Hunting in Scotland & England shooting clothing, equipment advice & resources

                     
Everyone has their preferences. If you are deer hunting , it is vital you have weatherproof clothing  which is quiet - most UK guides detest waxed jackets and any nylon or plastic are a definite no! Waxed jackets (if you must! - but they become stiff if wet and restrict movement) are OK for rough shooting or driven bird shooting, because noise is not a factor. Loden or non waterproof tweed is not really suitable for the UK  because it becomes so heavy when wet. The best all round material is of the breathable kind and which is soft to touch.  Cammo coloured outers are quite acceptable for pigeon shooting and deer hunting , but definitely not acceptable for driven shooting and seldom worn on walked up shooting these days - why bother to look like Rambo for any type of shooting or stalking when it's not really necessary? Better to have neutral coloured clothing which is medium in tone - dark green is just about the most visible colour of all!  Wearing any kind of Cammo in towns/hotels draws attention to yourself and is not really done. 
A decent hat or cap in muted colours and with a peak to shade your eyes. This is compulsory for all folk deer hunting and pigeon shooting and wise for every other kind of shooting.

A sleeveless 'body warmer' or gilet is useful to wear on warmer days. Two thin jerseys which can be worn underneath one another if it is really cold. Long sleeved shirts, thin cotton, muted colours.

Below the waist - priority is to wear trousers which don't restrict walking. I wear tweed plus two's which are great because they do not chill when wet, so I do not need to wear restricting waterproof overtrousers. A generous client of mine gave me a pair of the new Gore-Tex 'high waist' trousers which are waterproof and breathable - all you wear underneath is a pair of thermal long johns for the winter........ they are excellent until they meet a barbed wire fence or heavy brambles so they are fine for the unfenced open hill or open moor for grouse or deer stalking. It's no accident that all the Highland keepers and guides wear tweed trousers and jackets - the material does not go dark when wet (so you don't stick out like a sore thumb when deer hunting) , don't chill when wet and cope with briars and rough treatment.

Your footwear must be waterproof. The best is lace up, over-ankle leather boots. They take up room and weight when travelling, but are suitable for every kind of shooting and stalking. Rubber wellingtons are useful if the weather is wet and you are low ground hunting, but they give no kind of support for walking on rough terrain, are not much use for walking any more than a mile or so and are not much use in extremes of temperature.
Fingerless mittens or gloves are vital - the kind you don't have to take off for shooting : 2 pairs are useful so that when one pair becomes wet , you have a dry pair. Even if the weather is warm - woodland deer hunters and pigeon shooters wear them to hide the white hands.

Other equipment: For shotgun shooters - cartridge bag for driven shoots or cartridge belt for walked up shooters. Soft gun slip. Small knapsack to carry lunch, camera, spare jersey and to even carry a bird or two if you are at the end of a line and the keeper can't collect the bird off you immediately. Gun cleaning kit.
For deer stalkers: - pair of binoculars, rifle  'scope covers to protect lenses from the rain (the butler creek flip up ones are perfect), knife and some string if you are hunting on 2:1 basis, small back pack to carry spare jersey etc. Knife.  Woodland stalkers should have a long stick (the same height as you) for shooting off, hill stalkers may find a shorter and stouter stick is useful for walking on rough ground and testing those innocent  damp areas covered in moss but which cover a wet hole that takes you up to your waist! Midge repellent. If you are flying into the UK, then ask the guide for a long stick or cut one for yourself when you are out hunting. Rifle cleaning kit.

And finally, a short note about driven shooting - this is more formal and most guns wear a tie , a shooting jacket/coat and breeks or plus two's. It's more a case of what not to wear which is important! No Cammo (military or non military). Best advice is to look at photographs in magazines to see what folk wear so that you don't stick out like a sore thumb.   

Now for  warm or hot weather:

For travelling and hunting I have found that little beats Craghopper trousers which you can buy online .  There are two versions of these trousers - one even incorporates insect repellant. Zip off trousers which can be worn as shorts are a good idea if you are going when it's seriously hot. A wide brimmed light coloured soft hat and long sleeved cotton shirts are vital. On your feet, a decent pair of lightweight, waterproof walking boots are important. Get the ones which fit just over the ankle. I like the Gelert Hayes walking boots which are a very good price.  Another useful UK based site worth trying  is  Field and Trek Click here .  
When travelling, I always carry one of the multi tools with me so that I can fix the rifle / remove splinters or cactus thorns / gralloch a beast or perform brain surgery. Try  Deep Blue Shooting    or   some of the sites already mentioned in the previous paragraph also sell gadgets & multi tools. Roe stalking months can be quite warm during the daytime and evening, so be prepared for this eventuallity.

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