Support for deer stalkers

Sustainable deer management requires knowledge, skill, and respect for wildlife, people and the land. We recommend following the Deer Stalking Code of Practice published by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC).

Key principles:

• Safety first – always handle firearms responsibly and never shoot unless safe to do so.
• Ethical, humane dispatch – aim for a clean kill (usually a chest shot), follow up thoroughly, and never leave a wounded deer unaccounted for.
• Understanding seasonal deer ecology and the law – different deer species have different open/closed seasons. Knowing the species, sex and age is essential.
• Collaboration – where possible, work with neighbouring landowners to plan deer control across property boundaries.

If you’re new to stalking, the BASC, and other bodies like the British Deer Society (BDS), offer Deer Stalking Certificate Level 1 (DSC1) and Deer Stalking Certificate Level 2 (DSC2) training. These courses help you gain experience under expert guidance and cover topics like firearms use, species identification, shot placements, carcass handling, and the law.

Most stalkers carry more than a rifle: binoculars, a safe knife, gloves or sanitiser, a torch, shooting sticks, a way to call for help in an emergency, and a small first aid kit all help keep things safe and efficient.

It’s important to make sure your rifle and ammunition meet the legal requirements for the species you’re managing, and to stay familiar with wildlife laws such as open seasons and restrictions on night shooting.

Many landowners also look for stalkers to have third-party liability insurance, which is easily arranged through organisations like BASC and BDS.

Good deer management doesn’t stop once the animal’s been shot; handling the carcass properly is just as important. After the deer is shot, it should be gralloched (internal organs removed) promptly, with waste disposed of responsibly, away from watercourses and public footpaths.

Carcasses should then be transported hygienically and chilled quickly (ideally 1-7 °C) to preserve meat quality. If you plan to supply venison commercially, you may need to register as a food business? use an approved game-handling facility?

Where personal chillers aren’t available, communal carcass hubs (or “deer chillers”) can be a real help. A hub can make handling safer, improve meat quality, and encourage collaboration between stalkers – Are there any communal chillers in the Chilterns?