Deer stalking

Deer stalking, or simply stalking, is a British term for the stealthy pursuit of deer on foot to hunt for venison, leisure, trophy, or to control their numbers^[1] as part of wildlife management, just as with rabbiting and boar hunting. Deer hunted in the UK are red deer, roe deer, fallow deer, sika deer, muntjac, water deer, and hybrids of these deers.^[2]

Stalked deer are commonly shot with a bolt action rifle. This may take on moors, or in woodland. Controls provided by the Game Act apply to deer (from the Deer Act 1991). Venison is also a highly popular meat with sales quadrupling in the UK in 2014.^[3] Prior to the invention of the centerfire ammunition, deer were stalked with the aid of a sighthound, like the Scottish Deerhound. Bowhunting is illegal in the United Kingdom for all animals.^[4][5]

The term deer hunting is used in North America to describe the hunting strategy of deer without using hunting dogs, but in Britain and Ireland, the term generally refers to the pursuit of deer with scent hounds and unarmed pursuers, typically on horseback. The hunter is called a game stalker.^[6]