Author: Hazel Randall

All species of deer are prolific breeders, and numbers need to be kept in check through careful management of deer populations. Damage done to farmland can become a problem to the economy, and it’s often necessary to cull some deer in order to protect valuable crops. The problem isn’t confined to the fact that deer are eating crops, but also to the damage done by large herds of deer – red and fallow in particular – trampling over crops and saplings.

Growth in numbers brings with it an increase in disease and starvation. In order to protect the six species of deer in the UK, and for the welfare of individual animals, population control is essential.   

BASC deerstalking Code of Practice

The Deerstalking Code of Practice, written and published by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), is based on a few golden rules:

1. Always show respect for the countryside, consideration for others, and due regard to health and safety.
2. Always ensure that there’s a solid backstop behind the deer before taking the shot and that you have an uninterrupted view of the foreground.
3. Always remember that your quarry has a strong emotive appeal to many people who have little knowledge of deer management. They will judge deer management by your behaviour.
4. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. If in doubt, always ask.

The Code of Practice emphasises the deerstalker’s responsibility and his/her obligation to be familiar with, and to adhere to, the Code of Practice. Anybody who shoots deer must be compliant with UK firearms law, must be a competent shot, and must be familiar with firearms safety procedures. A deerstalker must also be able to recognise each species of deer and distinguish between the sexes – although the Chinese water deer is an exception, as the bucks and does look so much alike.

When can you shoot deer?

All deer in the UK are protected by the Deer Act 1991. In addition to statutory closed seasons for each species (with an exception of muntjac), the Act also prohibits the shooting of deer at night (one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise).

Below is a summary of shooting seasons for deer in the UK:

Red deer

	STAG	HIND
England & Wales	1 Aug – 30 Apr	1 Nov – 31 Mar
Scotland	1 Jul – 20 Oct	21 Oct – 15 Feb
Northern Ireland	1 Aug – 30 Apr	1 Nov – 31 Mar

Red/sika deer

	STAG	HIND
England & Wales	1 Aug – 30 Apr	1 Nov – 31 Mar
Scotland	1 Jul – 20 Oct	21 Oct – 15 Feb
Northern Ireland	1 Aug – 30 Apr	1 Nov – 31 Mar

Fallow deer

	BUCK	DOE
England & Wales	1 Aug – 30 Apr	1 Nov – 31 Mar
Scotland	1 Aug – 30 Apr	21 Oct – 15 Feb
Northern Ireland	1 Aug – 30 Apr	1 Nov – 31 Mar

Sika deer

	STAG	HIND
England & Wales	1 Aug – 30 Apr	1 Nov – 31 Mar
Scotland	1 Jul – 20 Oct	21 Oct – 15 Feb
Northern Ireland	1 Aug – 30 Apr	1 Nov – 31 Mar

Roe deer

	BUCK	DOE
England & Wales	1 Apr – 31 Oct	1 Nov – 31 Mar
Scotland	1 Apr – 20 Oct	21 Oct – 21 Mar
Northern Ireland	No roe deer	No roe deer

Chinese water deer

	BUCK	DOE
England & Wales	1 Nov – 31 Mar	1 Nov – 31 Mar
Scotland	No Chinese water deer	No Chinese water deer
Northern Ireland	No Chinese water deer	No Chinese water deer

Reeve’s muntjac deer

	BUCK	DOE
England & Wales	1 Jan – 31 Dec	1 Jan – 31 Dec
Scotland	No muntjac	No muntjac
Northern Ireland	No muntjac	No muntjac

In exceptional circumstances, a special licence might be granted by Natural England, giving permission to shoot deer outside of restricted times. In these unusual circumstances, the temporary exemption (licence A16) will specify the species and sex of the targeted quarry, the location, and the period covered by the licence.

Who can shoot deer?

In order to shoot deer in the UK, you must be either the owner of the land where deer will be shot, or an individual who has express permission from the landowner. You must also hold a valid firearms licence (FAC) for the correct calibre of rifle.

In addition to these legal requirements, it’s advisable to have adequate knowledge of deer, firearms, and deerstalking protocol.

Many deerstalkers have learnt from others, slowly gaining experience and knowledge from stalking with family or friends. However, this organic brand of learning isn’t available to everyone. DSC1 (Deerstalking Certificate 1) is an introductory course for deerstalkers and land managers, regulated and certified by a not-for-profit company called Deer Management Qualifications.

These are a few of the organisations that provide DSC1 training:

	Duration	Price
British Association for Shooting and Conservation	4 days	£290
British Deer Society	3 days	£295
National Gamekeepers’ Organisation	4 days	£290

What can you use to shoot deer?

In order to ensure a humane, one-shot kill, there are strict rules governing the power level of a stalker’s gun.

Red deer

	min. bullet weight	min. calibre	min. muzzle energy	min. muzzle velocity
England & Wales		0.240	1,700 ft/lb
Scotland	100 gr		1,750 ft/lb	2,450 fps
N Ireland	100 gr	0.236	1,700 ft/lb

Fallow deer

	min. bullet weight	min. calibre	min. muzzle energy	min. muzzle velocity
England & Wales		0.240	1,700 ft/lb
Scotland	100 gr		1,750 ft/lb	2,450 fps
N Ireland	100 gr	0.236	1,700 ft/lb

Sika deer

	min. bullet weight	min. calibre	min. muzzle energy	min. muzzle velocity
England & Wales		0.240	1,700 ft/lb
Scotland	100 gr		1,750 ft/lb	2,450 fps
N Ireland	100 gr	0.236	1,700 ft/lb

Roe deer

	min. bullet weight	min. calibre	min. muzzle energy	min. muzzle velocity
England & Wales		0.240	1,700 ft/lb
Scotland	50 gr		1,000 ft/lb	2,450 fps
N Ireland

Chinese water deer

	min. bullet weight	min. calibre	min. muzzle energy	min. muzzle velocity
England & Wales	50 gr	0.220	1,000 ft/lb
Scotland
N Ireland

Muntjac deer

	min. bullet weight	min. calibre	min. muzzle energy	min. muzzle velocity
England & Wales	50 gr	0.220	1,000 ft/lb
Scotland
N Ireland

Field Dressing

Preparation

After shooting a deer, the first thing to be done is to check that the animal is dead. This can be done by touching an eye with your shooting stick.

The carcass should be inspected both externally and internally for signs of disease. There are certain notifiable diseases, such as bovine tuberculosis and anthrax, which must be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Reporting a notifiable disease is a legal obligation.

It’s important to gralloch the carcass immediately (within 10 to 15 minutes) to ensure rapid cooling, which is particularly vital in warm weather. Lowering the temperature of the carcass prevents growth of bacteria and helps to maintain the quality of the meat. Another benefit of gralloching in situ is that the carcass will be less of a burden to carry away.

Many deerstalkers believe that the carcass should be bled before removing organs and limbs. The quickest way to release the blood is to insert a knife into the clavicle and cut the arteries above the breastbone. Suspending the carcass from a tree branch, or laying it head-downward on a slope, will allow gravity to do much of the bleeding.

Others, however, work on the principle that blood will be removed from the carcass anyway, when the organs are removed.

Method

With the deer hanging up, or lying on a slope:

1. Make a long cut from the genitals to the epiglottis.
2. Cut through the breastbone with a bone saw.
3. Remove all parts of the digestive system.
4. Remove the organs. (You may wish to keep kidneys, heart, or liver for consumption.)
5. Take off the lower legs. Cut through the tendons and muscles around the joints and break off the limbs.
6. Remove the head by cutting through the atlas joint at the base of the neck.
7. Examine the entrails for signs of disease, then bury the entrails and limbs. If you have no use for the head, bury that too. Although there are usually hungry animals around to eat up these remains, it’s not good etiquette to leave entrails lying around. 

Now the carcass must be transferred to a cool environment (under 8°).

Butchering the deer

Collagen – the most abundant protein in a mammal’s body – will make the meat tough. To allow naturally occurring enzymes in the body to break down the muscle collagen, a deer carcass should be stored at a low temperature (2-8° C) for a few days before butchering. This process is called aging. The older the deer, the higher level of collagen will be in the meat, so the carcass of an older animal will need to be aged for longer, as the meat will be tougher.

When the carcass has been aged for a few days, use a sharp knife to cut away the hide.

With the carcass lying on a stainless-steel table, divide the carcass: shoulders, neck, shanks (upper leg), loin (back strap), flanks (waist area), and haunches (buttocks). To prevent lead contamination, discard any meat within 15cm of a bullet wound.

All species of deer in the UK feature in the Who’s Who of hosts for ticks, which are carriers of the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Because deer cannot contract or carry Lyme disease, there’s no danger of the meat being infected with the disease. Whilst handling carcasses, however, stalkers should be aware of the risk associated with ticks.

Who can sell venison?

In order to sell venison legally, you must have a Game Meat Hygiene qualification, and you need to register as a food business with your local council.

One-day Game Meat Hygiene courses, including an exam, are available from The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (£140) and UK Deer Management (£130); you can sign up online. Once you have this qualification, you can register your food business. Visit your local council website, go to Applications, and select Register a Food Business.  

In Northern Ireland, it’s illegal to sell venison to anyone other than a licensed game dealer. In Scotland, the meat can only be sold to a licenced venison dealer. The law in England and Wales is a lot more relaxed; so long as the vendor is licensed to sell the meat, there’s no restriction on where it can be sold.

David Ward, Deerstalker

Detective Inspector David Ward retired from Norfolk Police after 30 years of service. As a relatively young man (no, don’t laugh), David was looking to begin a new career, and he recognised an unfilled niche in the market. Trading as Norfolk Deer Management, which is a registered food business, David is an established and well-qualified deerstalker.

What can you do with venison?

David Ward has been deerstalking for many years, and his venison can be sampled in numerous pubs and restaurants in Norfolk. This lovely, versatile game meat has a rich taste and the added environmental benefit of low food miles. David’s fantastic venison burgers are a great favourite at the Buckinghamshire Arms, in Blickling.

I asked for the recipe, of course, but David’s lips were sealed!

However, David did share with me one of his own favourite recipes. This is a lovely way to enjoy venison liver:

Method:

1. Cut the venison liver into strips and coat in plain flour.
2. Fry the pieces of liver in butter.
3. Soften some onions in butter over a low heat and add to the liver.
4. Add stock and chilli flakes.
5. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

Check out some more of David’s delicious venison recipes.

Acknowledgements and useful links

Thanks to James Hancock (Pellpax General Manager) and David Ward (Norfolk Deer Management) for talking to me at length on the subject of deerstalking.

BASC Deerstalking Code of Practice

National Gamekeepers’ Organisation

British Deer Society

British Association for Shooting and Conservation

Deer in the UK

Deer are ruminants of the family Cervidae. There are currently six species of deer in the UK, from five genera, meaning that only two of these species are closely related to each other. In order to provide effective management of each species, and to ensure that landowners have the means to protect their crops, legislation caters for the diverse behaviour and conservation status of these six very different animals.

In deer, there’s a high level of sexual dimorphism, meaning that there are obvious physical differences between the male and female of each species. Deer shooting seasons vary according to the species, and it also varies according to the sex. Inability to distinguish between the sexes is not accepted as a legal defence for shooting deer out of season. 

In five of the six species of deer, the male is armed with antlers, which are made of bone and covered by a velvet-like material. The purpose of the blood-rich velvet is to provide the growing bone with nutrients. When the bone is fully grown, it hardens and dies. The deer rubs his antlers against trees to rid them of the dead velvet.

Deer are crepuscular animals, meaning that they’re most active at twilight – the periods between dawn and sunrise, and between sunset and dusk. However, they’re also adaptable. In areas where there’s a lot of human disturbance, deer will be more active at night, and in times of food shortage, they’ll roam and graze during the day.

Let’s take a look at the six species of deer in the UK.

Red deer (Cervus elaphus)

Red list conservation status:

• Native species
• UK status: LC (least concern)
• World status: LC (least concern)

The red deer is the largest of the six UK species, and one of only two deer species indigenous to the UK. Although the animal is seen all over Britain, the largest population is in Scotland.

Red deer exist for most of the year in single-sex groups, and calves stay with their mothers for the best part of a year, although they’re weaned at around two months old.

Although the red deer stag might have reached sexual maturity by one year old, he’d be lucky to get the chance of mating before four years old, because of heavy competition from more mature stags. For a period of seven or eight years, a healthy stag will fight for the right to mate with a harem of hinds, using his antlers to intimidate, injure, and occasionally kill, his rivals. And he’ll bellow to demonstrate physical fitness.

At around eleven years old, the stag will be back on the outskirts of the mating scene.

What does the red deer look like?

The russet pelt of red deer in summer is a quintessential image of the British countryside, but in winter, the colour turns to a dull brownish grey. As the deer runs away from you, you’ll notice a short tail and pale rump. The stag is significantly larger than the hind, with large antlers that become more branched as the stag ages. Both sexes lose their infant spots as they reach sexual maturity.

Sika deer (Cervus nippon)

Red list conservation status:

• Non-native species
• UK status: not ranked
• World status: LC (least concern)

All species in the genus Cervus can breed with one another, producing fertile hybrids, and in the UK, there’s a lot of crossbreeding between sika deer and red deer.

Like red deer, sika are to be found in small groups all over Britain, but they’re most prolific in Scotland.

Sika deer are, in the main, crepuscular animals, but they’re sometimes seen out and about in broad daylight. In areas where there’s a lot of human activity, sika will play safe and become nocturnal.

During the months of September to November, lone individuals and members of single-sex groups come together for the rut. Unlike the harem-holding red deer stag, the sika stag begins his mating campaign by staking his territory. He’ll fight other males for control of this territory, and he’ll lure in females, forming his harem.

What does the sika deer look like?

Sika deer retain their infant spots, with coats varying in colour through a range of brown shades – becoming darker in the winter months. A dark line runs the length of the spine from a proportionally small head to a white rump and short tail. A sika stag’s antlers are similar to the antlers of a red stag, but smaller, with fewer branches.

European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)

Red list conservation status:

• Native species
• UK status: LC (least concern)
• World status: LC (least concern)

The roe deer is a solitary animal, although a doe is usually accompanied by her latest offspring. The young deer are chased away by their mother just a couple of weeks before she gives birth again. The new babies are hidden away for several weeks – silent, inert, and concealed.

The rut takes place in July and August, and a doe will give birth in May or June. After conception, there’s delayed implantation, so the embryos don’t start to grow until approximately five months later, making the total gestation period around ten months. Twins are not unusual for roe deer, and sometimes a doe will produce triplets. The higher birth rate, however, is balanced out by high infant mortality.

Roe deer are thriving all over Britain. However, their habitat isn’t restricted to the countryside. Some UK cities are now home to colonies of roe deer.

What does the roe deer look like?

During the summer, the tail-less roe deer has a rusty-red coat, which in winter changes to a dull grey; all year round, it has a distinguishable white rump. During the winter, the doe has a tuft of hair at the base of her rump patch. The buck has single-stemmed antlers, without branches, which are shed after the rut.

Fallow deer (Dama dama)

Red list conservation status:

• Non-native naturalised species
• UK status: LC (least concern)
• World status: LC (least concern)

Fallow deer are crepuscular animals, favouring the hours of twilight over daytime and night-time. They spend their daytime lying down, ruminating – or chewing the cud. In areas where they’re frequently disturbed by human activity, the deer will roam around and feed during the night.

For most of the year, fallow deer live in single-sex groups, but come together in late October for the rut. A single fawn (twins are rare) is born in the spring, and there’s a strong bond between mother and offspring. By the time the doe gives birth to her next fawn, the adolescent fallow deer will be totally independent.

The fallow deer population is more widespread in England and Wales than in Scotland.

What does the fallow deer look like?

There’s enormous variety in the colouring of fallow deer. The most common colour is a tan brown with white rump (outlined in black), and white spots on the flanks. In winter, the coat becomes grey.

A variation is a paler tan with white spots, and caramel outline on the rump. Some fallow deer are dark brown or black. Others are a creamy colour, turning increasingly white with age.

The fallow’s tail is longer than the tail of any other deer species in the UK.

Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis inermis)

Red list conservation status:

• Non-native
• UK status: not ranked
• World status: VU (vulnerable)

The Chinese water deer is one of two subspecies of the water deer (Hydropotes inermis); the other subspecies is the Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus). The genus name, Hydropotes, derives from two ancient Greek words: húdōr (water) and potḗs (drinking) – referring to the deer’s preference for water. The species name, inermis, is Latin, meaning ‘unarmed’ – a reference to the deer’s lack of antlers.

Chinese water deer were first brought to Britain at the end of the 19^th century, imported by private collectors. Today’s population is descended from escapees and deliberate releases from captivity. Although small colonies of Chinese water deer are to be seen in many parts of the UK, the population is highest in East Anglia, where the habitat is particularly suited to the deer’s feeding preferences.

Although the Chinese water deer buck doesn’t have antlers, he is armed with a pair of prominent tusks, which he uses in fights with other bucks in the rutting season. Loosely fixed in their sockets, these tusks can be manipulated by the buck’s facial muscles. The doe also has a pair of ‘fangs’, which are much smaller than those of the buck. Unsurprisingly, this unusual physical trait has given rise to the nickname ‘vampire deer’.

Because the Chinese water deer buck doesn’t have antlers, it’s more difficult to distinguish a male from a female, and for this reason, both sexes have the same open and closed shooting season.

Water deer are mainly solitary animals, coming together in December for the rut. Does live in small, single-sex groups, but the bonds between individuals are weak. Bucks are very territorial, marking their territories with their faeces and urine, and with secretions from interdigital glands and preorbital glands.

Chinese water deer does will occasionally give birth to as many as seven kids in one birth, although the usual number is two to four. The young become sexually mature at around six months old, and this is when they leave their mother.

What does the Chinese water deer look like?

The Chinese water deer, like many other deer species, is rusty red during summer, and grey in winter. It has a short tail, large, round ears, and a very cute face.

Reeves’s muntjac deer (Muntiacus reevesi)

Red list conservation status:

• Non-native species
• UK status: not ranked
• World status: LC (least concern)

Reeve’s muntjac gets its name from the English naturalist, John Reeves (1774-1856), who worked for the British East India Company. As with Chinese water deer, the species was introduced to Britain from Asia at the end of the 19^th century, and today’s UK population are descendants of escapees from captivity. Although muntjac deer are not a huge threat to commercial crops, their increasing numbers are associated with a rise in road traffic accidents.

Like all deer species in this country, muntjac are crepuscular animals, roaming around the countryside and suburban areas during twilight hours, feeding on fruits, flowers, nuts, and fungi. Muntjac don’t form herds. A doe is usually accompanied by her latest kid, but in the main, muntjac are solitary creatures.

Unlike all other species of deer in the UK, muntjac breed all year round. A doe becomes sexually mature in her first year of life, and from then on, she’ll be continuously producing one kid at a time, every seven months, becoming pregnant immediately after giving birth. When competing for does, a buck will fight primarily with its tusks, rather than its antlers.

What does the Reeve’s muntjac look like?

The hunched back of the muntjac deer is a familiar sight in rural and suburban England and Wales. This little deer, like most others, has a russet coat in summer, which turns grey in winter. When the muntjac is disturbed, it raises its wide, flat tail to display a white patch underneath.

The buck has small, backward-pointing antlers, and two black lines running from the base of his antlers to his nose. The doe has a dark brown patch on her forehead.

Venison

Deer meat (Venison) is a rich, gamey meat – low in fat and high in protein and vitamins. Loved by many, yet unfamiliar to others, venison is a truly versatile meat, delicious in stews and casseroles, pies and puddings, burgers, meatballs, and sausages. A roast joint of venison, or a fried steak, can be served as rare as you like, and the kidneys, liver, and heart of deer make tasty patés and flavoursome gravies.

In Scotland, it’s against the law to sell venison to anyone other than a licenced venison dealer, and in Northern Ireland, the meat can only be sold to a licensed game dealer. In England and Wales, venison isn’t subject to these restrictions, but the meat must be handled by a person with a game meat hygiene certificate – a qualification that’s included in the Deer Society Certificate 1 (DSC1).

Hunting Deer

Next time, we’ll be talking to local deerstalkers from Lowland Stalking and Norfolk Deer Management, and looking at some of the legislation governing deer control – including shooting seasons, minimum ammunition power, and carcass handling.