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United Kingdom Deer Track & Recovery (UKDTR)
The Shooting & Hunting Academy is proud to introduce the UK's first nationally available Deer Track and Recovery short course. Delivered by industry leaders UK Deer Track & Recovery (UKDTR) via the 'shooting & Hunting Academy', e-learning platform. The course is perfect for estate managers, deer managers, deer stalkers, and anyone with a vested interest in deer recovery and follow-up. You'll gain essential guidance and learn best practices for following up of shot and/or injured deer, ensuring you are equipped to handle these situations effectively. The course also offers advice on when to contact UKDTR for assistance.
This course is a perfect bolt-on to the PDS1 or DSC1 and is offered exclusively through the Shooting & Hunting Academy.
Via a series of structured and engaging modules, members of the UKDTR team will guide you through the fundamentals of tracking and recovering shot or injured deer. You'll learn crucial steps and methods to improve your chances of a successful recovery, a vital responsibility for all deer managers and essential for animal welfare.
Course Modules Include:
• Pre-Stalking Preparations: Essential steps to prepare for the eventuality of a follow-up.
• How to Locate a Shot Site: methods for finding and assessing the shot site.
• Identifying Shot Site Findings: identifying and understanding the different signs left at a shot site.
• Post-Shot Site Investigation: Best practice and timings for conducting a thorough follow-up after the shot.
• Use of Dogs: How trained dogs can aid significantly in tracking and recovery and considerations for when using your own dog.
Who are the UKDTR?
UKDTR is committed to providing support across the entire UK. Their aim is to place as many voluntary teams as possible at the disposal of estate managers, deer managers, and deer stalkers. These teams, typically consist of a handler and a dog, have demonstrated recognised practical knowledge and abilities. UKDTR also focuses on education, promoting best practices for deer recovery, and recruiting new members to grow its network throughout the UK.
UKDTR Aims:
• Establish a network of voluntary teams across the UK to support estate and deer managers.
• Educate and promote best practices in deer tracking and recovery.
• Recruit and expand UKDTR membership in all regions of the UK.
Take the UKDTR Course
To enrol and get started on the UKDTR short course, simply follow this link: shootingandhuntingacademy.co.uk/course/ukdtr-course
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Deer Butchery Course
This certificated deer butchery course imparts the necessary skills to break down both large and small deer carcasses into restaurant quality cuts.
Delivered by Ben Heath of ‘The Deer Box & Mike Robinson Fine Foods’, winner of the ‘Eat Game Awards 2019 Best Small Retailer Selling Game’ – Leading distributor of UK Venison, Supplier of Venison to Michelin Star Restaurants. Leading industry professional Ben Heath is able to impart professional butchery and skinning skills in a clear and concise manner, that you can refer to again and again.
Start your course here for just £65:
Through a series of classes, delivered in an easy-to-follow manner, you are guided through some of the subtleties of dealing with both large and small deer carcasses and are provided with an appreciation of the art of butchery that will empower you to do it yourself.
This certified course includes:
- Breaking down Large & Small Deer Carcasses
- How to prepare ‘prime cuts’
- How to prepare creations such as a fabulous ‘Rolled Saddle’ a ‘French Rack’ or Cannon of Venison
- How to package and store your venison,
- Mincing, Burgers & Sausages
- The Law …and much more.
Maybe you regularly butcher your own deer carcasses, or would like to learn how to do it better? Perhaps you go on guided stalks and would like to take away your shot carcass? Or perhaps you have considered attending a butchery course Either way, this course is for you and will empower you to take home your shot venison and present it in such a way as to ‘wow’ family and friends.
Unlike other courses which you need to attend in person, the added benefit of this deer butchery course, is that you can stop and start it, refer to it again and again and watch it at a time and place that suits you. You can even have it playing on a laptop in front of you at home whilst you breakdown your own carcass. We defy even the most accomplished hunter not to learn a thing or two.
In the current climate, hunters should be proud of harvesting and consuming wild, free-range, sustainable meat from its natural environment and this course will demonstrate the very best way to do it.
Click on the following link to take the course today for just: £65-00:
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Woodland Mammal Damage & Impact Assessment Course
Welcome to the Woodland Mammal Damage & Impact Assessment Course, a first-of-its-kind, e-learning course designed to give you the skills, understanding, and confidence to assess and interpret the damage & impact caused by woodland mammals. Whether you're a stalker, land manager, or conservationist, this course gives you a deeper understanding into the ecology behind mammal pressure and how to apply that knowledge in the field.
Developed by WildTrakPro and delivered through the Shooting & Hunting Academy, this course enables you to collect meaningful data, make informed management decisions, and communicate ecological impacts with clarity and authority.
Why Choose the Woodland Mammal Damage & Impact Assessment Course?
Today’s land management demands more than observation; it requires ecological understanding. Woodland mammals such as deer, squirrels, and wild boar can alter woodland structure, affect biodiversity, and damage commercial forestry. But identifying those changes and proving their impact isn’t always straightforward.
This course has been specifically designed to improve the quality and quantity of ecological data collected in the field, giving participants the tools to identify, assess, and present mammal-induced damage in a structured and evidence-based way.
Led by Oliver Smith, one of the UK’s leading mammal impact advisors, the course is fully online, nationally recognised, and built for flexible, at-your-own-pace learning.
Course Structure
The Woodland Mammal Damage & Impact Assessment Course is structured into six clear, user-friendly modules, each broken down into focused classes and followed by a short assessment to reinforce learning.
Whether you're looking to upskill professionally or simply deepen your understanding of ecological impact, this course offers a practical route to better-informed land management decisions.
Course Modules Overview
Module 1: Introduction
• Class 1: Introduction
• Class 2: Who Are WildTrakPro?
• Class 3: What is Damage & Impact Assessment
Module 2: The Different Types of Impact Assessment
• Class 1: The Different Types of Impact Assessment
• Class 2: Cost Benefit Analysis
• Class 3: Testing & Techniques
Module 3: Why Nearest Neighbour?
• Class 1: Why Nearest Neighbour?
• Class 2: Defining & Developing a Nearest Neighbour Test
• Class 3: Nearest Neighbour Example
Module 4: Types of Mammal Damage & Impact
• Class 1: Types of Damage by Species
• Class 2: Species
• Class 3: Types of Damage and Impact by Mammals
• Class 4: Examples of Damage & Impact
Module 5: WS1 & WS3
• Class 1: WS1 – Deer Control & Management
• Class 2: WS3 – Squirrel Control & Management
• Class 3: 'Do’s & Don’ts'
Module 6: Where to Go From Here
• Class 1: Equipment
• Class 2: Where to Go From Here
• Class 3: Final Words
Key Benefits
This course provides essential training in mammal impact assessment, including:
• Clear identification of different types of woodland damage by species
• In-depth understanding of ecological impact and habitat response
• Hands-on knowledge of assessment techniques like Nearest Neighbour analysis
• Real-world examples to support learning
• Guidance on WS1 and WS3
• A structured approach to writing and presenting professional damage data
Why this Course is Essential
In today’s changing rural landscape, those tasked with managing woodland ecosystems must be able to demonstrate not only what they’re managing, but why, and with evidence to support their approach.
The Woodland Mammal Damage & Impact Assessment Course gives you the tools to do just that. With industry-leading training from a recognised authority, flexible digital delivery, and real-world relevance, this course prepares you to make better decisions for the land you manage and to defend them with knowledge and clarity.
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Gralloching & Inspection Course
For the first time ever, you’ll see, and experience clear footage of each step taken during an entire ground and suspended gralloch. Utilising never before seen, revolutionary medical-grade camera footage, that reveals every critical incision and internal detail of the gralloching and inspection process.
Enrol today for just £125:
The course covers all the essential theory, practical techniques and latest industry standards, to give you the knowledge, confidence, and professionalism required to become a qualified 'trained hunter'. Whether you're building your career or sharpening your gralloching skills, this is the ultimate step forward.
Modules include:
Module 1: Post-stalk Considerations
Module 2: The Gralloch (both Suspended & Ground)
Module 3: Internal Inspection
Module 4: Preparation for End Consumer
Module 5: Final Exam
If you take deer management seriously, you already understand that your responsibilities don’t end when you squeeze the trigger. What happens next—the follow-up, gralloch, inspection, and preparation of the carcass—is just as important as the shot itself. It’s these stages that define not only the quality of the venison produced, but also your professionalism, ethical standards, and competence as a deer stalker and trained hunter. This course has been specifically designed to bridge the critical gap between taking the shot and entering the food chain, showing you exactly how to handle a deer carcass in a way that is humane, hygienic, legal, and safe.
Whether you’re preparing for your PDS2 or DSC2 qualification or just beginning your journey into deer stalking, this structured training provides the practical, hands-on knowledge required to do the job properly. Through clear, instructional video demonstrations and expert tuition from Mike Allison, CEO of Jelen Premier Wildlife Services, you’ll learn how to carry out both ground and suspended gralloch techniques with confidence and precision.
Alongside the physical process, the course also teaches you how to identify signs of disease, maintain food hygiene standards and meet legal and safety obligations in the field. Every aspect has been considered and developed to ensure you gain the skills and understanding necessary to carry out a full, compliant gralloch—making this course the ideal foundation for those seeking formal qualification or simply striving for best practice in the field.
Click on the following link to enrol on the course today for just: £125-00.
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Advanced Deer Management Course
Nationally recognised · LANTRA accredited · Now available fully online
Having successfully run for over a decade, the nationally recognised and LANTRA accredited Advanced Deer Management Course continues to set the standard for professional deer management training. This highly regarded course is designed for those who want to advance their knowledge and understanding of deer control and management at a professional level, looking not only from the deer stalker’s perspective but also through the lens of estate management.
For the first time ever, the course is available fully online, making it more accessible than ever while retaining the same depth, quality and practical understanding that have made it so respected. Participants will gain a clear understanding of the complex relationships between biodiversity, land use, forestry and deer populations, and learn how these can be managed in balance, without harm to habitats or wildlife.
Who the course is for
This course is ideally suited to:
• People with some experience in deer management or those who work alongside deer management to gain a broader understanding.
• Those seeking a career in professional deer and wildlife management.
• Land agents, estate managers and owners who wish to better understand what deer management is to help reduce agricultural and forestry crop damage, take advantage of Forestry Commission Woodland Grant Schemes (WS1), or increase estate income while safeguarding natural resources.
Course format
• Delivery: Fully online (previously classroom/field delivered content retained and adapted for online delivery)
• Accreditation: LANTRA accredited
• Assessment: Module-based learning with a Final Exam (Module 17).
The course combines critical classroom theory with practical, field-informed knowledge and is structured so that learners can apply modern deer management principles in real-world estate settings.
What you will learn (overview)
Participants will develop skills and knowledge across a broad range of topics essential to modern deer management, including (but not limited to):
• The role of deer within the wider wildlife context and trophic cascades
• Land designations and their implications for management
• Damage identification and impact assessment
• Habitat management and manipulation for control
• Deer management planning (from concept to delivery) and WS1 applications
• Population and meta-population dynamics
• Census techniques and the value of a deer census
• Cull and observation record-keeping, large-scale and intensive culling operations
• On-the-hoof ageing, cull selection and genetic improvement
• Reproductive assessment and deer health surveillance across wild, park and farmed populations
• Venison production
• Shot placement, reaction & effects
Course modules
1. Module 1: Introduction to Deer Management
2. Module 2: Deer Management - The Basics
3. Module 3: Understanding Deer Control & Management
4. Module 4: Management Approaches - Upland & Lowland
5. Module 5: Deer Damage
6. Module 6: Selection Criteria
7. Module 7: Culling Operations
8. Module 8: Shot Placement, Reaction & Effects
9. Module 9: Venison Production
10. Module 10: Impacts of Deer on Woodland Biodiversity
11. Module 11: Sustainable Deer Management Planning
12. Module 12: Population Dynamics
13. Module 13: The Value of a Deer Census
14. Module 14: Deer Impact Assessment
15. Module 15: Deer Health Assessment
16. Module 16: Deer Farming & Park Management
17. Module 17: Final Exam
About the instructor
Mike Allison - Managing Director of Jelen Premier Wildlife Services (Jelen PWS) and one of the UK’s foremost deer management specialists. Mike brings nearly five decades of professional experience across wild, park and farmed deer sectors, delivering conservation-led deer management solutions throughout the UK and Europe.
Mike is an experienced trainer who has guided many trainees into significant industry roles. He developed Europe’s first LANTRA Approved course in Live Capture, Immobilisation and Live Animal Care and has an extensive record of delivering practical, field-based training to build confidence and professional competence.
