The Need for Fresh Blood
My motivation behind establishing The Wild Order.
My motivation behind establishing The Wild Order.
The memory of my first stalk lingers in my mind for all the wrong reasons. Looking back, I was frankly poorly prepared. The doe slightly quartering towards me took the shot behind the shoulder taking the liver and clipping the stomach making for a nerve-racking 20min pause before a heart-in-moth blood trail. While easily done the poorly-placed shot spoke to my experience. The gralloch was messy and I vowed then to work hard, learn more and be better, which is not an easy path.
It took me years to get myself on the right track towards consistent success, and it was only by sheer luck that I stumbled upon a mentor. While I appreciate the time he dedicated to guiding me, the overall learning experience left much to be desired.
To this day the reasons behind the inaccessibility of the sporting world still elude me. Today, available courses seem disappointingly one-dimensional, run in soul-less porta-cabins where you don't touch, see or hear a single living deer. It would appear as though the system was designed exclusively for those already embedded within it.
Guest and Guide head to a high tower for an evening. Photo Alex Catt
One's learning journey is never over
What I lacked in hunting knowledge and experience, I made up for in determination. I knew that this was a way of life that would suit my views on eating meat, indulge my desire to be in the woods and possibly lead me down a new career path. I found myself a small permission, I was granted a liberal licence and I started working for a game cookery school. the learning curve was steep and I found great confidence in my new abilities which spurred me to look for more ground with greater deer numbers.
My position at the game cookery school quickly changed from assisting to leading the deer work-shops, where we’d teach skinning and butchery. My passion for teaching was ignited in this role, I loved witnessing people engaging, learning and developing in something I was so passionate about.
The stage was set for a transformative career shift, as I transitioned from an Arborist to a hunter and ultimately an entrepreneur. Drawing upon my background in forestry and my experience at the game cookery school, I discovered these skills allowed me to merge my passions for wild food, hunting, and the great outdoors. This convergence naturally led to the birth of The Wild Order in 2022, a company dedicated to alleviating the unnecessary challenges often faced by aspiring hunters.
Afternoon guided stalk with Founder Arthur. Photo Alex Catt
City dwellers, rural folk, and everyone in between
The Wild Order endeavours to tackle these challenges with a refreshing, practical, and accessible approach. Our industry undeniably requires new blood and a diverse range of individuals, city dwellers, rural folk, and everyone in between. We need people who yearn to take matters into their own hands and make hunting an integral part of their lives. Not just for the sake of field sports, but for the overall health of our ecosystems. Whilst all six of our wild deer species boom across the United Kingdom, our woods, crops and meadows are taking the brunt of the pressure.
Our robust and diverse areas become degraded and fragile they no longer have the precious biodiversity we need and cherish. This is largely due to heavy browsing. Woodlands start to age as young trees are damaged or killed, and farmers face yet another financial burden with crop damage, but that's not all. Road traffic accidents involving deer are on the increase as is the prevalence of the black-legged tick, high deer numbers spread these little arachnids that are feared for the risk of infecting us with Lyme disease.
The Power of new perspectives
There is an increasing lack of understanding and disdain for hunting and a general lack of knowledge regarding the great outdoors.
The truth is, people tend to shy away from difficulty. They become discouraged, and frustrated, and ultimately find it easier to turn to alternatives such as watching TV Shows, relying on the supermarket or even adopting a vegan lifestyle.
The primal desire to hunt and provide still burns within many of us, I’ve seen it ignite in myself and many others. Despite the advancement of food production and the availability of modern conveniences, this innate instinct continues to resonate with many individuals. The primal desire to hunt taps into something much deeper, an ancient connection to our origins, a visceral yearning to reconnect with our ancestral self and our food. This desire to hunt and provide transcends time and societal advancements. It is a powerful force that awakens our connection to the natural world, reminding us of our fundamental place in the intricate tapestry of life.
One of our guests having been successful on the hill getting started on the skinning process
Ignite the Flame
For those looking for something to ignite the flame, we offer day courses in deer butchery and fire cooking at our woodland HQ in Sussex. We see this as a bite-sized course for those not quite ready to be behind a rifle or for new stalkers seeking guidance on what to do with the deer they have. We all know that the DSC programme, although excellent in many ways, is woefully lacking in this area.
Our courses prioritise practical learning, ensuring that our guests actively engage in hands-on activities rather than passively sitting through presentations. We firmly believe that true mastery is achieved through immersive experience, where individuals actively participate in all areas of the hunting process, from butchering haunches to shooting the rifle or examining viscera. By immersing students in real-world scenarios, we equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to confidently navigate similar situations in their future endeavours.
Despite The Wild Order being relatively young, we have managed to cultivate a passionate and engaged following. These individuals are eager to experience hunting, and wild cuisine, and embark on their own positive journey into this captivating world.
By January 2024, we will have inducted forty-eight new hunters into our ranks, equipping them with confidence, practical skills, a strong support network, and a diverse range of knowledge that will enable them to confidently pursue a life entwined with hunting.
This sense of connectedness inspires individuals and enables them to recognise the value inherent in our wild spaces. Many of us understand the positive impact that nature has on our physical and mental well-being. Yet, unfortunately, there is a growing segment of the UK’s population that remains primarily engaged with screens, creating a troubling disconnect between us, nature, and our food.
Some of our guests getting stuck in to the skinning process
There is hope Though
A growing number of people are yearning to re-establish their connection with nature and to immerse themselves in the wonders of wild meat and hunting.
Our flagship courses, The Hunter's Experience and The Hunter - An Introduction, are designed to provide accessible hunting adventures for everyone. Whether you're a seasoned stalker seeking the challenge of Red hinds or a curious beginner eager to embark on your first deer hunt, during these experiences, our guests get to do it all.
We take the time to teach them everything from the importance of gun safety and how to shoot to hands-on gralloch workshops and seam butchery, that provide a solid foundation upon which they can build throughout their time with us.
The rest of the time is spent hunting. During the evenings our workshops, take place in the warmth of the lodge or our rustic woodland HQ. Here, guests learn the art of offal preparation and cooking, gain valuable insights on what comes next, and receive guidance on obtaining a FAC (Fire Arms Certificate). We also teach how to clean guns, sharpen knives, and lots more.
A True Field-to-Fork Experience
Although hunting and workshops are our main focus, we do not neglect the all-important food side. Our guests get incredible food prepared either over a fire in our woodland kitchen or the lodge in Scotland - menus are all based around wild meat, showcasing how versatile and delicious venison is while complementing all the learning, and inspiring people to go home and give it a go.
There are many highlights of my job, witnessing the guests excitedly digging into a dinner of Sika back straps which they removed from the beast only hours ago or gleefully packing up their coolers with the venison they've personally killed, gralloched, skinned, and butchered—or played a part in doing, these being just two examples.
When it comes to our guests, we've had a diverse mix joining The Wild Order.
Take Johnathan from Edinburgh, for example. As a sales team member at a multinational food company, he was keenly aware of the growing disconnect between people and their food sources. He yearned for a way to hunt and procure his own meat but struggled to find the right path.
During The Hunter's Experience in 2022, amidst falling snow and fading light, Jonnie found success, taking a hind and calf whilst he sat in a high seat. Together with his guide, they gralloched the animals and safely extracted them to the pick-up point where a 4x4 could do the rest of the work.
Then there's Livi from Oxfordshire, whose experience as a target shooter served her well when the time came. In challenging conditions, she confidently took a hind from sticks. Watching Livi dive into the gralloch process was a truly poignant moment. She too extracted the Red hind and made her way back to the vehicle track. I didn’t get to see all the stalks but I did get to welcome many of the freshly blooded guests to the larder. Blooding is a tradition that extends back centuries and has its roots in a coming-of-age ritual. A particularly striking moment was when Val arrived at the larder riding in the back of a pickup with the Hind he had just taken, cheeks smeared red and a story to match the dramatic image in-front of me.
Both Livi, Johnny and Val, alongside our other guests, spent a considerable amount of time in the cold room later in the week. With expert guidance, they skinned, butchered, and vacuum-packed their hard-earned venison, ready to be frozen and transported to freezers across the country.
Unveiling the Grand Scheme: A Deeper Game Awaits
for wild food, hunting and field sports to have longevity, for us to continue to enjoy meaningful time in the hills, woods and waterways, for us and it to continue to have a positive impact on conservation and of course our wildlife, then we need fresh blood to be trickling in and filling those voids, pushing the conversation forward, being an advocate, diluting the naysayers, and of course managing the deer population.
I firmly believe that actively involving people in our endeavours is just as crucial as the endeavours themselves.
Never has it been more important for our industry to be welcoming.
In the end, it is us, hunters that are responsible for the longevity of our way of life, I hope all who can will look to engage positively with your fellow man or woman when it comes to hunting. Why not offer to mentor someone or take them to the range?
Or if you don’t have the time, send them our way!
