Deer Stalking in Your 40s: My knees might complain but I get the job done.

These days, when I crouch down to check a hedgerow or woodland edge with my thermal, there's a fairly good chance I'll make at least one noise getting back up again. My knees are in agony, my back creaks, and if I've slept funny the night before, even lifting my rifle out of the cabinet can feel like a mistake.

Welcome to deer stalking in your forties!

For many women (and men), this involves navigating changing hormones, aches and pains, skin that is suddenly hyper-sensitive and trying to figure out whether your stiffness is from throwing a toy for the dog too hard or simply because you sat on the sofa for too long.

But - I wouldn't swap it for the world.

Deer stalking doesn't suddenly become impossible once you hit forty, but you do need to hunt smarter. You learn to pace yourself, pack lighter, stretch before heading out and prepare your route back to the car!

As women, our hormones fluctuate throughout the month, and those changes can influence how we feel physically. Around certain times in our cycle and particularly for those of us enjoying perimenopause (groan) many of us notice increased joint pain, muscle aches and even more fatigue than usual.

And then there's all the practical stuff. Climbing over gates without looking like you've forgotten how your legs work, trying to slip under fences without getting snagged and carrying allllll the kit we somehow convince ourselves is essential. It's hard work but it doesn't mean we have to stop hunting, it just means we need to start listening to our bodies. Then, if you're fortunate enough to harvest a deer, the real work begins.

Gralloching and butchery requires dexterity, which I find is more difficult in my forties, since my fingers don't move quite as freely as they used to. Cold or wet days don't help either. But every successful stalk reminds me that I am still stronger and more capable than I think.

Men aren't completely immune either...

Many men begin noticing changes during their forties as testosterone gradually declines. That can mean:

• slower recovery after exercise.

• gradual loss of muscle mass and strength.

• stiffer joints and reduced flexibility.

• lower energy levels and less stamina.

So hunting in our forties - and older - is something we're all figuring out together.

The funny thing is that deer stalking is probably one of the best hobbies we could choose to help us age well. Every stalk is exercise without feeling like exercise. You're walking miles over uneven ground, improving your balance, strengthening muscles, working your heart and lungs and spending hours in fresh air instead of staring at another screen. Your brain gets a workout too. You're constantly reading the wind, scanning the landscape, spotting movement, identifying birds, recognising plants and learning something new on every single outing. And at the end of a successful hunt? Nutritious food for our mind and body! That combination of movement, concentration and nutritious wild food is fantastic for staying healthy as we get older.

So yes, my knees might moan, my fingers occasionally refuse to cooperate and my back sometimes has a little tantrum; but I'll still happily be out, sunrise or sunset, watching the countryside wake up and harvesting my own wild meat.

In fact, over the next couple of months I'll be guiding six people at the very start of their deer stalking journeys - five of which are female. Watching someone take those first steps into hunting, learning fieldcraft skills and generally growing in confidence is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.

Speaking of exciting things; next month I'll be travelling to Hungary with my sponsor, HikMicro, for my very first hunt abroad, and I'm SO excited!

I'll be spending time discussing where I believe hunting technology is heading, collaborating with fellow ambassadors from across Europe, creating plenty of social media content, developing new skills and, of course, getting hands-on with the latest HikMicro kit.

I'll be sharing plenty of updates while I'm out there so keep an eye on my blogs and on Instagram! Until then, don't let your age convince you that your adventures are behind you.

**P.S.** If you're new to deer stalking and would like to learn a simple, quick way to butcher your deer, have a look at my YouTube video below, or why not head to the channel and subscribe? I upload new videos every few weeks covering hunting, foraging, growing your own food and cooking.

In the meantime - happy hunting!