Vital kit that is a cut above

Every stalker should carry five key pieces of kit when out on the hill, says Chris Dalton

- Chris Dalton

The term ‘gralloch’ is derived from the Scottish word grealach and defined as “the process of removing the entrails of a dead deer”. Efficient, timely, and hygienic removal of a deer’s internal organs is required to avoid any risk of food contamination or damage. The gralloch is the process of removal of the stomach and intestines, with the term ‘pluck’ meaning the organs on the head side of the diaphragm, primarily the heart and lungs.

I oversee training for people who are starting out on their stalking journey, along with those at the other end of the spectrum as they work towards the standard required to negotiate Deer Stalking Certificate Level 2. There are various methods of conducting a hygienic gralloch and best practice would recommend doing the minimum in the field, with the bulk of the work conducted in a clean larder environment.

It matters not which method you use, as long as it is compliant with the relevant food-handling regulations and you are not potentially exposing the carcass to any form of contamination during the process. In my case, as I am stalking on foot a long way from the larder and with little opportunity to get a vehicle to the shot site, I have to gralloch in the field.

Time is one of the primary factors in preventing carcass contamination and we need the beast to cool quickly. As a general guide, the deer should be bled immediately, gralloched within 20 minutes, and back in the larder within two hours. I often opt to conduct a full evisceration of the deer close to where I shoot it.