Red Stag Hunting - Not only do we offer unrivalled deer stalking in the UK, here at County Deer Stalking we’ve also been making hunting and training films for over 5 years, and just every now and then, we get something really special.
(Above: A massive 28 Point Red Stag)
The film footage was obtained during a hunt for Red Stag on one of those perfect blue sky days during which I was stalking and filming with my friend and fellow club member Tom, amongst the beautiful rolling hills of southern England, in search of a particular Red Stag that had passed his prime and needed culling.
Tom is one of the most courageous individuals I know, a former ‘Lancer’ having completed two tours of Afghanistan and one tour of Iraq and having suffered a serious injury playing Rugby some years ago, he’s not let anything stop him from enjoying and pursuing life to the full. One of Tom’s life-long passions has been hunting and after a full morning in the field we glassed and managed to stalk up on, what was an utterly superb Lowland Red Stag.
What is more, unbeknown to us, the clear skies, the trajectory of the bullet and the angle of the sunlight, all conspired to provide a perfect recipe to capture unbelievably rare film footage of the sun reflecting of the brass of the bullet in flight, as it arced out like a tracer round toward the stag.
(Moments before the shot - Watch the film here: youtube.com/watch )
Lowland Red Stags in the UK can grow to some epic proportions and this will have been one of the largest Red Stags to be taken in the UK, or indeed anywhere in the world.
As anyone with a grain of common sense will know, rather than letting an old Stag linger and die of starvation, as they descend into old age, its kinder and more beneficial to cull the old stags whilst they still represent a viable food source and can generate a source of income for the estate.
On this particular hunt, after some time planning our approach, we did well to get into a suitable shooting position from where we could observe this immense beast. Even then it was not plain sailing, as we were forced to wait long minutes for the animal to present. Anxious moments passed as we waited, until finally the big Red deer came sideways-on, presenting for a perfect heart/lung, cavity shot, and then it was a whistle that stopped him for a crucial few seconds whilst Tom squeezed of the shot from his .308 Mauser.
With the report from the rifle in my ears, I watched through the lens of my camera and caught a glimpse of the 150 grain bullet in flight, as it sped out toward the beast. Would it be captured on film, or had I simply imagined it? Playing the film back revealed that we had in fact captured this rare footage of the bullet in flight reflected in a ray of sunlight!
It’s was one of those moments that will remain emblazoned in the memory. The careful selection and culling of a magnificent beast at the end of its life, will not only provide Tom with a lifelong momento in terms of a fine set of antlers to place on the wall of his home, but also remarkable footage. The animal itself will also provide a healthy, sustainable source of wild, non-intensively farmed venison for numerous lucky individuals. At County Deer Stalking nothing goes to waste
(Above: Chris Howard - One of the big names in UK Deer Stalking and my former mentor)
For me that day, there’s was the added bonus of meeting one of my original mentors in the form of one of the deer world’s most legendary figures - Chris Howard, who was putting another round of potential deer stalkers through their paces, as he delivered a class on deer management. Another former soldier and Falklands War veteran, who now acts as one of the UK’s leading deer experts and trainers, and if there was one thing I recall about Chris, it’s that he likes his Cigars and so there was the perfect opportunity to celebrate with a single malt and a Cuban.
Through the Capreolus Club and County Deer Stalking were proud to be able to offer deer stalking outings and deer stalker training for all. If you’d like to watch the film simply follow this link and subscribe to our channel, just click on the subscribe button and hit the notification bell once you’ve watched the film, which you can do so here: youtube.com/watch
Alternatively, if you’d like to book an outings deer stalking in the South of England just one hour from London and Heathrow airport then why not contact us to make a reservation: 0203 981 0159 or email:
Perhaps you’d prefer to hunt Red Stag in the Scottish Highlands? In which case in the following film we take a 300 Winchester Magnum to the Scottish Highlands from London via the Caledonian Sleeper Train. It’s one of our best: youtube.com/watch
To read more about Red Deer Stalking in the UK follow this link: red-deer-stalking
