April is somewhat of an oddity as far as UK deer stalking legislation is concerned, and many stalkers might be forgiven for having to ‘swot up’ a little before venturing out.
Thankfully, this is just what the County Deer Stalking Almanac is for!
Now from one hour after sunset on 31st March, all females across the UK, except the Muntjac Doe, are protected and out of season. This is a precaution in law that is designed to protect dependent newborn deer from becoming orphaned.
In relation to the males, in England & Wales, from one hour before sunrise on the 1st of April, the open season for Roebuck commences, resulting in a short period while all males across the UK, except for Chinese Water Deer buck, remain in season until the end of the month.
If that’s at all unclear, there is a table at the end of each almanac that details the seasons more clearly.
For deer managers who need to get the number of breeding females down, the opportunity has now passed and will not resume until late autumn, by which time, with breeding rates such as they are, there will be approximately another 30% more deer!
As for deer behaviour, a lack of vegetation, clear lines of sight and a desire to bask in the early spring sunshine and browse on new growth, means that sightings continue to be at an annual high. Regrettably, for the UK’s native Roebuck, this results in more Roebuck being shot in April than at any other time of year. I say regrettably, because with their antlers in ‘tatters’ and whilst still shedding their winter coat, they are far from at their most elegant.
Despite the fact that the males of the larger species remain in season, they are soon to begin casting of their antlers, so April is also well past the optimum time to be stalking Red and Sika Stag and Fallow buck.
The irony is, that with the arrival of spring and as the buds and flowers begin to bloom, April is exactly the time of year when many recreational stalkers look out of their window and think, just how pleasant it would be to get out into the countryside!
So where does that leave us, and what should you be focusing on? Well, my advice, is that in the interests of the herd and the betterment of species, April should be used as an opportunity to spend some time weeding out some of your poorer males.
A table showing you what is in and out of season can be found at the bottom of the page. In the meantime, if you’d like to learn to hunt deer, a great place to start is by taking the Proficient Deer Stalking Certificate Level 1, which is available via the Shooting & Hunting Academy: Proficient Deer Stalking Course - PDS1
Finally, we have two great films out this month. ‘Hunting Ancient Woodland’ Hunting Ancient Woodland
And ‘Best Budget Rifles of 2025’ Best Budget Rifles 2025
I hope you’ll take the time to give them a watch!
IN Season in England & Wales: Fallow Buck, Roebuck, Sika Stag, Red Stag, Muntjac Buck & Muntjac Doe.
Off Season in England & Wales: Roe Doe, Fallow Doe, Sika Hind, Red Hind, CWD Buck & CWD Doe.
In Season in Scotland: Fallow Buck, Roebuck, Red Stag & Sika Stag
Off Season in Scotland: Red Hind, Sika Hind, Roe Doe & Fallow Doe. Stag & Red Hind, Sika Stag & Sika Hind, Roe Doe and Fallow Doe.
(Editor: Peter S Jones)
(Correct at time of publishing).
