Deer Central

Deer Central We provide deer and wildlife management services, We Train and Equip Deer Stalkers with industry rec We also retail tried and tested 'Deer Stalking Essentials'.

Deer Central is based in Somerset/Dorset but active all over the South of England providing deer management, deer stalking and deer training. Please visit our website at www.deercentral.co.uk

Please feel free to contact me through Facebook or the Deer Central website. Ben Lightowler
Owner/Director

Deer Stalking Central is the social forum page of Deer Central. https://www.facebook.com/groups/DeerCentral

01/09/2026

What’s your flavour? 👀

Quite a selection of FOX Classic Hunter on the shelves at Deer Central.

Despite the name, FOX Classic Hunter has been developed very much with deer and larger game in mind — and it’s a product I know particularly well from using it myself and extensively through our training.

Plenty of choice, as you might spot from the labels…

What’s your flavour — and is there one we’re missing that you’ve been looking for in a non-lead option?

Let me know in the comments. 👇

23/08/2026

Experience doesn’t mean you stop learning.

A great few words from Nick Goldsmith of Hidden Valley Bushcraft after some time together on the range.

Sometimes improving isn’t about more equipment or simply more rounds down range. It’s about going back to the fundamentals, having another experienced eye look at your technique, and then practising something that produces consistent, repeatable results.

That’s particularly important when those skills are going to be taken into the field.

Good practice builds confidence. Good technique builds consistency. And for deer stalkers, both contribute to making better, more ethical decisions when a shot presents itself.

If you’d like to work on your own technique, one-to-one marksmanship and practical ‘field applied’ coaching is available through Deer Central.

Details on our website.

Setting up a Swarovski TX Encounter on Z8i scope on a warm evening. Simple adaptor alignment then a quick cycle through ...
22/08/2026

Setting up a Swarovski TX Encounter on Z8i scope on a warm evening. Simple adaptor alignment then a quick cycle through the settings. No unit ‘zeroing’ needed. A check on target and we are good to go 🎯 More to follow.

21/08/2026

Whatever your experience, sometimes it pays to go back to basics.

A little time on the range with Nick Goldsmith from Hidden Valley Bushcraft, working on technique from ViperFlex quad sticks.

For this part of the session we’re deliberately choosing simple zeroing circles. We’re not testing our ability to hit a deer-shaped target — we have a defined point of aim and we are looking for consistency.

Good technique should produce repeatable results. Once we can see that happening on paper, we have something we can practise, refine and ultimately transfer onto a realistic deer target and into the field.

That’s an important part of how I approach coaching. Rather than simply firing more rounds and hoping the groups improve, we break the position down, understand what the body and sticks are doing, and build a technique the shooter can reproduce for themselves.

Nick sums it up particularly well at the end of the video: whatever your level of experience, there can be real value in having somebody else look at what you’re doing and taking you back through the fundamentals.

If you’d like to improve, build confidence or simply find out where greater consistency might be hiding, one-to-one coaching is available through Deer Central.

Full details are on our website.

From carcass to kitchen — and we can bring the training to you.A few photos from a recent session with a client, putting...
12/08/2026

From carcass to kitchen — and we can bring the training to you.

A few photos from a recent session with a client, putting our mobile chiller and butchery setup to work.

From deer in the fur, through practical carcass preparation and butchery, to properly portioned and vacuum-packed venison ready for the freezer or kitchen — this is very much hands-on training.

And one of the biggest advantages of the setup is exactly that: it’s mobile.

With suitable access and enough space to park and operate the trailer, we can bring this practical training to estates, stalking groups, syndicates and other suitable venues around the country.

It means we can work with you using real carcasses and cover the complete process: carcass handling, practical butchery skills and ultimately turning a deer into a properly prepared and valuable source of food.

A latest upgrade to the setup is our La.va vacuum packer supplied by Game Larder — putting the finishing touch to the process.

If you have a group, estate or suitable venue and would be interested in having Deer Central come to you for a practical session, get in touch to discuss what we can deliver.

11/08/2026

I went with one of our Deer Central students to collect this shoulder mount from taxidermist Paul Taylor — a roe buck he took during the rut with me last year.

It was an older animal, selectively taken as part of the ongoing management of the population. The venison has long since been enjoyed, but the significance of this particular buck lives on.

The head subsequently achieved CIC Gold, making an already memorable experience that little bit more special.

There is something deeply rooted in hunting about wanting to preserve the memory of a particular animal, place and experience. Taxidermy can be part of that tradition — respecting the animal, remembering the hunt and preserving something tangible long after the venison has been used.

Responsible deer management is about making selective decisions about which animals to take while contributing to the management of a healthy population. Occasionally, one of those animals proves to be particularly exceptional.

This one certainly was.

Beautiful work from Paul Taylor in preserving the memory of a very special old roe buck for its owner.

Do you have one particular stalk or animal that will always stand out in your memory?

25/07/2026

On tussocks, heather or uneven terrain, it can be difficult to place all four feet exactly where you want them.

As the sticks are low, a wider stance is needed, but the objective remains the same: stay upright, equal weight over both feet and relax rather than allowing the sticks or terrain to pull you into a compromised posture.

23/07/2026

The biggest mistake I see people make with quad sticks is adjusting their body to fit the sticks.

It should be the other way around.

Start by finding your own stable, comfortable shooting position. Stand upright, optimise your posture and balance, then configure the sticks or shooting aid to support that position.

Don’t crouch, twist or compromise your body position just to fit the sticks. Stability starts with you—the sticks should enhance it.

Good technique makes a far bigger difference than simply owning the right equipment.

From raw hide to finished field kit.Last week I had the opportunity to visit the leather factory behind the leather used...
11/07/2026

From raw hide to finished field kit.

Last week I had the opportunity to visit the leather factory behind the leather used in our Deer Central Pro Sling and see more of the process first-hand.

These photos show part of that journey — from hides in their early stages, through dyeing, drying, finishing and grading, before finally becoming a finished sling ready for hard use in the field.

It was a proper reminder of why Made in Great Britain still matters.

This isn’t leather being bought blind from the other side of the world. It’s a material with a process, people, skill and standards behind it. By the time it becomes a finished sling, a lot has already gone into making sure it is strong, practical, comfortable and built to last.

For us, Made in GB isn’t just a label. It’s part of the story behind the product.

How many legs?Twin sticks, quad sticks, tripod systems… it’s easy to focus entirely on the support in front of you.But m...
10/07/2026

How many legs?

Twin sticks, quad sticks, tripod systems… it’s easy to focus entirely on the support in front of you.

But many shooters forget the most important legs in the setup are still their own.

Good body position comes first. Your stance, balance, posture and natural point of aim should be established before you adapt the sticks to support you — not the other way around.

Whether you’re using Viper-Flex sticks or another field support, learning how to build a stable position makes a huge difference when it matters.

If you’d like to develop your field shooting skills with coaching and instruction, details are available on the Deer Central website where you can also purchase Viper Flex shooting sticks.

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