The Field – August 2019

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Stalking

LouiseFarmerisa BASCregionalofficer
andher enthusiasm forstalking has seen
numerouswomen cometoherforadvice.
“I’ma gameshooterandhavebeenstalking
fornineyears,butit isdifficulttogetinto.
Firstyouhavetofindsomeonetotakeyou
out and getting the permissions forland,
unlessit’syourown,isalsohard.It’swhy
I startedladies’introductiontodeerstalk-
ingdayswithBASClastyear,”sheexplains.
“Ihadfourwomenoneachday,heldatthe
CentreofExcellencewithJimRiley.I didn’t
wantanythingpinkandfluffy,justa course
likethepre-DSC1butmorehandson.Each
womansatona highseatandhadthechance
toshoota deerif theywantedto.”Thiswas
whatI hadbeenlookingfor,practicalexpe-
riencewithoutbeingdroppedintothedeep
end, orcreeping through the gloaming in
uncertaincompany.
“I have heard from women who have
paidmentotakethemoutstalking,andthen
beenpropositionedbythem.It angeredme.
Ifyoudon’t knowsomeoneyou trustwho
can take you out at first, what can you do?”

THEENGLISHARTEMIS
Farmeradeptly answers her ownquestion
intheformofanexcitingnewpersonalpro-
ject, The English Artemis, which provides
informationandadvicetowomen newto
fieldsports,particularlydeerstalkingandrifle
shooting, as well as stalking opportunities,
mentoring and trustworthy guides. As she
pointsout:“Attendinga mainstreamcourse
where the majorityof attendees are male
canbeoff-putting.Theissueisn’tnecessarily
sexist or misogynistic behaviour (thankfully

lessandlessofanissueintheindustry),it’s

justthatwomenaredifferentinthewaythey

learn.”Thispointcameupfrequentlyduring

interviews.“Womenliketohaveallthefacts

andbe100%surebeforepullingthetriggerso

therewon’tbeanyriskyshots.Andwewant

tobeabletoaskquestionswithoutfeeling

silly,”shesays.“Butweareallhunters. The

femalehuntressthingdoesn’texist.”

Almost every week Farmer is out with

another female enthusiast, free of charge.

“Deerstalkingcanbea secretiveworldbut

I’m veryopen aboutit,andI wantpeople

tolearn,”shesays.Wefinishourconversa-

tionina wayI imagineis familiartoFarmer.

“Comeoutandshadowmeona stalk,”she

offers.“Youcangeta feelforit.Juststalking

a deeristhrilling.I’veletfarmoregothan

I havepulledthetriggeron.”I readilyaccept

her offer, my slow trundle from target to

muntjaconthetableis movingon.

“Ithadbeenonmymindforsometime,”

saysEmmaNorbury-Perrott,founderofthe

LadiesRifleClub.Shefelttheneedfora safe

spacewherewomencoulddiscussriflesand

stalking without embarrassment. “I grew

upinthevalleysofSouthWales.Mydadis

a shooting manand I’veshot andstalked

fromanearlyage,butI wascautioustalking

openlyaboutit.AsI gotolderandmetmore

like-minded women I thoughtweneeded

somewhere ladies from different places

could come together and pool advice. It

startedasa smallgrouponFacebooktochat

about experiences and we’renow aiming

to become a recognised club.” Norbury-

Perrott’shusbandworksfordeerguruMike

Robinson, and has the stalking on 16,000

acresoftheBathurstestateinGloucester-

shire.“Thebarrierstoentryaretough,”she

says.“Youdefinitelywanttoshadowsome-

oneforthefirstfewtimesbecauseyoulearn

somuch.WelivenextdoortoOwlBarnLar-

der(Robinson’sdeerlarder)andsowecan

showthewholeprocessfromstarttofinish.

Weare harvestingwildvenison,thereisa

positiveendproduct,andit’sa great mes-

sage.”SeptemberseesNorbury-Perrotthost

thefirstLadiesRifleClubday.“Therewillbe

Blaser riflestotry, tuition,advicefornov-

ices andanex-sniperto answertechnical

questionsforthemoreadvanced.”Thereare

spacesfor 30 ladiesa day,andwiththeprice

expectedtobearound£20(tobeconfirmed).

Norbury-Perrottiscertainlyoffering a bril-

liant way to learn and socialise.

FINDINGA MENTOR

Nicole Escue (see Sporting Diana) was

luckyenoughtobagMikeRobinsonasher

deer-stalking mentor. “It’s really difficult,

not because people are discouraging but

because you have to find someone will-

ing to help you, and help you quite a bit,”

Left:EmmaNorbury-Perrott.Abovetop:

LouiseFarmersetsoutona stalkAbove:young

gamekeeper Charlie Blance is active on Instagram

Weneeded

somewhere ladies

could cometogether

and pool advice