Fair Weather Hunters?

Not everyone enjoys stalking in bad weather, but those that are keen to get out and take every opportunity granted to them should take this handy advice to help make it worth their while.

We all know them – the fair weather hunters who claim it just isn’t worth going out when there’s even the slightest suggestion of drizzle. Are they right, or are they just being wet, if you’ll pardon the pun? Almost certainly you’ll know someone who won’t let any weather deter them, and will merrily head out into gale force winds and torrential rain, too, no matter the consequences for personal safety. We talk to three of the UK’s most experienced hunters about the practicalities of hunting in the rain.

Top priorities

All stalkers should, first and foremost, take safety into consideration, according to Niall Rowantree of West Highland Hunting. While a damp day might not have many implications if you are trying to shoot a muntjac in the Home Counties, weather conditions can have very serious consequences indeed if you are in the middle of the Highlands.

Niall believes that stalkers should all be doing constant risk assessments, before and during the stalk. “If you are stalking in bad weather, you’re likely to be fine while you are moving around, but if for any reason you get stuck or hurt, or are waiting up for some animals to present a shot, you’ll cool down fast and few stalkers are properly clothed to deal with serious exposure,” he says.

On top of that, the conditions underfoot can be tricky: “Always make sure you’re wearing good stalking boots with a decent sole,” he continues. “And be aware of nature – a little brook that you step across in the morning can, in a few short hours, become a torrent that doesn’t only make extraction impossible, but cuts you off, too.