A place for the industry to gather

Dave Whitby examines how the real cost of running a driven shoot has changed over the decades - things are actually cheaper nowadays

There aren't many shows that are as dedicated to stalking and hunting as The Stalking Show. This new  event was first launched in 2022 at the Staffordshire County Showground.

I remember the first time I heard about it. I was really excited to have a dedicated day just for deer. When I got there, I wasn't expecting it to be as big or as well attended as it was. In fact, it caught a lot of people by surprise.

Over 8,000 people attended the show in 2022. Not too shabby. It was an absolute success.

This year, there was no doubt that it was going to be even bigger and bolder. I woke up early on Saturday morning and got ready for the long drive down south to Staffordshire.

The first thing that struck me was how busy the car park was. I didn't need to enter the main hall to know this was going to be a fantastic show.

There are many shows throughout the season, but geography makes it difficult to cater for everyone. The Stalking Show delivers a supersized yet distilled weekend where everything is about deer. It's a tequila shot through the eye.

This year's success was evident from the start; you would have struggled to find leg room, it was that packed. I ran into my good friend Tom Cackett from The Deercast YouTube channel who was covering the show. Tom said afterwards: "The 2023 Stalking Show was another great success - not only has the show doubled in size in terms of exhibitors, but it also seemed to attract many more visitors than last year. What I love about the stalking show is the atmosphere; it is a very friendly and show with everyone collaborative wanting the best for each other."

Enticing