For whatever the weather

With technical fabrics constantly evolving, Graham Downing puts four jackets to the test to find out if any of them tick all boxes

As one of the newest and most rapidly developing of our fieldsports, lowland deerstalking is more prepared than most other countryside activities to adapt to new developments in kit and clothing.

Tradition and convention may box the game shooter into a neoEdwardian time warp of tweed and tattersall check, but woodland deerstalkers are far more willing to accept the clothing styles popular in Scandinavia, continental Europe and the US, long ago having binned their breeks and tweed caps in favour of scandal-pants, camo jackets and baseball caps.

Certainly, a whiff of tradition remains on the Scottish hills, but even in the Highlands where the more conservative estate stalkers may don their tweeds for the start of the stag season each year, you’d be very hard pushed nowadays to spot a pair of plus-fours on the hill during a wild winter’s day after the hinds.

Härkila Deer Stalker Camo HWS jacket

Stalking jackets continue to evolve at a rapid rate, and one of the most popular premium brands is Härkila, whose Deer Stalker Camo HWS (Härkila Weather System) jacket has been updated and adapted from its popular Lynx collection. I have used the Lynx jacket for late summer and early autumn stalking since its introduction in 2018, and with its simple polyester mesh liner this new jacket from Härkila is equally well suited to early-season stalking. In warm weather it’s comfortable to wear simply over a Viyella shirt. Wear a fleece underneath and it’s perfect for those colder winter mornings or a long wait in a high seat.