I am languishing on my patio, riding out the horror of a three-day, post-music-festival hangover, when the phone rings. It’s Patrick Galbraith, an old friend and the Editor of Shooting Times. “Hi pal, I’ve been thinking about cooking up some squirrels and a deer and I was wondering if you…
Deer Stalking
How long should you hang a deer carcass?
When should a disembowled deer carcus be moved into a refrigerator?
Which deer species offers the most delicious venison?
Which is the most delicious venison? Muntjac We kicked off the tasting with the smallest species. After the first bite Nick and I were both wondering if we’d tried the best first — how could the others compete? Muntjac has the mildest flavour of all the species. Yet it is…
How to call muntjac deer
Learning how to call muntjac deer can be a deadly tactic but you need a strategy, stealth and a good call, writes Graham Downing
When you’re out deer stalking how can you deal with walkers who criticise what you’re doing?
Dealing with walkers?: While I was out stalking recently, I was accosted by a walker who let fly a torrent of abuse and accusations. This person accused me of "murdering beautiful creatures, ruining the countryside and posing a danger to honest walkers".
Scottish Roe Review 2018 – the CIC tables
More than half a century ago, when Shooting Times started publishing annual reviews, if you stalked a roe north or south of the border that was felt to have made the grade, you would see your name on the very small list of bucks from across the UK that had…
All about muntjac
Small, secretive and constantly on the move, the muntjac is a challenging quarry for the deer stalker. Little bigger than a springer spaniel, it offers a difficult target among the thick undergrowth that it prefers to live in. Although its antlers are simple things, usually not more than a couple…
Sauer 100 Pantera .308 stalking rifle
Designed as a compact, longer-range, fast-handling rifle, the Pantera — from Sauer’s Model 100 series — is equally good in the field. The manufacturer’s Model 100 rifles range from walnut-stocked classic to laminate, synthetic and camo-clad variants, but the one on test was the dual-role Pantera in .308 Win, which…
Franchi Horizon stalking rifle
With the short days you have a only small window of opportunity before the fallow feeding on the fields disappear into the woods. Get there early, stumble to the field margins quietly and hopefully, as the light improves, you will have a chance. The trouble is the fallow are wise…
Stalking gear for women – we test out Harkila’s Freja range
In Norse mythology, Freja was a warrior goddess. By naming its new woman’s stalking jacket and trousers after such a character, Härkila is making a very positive statement. Stalking kit designed for the female form isn’t always easy to find, so I was keen to review the latest Härkila offering.…
Bergara B-14 Ridge
Bergara, whose rifles are manufactured in Spain and distributed in the UK by RUAG Ammotec, has made fantastic inroads into the British shooting market. Bergara’s barrels have long been revered for their accuracy and are often used for custom rifle builds. These precision-made barrels also feature on the manufacturer’s hunting…
Five of the best binoculars
What size of binoculars would you recommend for deer stalking? Is there a good compromise that can be used for both woodland and open hill work?
Wish you were here?
View this post on Instagram 2 men and their dogs #shooting #gameshooting #fieldsports #shotgun #gameseason #countrysports #huntingseason #hunting #lovehunting #gamekeeping #gamebirds #countrylife #shooting #pheasantshooting #pheasanthunting #shotgun #sidebyside #grouse #grouseshooting #hunting📷 #grousehunting #gamekeeper #gamekeeping A post shared by Shooting UK (@shootinguk_) on Sep 27, 2018 at 11:09am PDT …
What really is ‘essential’ kit for deer stalking?
Deer stalking: I have attended a Deer Management Qualification where I noticed people coming along with all sorts of 'essential' gadgets. What would you say is really essential for someone new to stalking?
7 of the best places to stalk red stags in Scotland
Heading off to stalk red stags in Scotland is a bucket-list experience for most stalkers. One of the country’s most majestic animals, the red deer is Scotland’s largest native land mammal and one of its most sought-after sporting trophies. The majority are found in the Scottish Highlands and islands, and there is a wide variety of stalking ground…
Shooting deer near houses. Is it legal?
Deer have moved into my area and are coming into the garden, damaging plants and vegetables. How high a fence will I need to keep the little ******* out?
Remington AWR stalking rifle
I decided to try out the Remington American Wilderness Rifle (AWR) while roe stalking in Scotland, and in Argyll at this time of year you can usually count on one of two things — that it is midge ridden or blowing a hoolie with rain. Guess what? The temperature was…
How to pass your DSC1
Charles Smith-Jones tells you how to prepare yourself to pass your DSC1 and face the assessments with confidence
How to be a deer stalker
I have just passed my DSC Level 1 and want to progress and learn more about deer. Would it help if I joined one of the specialist groups and, if so, which should it be – the British Deer Society or the St. Hubert Club?
Stalking muntjac – a real sporting challenge
The diminutive muntjac deer arrived in Britain in 1900 as a plaything of the 11th Duke of Bedford who added it to his deer park at Woburn Abbey. Rumour has it that the Duke was so fond of this little species that he engineered a series of clandestine releases, driving…