England and Wales: Two Day Educational Roe, Fallow and Muntjac Deer Stalking Course

Introduction to the stalking course

The course is intended as a hands on introduction to the skills involved in deerstalking and the careful nature of deer management. The focus is not on trophy hunting but to give participants an enjoyable but informative insight into all aspects of deer stalking which will be concluded with two stalking sessions. Our aim is on sustainable management and promoting venison as a healthy food source and as such the stalk will typically focus on the weaker animals as opposed to large antlered bucks.  

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Aim

The aim of the course is to provide the participants with a brief insight into what is involved in the management, stalking and preparation of deer. Unlike the formal DSC 1 course this is a very hands on and practical course that will involve live stalks on the first day.

Note. Please note that this is an in depth and educational two days, but is not intended to be a qualification of any sort.

Content of the Stalking Course

Initial Briefing

The Initial briefing will take place in the comfort of the cookery school or the Pot Kiln Pub. The stalking course is designed to cater for novices up to semi-experienced stalkers looking to improve their knowledge. During the initial briefing the instructing stalker will ascertain what your previous experience is with stalking and rifles, what you hope to achieve and explain the plan of action over the duration of the stalking course.

Rifle Introduction

The stalker will explain the different aspects of the rifle, rifle handling and firearm safety. The rifles used will normally be either a Tikka T3 or a Blaser although you are welcome to bring your own rifle. Important topics to give you a greater understanding of the entire process will include bullet construction, trajectories, wind and correct aiming points using a replica deer.

Rifle Familiarisation

Upon arrival at the Estate you will practice handling the rifle, correct shooting positions and practice shots at targets and replica deer to ensure you are confident with the rifle and making ‘the shot’. It is vitally important that comfort and confidence are achieved during this period as on a live stalk speed can be essential.

The Stalking

The following species of deer are found on the Estates that will be utilised on the stalks: Roe, Fallow and Muntjac. The quarry that can be stalked will depend on the time of year and what is in season. The course will cover two live stalks, the first will be on the evening of the first day and the second will be the morning of the second day. Throughout the stalk the stalker will be explaining the habits of the deer, the techniques used to stalk including the use of wind and terrain, deer spore, salt licks and various other objects of interest in the management of deer. Once a suitable cull animal has been located the stalker will hand over the rifle and will talk you through your shot.

The Follow up

Once the shot has been taken the stalker will explain the process of following up a deer as it is not uncommon for them to run even with a perfect heart and lung shot. During this period he will also cover the basics involved in tracking a wounded deer as well as identifying the bullet placement by the reaction of the deer.

The Gralloch

When the carcass has been located we will run through the process of bleeding the deer which is carried out as quickly as possible after the shot has been taken. During the gralloching process the stalker will talk you through all the equipment used and how to successfully gralloch a deer. This area of the course is one of the most important as it covers some very important lessons that are key in ensuring the quality of the meat. Once the animal has been gralloched it has to be processed by a certified game dealer to ensure it is fit for human consumption.

The Stalking Ground

Example Estate: The estate is a 4,000 acre estate located 9.5 miles north of Andover within the Test valley, North Hampshire. The estate has large areas of deciduous woodland and has a healthy population of Roe, Fallow and Muntjac.

Accommodation

Various accommodation options are available at a selection of Bed and Breakfasts in the area. We encourage our guests to have supper at the Pot Kiln, one of the leading game pubs in the country.