Skip to content
Paul Kirtley
  • Home
  • About
  • My Book
  • Free Tips & Advice
  • Podcast
  • #AskPaulKirtley
  • Resources
  • Courses
  • Search Icon

Paul Kirtley

Wilderness Bushcraft. Survival Skills. Outdoor Life.

RWS .308 win ammunition and stlaker's spotting scope in leather case on wooden table.
PK Podcast 025: Andy Chadderton Q&A – Deer Stalking, Ethics, Land Management, Rewilding, Advice To Beginners & More

PK Podcast 025: Andy Chadderton Q&A – Deer Stalking, Ethics, Land Management, Rewilding, Advice To Beginners & More

Paul Kirtley Comments 14 comments
Man in camouflage clothing looking out over forested area of Scotland
Andy Chadderton returns to the Paul Kirtley Podcast to discuss listener questions on deer stalking, land management, rewilding, hunting ethics, firearms law, riflescopes and offer some advice to beginners…. Photo: Paul Kirtley

Andy Chadderton is a professional deer stalker and firearms instructor based in the highlands of Scotland. He joined me on Episode 11 of the Paul Kirtley Podcast and returns today for a conversation based on questions submitted by listeners via my Facbeook page.

In the course of this discussion we touch on a diverse range of topics, including advice for those who want to start deer stalking, thoughts on rewilding and the need for more integrated approaches to land management and nature conservation, discussions around the ethics of hunting deer, open seasons for different deer species and gun laws, the effect of social media on outdoor activities, including deer stalking, as well as some specific technical advice on rifle scopes for deer hunting.

Our conversation forms Episode 25 of the Paul Kirtley Podcast…

How To Listen To This Podcast

You can listen to this podcast here on my website by using the player above. Just press the play button.

You can download the podcast episode .mp3 file by right-clicking on the download link to save the .mp3 file down to your local machine/device.

You can also subscribe on iTunes and on Stitcher or via my podcast-only RSS feed.

Man teaching lady how to use a .243 calibre deer rifle
Andy tutoring a student in shooting skills. Photo: Paul Kirtley

The conversation Andy and I had in this podcast was based on questions submitted via my Facebook page. These included…

  • What would be a good first step for someone interested in becoming a deer stalker? I have only used air rifles and have no experience with firearms.
  • Does Andy believe that a year round season should extend to any other species than Muntjac? And if so, why?
  • Please could we have a bit of chat on rifle scopes for deerhunting, simplifying them a bit would be good if that is possible! I am about to get a new one ( I shoot red deer with a .308 calibre) and it is a bit of a mine field. I know you get what you pay for but knowing a little more about the actual optical side/numbers etc would be good . Thanks.
  • What would he change about his chosen career to improve it if he could? What does he make of the constantly changing gun laws and does leaving the EU affect anything?
  • Outdoor life seems to be increasing nowdays, with the social networks and new tecnologies to share photos and videos of the trips and aventures. Does this has a negative impact on nature somehow?
  • It would be great if you could ask him his opinion on re-wilding and the future of land management in wild places.
  • Similar to the rewilding but specifically his view on the introduction of wolves to the wild?
  • Paul and Andy, for those of us across the pond, a bit of an explanation on what a deer stalker is would be helpful. I had to research it a bit as I don’t think we really have a parallel position here, at least not one commonly held.
  • Are things the same or worse for deer at the moment with all the mild weather. Too many and too little food?
  • Are military weapons instructor (small arms) qualifications transferable across the the civilian sector?
  • Do you think killing animals with a gun is right if you haven’t fought one to the death first?
Roe deer in pine trees and heather
A roe deer in the forest near to where Andy lives. Photo: Paul Kirtley

TRANSCRIPT

The transcript is coming soon…. the typing pool are working flat out.

RWS .308 win ammunition and stlaker's spotting scope in leather case on wooden table.
Tools of the stalker’s trade. Modern ammunition and traditional spotting scope (in a leather case). Photo: Paul Kirtley

Links For This Podcast

Trijicon AccuPoint Scopes
Vortex Optics
Swarovski Optik rifle scopes
Schmidt & Bender
BASC
British Deer Society
Forest Hunter Course
Report For The Board of The National Trust For Scotland Into The Management of Deer, Woodland and Moorland At Mar Lodge Estate

Connect with Andy

Instagram
Facebook
http://www.morayoutfitting.co.uk/

Thanks For Listening!

Thanks for joining me on this podcast. If you have any comments about this episode, please leave them in the comments section below.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons at the top of this page. Thanks!

And Finally…

Finally don’t forget to leave an honest review & rating on iTunes or on Stitcher.

Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of this podcast and I read each and every one of them.

Related Material On Paul Kirtley’s Blog

PK Podcast 011: Andy Chadderton On Life As A Professional Deer Stalker

Favourite Films: Cree Hunters Of Mistassini

The Difference Between Foraging and Living Off The Land

PK Podcast 024: Why Your Bow-Drill Time Obsession Is Important

 


The Paul Kirtley Podcast

Post navigation

PREVIOUS
Limbing And Sectioning Trees With An Axe
NEXT
French River Eighteen Mile Island Loop

14 thoughts on “PK Podcast 025: Andy Chadderton Q&A – Deer Stalking, Ethics, Land Management, Rewilding, Advice To Beginners & More”

  1. Scott Reardon says:
    at 12:24

    Paul,
    Enjoyed the podcast with Andy. Good that it covered a wide range of topics from firearms legislation, land management and hunting ethics. Podcasts that employ long-form conversations and Q&A are useful for exploring subjects in detail.
    Regards,
    Scott

    Reply
    1. Paul Kirtley says:
      at 14:43

      Hi Scott,

      It’s good to hear from you. Glad you enjoyed the areas we covered with the space this format allows.

      Best,

      Paul

      Reply
  2. Tim Holmes says:
    at 19:24

    Extremely interesting for me because I am doing the DS1 course this coming weekend over 3 days.
    Everything mentioned in the podcast was relevant.
    I have been shooting for 15 years and have shot rabbit and pheasant. All this meant food on the table. I want to eventually shoot a deer. It is as if the podcast was made especially for me. Excellent.
    Good job I had the time to listen to it all.

    Reply
    1. Andy Chadderton says:
      at 13:36

      Tim

      Goodluck with the DSC1.

      Reply
  3. Rob mayes says:
    at 18:37

    I agree with you podcast man Andy. it’s not all about the kill . Their is so much more conservation. Animal I d .habits .the list goes on. I also agree regarding scopes .it’s the person behind it good listing. Maisey

    Reply
    1. Paul Kirtley says:
      at 12:00

      Hi Maisey, glad you liked it.

      ATB, Paul

      Reply
  4. ste carey says:
    at 23:24

    Hi Paul,

    Really enjoyed listening to this on my long drive last weekend. It was refreshing to hear your views on reintroduction and Rewilding!!!

    Reply
    1. Paul Kirtley says:
      at 14:17

      Hi Ste, I’m glad you enjoyed it.

      Cheers,

      Paul

      Reply
  5. John Amos says:
    at 13:56

    Hi Paul,

    Great to enjoy another interesting podcast and on a subject I know little about. Also pleased to hear a section on rewilding; sometimes feels like too much is being lost nowadays.

    The new format is a winner by the way. Having questions put forward by listeners gave it a more dynamic feel, not that your approach isn’t. Definitely a usefull format for returning guests where questions we’d like to ask crop up after listening to their first appearance.

    Keep up the good work and congratulations on the award, deservedly earned!

    Regards,

    John.

    Reply
    1. Paul Kirtley says:
      at 14:13

      Hi John,

      It’s good to hear from you and thanks for your kind words regarding the blogging award.

      Thanks also for your feedback on this episode with Andy and the Q&A format for returning guests.

      As always, thanks for your input and support. It’s much appreciated.

      Warm regards,

      Paul

      Reply
  6. Steve Blunt says:
    at 12:25

    Great podcast Paul. I love the detail you can go in with this format which I listen to when out pedalling around Surrey. Great to hear a bit of banter too – Andy ‘I look a bit chubby on social media’. Paul ‘don’t stand so near the camera’. V good tip..
    I’ve registered for the deer stalking course. Seems to fill a gap in the market – again. Clever. Cheers Steve

    Reply
  7. Helen says:
    at 22:36

    Hi Paul,
    Thanks so much for this. Thought-provoking, inspiring, informative. Am very much looking forward to my DSC1-and to future podcasts!
    Best wishes,
    Helen

    Reply
  8. Vali says:
    at 11:20

    Hi Paul, Andy,

    Although I’m not in UK nor directly interested in deer stalking, I found the podcast really interesting, the way Andy approached questions and his philosophical take on some of the topics very refreshing… after so much noise and “strong” opinions flying around…

    Thanks, and keep podcasting 🙂

    Regards,
    Vali

    Reply
  9. Nigel Gregory says:
    at 09:30

    Hi Paul and Andy,
    What a great blog, l know I have tripped over this sometime after it was posted, if anyone reads this, Andy is one top bloke, ok Paul is too, the forest hunter course they offer is brilliant, if you think it’s expensive it’s not, the number of people involved and the equipment is overwhelming, it is a great week in the Truely outdoors (as far as the UK can provide) I did this as my first frontier course, you really don’t need to have much outdoor experience, you just need to want to experience the outdoors.
    Many thanks once again to the team that made 2019 a memorable year.
    Nige.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search Paul Kirtley’s Website….

Connect With Paul On These Platforms:

Subscribe to The Paul Kirtley Podcast

Apple PodcastsAndroidby EmailRSS
© 2025   Copyright Paul Kirtley. All Rights Reserved.