible policy in place for I move carefully into position, hoping
seem to value their big game more. Keeping managing deer in these new woodlands, to take any shot that might present itself.

19

DEERSTALKING

Just as I focus on its neck, it becomes aware The wounded deer is located and
of us, staggers up and moves off, further despatched Below left: preparing
into cover. I feel sick.This is the worst of all the carcass for transport home
possible outcomes.Armed with a thermal
imager, we make excruciatingly slow progress
towards the shot site, scanning the brambles
on either side for any heat signature.

Tension

As we wait, Chris motions for me to pass him
the rifle. He slowly lifts it, aims at the ground
about 15 yards away, into the brambles, and
fires.The tension is gone as he cycles the bolt.
“Sorry, it was so close and knew we were
here, so there was no time to describe where
it was.”

I am hugely relieved we found the deer
and despatched it, minimising any suffering.
On inspection, my shot only grazed its front
shoulder, not even breaking the skin, but the
hydrostatic shot of the bullet seemed to have
broken bones as well.

The flawed shot is a reminder of how
different the job of a professional is to
that of a part-time enthusiast.They must
navigate the competing political narratives
of the day and are expected to have input
into those discussions.They are on the
frontline of ensuring that our precious
landscape and critical biodiversity are
maintained, with ungulates and orchids
existing side by side.

Dedicated professional deerstalkers like
Chris have to do all this while prioritising
the welfare of the deer in their care alongside
a growing client list that has embraced this
popular sport. USH

Deer management is a
vital part of Euston Estate,
which has a dedicated
larder for the carcasses

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO STALK ON THE
EUSTON ESTATE, CONTACT CHRIS AT
[email protected]

20





XFXOXXCXOXNXTXRXOXL

LONG-RANGE

FOXING

Mark Ripley explains the art of foxing at distance
and recalls his 10 longest foxing kills to date

T he subject of shooting any living that it’s unsporting and carries a higher risk The fact of the matter is that if a shot
creature is invariably one that will of wounding. I’m sure far more quarry is is carefully calculated and within the
attract controversy, but add to that pricked by a few pellets and flies on than capabilities of the shooter, then it makes
the aspect of doing it at long range those hit by a centrefire bullet. little difference whether the shot is taken
and it will be met with yet more at 100 yards or 400 yards, as long as the shot
mixed feelings – even from within It’s also strange how a long-range shot with is correctly placed. In terms of fox shooting,
the hunting and shooting community itself. a rifle – a tool designed to kill at range – is there are probably far more shots that result
It always amazes me how many traditional considered by some to be unsporting, yet a in wounding which are a snap-shot at a fox
game shooters are often the first to cry out high bird shot with a shotgun, designed for while hanging off a fence post on a windy
close range, is considered sporting.Very odd.

23

FOX CONTROL

hillside than there are ones taken at range 200 YARDS 340 YARDS
off a bipod.
The next clip was an early-morning venture The next clip is of a fox that I shot
Using a heavy-calibre rifle also means where I was out waiting for a particular fox only a couple of hundred yards away
that a hit on a small animal will often result that had been taking chickens from a farm. from the one in the previous clip. The
in an instant or quick despatch by sheer The fox had been seen around the same time farmer had seen this fox on the bank
destructive power even if the shot placement each morning making its way across the fields, while I was at the other end of the
wasn’t perfect.The art of long-range shooting so I’d got set up on the back of the truck to farm and had called me to say where
is far from just luck or guesswork or even wait in ambush. Sure enough, I spotted the fox it was. By the time I got to the area,
being a particularly good shot; it’s more of making its way in along the fence line heading
a scientific calculation. By that, I mean yes, for the farm. With the camera on it and a little it had gone, so I decided to wait
of course you need to be able to shoot and elevation dialled in, I waited until it reached a while to see if it was still in the
have good technique, but if you haven’t my chosen ‘spot’ then shouted to stop it. vicinity. Sure enough, a short while
correctly allowed for wind and range, it This all went in perfect textbook style except later it appeared from the cover at
won’t matter how well you can shoot. the fox stopped broadside with a fence post the top of the hill. With a face-on
covering its chest. Confident I had the correct chest shot, I dropped the fox as it
Consistent adjustment dialled for the 200 yards, I took a sat cleaning itself at 340 yards.
devastating head shot with the 260 Remington
Shooting at distance requires good 293 YARDS
equipment, good data, good wind-reading
ability and good shooting technique.All 200 YARDS The fourth clip was yet 450
of which need to be consistent in order another early morning where
to achieve predictable results.You also need The first clip was from an earlier I was once again out waiting
episode of The Shooting Show where
“YOU ALSO I was out at night testing the Pulsar for a problem fox that had
Thermion thermal riflescope on my been taking some pheasant
NEED TO KNOW .223. I had the FoxPro caller going for poults from a nearby wood.
a while and pulled in one fox, which
YOUR OWN I’d dropped with a standard broadside I spotted the fox on the
hillside next to the wood and,
LIMITATIONS chest shot around 100 yards. after climbing unseen to the
Another fox had then come in and top of the hill I was on to get
AT THE GIVEN laid down in the field, now ignoring a clear view, took the fox with
the caller. Using the Rekon tripod,
RANGE AND I lined up on the fox, but all I could a shot at 293 yards.
see was his head at a range of 200
ENVIRONMENTAL yards. Using the high magnification 350
of the scope, I was able to take the
CONDITIONS” shot, resulting in a perfect head shot 250 4 5

to know your own limitations at the given and instant despatch.
range and in the given environmental
conditions for each shot. 150 1 2 300

Probably 80% of the foxes I shoot each 3
year will be within 200 yards, with probably
another 10% within 300 yards. The 200
remaining 10% are the rare exceptions where
the situation comes about that the conditions 50 YARDS 100 260 YARDS
are right to take a shot further out.
The next clip was filmed one early
I regularly practise out to 1,000 yards and summer morning on the hills. I spotted
also invariably film most of my daytime shots, this fox heading across the bank 260
as a result of which, I’ve accumulated a good
number of long-range shots on film for my yards away and quickly got on the
YouTube channel (search online for ‘260Rips’). bipod and dropped it with a chest shot,

Last year, I was asked to put together again with the .260, after giving it
my top 10 favourite long-range shooting a shout to startle it into stopping.
clips for an episode of The Shooting Show
(theshootingshow.tv). If you haven’t already
watched the episode, then here’s a quick
rundown of my top 10 favourites. USH

24

FOX CONTROL

492 YARDS TOP 10 FAVOURITE

For the next shot, I chose a clip that has LONG-RANGE
to be one of the luckiest opportunities 950
I’ve had when foxing. On this particular
morning, having not seen anything much SHOOTING CLIPS 1000
about, I decided to shoot a rabbit to
demonstrate how I take a shot at distance 850
on video. After I’d shot the rabbit, at
the sound of the shot (or the impact) 900
a fox rushed out of the cover close to 750 10
the recently deceased rabbit. As I was
already dialled in for the range and wind, 800
I wasted no time in chambering another
round and shooting the fox too, both at,

or close to, 492 yards.

650

550 700 860 YARDS

9 The number-one shot has also been
written about previously and is
600 my furthest fox to date, taken at

7 500 8 860 yards across the valley. It was
actually one of two that I shot at the
400 6 670 YARDS
same range on the same morning.
421 YARDS The shot was taken at 670 yards I’d spotted a pair hunting around
as the fox was mooching around on the bank in some long grass and
The following shot was taken from a previous a rabbit bury. As I took the shot, the with practically no wind it made
episode on The Shooting Show in which I was fox stepped forward slightly and for a perfect opportunity for a long
out early morning again on the hills of my local the round hit further back in the shot. Having plenty of time to dial in
sheep farms where I control foxes. I spotted this ribs, though still resulting in a quick and prepare for the shot is a rarity
particular fox on the opposite side of the valley, despatch, dropping the fox into one with foxes, but luckily these two
hunting around the gorse bushes. I was lucky of the rabbit holes in the bank.
enough to have time to dial in the shot and, with were in no rush to move on.
only a light crosswind, take the shot at 421 536 YARDS With the video camera running,
yards, resulting in a solid chest shot dropping I lined up and shot the first fox,
The third-place shot went to a fox again from watching it drop instantly in the
the fox where it stood. an early-morning encounter at 536 yards grass, yet when I looked at the
camera’s screen I could see the
and the second-place shot was one that has fox standing, perfectly healthy
previously been written about in Sporting and looking around puzzled. This
Rifle magazine – now part of Shooting Times is when I realised I’d just taken my
– by my fellow contributor Robert Bucknell longest fox shot while videoing the
other fox. By this point, the second
after he’d seen my video on YouTube. fox had gone back to hunting in
the grass, unaware its mate lay
dead a few yards away. I repeated
the process a second time and
successfully dropped the second fox
too, at the same range, making for
a superb long-range double and

a very memorable morning.

25

ROEBUCK

RETURN
OF THE
BUCK

Paul Childerley heads
to Wiltshire to help
with a stalk of his
favoured roebuck

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARL AMMITZBO

Many people ask what The reason why I love to stalk a roebuck I met up with Mark and Della and their
species makes for a in the spring dates back to when I was a son, Ross, and we sat with a cup of tea in
really enjoyable hunt. young lad and first headed out with my the forestry barn to form a plan for that
There are so many to father.This ignited my stalking passion. afternoon. It was a fantastic sunny day and
choose from but one the rape was in full bloom. But, unfortunately
of the best has to be When I was invited back to Wiltshire for us, the crop rotation wasn’t in our favour.
stalking roebuck in the spring and early withmy good friend Mark Bellamy and Where the old buck had been seen through
summer. It’s the time of the year when every his son to try for the old buck that had the winter months was now a mass of yellow
part of the countryside is full of life and it’s a been seen the previous year, I didn’t hesitate. rape at least 5ft high.
pleasure being out there amongst it all. It was roebuck and it was early May, which
ticked all of my sporting boxes. We decided to head out to the other
Spring is Paul’s favourite ground to catch a young buck on the grass
time to stalk roebucks setaside fields to start.We toured round the
top of the valley and glassed all adjacent
banks.After a couple of hours we were yet
to see a single roe but, to our surprise, we
suddenly had a fox a few hundred yards
below us, basking in the early afternoon sun.

There is always excitement when a fox
is spotted.We soon went from calm and
collected into a manic frenzy, even though
we probably had a good hour. He was clearly
not going anywhere.We grabbed the sticks
and the rifle and headed out at an angle to
get a clear shot.As soon as we could see him
clearly over the ridge, the rifle was on the
sticks and ready to go.

Mark gave a couple of squeaks and the fox
slowly stood up, turned and met his maker.

26

ROEBUCK

Out in all weathers, learning
the lay of the land with
your hands largely tied
behind your back by politics
and legislation, being a
professional stalker is a labour
of love says Sam Carlisle

WRITTEN BY SAM CARLISLE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALLUM MCINERNEY-RILEY

27

ROEBUCK

The 6.5 Creedmoor 120gr Powerhead II Despite heading out for deer, an opportunity broadside and immediately he leapt, kicked
bullet is reliable on all quarries I’ve been after. arose to take out a fox, too and charged about 40m until he fell.

After a fantastic start, we headed back to in case there was one lying in the cow parsley We were really pleased that we’d managed
the old buck territory to see if we could in the bottom corner where the fields met. to get a young buck in this area today.We
catch him out on one of the fields next to were all on the field margin gralloching the
the yellow mass, or perhaps find a young As we crept down, we could see a pair deer and talking about the fantastic results
four-pointer on the peripherals of the big of antlers sticking up out of the grass; the of the day, a fox and a roebuck.We couldn’t
valley bowl, where Mark had seen several next minute a buck sprung up and ran on have been more pleased. Mark was asking
does and young bucks earlier in the season. about 150 metres into a wild bird cover, then me about my rifle, calibre and scope choice
stopped and looked back. It was a young and we were deep in conversation, laughing,
One for later buck and perfect to take out.The shot was joking and talking as if the hunt had finished
for the day.
We headed up to the valley bowl, stalked
round the top, looking down to see if one The next minute, Ross alerted us to the
of the young bucks was out in the afternoon silhouette of a buck on top of a grassy circle
sun.We saw a young six-pointer, which Mark at the top of the rape field. Instantly, we could
decided would be a fantastic buck to leave. see that it was the old boy, so Mark and I set
off up the tramline towards the spot.
After a good hour, we headed back to the
vehicle and drove to the top of the plains to This was going to be a difficult task as
see if we could find the old buck that we the buck was on top of the hill without a
were planning for.We decided to head down backstop and we were approaching it from
the fence line where we had shot one the below.There was no chance of getting
previous year. It was always a good place ground behind it unless the buck walked
to catch out a buck between the boundaries down towards us.
of different crops.
The rape gave us great cover stalking up
We walked slowly down the old barbed- towards the circle but – once we got 130m
wire fence line.We were starting to think from him – the wind was crossing towards
this day was going to draw a blank on the him, so we couldn’t take another step or our
roebuck front. Nevertheless, we decided to cover would have been blown. I set up on the
head down another few hundred yards, just sticks, got myself ready and waited.

Rape crops can make it harder
to spot elusive bucks but they
also provide valuable cover

28

A younger buck ROEBUCK
was added to the
day’s tally The buck slowly meandered off the top
of the ridge but in the wrong direction.
We waited and waited patiently until the sun
started to set. Suddenly, the buck appeared
again at the top of the grass circle and started
grazing on the cow parsley as he wandered
towards us on the grass bank.

There was a small window of opportunity,
safety first, but I had to let him wander off
the top of the bank. If he came towards
me, he would have been lost in the cover.
It was now or never. I stopped him with
a quick bark.The shot was taken and the
buck bounded over the hill but I was fully
confident that the job was done.We waded
through the tall rape to get to the circle and
searched to find him. He was back on the
crest where we had first spotted him.

“THE WIND
WAS CROSSING
TOWARDS HIM,
SO WE COULDN'T
TAKE ANOTHER
STEP OR OUR
COVER WOULD

HAVE BEEN
BLOWN”

He was a truly old buck with velvet
still on his antlers – which is unusual for
an older buck in the second week of May.
He had Aladdin slippers and his nails were
long and curled. It was a great choice of buck
to take out of the area. Mark and I were over
the moon because this was the buck he’d been
talking about the previous year and really
wanted him out.

We dragged the buck back down to Ross
and Della, where we all sat and had another
cup of tea and a debrief, following our
fantastic afternoon’s stalking. .USH

TO STALK WITH CHILDERLEY SPORTING,
CONTACT PAUL ON 07715 638934,
EMAIL PAUL@CHILDERLEY
SPORTING.CO.UK OR VISIT
CHILDERLEYSPORTING.CO.UK

Two bucks and a fox made for a successful early-summer stalk in the Wiltshire countryside
29

VENISON

THE CREME DE LA CREME

Forgotten venison mince lurking in the freezer would be perfect with a
creamy mushroom sauce for a stuffed squash dish, says Tim Maddams

I am a terror for saving little packs of PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW SYDENHAM This may sound like a fancy recipe, but
venison mince for a rainy day. I pop it’s simply a nice creamy venison sauté with
them in the freezer and then forget about for me to go down this route. I am normally loads of wild mushrooms popped inside
them. rather anti-cream in most of my cookery. But a baked squash, then baked. It does take a
It was when one of these tumbled out I have been eating so much veg recently that while to make, but that is mostly down to
of the freezer on to my foot that I had my a small part of my being was crying out for getting the squash roasted. Choose small
eureka moment: the idea of combining decadence, calories and cholesterol. squashes if you’re going to make a small
minced venison with a creamy mushroom amount, but you could go mad and stuff a
sauce popped into my mind. It’s OK, though. I have stuffed this mixture whole pumpkin with this if your oven is
inside a vegetable and that makes it practically big enough. I’ve used some little pattypan
This is nothing new. Creamy sauces have a health food, right? And it’s got nuts on, so squashes as they cook quickly and look quite
been around as long as cows have been it’s basically vegan, too. cool in a one-per-person kind of way.
milked and probably longer, but it’s unusual

VENISON AND WILD MUSHROOM STUFFED SQUASH

INGREDIENTS METHOD 7 Remove the squashes from the oven, decapitate
(SERVES 4) them and scoop out the guts. Fill the cavities
• 4 PATTY PAN SQUASHES with the warm venison mixture.Top them off
1 First, put the squashes in the oven to roast. Leave with chopped hazelnuts and breadcrumbs before
• OLIVE OIL them whole, rub with a little olive oil, season, place cranking the oven up to maximum and flinging
in a hot oven (190°C) and roast until tender.They them back in to finish.They will need about 10
• 1 MEDIUM ONION, should be on the verge of collapse, but it should minutes. I suggest serving them on whatever they
CHOPPED still be possible to cut off the tops, scoop out any were baked in as they will be tricky to manage. I
visible seeds and fill with hot, creamy venison. like to serve a dash of spicy roasted chilli sauce on
• BUTTER 2 While the squashes are cooking, heat a medium- the side. USH
sized frying pan on the stove and arrange the other
• SALT AND PEPPER ingredients nearby. Chop the onion and sweat it Chopped hazelnuts and
in the pan with a little butter, some salt and pepper, breadcrumbs add crunch
• A SPRIG OF THYME a pinch of fresh thyme leaves and two chopped
sage leaves.
• 2 LEAVES OF SAGE 3 Once the onions have softened, remove them
from the pan and sauté the wild mushrooms in a
• 400G MIXED WILD mix of olive oil and butter. Season and put them in
MUSHROOMS, OR A the dish with the onions.
COMBINATION OF 4 Lower the heat a little.Add the minced venison
ORDINARY MUSHROOMS and a little more butter to the pan used for the
AND OYSTER onions and mushrooms. Cook for a minute or two
MUSHROOMS before adding the flour, mustard, chopped garlic
and seasonings. Cook until the venison looks done
• 400G MINCED and starts to fall apart a little.
VENISON 5 Add the brandy and cook that out for a minute
or two.Add the milk a little at a time to make a
• 1 DTSP FLOUR thick sauce around the venison mince. Put the
onion and mushrooms back in.Add the cream
• 1 TSP FRENCH and bring to a simmer.
MUSTARD 6 Taste the mixture and season again if necessary.
Turn off the heat and leave the mix in the pan to
• 2 CLOVES GARLIC, keep warm.
CHOPPED

• A DASH OF BRANDY

• 200ML MILK

• 100ML DOUBLE CREAM

• 50G CHOPPED
HAZELNUTS

• 25G BREADCRUMBS

30

VENISON

“I HAVE STUFFED THIS
INSIDE A VEGETABLE.

THAT MAKES IT
PRACTICALLY A HEALTH

FOOD, RIGHT?”

31

WILD VENISON

THE BEST
POSSIBLE TASTE

From muntjac to reds, the six species of British deer provide some of
the highest-quality venison in the world, insists game chef José Souto

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW
SYDENHAM; RICHARD FAULKS; CALLUM
MCINERNEY-RILEY; DARREN ROGERS

H ere in the UK, we are extremely Victoria’s family enjoying country pursuits, after Edwin Landseer’s Royal Sports on Hill and Loch
lucky when it comes to our
ability to hunt and source this time, people liked the stronger flavours, processes used by our game dealers, has given
wild venison. Not only can we so this way of cooking sat well with them. us the ability to choose quality cuts that suit
harvest one of the most healthy, all manner of cooking.We now have the
sustainable and ethical meats As time has passed, Britain has become a option to cook quick or slow, rather than the
available, but we also have six species within gastronomically diverse nation due to our far- old way of chucking it in a pot with red wine
our countryside to choose from. reaching conquests when the British empire and juniper.
was at its peak. Explorers and pioneers loved
We have come a long way towards having to bring back foreign ingredients and we still Cooking methods
a better understanding of the nature of the seem to prefer what others have, over the
beast – through the education of our chefs flavours that are right under our noses. In Many other countries have not been so
and the public at county shows, game fairs the past, we have considered the UK to be inventive and still hold on to the old methods
and events – but we still have a long way ingredients-poor; we yearned for the exotic of cooking. In Spain, venison is seen as a
to go. Historically, Britain doesn’t have a fish we did not have or the special pork we second-class meat that can only be stewed
strong tradition of the masses eating venison, could not breed.Then we started looking at – that includes the loins.The reason is that
as it was considered a meat of the wealthy. what was around us and how good it was. a lot of the venison they use comes from
Woe betide any commoner who tried to eat Venison is one of those ingredients. driven animals.These are not a patch on the
venison, especially in the Middle Ages. quality of the stalked animals we have here.
Within the past 30 years, venison has Driven animals are highly agitated, running
Royalty become better understood and used in many at full pelt and have adrenaline and lactic acid
different ways, due to our society’s melting running through their bodies.That taints the
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert both loved pot of cultures and some innovative chefs. flavour of the meat and makes it tough.
stalking and eating venison; making it an Venison called to chefs, citing its credentials
even more popular pastime for the gentry. as a wild, untouched, ethical and healthy They are also rarely shot cleanly, leading
Back then, most of the venison was from meat.These aspects are important as we strive to contamination of the meat and even more
large, trophy animals.The chef would then be to eat well and live a better life.The quality stress.Add this to the fact that, in Spain, many
presented with the carcass and asked to work of our wild venison, and the selection of of the female species are not shot. It is the
his magic – looking at how best to cook the
beast, taking into account problems presented
by an old or rutting animal.

If we look at old recipes, we can see that
strong flavours and acidic marinades were
used to tone down the unpleasant taint and
tenderise the meat.These recipes became
iconic and were passed on from household
to household so that even if the animals were
younger they were treated the same way.At

32

WILD VENISON

Here, cook Rose Prince’s venison
tataki shows an exciting way to serve
fillet; José is teaching other chefs
innovative techniques to cook this
special wild meat

33

WILD VENISON

older animals mainly that are harvested and The way we gralloch, chill and hang British the same, except they chill in the chiller.
so we can gauge the sort of meat quality. deer makes a difference to the end result When I was out there a couple of years ago,
I visited an estate where they did an unusual
Historically in Spain, venison and most overnight then broken down.This is the amount of stalking and were in the process
other game was eaten by everyone. People norm and I have a friend who wanted to of setting up a venison farm.They chilled the
had ties to their rural roots and their father, break with tradition and hang his animals in shot animals at 3°C and broke them down
uncle or grandfather went hunting, so game the chiller for a little longer.This was great the following day.This sort of fast chilling
was always present on the table at some point. but he then had another problem in that can have side effects on the meat; it is always
Venison and game is now seen as a great the butcher who came to his estate to break better to chill gradually. Slower chilling is
delicacy in Spain, as well as a natural harvest something our European cousins do not seem
from the countryside. It was mainly prepared to get the hang of and something of which I
by mothers or grandmothers in a sort of am a great advocate.This entails placing the
one-pot cookery method that, though tasty, carcass in the chiller at 10°C, allowing it to
is unrefined. cool slowly overnight, then, the following
day, taking the chiller down to 6°C and that
Much like the old chefs in the UK, evening down further to 3°C.This makes a
Spanish cooks marinated in heavy flavours, big difference to the quality of the meat and
such as red wine, orange juice and spices, is something we do a lot here in the UK.
and venison was cooked for a long time to
tenderise it.This still goes on today with Hanging
many – but not all – Spanish chefs not
looking any further than the stew, because Hanging times also influence the quality of
they cannot get their heads around the fact the carcasses.The smaller species, such as roe,
that it can be used for anything else. Much muntjac and Chinese water deer, do well after
in the same way that, in times past, British a couple of days in the chiller, but the larger
cooks had few recipes for venison, they carcasses could do with another four or five
stuck with what they knew worked for days chilling to allow the meat to relax fully.
the animals they were given.
In the UK, we are so far ahead in our
“VENISON HAS BECOME BETTER understanding and preparation of venison,
UNDERSTOOD, DUE TO THE UK’S and are so lucky that we have the highest-
quality products from this fantastic meat.We
MELTING POT OF CULTURES” need to understand that imported products
are not as good as our home-grown, local
Cannon and pavé down the animals would not touch them. products.We should not take this for granted
They said the meat was not fit for human and should use and promote it as a naturally
On a few occasions, I have had visits consumption. He finally butchered it himself harvested, low-impact product.
from highly acclaimed Spanish chefs to and even sent meat to the doubters to show
Westminster Kingsway College and they have them how good it was and how proper My job is to influence and educate the
seen pan-fried cannon of venison or grilled chilling benefited the meat. chefs of tomorrow and the public about how
pavé on our menus, and have commented good our UK venison is. It’s something I
that it will be tough.Then they taste it and Back to Spain. Before refrigeration, have been working hard to do for the past
ask how this can be so.After I’ve explained animals were cooled au naturale overnight 15 years, since starting at the college, and we
the differences between our UK product and then broken down due to the weather. Now, were making progress. Unfortunately, some
most of the Spanish product, they understand despite having refrigeration, they still do people lost their way, buying products that are
it. Some of them have even taken our venison not as good. Let’s all remember that to buy
home to try to see if it works. Home-grown and locally UK venison is to buy the best. USH
produced venison needs to
Another aspect that sets us apart from be promoted as a natural
other countries is the hanging, chilling and and ethical product
treatment of the carcass in the UK.We have
moved away from breaking down carcasses
while they are still warm, something we see
time and time again on US television.This
is because they will be shooting an animal in
the middle of nowhere and because, once it
is shot, they will have all sorts of predatory
wildlife bearing down on them so they need
to get it out as soon as possible.

In other countries, such as the Czech
Republic, animals were traditionally chilled

34



AFTER THE STALK

POINT OF
EXTRACTION

Will O’Meara shares his experiences of deer extraction
and looks at the best methods of getting your quarry home

36

AFTER THE STALK

PHOTOGRAPHY JOHNER
IMAGES / GETTY IMAGES

It is often said that the real work
begins after you squeeze the trigger;
in the case of deer this can be very
true.There are some words of
wisdom that every hunter should
think of before the shot.

“You shoot it, you drag it” is a well-known

phrase and makes it fairly clear what the

consequences of your actions will be.When

I am doing the shooting I am usually on my

own and when I am guiding it’s usually a

case of “you shoot it and I’ll carry it out”.

For these reasons, my own personal favourite

phrase that refers to hauling deer was coined

by my good friend Mick and it is as simple

as ‘small is good’.

When I first started deerstalking, it was

simply a case of dragging the deer by the

back leg.We soon realised the benefits of

a drag rope and I recall attaching a dog lead

to my stick to drag the deer head first.This Alpine territory is where your pack needs to be light and tough

soon led to the development of my own drag

harness; I had a local cobbler stitch some seat Another quote comes to mind,“necessity normal but don’t cut through the tendon –

belt on to an old CEFO (combat equipment is the mother of invention”. It was in the only separate it from the shin.This effectively

fighting order), which is basically a belt with southern alps of New Zealand that I was gives you a T-bar by which you can drag an

attached pouches and two shoulder straps. first shown the most basic of carcass retrieval animal should you forget your drag rope.

My modified harness incorporated the inventions – the NZ or Kiwi backpack. External frame
seat-belt strapping to provide a strong This is a very simple and effective way of

webbing that spread the weight between transforming the animal itself into a pack.You I spent more than 20 years hauling all kinds

shoulders and hips. On the belt portion I had simply make a T-bar out of the lower front of military kit around in a pack so the

“MY GENERAL RULE OF THUMB transition to using a pack to extract animals
IS TO CARRY UPHILL AND DRAG wasn’t a difficult one. I used an old army pack
DOWNHILL AND TO USE YOUR to start with, but it lacked the rigidity of an
external frame. So next came an external
frame pack. John Lambert led the way on this
and had convinced me of its merits. I did a

VEHICLE WHERE PERMITTED deal for a second-hand Bergans Powerframe
and used to put the animals into a dry bag to

AND PRACTICAL” help save the bag itself.
The benefit of a dry bag is that it is

waterproof – the disadvantage is that it’s not

breathable. Bags that are breathable are game

my knife and two pouches in which I carried leg and loop it through a hole in the rear bags – these are like huge pillowcases.

the drag rope, spare ammo and a water bottle. hock. I’ve used this on many occasions, and Game bags are essential if you plan to

The system worked but it was a bit clunky it does work but a back covered in blood is quarter or butcher your animal in the field;

so was soon replaced by bumbag and drag- a disadvantage.With larger animals it is fairly they allow the meat to breathe, facilitate the

strap.The drag-strap was simply a loop of uncomfortable for any longer extractions. packaging of boned meat and keep the flies at

seat-belt material that goes over one shoulder With small animals I have used a slit in bay. Game bags are perhaps most common in

and has a length of rope attached to the deer. the rear shin instead of the hock to make the US and NZ, especially suitable for their

This is much the same as what I carry today. I the shoulder straps long enough, but I found large animals in remote places.

also remember at some point using a flexible that hanging the smaller animals on a stick I realised the limitations of the bag portion

roll-up sled but again this was a bit unwieldy over your shoulder Huckleberry Finn-style of the pack itself, the main one being that it

to carry and usually capsized on side hills was a better solution. I have also developed was difficult to load the larger animals or the

and offered no real advantage for me over a variation on this that I call the T-bar drag likes of a hind or a calf. My next purchase

dragging in the conventional manner. – you sever the rear leg below the hock as was an aluminium frame load hauler, a

37

AFTER THE STALK

NZ backpack in the
Wicklow Mountains

Small is good and two
is better than one

Tatonka Lastenkraxe. It was easy to strap deer pack. My main motivation was how to get all load hauler. I did my research and Kifaru
to this frame because it has a good shelf. I the kit I needed under the 20kg airline limit. seemed to be the obvious answer.
did have to make some modifications to it, My alloy frame pack weighed 6kg empty so
including the addition of a lumbar bar behind I was off to a poor start. I started researching Two full seasons later I’m pleased to say
the hip pad.This mod was to stop the frame carbon frame packs and settled on the Kuiu that the investment was well worth the
sitting on my buttocks and the subsequent Icon Pro 7200 that was less than half the money. My Kifaru tactical frame spends most
abrasions – not pretty. weight of the alloy frame pack. of its time with a cargo net attached and a
guide lid for some storage of essentials. I also
I broke the frame on a number of The Kuiu pack was great for the NZ hunt have a cavern bag that can attach to the frame
occasions, so a friend welded in gussets to but wasn’t going to work well for packing full if I’m doing a multi-day expedition.
strengthen it.The other modifications were animals off the hill back in Ireland. It was a
to add a lid and a rifle carrier.The lid was cold and wet December day and I cursed as Solid hammering
as simple as strapping on the lid of an old the stitching let go once more on my deer-
army pack – this was great for carrying laden pack. I improvised a fix with straps and The concept behind Kifaru is that the packs
essential gear.The rifle carrier was a simple cable ties but decided it was time to start are very modular and can easily transform
hook to hang my rifle sling on. It was late preserving my spine and invest in a serious depending on your requirements.The quality
one night before a hunt and I focused all my is phenomenal and mine has stood up to a
engineering skills to craft a beautiful hanger Breathable game bags are the best way solid hammering for two years now.
using a jubilee clip, a teaspoon and some to extract your butchered meat
sniper tape – it’s still there and it still works. The load distribution is managed with a
high-quality, well-designed harness that has
At that time I always carried my bumbag an exceptional waist belt and ergonomic
as well as my pack. I would simply strap it shoulder straps.The cargo net allows me to
around the frame, drop the frame, put on strap on carcasses that never budge – there is
the bumbag, stalk in and find my shooting nothing worse than a shifting load, especially
position.These days I keep all the kit I need on mountainous terrain.When empty, the
in my bino harness, so I only have a bumbag set-up weighs next to nothing and is super-
if I’m using a drag harness instead of a pack. comfortable to wear. One thing I didn’t
like was the rifle carry system; I found that
It was while preparing for another the strap would come undone at times, so
mountain hunt in New Zealand that I started I moved things around and used a different
looking at ways to reduce the weight of my strap for a more secure set-up.

38

AFTER THE STALK

My general rule of thumb is to carry When packing heavy you’ll Rhinoloc by Storm-tec
uphill and drag downhill and to use your appreciate trekking poles is a clever accessory
vehicle where permitted and practical.The
most basic of these vehicles is a game cart. I I recently bought a quad bike. It’s an old of roll-over when traversing sidehills.There
don’t own one but have a couple of buddies Honda, which are well known for their are a few companies that offer purpose-built,
who use them to great effect.The game reliability.As with everything I own I had bolt-on solutions but I decided to make my
cart makes easy work of carcass retrieval if to make a few modifications. First, I made dual wheels.
the ground will facilitate.The disadvantage an alloy guard for the full underside to
can be towing it around before the shot. replace the plastic. Next was to fit a set of Security
Mountain biking is a great hobby and I enjoy dual wheels to the rear. Dual wheels give
hitting the Enduro trails during the summer added floatation on soft ground but, most My solution was to use some stainless pipe
months but I haven’t hunted with a bike nor importantly, they help reduce the likelihood as a spacer, with threaded bar joiners and
used it for recovering deer. Nevertheless there threaded bar to extend the wheel studs. It
seems to be a growing trend along these lines works well to date and the added security
especially in the US. on sidehills is fantastic.The quad goes on a
trailer for transport on the road and it wasn’t
A number of years ago Lambert and long before I was looking for a better way
I were hunting in Norway.We spotted a of securing the quad to my trailer.
mountain biker in the far off distance, but
there was something odd about him; he A friend of mine, Kevin of Storm-tec,
seemed very big for the bike.A few minutes had designed and manufactured a new
later our questions were answered.This guy product, Rhinoloc, and I jumped at the
was a hunter. He had a full pack on his back chance to test it out.
and had his rifle, tent and other gear strapped
to his bike – what a great way to cover the The system is simple and effective; it holds
20km to 30km of hike into the area where your quad rock-solid in place and is quick
the reindeer were. and easy to fit and remove.This system allows
your trailer to be used for other tasks too,
NZ backpack in the such as collecting spare parts for your Land
Wicklow Mountains Rover. It is the cleanest, most secure, no-fuss
system that I’ve seen.

This brings me neatly to the last part of
carcass extraction, the Land Rover. I have my
Crew Cab 110 lined with chequered plate in
the load bed to aid ease of cleaning. I use a
plastic tub that is very handy because it keeps
the deer clean in the rear of the vehicle, is
easy to wash and easy to get to the larder.

I’ve seen one of my hunting buddies make
a hitch-mounted rack that holds a plastic tub
with a zipped tarpaulin cover, a great option
if the lingering aroma of rutting hybrid isn’t
welcome in your daily commute.

There are a number of extraction methods
I have yet to try but I look forward to
planning hunts where I can use pack rafts,
horses, goats, llamas and dogs – though
probably not all at the same time. USH

39

RED STAG

TIME TO PLAY THE
WAITING GAME

Sometimes, the hardest part of selecting a cull beast is separating the stag from
his harem of hinds, especially when he’s busy showing off to a young pretender

40

RED STAG

WRITTEN BY MEGAN ROWLAND although the year has been a little different to stags bellowing all around you, and it
PHOTOGRAPHY BY all the rest, given the dearth of clients. Our is probably why stag stalking in the
JOHN MACPHERSON usual groups of Scandinavians and Europeans Highlands remains one of the premier
had been quarantined overseas and so, besides hunting experiences in the world.
L ast year, it felt as if autumn a handful of UK-based guests, who made the
had arrived early; the most of the relaxed travel restrictions during Switchy sabre
bracken turned almost August and September, we had to cull the
overnight and whooper majority of stags ourselves. The stag I went after was one that had
swans began trailing south caught the eye of my colleague during
from Greenland and Iceland Despite having stalked hundreds of deer the week.A mature beast, holding a group
and pitching camp on Loch Brora.Their over the past five years, hinds and stags, red of around 30 hinds and calves. His head,
familiar ‘hoot hoot’ is always a welcome and roe, it had been many years since I had far from the distinct, broad-sweeping,
sound, a soft and gentle herald of the shot a stag in the rut for myself.The last one Monarch of the Glen brows that are ideal
season. Skeins of pink-footed geese and was my first ever stag, the one that started me was uneven and closed in at the top.While
greylags soon followed suit, creating great on this winding road into deer management. he had seven points on his left antler,
Vs of dark bodies against stormy skies. the right one was topped with a mean,
Stalking is always exciting, being so switchy sabre – a perfect cull animal.
The season wasn’t particularly close to and immersed in the world of Other deer moved about the hillside and
early but 2020 had played havoc with Britain’s largest land animal, but there is another stag stood with hinds at the top
normal routines and the stag season rolled something about the roaring, smelly brutes of the hill, but this was our boy.
round almost without warning. It was that is utterly bewitching.
my fifth season stalking in the Highlands, As every hunter knows, time spent in
There is no experience that can reconnaissance is never time wasted.
compete with creeping about on the hill,

41

RED STAG

Starting the day with a spy is so important; I A great deal of a small group of hinds had been tucked in
can’t stand blundering around bumping into the stalk is spent behind a small bluff at the top of the hill,
deer because I don’t know where they are. watching and waiting but he was now up and having stretched
was giving it laldy, shouting at his neighbour
Spotting the stag and his hinds feeding and growth and old heather stems, like a bristle down the hill.
lying on a sunny bank, tucked in out of the brush. Interestingly, the fire has led to a
chilling rain showers, I began to plan a route different suite of species taking the lead, ferns We ducked down out of sight among a
with my colleague, discussing the merits of and cowberry in particular, so it’s not always a jumble of stones and boulders on the hillside,
various approaches.The use of binoculars bad thing. Simply different. slowly creeping forwards along the contour
and four-draw telescope to check out deer we were on.While I could see the stag’s
and terrain is a tried-and-tested combination It’s not unusual to come across the odd antlers moving on the skyline, suggesting he
among Highland deerstalkers. lone young stag who’s been chased out by a was parading back and forth, my attention
bigger competitor. Continuing to glass as we and focus was on one of his hinds. She was
Deciding on a plan of action, we skirted made our way up the hill, we gained height
along the road in the truck until we were until we were about three-quarters of the
out of sight of the deer and I was dropped way up the hill face.The sound of roaring
off with my photographer for the day. came from above our heads.The stag with
Clambering over the deer fence that separates
open hill from croft land, we began to track
slowly up the hill face.

Whether it’s due to favourable weather
conditions, historically improved soils or
increased seed stock, where the heather was
waist-high there was tree regeneration –
rowan, birch, Scots pine. It was remarkable
considering this area of hill also has some of
our highest deer densities.

Bristle

Unfortunately, this area had suffered a
fire a few years ago, so the deep heather
is interspersed with swathes of short new

A group of deer spotted, “THE ROARING,
Megan crawls in slowly SMELLY BRUTES

ARE UTTERLY
BEWITCHING”

resting slightly down the slope, keeping an
eye on the goings on beneath her.

We dropped down onto hands and knees,
edging forward along the contour of the
hill so as not to enter into her line of sight.
You get a little bit of leeway with stags if
they see you, but hinds don’t hang about – if
they don’t like something, they let the whole
group know.

The hardest task was carrying the rifle in
its slip. Unable to carry it on my back as it
would have moved around too much, I had
to drag it. But the sound of burned heather
stems dragging across canvas is ridiculously
loud – even when occasionally covered by a
roaring stag. I settled in the end for tucking it
under one arm and crawled onwards.

Eventually we made it past this first
checkpoint but the hind remained unmoved.

42

RED STAG

Preparing to drag
the stag off the hill

Ahead, just over the brow, I could hear the Having grassed an eminently suitable beast, towards me, laid his head down and went
stag I was after.As the vegetation was so Megan begins the gralloch on the hillside back to sleep, just in time for the rain to
short, I left John, the photographer, sitting start again.
back, tucked into the lee of the hill among The downside of using copper – with its
some bracken. Given my route in and the increased capacity for ricochet – is you have Another 40 minutes crept past – time
short vegetation, I would be right on the to be 100% certain of your backdrop.While always slows down when you’re freezing but
skyline to the hinds. It was easier for me to I could see hinds in front, I simply couldn’t can’t move, with only the sound of raindrops
move forward alone, with the rifle unslipped. see how many were behind him, so there was on your hood for company. I lay there willing
no way I was taking a chance.A hind moved the sun to come out:“Just five minutes,
Waiting game forward towards the rest of the group and the please, come on, just long enough for him to
stag walked behind her.Then, much to my warm up and stand for a shake and stretch.”
The stag and hinds came into view about despair, he plopped down on the bank, bum
200m away. I dropped down to hands and Then my wishes were granted.The rain
knees and finally down to a belly crawl. eased and I felt the slight heat from the
Scuttling forwards, I got into position about sun on my back. I got into position behind
170m from the stag. Unfortunately for me, he the rifle, sensing the stag would stand and,
was lying down, tucked in behind some thankfully, he obliged.
hinds, with no clear shot. Now it was a
waiting game. He stood and stretched slightly three-
quarters onto me, and I squeezed the
I had been lying for about 45 minutes trigger.The shot did its work and he fell
and our boy had showed no sign of moving. forward.The hinds stood, looked around
I was bloody freezing – nothing saps heat and dispersed. Once they were out of
like lying flat on wet peat and moss and the sight, I stood, too, shaking the rain from my
rain showers that blew across helped to seal own coat, and moved forward to start the
the deal. I was beginning to shiver when he real work.
suddenly stretched, gave a roar and stood.
Sadly, however, he was standing in a dip I always check the teeth of a deer after
and walked along behind the hinds until he they have been shot because it is such a useful
dropped out of sight. Curses. indicator of age. In the case of this stag, his
teeth were to the gum, nearly worn out from
years of grinding heather and grass. Perfect. USH

43



PEST CONTROL

FIRST TIME
FOXING

Pest control maestro Mike Powell
offers his top tips for those looking
to purchase their first foxing rifle

It’s easy for those of us who have been As far as which make of rifle to choose, Night vision has made the world of the fox
shooting for some time to pick a rifle that will more often than not come down to controller very different indeed
that suits our needs, but less so for the how much cash is available and the personal
first-time fox shooter. It’s difficult, preferences of the potential buyer. if things go wrong and you will, above all,
largely because of the ever increasing know the history of your particular rifle.
number of rifles available – but to add Today, there are virtually no ‘bad’ rifles
to the problem there seem to be new calibres out there, quality and prices can vary quite a Top end brands, such as Blaser and Sauer,
appearing on a regular basis.Then there is the lot but the vast majority of rifles will do the are quality products but, as I said earlier,
choice of a scope and moderator to deal with job they’re designed for, regardless of price. don’t be put off thinking you need to pay
– all very confusing for the uninitiated. Online sites, such as Guntrader, offer very that sort of price just to shoot a fox. Less
large numbers of second hand rifles – many
Advice is always available on the internet of which will give years of service – but if
but, even then, everyone has a personal you can go the extra mile and buy new it’s
opinion that can add to the problem. probably better, as you will have back up

45

PEST CONTROL

pricey rifles, such as CZ, Howa and some of “NIGHT VISION, For very many years Mike’s
the well-known American makes, like Savage IN ITS VARIOUS foxing set up was a Sauer
and Remington, will do the job just as well. FORMS, IS THE 202 in .223 calibre with a
It’s a bit like cars; we would all love to whizz BIGGEST GAME Longbow night-vision scope
round in a Ferrari but a Toyota will still get CHANGER AND
you to your destination; it may take a bit those, there is a choice between ‘tubed’ and
longer but basically it does the same job. WILL OPEN ‘digital’ night vision and thermal. I started
UP A WHOLE out noting on how much it’s possible to
As far as what type of rifle to go for, I’m NEW WORLD spend on equipment and it’s quite possible to
limiting this article to one that will be used spend considerable sums of money to shoot
specifically for fox shooting. Clearly, it will TO THE something that – due to somewhat foolish
deal with other quarry within its capabilities NEWCOMER” legislation passed years ago forbidding the
but the choice of a fox rifle will depend a sale of animal skins – is practically worthless.
little on what type of shooting you will be also, should the owner ever decide to go Know your budget.
carrying out. In my case, the vast majority down the reloading route, it is a very easy
of the foxes I shoot are shot from my 4x4 so calibre to load. Everyone has their own Infrared torch
weight isn’t an issue. But the man who goes opinion as to the best calibre for foxing, but
out on foot, walking the fields at night, will I can guarantee that the .223 Remington has It’s perfectly possible to shoot foxes at night
want a far lighter rifle. stood the test of time and will serve you well. with a rifle and a torch mounted on the
scope.You can add to your equipment as time
There are a lot of light to medium-weight The next item on the shopping list is passes. I would be inclined to recommend
barrelled models out there and, despite what a scope.This can be even more confusing a less-expensive digital night-vision scope
some say, you don’t necessarily require heavy than the choice of rifle.You might hear that for the first-time foxer. One example that I
varmint barrels because most British fox you should spend more on the scope than have enjoyed is the Sightmark Wraith.When
shooters won’t be firing shot after shot.The the rifle it’s going to sit on. For shooting helped by a decent infrared torch, this is a
vast majority of modern rifles are more than exclusively in daylight I might agree, but for very capable night-vision scope indeed. It
accurate enough to shoot foxes and most of night shooting I certainly don’t. also works extremely well in daylight.
them will shoot better than their owner can.
I will digress a little.As you are getting a Then there is the diminutive PARD rear
Flat trajectory rifle specifically for fox shooting, it follows add-on.At half the price of the Wraith it
that much of your shooting will be done works quite well out to sensible distances
The next choice is calibre; this again raises all when your quarry is out and about, which is and has earned a lot of followers since it first
sorts of opinions, particularly on the internet. obviously at night. So your next decision will appeared a couple of years ago. I have one
For many years, I used either a .243 Win or be what sort of scope will suit you best.There that I use for close range work with my air
a .223 Rem for my fox work, but today I is a range of choices; a daytime scope on to rifles and .17 HMR and it does the job well
almost exclusively use a custom-built .204 which you can mount a torch or, if you are enough. However, my mantra has always
Ruger.The reason for this is, simply, that I shooting with a mate, he can lamp for you. been, where night vision is concerned, try
really like it. It shoots extremely well, the
trajectory is one of the flattest available, recoil There are also add-on night-vision units
is negligible and it’s very easy to reload for. you can attach to your day scope, either to
However, I would still recommend a .223 the objective (front) lens or to the ocular
Rem for the first-time fox shooter. (rear) lens. For this type of equipment you
don’t need a top-of-the-range scope, because
Virtually every manufacturer produces their multi-coated lenses don’t always work
at least one model in this calibre and some too well with night-vision add-ons.
many more, giving a wide range to choose
from.This allows the buyer to select the One make of scope that really does work
type of stock he fancies – synthetic or well with night vision add-ons is Hawke.
wood, thumbhole, adjustable or the more Not only are they very good scopes, they are
conventional types and the weight of barrel. not too pricey. By all means try some of the
other good scopes, but for starters one of the
Ammunition is also readily available in a Hawke range will work well.
very wide range of bullet types and weights;
To confuse matters even more for the
A good lamp can work well for foxes first-time fox rifle buyer is the wide range of
night vision scopes that are available.And of

46

PEST CONTROL

before you buy.What one person thinks is can produce some pretty interesting reports A good set of sticks can be very useful
brilliant may not actually suit someone else, that can echo for what seems miles.
especially if their brilliant unit is the only one normal day scopes and even someone with
they’ve ever tried. Diffuse little or no knowledge of them can see how
well they work.
Night vision, in its various forms, is the I certainly haven’t tried anywhere near all
biggest game changer and will open up a the mods that are on the market, but of Fox shooting has almost become a sport
whole new world to the newcomer, but the ones I have tried the MAE from Julian in its own right and the marketplace is full
for the first-timer it isn’t essential at the Savory, the Wildcat brand, DPT and Barton of tempting goodies for the old hand and
beginning of your fox-shooting life. Gunworks are all good.Also, remember that newcomer alike. My final advice is don’t rush
they are sound moderators not silencers – and if possible get some unbiased advice –
The last piece of equipment that has they cut down the sound level of a fired there’s plenty out there. Happy foxing. USH
become almost standard is the sound round, which certainly protects your hearing,
moderator.Again, the choice is vast and but also helps to diffuse the sound so that a
seems to get bigger all the time. I’ve owned fox doesn’t know from which direction the
and tried many over the years, which makes shot has come from. Mind you, with your
it quite hard to pick the best. new set-up, whether the fox hears the shot
or not should be academic.
One of the biggest factors where a sound
moderator is concerned is the type of ground To sum up, if you are looking to buy
you are shooting over. Flat land has little to your first rifle and equipment to shoot
bounce sound around, whereas hilly ground foxes with, if at all possible contact someone
who actually goes out regularly and shoots
All moderators do ther job pretty well reasonable numbers of foxes and see what he
uses.We all have different ideas and different
levels of cash to spend.

Considered and very helpful advice is
also available from such companies as Scott
Country, Night Master (we talk to them
on page 36) and others, particularly where
night vision is concerned. Rifles are pretty
straightforward items to buy and so are

47

VENISON

“WE DO NOT REALISE HOW LUCKY
WE ARE TO HAVE SUCH GOOD
VENISON ON OUR DOORSTEP”

48

VENISON

DIG IN THE RIBS

British venison is far superior to imported meat and we should be eating
more of it, says José Souto, who offers a delicious take on barbecued ribs

British venison is some of the most PHOTOGRAPHY BY supermarkets use British venison instead of
ethical, flavoursome and healthy ANDREW SYDENHAM; GETTY IMAGES the foreign imports. In this era, when we all
meat in the UK.We have six species aspire to eat local, eat well and ethically, let’s
of deer and they are all so different A few years ago, I went to southern Spain practise what we preach.
that it begs the question, why do we still to do some demonstrations on deer butchery
import venison? and preparation of carcasses.The estate I was Changing minds
on did a lot of stalked venison and had tried
Just before COVID-19 hit, the price of to set itself apart by the quality of its non- The supermarkets are led by what their
venison was dropping.We are told this was driven product.They invited a few Michelin- customers want and reflect our consciences
due to imports from Spain and New Zealand. starred chefs to sample their product and sent when it comes to what fish we eat and how
The quality of the driven shot venison from out loin and haunch joints. However, they all our meat is reared, so they should stock our
Spain does not come close to the quality of did the same thing – marinating it in a wine venison.We need to change their mind.
our British venison. or acidic marinade that turned these tender
cuts to mush. I also implore stalkers to encourage
On the hoof someone who has never tried venison. If they
They assumed that all venison was tough, say they don’t like it because they think it’s
Ask any Spanish chef how to cook it and he because this was what they had learned.They strong, tough or dry, you can help to dispel
or she will say to stew it, because it’s tough did not understand how different non-driven the misconception they have of this most
and has a taint from the adrenaline coursing venison is and how good it can be.We have wonderful meat. It is down to us to help our
through the animal’s body as it runs and fallen into the same trap in the UK. venison market to grow.
is shot on the hoof.This meat needs red
wine and marinades to tenderise and mask We do not realise how lucky we are to This recipe is a take on a barbecued pork
the taint, meaning it has been historically have such good venison on our doorstep, rib recipe that works really well with venison
pigeonholed as second-class fare. and we should all be demanding that our and uses a cut that is underutilised and more
often than not used in burgers.

GLAZED VENISON RIBS

INGREDIENTS METHOD (SERVES 5) the meat is tender. If you have a water bath, place
the vacuum-packed ribs in the water bath at 80°C
• 2 VENISON BREASTS, 1 Place all the ingredients in a bowl, apart for at least four hours. Once the ribs are cooked,
PREPARED FOR from the chicken stock, and mix well to remove from the bag, add the chicken stock and
BARBECUE make the barbecue marinade. follow the rest of the recipe.
2 Using a pastry brush, paint the barbecue 7 Remove the ribs from the sauce and allow
• 600ML TOMATO sauce all over the ribs on both sides. to cool. Meanwhile, pass the sauce and allow
KETCHUP 3 Take a clean bin bag, large enough to fit in it to reduce to a thick coating consistency.
all the ribs, and fold over the opening of the 8 Once the ribs are cold, cut into three-bone
• 200ML DARK SOY bag so that you can see the bottom. portions, then dip or coat with sauce before
SAUCE 4 Place the ribs in the bag and pour over placing in the oven or on the barbecue to reheat,
the rest of the marinade, wash your hands and ensuring the sauce glazes the ribs. USH
• 250ML HONEY then unfold the end of the bag and tie a knot
in it. Leave ribs to marinate overnight in the
• 15G SMOKED PAPRIKA fridge.You can also vacuum-pack the ribs to
leave overnight.
• 5 CLOVES OF GARLIC, 5 The next day, place the ribs in an ovenproof
FINELY CHOPPED pan large enough to take them all lying down.
6 Tip the marinade into a separate bowl, add the
• 500ML CHICKEN chicken stock, mix well and pour over the ribs,
STOCK ensuring they are well covered in liquid.Then
bring to the boil on the stove.Transfer to the oven
and cook at 160°C for 1¾ to 2½ hours or until

49

WILD GOATS

Patrick tucks himself into
a patch of Sitka spruce and
scans the hill for movement

50