Let’s take a look at why it’s important for deer stalkers to schedule in some time to develop their rifle skills. Becoming an accomplished stalker, requires development in 5 main areas: fieldcraft, deer anatomy and behaviour, working to best practices, carcase handling and rifle handling skills.
Whether you’re a seasoned hunter or new to the sport, honing your rifle skills can make a significant difference in ensuring an ethical and successful hunt. Let’s look at 10 areas that stalkers, as they develop, should consider working on.
- Accuracy and Precision: Get on the range and develop your marksmanship techniques and tighten groups.
- Zeroing a rifle: Learn how to zero a rifle from scratch and accurately check zero.
- High seat Shooting: Surprisingly difficult!! Practice shooting from high seats both left and right-handed, accurately.
- Shooting aids: A proficient shooter should be able to shoot freehand, standing and kneeing with sticks, off trees, posts, backpacks, bipods and rocks.
- Compensate for distance and wind: Learn how to accurately estimate distance and wind speed/direction and adjust your equipment/shot accordingly.
- Shoot accurately under pressure: Hunting often involves quick decision making and if culling multiple shots taken swiftly using a variety of shot placements. In real-world hunting, deer are often spotted in moments of fleeting opportunity. A skilled marksman can calmly assess the situation, quickly get into position, make adjustments and place an effective shot.
- Shot placement: Whilst body shots on deer are advised for beginners, the more experienced hunter may take neck or head shots and other strategically placed shots on a deer’s body, depending on the circumstance.
- Shooting at angles: accurate shot placement on deer standing up to 30 degrees to the side and shot placement adjustment when shooting at acute angles in mountainous/hilly landscapes.
- Confidence and familiarity: Confidence is key in stalking. The more you practice with your rifle, the more assured you’ll feel in your ability to handle any situation. Whether you’re navigating dense forests, crouching in tall grass, or sitting in a high seat, knowing your rifle skills inside and out lets you focus on the deer, rather than worrying about how to handle your weapon.
- Extended range capability with precision: Advanced rifle skills enable you to make precision shots at longer distances, which can be critical in situations where getting closer to the deer is either impractical, difficult or dangerous. Shooting at longer ranges requires an understanding of wind, ballistics, scope calibration, and trajectory calculations. Developing these skills makes it possible to take ethical shots at distances that would otherwise be impossible.
Developing rifle skills is not just about increasing your chances of success in the field, it’s about ensuring that when you go hunting it’s ethical, responsible and safe. For deer stalkers, the ability to accurately and confidently use a rifle directly contributes to a more efficient and humane harvest. Through regular practice and training, hunters can refine their skills, expand their capabilities, and enhance their overall experience in the field.
The Deer HUB offers 3 ‘Rifle skills’ courses which you can find out about by clicking on the links below.
Rifle Skills for Beginner Deer Stalkers
Rifle Skills for Developing Deer Stalkers
Rifle Skills for Advanced Deer Stalkers
The Deer HUB is the Go-To place for all things deer stalking, offering best in class training, courses and mentored deer stalking all over the south of England. To BOOK on any of our TRAINING COURSES or for more information, please email james@deerstalkinghub.co.uk or call James Mott directly on 0203 995 5881 / 0789 4146643