Buying a hunting knife is very much like buying a car; we all have differing views and budgets. Essentially, any deer you gralloch is going into the food chain one way or another, so the selected tool must comply with food safety standards. Not least of which is a fully cleanable blade and handle. Heavy cotton canvas as used in tents, tarpaulins and other luggage is super abrasion resistant and resistant to rotting and repels water Leather tabs and press studs aid closing the bag across the front to reduce the bag size when not fully loaded I will also open the aitchbone in the pelvic area, allowing me to remove the anus. All that is holding the deer’s organs and stomach now is the connective tissue and the diaphragm skirt — once gently cut, gravity will take over and all the internal organs will fall forward and to the floor. I will hang the roe from a tree, around head height as a nice working position. It is hung by the rear legs, upside down, which allows the blood to drain into the chest cavity, making the subsequent bleed more effective. I remove the gralloch by opening the stomach wall and cutting through the breastbone all the way down to the bleed hole using a bone saw.

There is a huge range of knives on the market, but for me the Rolls-Royce of knifemakers is the team at Emberleaf. I was introduced to an Emberleaf while doing some deer management training for some guys in Ireland, and was completely blown away by the surgical sharpness of the knife and its lines. That was that and I simply had to have one. I am only in my 2nd season of stalking (on my own) and now cover a 300 acre compartment. Over the years I have dragged and used a shoulder strap to extract roe, fallow and red. All kit is on my belt or in a small waist bag. Disposable powder-fee surgical-grade gloves are a godsend for keeping everything clean and sterile Disposable glovesMy own is a customised Garron, which really is a thing of beauty. It holds an edge incredibly well, comes with a 5in blade, longer than many but to me that is an ideal size — particularly useful for the thoracic bleed on a red when you really do need to make a deep incision. It’s incredibly well balanced and Emberleaf offers a lifetime guarantee. Of the four compartments a zipped side compartment contains its own waterproof insulated mat which is most welcome on a wet day on the hill when stopping for your piece. It is also perfectly shaped to take a telescope if you prefer. The second is a small, rubberised, washable and waterproof, zipped pouch that could take the offal. Here we have used a high tensile rubberised fabric that we have heat welded on the outer seams to prevent leakage, this is eyeleted and fully removable for cleaning. A draw cord top with eyelets closes the bag and the front flap securely fastens it.

Every effort has been taken to ensure this product is manufactured and designed to give maximum performance for many seasons.

The best stalking bags are invaluable equpiment for a day on the hill. Dominic Griffith seeks out the best on the market.

They are a really good fit and easy to get on, even when you’ve got wet hands, which I suppose is likely among medical staff. I even managed to get hold of some during the height of the pandemic.