Where are you based and what do you do?
I live in the German Rhineland near Duren, where my father used to be a farmer.
I am an agricultural economist and farmer and spent much of my career as an agricultural attaché based in embassies abroad, including a spell in London.
What deerstalking experience and qualifications do you have?
I have always been a hunter, and have had a Jagdschein (hunting licence) since 1964.
Where do you stalk?
Mainly in Germany, the UK and on my farm in Namibia. I hunt roe deer, red deer and wild boar in Europe, and have hunted most plains game in Africa. The most numerous animals on my Namibian farm are oryx, hartebeest and warthog, but there are also other species such as kudu, springbuck and duiker. I visit Perthshire twice a year for red and roe.
What’s your rifle set-up?
I use Blaser and Steyr rifles in various calibres depending on the species I am hunting. My Steyr 9.3×64 is for use against boar. I use Zeiss optics.
What other kit do you use?
I keep my kit simple. I like lederhosen, breeks and jackets.
Do you have a preferred stalking style?
High seats enable the hunter to carefully select the animal he shoots. In Germany most of my stalking is done from them. I make my own high seats and have one very comfortable one on wheels, which was formerly a shepherd’s hut. In Africa I prefer to walk and stalk through the bush.
Can you describe your favourite stalk?
On 2 August this year I shot a handsome roebuck from a high seat near Magoliburg, formerly in East Germany. This buck had been observed in the area for some weeks previously. It belonged to a healthy population of field roe that live in the large open arable fields there. It was four years old with antlers measuring 26cm and 27cm and a spread at the top of 24cm. I was very pleased with that!
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