When it comes to the deerstalking calendar, I’m something of a creature of habit. Where possible, I like to begin the season on 1 September solo, looking to kick off the sporting year at my own pace before the rut begins in earnest and the pressure to find animals for clients or cull targets heats up.
In contrast, it has become something of a tradition of mine to end the season in company, tidying up the last hinds with friends and catching up on the events of the season as we fill our own freezers for the relatively quiet six months ahead.
And so it was that, as the sun pinked the sky on the final day of February, it found me deep in the South Kerry mountains. I was heading out to meet Donal Casey, a good friend and
