Let's stick together

A well-made antler stick will last a lifetime — and creating your own is a great way to honour your quarry. Barry Stoffell explains how to do it

- Barry Stoffell

The stick. The fact that you’re reading this suggests you probably have one — quite possibly several — and for hundreds of years a stout wooden pole has been the quintessential companion of those who venture into rural parts.

Delving yet further into our species’ history, the simple stick has proved vitally important from the first moment some enterprising Neanderthal sharpened one and flung it at his supper. Flint-knapping and the carving of bone tools is impressive but most of these inventions would be mere ornaments without a strong, straight piece of wood to strap them to.

Thankfully, such an implement is no longer required to fend off savage beasts or dispatch your dinner, but a good stick is no less valued today than it was by our ancestors. And, although you won’t have to look far to find someone selling finished sticks, it’s one of the simplest and A. most satisfying things to have a go at making yourself.

Finding the right stick

Chestnut, holly, ash and blackthorn can all produce a fine stick, but the most popular wood by far is hazel. I asked Keith Pickering, a professional stick maker of 30 years’ experience who counts royalty among his illustrious clients, about the enduring appeal of hazel: “It’s lightweight, strong and grows pretty straight to begin with. And it has a wonderful array of colours, from dark brown to almost silver.” Widespread throughout the country, in good soil, coppice growth of hazel is quite capable of growing 3ft a year, making it a sustainable choice.