The roar of stags echoes across a glen. The gentle squeak from a cherrywood whistle brings a roebuck hurtling through the forest towards you. The clack-clack of two handheld antlers heralds stamping from a nearby fallow buck, defending its territory and betraying its presence.
The British Isles has some of the finest stalking in the world. From Chinese water deer on the reedy Norfolk Broads to sika in the Wicklow mountains, there are few places that rival our diversity.
At the root of our sport, though, lie traditions imported from the Continent. It was a German that shaped Highland stalking as we know it, bringing the culture of his homeland to the hills of Balmoral.
Later, servicemen returning from Europe in the aftermath of World War II, who had witnessed the reverence locals had for hunting roe deer, were largely responsible for growing the popularity of lowland stalking.
With diverse
