PILLARS OF COUNTRY SPORTS ◀ Cont nued from p12


which include fi shing instruction with local fl y- fi shing expert Simon Cooper. The pub/restaurant downstairs is also defi nitely worth a visit – nothing better to warm your cockles after a day by the river than a pub meal, especially if there is a chance to cook up something you caught! Up in the Cotswolds the appropriately named


Trout Inn at Tadpole Bridge (troutinn.co.uk) boasts prime chalk stream fi shing in the locality and, further afi eld, other famous fi shing hotels you might like to look up include the world famous Arundell Arms in Devon (arundellarms.com), and the historic Dryburgh Abbey Hotel in The Borders (dryburgh.co.uk).


DEER STALKING There are six species of deer in the UK – each with its own hunting seasons – but just two species which you can legally hunt every day of the year. Deer populations have increased rapidly in recent decades due to several factors, such as mild winters, changes to agriculture, escapes from parks and farms and a greater connectivity between urban green spaces. All this means two million deer are now in need of population management. If you have never come into contact with deer stalking before, entering or gaining access to this


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Stalking is vital for managing population levels


pillar of countrysports can seem a little daunting. Although perhaps not as easily


accessible as clay shooting and fishing, for many people deer stalking is practised as a recreational activity, and one that is vital to the countryside and the deer populations themselves. For the novice there may be many


questions you will need answered, such as what equipment you need,


what can be culled and when, how do you recognise diff erent species and even what to do with a deer once you have culled it. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (basc.org.uk) off er courses designed


Deer stalking is pract sed as a recreat onal act vity, and one that is vital to the countryside


for the sportsman or woman who is taking up stalking and is seeking further advice and guidance. Their Deer Stalking Certifi cate courses provide an insight into, and a wider understanding of, deer stalking techniques and deer management. If you would like to have a go at stalking,


The red stag can be hunted between August and April


then why not head down to Oxfordshire and try the West London Shooting School’s one day Introduction to Deer Stalking Course. The day starts with rifl e safety and all six deer species are discussed prior to learning how to ‘zero’ the rifl e at 100 yards. This is then followed by a simulated deer stalk, giving you the chance to experience this ultimately engaging pastime to its fullest.


C


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Images: istock.com/animalnige, Whiteway


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